Is being a watch enthusiast all about buying watches?
Updated: Jul 30
The chances of spotting me in town in front of a watch shop are high. Whenever I pass one, even one I've walked past hundreds of times, I stop and look at the watches through the boutique windows. I also can't help playing a game you surely know. I ask myself: "if I had to buy one watch from those in this window, which would I choose?"
This game gives me a little of the excitement and pleasure I feel when I buy a new watch: the same feeling you have on your way to the boutique, as excited as a child going to the toy shop with their parents. It leads me to ask: does all the pleasure lie in the act of buying? Is this really all about buying watches?
Searching for the chosen one.
The search isn't actually the first step. As I feel connected to my watches, I like them to be tied to a special moment or event. An occasion to buy a watch isn't compulsory, of course. You're free to buy the watches you like at any time. For me, though, buying a watch for a particular moment adds a little something that makes the purchase special, and even more personal. That occasion is most often a happy one: graduation, a personal or professional achievement, a marriage, the birth of a child, a birthday and so on. Once you've identified this special occasion, the research can begin.
"There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path," a so-called wise man named Lao Tzu is supposed to have said. The line rings true in many cases. Once you've made your purchase, the excitement fades very quickly. The same applies to watches. You can avoid this trap, however, by taking your time over choosing the watch.
For my part, I try to diversify my collection as much as possible to avoid redundancy. Above all, I picture myself with the watch. Do I want a formal watch? Do I want to do outdoor activities with it? Do I want a dedicated or a multipurpose watch? The answers often point to the technical features you might want from your future watch: water resistance, a screw-down crown (my obsession), power reserve, material, shape and so on.
This step can be done online. Instagram, YouTube and blogs are great for making a first selection. You probably also have a "watch buddy", a friend as obsessed with watches as you are, who can help with your research. It's always a pleasure to get suggestions from someone who knows you very well.
Then comes the boutique. I've never bought a watch without trying it on first. Some brands, however, sell their watches exclusively on their websites, so you have no choice but to buy without wearing it beforehand. It's a risk, but sometimes it's the way to get excellent value for money.
Pulling the trigger.
You've identified the watch. You're ready to head to the shop, where you're meant to discover the "ceremony" of the brand or authorised dealer.
This part is essential to the customer journey, yet it can be quite frustrating: you sit down, try the watch on, buy it or not, and leave. That's obviously not the experience we're after. In my opinion, it isn't that hard to create a good in-store experience. Personally, I like it when the salesperson asks about my tastes, the watches I already own or my hobbies. It's even better when the staff recognise you and remember your name. To put it bluntly, this is all about triggering a purchase. True. But there's no denying that a good in-store experience is a memory that stays with the watch and makes it that little bit more valuable to you.
The second-hand market can be daunting, with all its pitfalls, but it has its beauty too. If you buy a pre-owned watch from a private seller, you have a chance of meeting someone as passionate as you. This person might tell you stories about the watch. It could have been worn on the Moon, for instance. A particular bond can then form between the seller and you: friendship, or anything else positive that you'll remember when wearing the watch.
The journey.
Yes, the excitement fades a few days or weeks after the purchase. I've experienced it. That doesn't mean the pleasure is gone, though. On the contrary, it's time to create your own story with your new watch.
I'm a "wear your watch" guy. By that I mean: don't be afraid to wear your watch. If you can, wear them for what they were made for. Of course, the more expensive the watch, the harder it can be to put it in a risky situation. Even so, a modern Blancpain Fifty Fathoms should be diving just like a Seiko Turtle! At the very least, wear your watches. I have a dive watch but... I never dive. One day perhaps. I just love the look of it. Still, I wear it like a "tool watch". I don't mean a "beater watch". G-Shock watches are perfect for this.
Your watch records the passing of time. As I said earlier, I wear my Seiko Turtle like a tool watch or for outdoor activities. It has scratches, especially one on the bezel made by a lovely dog I played with years ago in Germany. Every time I see that mark, I smile.
This is what I mean by creating your own story with your watch. Not necessarily extraordinary stories, but ones you enjoyed and that make you smile.
Dress it up
Changing the look of your watch is a pleasure not to be overlooked. Right now you're thinking about swapping straps. Sometimes, though, you can change the case of your watch too. One brand does this very well: I'm thinking of Hegid. It lets you change the look of your watch by swapping the case and the "capsule" (made up of the movement, the dial and the hands). I particularly like the Expedition model and its case, which fits any Hegid watch. Even though I was a little dubious at first, these watches exude quality and robustness.
Apart from this, the only thing you can change on your watch is the strap. This is the land of endless possibilities. There are many types and materials to choose from: rubber, leather, nylon, steel, NATO straps and bracelets. Add the colour options and you could spend a lifetime trying every combination. It can dramatically change the look of your watch. Each time you swap the strap, you sort of have a new watch. I have done this with quite a lot of watches like the OW P-104 Selectron, my Oris Big Crown Pointer Date, my Glycine Airman MLV and my Longines Spirit. There's no doubt it brings longer-lasting pleasure. Be warned that you might cause a stir in the watch community by wearing your dive watch on a leather NATO, as I sometimes do.
Taking care of it
Cleaning your watch is the basic step to keeping it in great shape. Just been diving in the sea with it? Rinse it with clean water to remove sand and salt. Been running for an hour with it on? Again, clean it properly after the effort.
The heart of your watch deserves good treatment too. Take it to the boutique or your local watchmaker for a service. This applies to mechanical watches, but to quartz watches as well.
I'm not the kind of person who services their watch every three, four or five years. I service it when something goes wrong. I wouldn't advise you to do the same. Just because your watch runs very well, like my 2006 Seiko Spring Drive that has never been serviced, doesn't mean some parts aren't on the verge of breaking.
It is not.
Of course, buying a watch through a great experience in a boutique or from a fellow enthusiast is a real source of pleasure, and sometimes even enrichment. I really do think a great boutique experience can spark a passion in buyers. That said, if you're content with impulse purchases you sometimes regret, and if you don't seek to build a history with your watch, then you are, in my opinion, missing out on the whole experience watches can offer.
This is how I see watch enthusiasm. It's quite an individualistic way of living my passion, though, and watches are also a powerful connector.
More to come.
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