Fergus Nash
Making mistakes is often considered the best way to learn, but when it comes to watch collecting, mistakes can be emotionally and financially costly. It can be painful to buy a watch that you will soon or eventually regret, or even lose money if you sell it. But if you heed some advice, you might be able to avoid these mistakes altogether. Here are 5 watches you will regret buying.
Trendy regrets
Publicity has never been a more powerful tool, especially with short forms of entertainment like TikTok giving audiences far more advertising opportunities. The next big release often feels like it will change the world or promise to fill a hole in your collection you didn’t know you had. All of these emotions can easily be mistaken for excitement centered around the watch itself, but it’s actually just a zeitgeist that gets people involved. Before you buy a new watch that’s garnering media attention, be sure to question whether it’s something you really want, especially if you have to pay more than the suggested retail price.
Regretting spending your budget
Whether online or in a brick-and-mortar store, window shopping has a mysterious power that makes you forget what your bank statement looks like. It’s thrilling, but also dangerous. Even if you’re fully aware of your financial situation, the idea of drilling a hole the size of a luxury watch into your savings may actually seem like a more exciting idea. You might tell yourself that it’s an investment, or that it will make you feel special, but try to stay calm. Purchasing an expensive watch is certainly a thrill, but that joy should come from the fact that you can actually afford something luxurious. Having to sell a watch you recklessly purchased because of an emergency, car trouble, or even something as trivial as a sudden utility bill will only increase your pain.
The regret of coming in second
Have you ever seen a watch, instantly fell in love with it, rushed out to buy it only to find that it was unavailable? Maybe it was a limited edition that sold out, an international boutique exclusive, or a unique vintage oddity that no one had heard of or cared about. Either way, the very natural reaction is to go looking for the next best thing. The urge to buy is already in your mind, and the money in your bank account is all but depleted. You may find something similar, or finally buy that watch you’ve been hesitating about for a while. The tricky thing about watch collecting is that so many small details matter, and even if you find something with the same dial color, hand set, case style, etc., it only takes one imperfect element to ruin your love. Your first choice should be your only option, so you should either wait for a pre-owned one or just move on.
Regret that hits the spot
If it’s been a while since you last bought a watch, there’s nothing wrong with buying one as a treat for yourself. But if you don’t give enough thought to your needs and wants, you might just be scratching an itch. Not only is this a bad idea in that you don’t care enough about what you buy, but once you scratch that itch, it’s likely to come back with even more force. Anything you buy, even if it’s just a $20 Casio watch, should be something you really want, as long as you give it the love it deserves. If your recent purchase has been sitting in a drawer or on your desk for more than a week or two after wearing it for a day, you might just be trying to scratch an itch.
Rebound regret
Buyer’s remorse is bad, but seller’s remorse lasts longer. I myself have never forgiven myself for having a Cartier Pasha that I really liked, but was thinking of trading it in for a Tank Basculant. I sold the Pasha for a Tank, and realized my mistake within a month. If you find yourself in this situation, and like me, you are unable to buy your watch back, it’s tempting to immediately fill the void with another watch. Unfortunately, this only makes you miss your original watch even more. Just like with any breakup, it’s important to take the time to repair the relationship before starting it again; otherwise, you’ll be back on Chrono24 within a week.
