XXI century is a great time to discover new hobbies, to find a new obsession. With a few clicks you can find, and with a few more you can buy, almost anything on this planet and get it delivered to your door. This gives you the chance to widen your horizons, broaden your knowledge and indulge in new ventures. But you need to be careful, as this is not just for amusement! Horology is most certainly a rabbit hole. Deep and wild. A world that takes you away and never lets you go. People who regard watches as a passion, or grew up with a liking for them, often become lifelong lovers of “time”.
So, who are horologists? Of course we can say, people with a lot of time on their hands… We are lovers of watches, pocket watches and clocks. People with an undying affection for items representing time. Some could say we are art lovers and yes, some watches are pure magic.
There are different reasons why people buy watches, but for now we are going to talk about three main categories and subcategories. The investors, the collectors and the enthusiasts. All three are different, yet bound together by the same fundamentals…watches. Also I must say that one usually does not exist without the other.
The first group of people we are going to talk about are the investors. As dry and materialistic as it may sound, it isn`t. The reason some people invest in watches in the first place is because they simply love watches. Otherwise, they would just look and admire them. Investing in a watch is as risky as every investment, however there are certain brands and models that do not just keep their value, but it increases with time.
Of course if you take good care of it. An average timepiece normally loses value, like everything after it has been purchased, but there are some that keep the value and some that increase over time. Risk is always there especially since the market can change and certain things influence the selling price. Last year was affected by crypto currencies in a way no one expected. BUT! There are safe choices like a Rolex Daytona or a Patek Philippe Nautilus.
When a watch becomes a vintage timepiece or is discontinued, or a phenomenon happens like Paul Newman with Daytona 6239…well that is gold.
How to learn what to invest in? You either spend a lot of time and even more energy educating yourself, or you become a member of a watch club. You can also research with friends as a group if you share the interest…there are a few ways. HOWEVER, I want to say that if your sole purpose is to gain money from the watches, you might implement a stress factor that can take away the joy of learning about or owning a unique timepiece.
The second group is the collectors. Unique is the name of the game. People can collect watches for different reasons. Movie watches like Seiko Giugiaro SCED037, which was worn by Elen Repley in Aliens in the year of 1986. Or the legendary Rolex 6538 in James Bond worn by Sir Sean Connery.
The list is endless but the motivation is different for everyone. Simply said not everyone wants to own (or can afford to own one, as it has a hefty price) Arnold Schwarzenegger`s 1999 action horror thriller End of Days famous Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 25770SN/O/0001KE/0. Movie watches are just one category for the collectors.
There are some who like to collect watches because the same model was worn, owned or mentioned by a famous person. Let’s say for example the Dalai Lama`s Rolex Day Date 18038.
Collectors also go for vintage, limited or simply rare pieces. That may be a wrist or pocket watch. Now this is a bit tricky. As even if you find what you like, the condition is crucial. To find the right parts and fix them, is a real watchmaker`s magic. This field is full of mines, but more rewarding. There are some absolutely stunning timepieces like Breguet 1039 or a Breitling vintage Navitimer AOPA.
You may be able to find the holy grail for a good price, but then if you have to spend twice the buying price (or sometimes even more) on the service, it might not be such a great deal. Also finding the right watchmaker is very hard. To overcome these difficulties is not impossible. Find a watch club, a respected dealer or an honourable watchmaker and they will help you out. We are more than happy to say that the majority of the horology community is helpful.
We see people collect watches because they were made in a specific year, like the collectors birth year. Some collect only blue dial watches, or only gold cases, limited productions, certain case sizes or simply because they can collect. Collection is a love for unique watches and sometimes it also can be an investment. In all honesty, to a certain extent watch collectors and investors are enthusiasts, but only to a certain degree. They won’t usually buy something out of character or just because of “why not”. They move with a purpose if I may say.
The third category is the enthusiasts. It has the beauty of stressless love and the search for uniqueness at the same time. Horologists who belong to this category are here for the beauty of timepieces, the magic stored inside a watch. For the ambience of time. Some are lucky to just walk into a shop and buy what they like and some must buy every piece carefully. Save up for months, if not years, but that is okay. We are in the game for the awe factor. If you belong here, you are not bound by rules and categories. You can have a wonder like Omega Seamaster 224.32.55.21.01.002 (Ploprof) or the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2, or the Raketa Copernicus 2609.
It’s all totally up to you. Of course there are other categories and reasons why people are into watches and I must say, whatever the reason, it’s ok. You don’t have to be a professional or wealthy. You don’t even have to have many pieces or maybe you are just about to buy your first watch ever. Well, go on! Join watch clubs and go to events, visit watch dealers. Ask as many questions as you like to watch clubs or dealers. AD`s are only informative when it comes to their own brands and recent models. Most countries have more than one watch dealer and authorised boutiques and usually at least one Watch club. Also, social media is an absolute blast. Lots of groups you can join.
In the end, there are an increasing number of people entering the wonderful world of Horology and their reasons may vary, but that’s what makes it magic.
