[dominquekoh]

Just joined Watchuseek and I have a couple of questions I would like to ask.

I have this passion for collecting watches. However as a student, it might be laborious to become a true watch collector.
Recently, I have been thinking whether to get an affordable watch (which could probably get in less than 3-4 months) or save to get a vintage watch.
Additionally I have never buy a watch online before which makes me insecure with spending all my savings on the vintage watch.

Hope you guys could give me advice and tips on starting a watch collection. Thanks!

 

[nesal]

I believe it is a matter of preference! I enjoy my seiko and victorinox watches a lot!! I also have a submariner which I love... For me I like the affordables to get a new toy every now and then and I also love to research which is my next expensive purchase!

 

[WatchNRolla]

My advice is, spend what you can afford. Watches are luxury items, non necessities. There are great watches in all price ranges, so no need to get into debt over them.

In terms of buying online, just research the seller. Make sure he/she has mostly positive reviews. With vintage watches, you need to factor in the cost of servicing it. It might need to be serviced as soon as you get it.

Also, don't rush to buy what you happen to like at the moment. A lot of us buy then regret the decision. Research and determine exactlywhat you want and then try and find the best price.

Have fun with it!

 

[Mark in TCI]

You can have a great collection without it being a very expensive collection. Check out the affordables forum and the Russian watch forum has some great value, everything does not have to be swiss made to be worthy of collecting.

This caught my eye recently !

 

[drunken monkey]

Step one:
take the "watch collecting" off whatever pedestal you seen to have placed it on.

Step two:
buy what you like that you can afford. If you can't afford then save.


No one buys a collection; they buy things that end up as a collection.

 

[jyyck]

I'd prolly sneak around this forum for a while and see which watches get your attention most. Then I'd buy them new if affordable or pre-own if more expensive. Your taste may change so I would more likely buy a couple of cheapies instead of one expensive one. Also I would recommend some versatile watches at first like Seiko skx007 or maybe Orient Mako which seem to be quite popular here. Nothing wrong with vintage watches though. Buy whatever u like!

 

[ShaggyDog]

As said above, don't think of it as a 'collection'. Just search for a nice watch to wear that you like and then see whatever happens from there.

 

[Photographer Boy]

I am a student as you and I try to buy affordable legends such as Orient Mako or affordable Special Edition watches such as Seiko 5 50th Anniversary Edition.

In my opinion it is the most effective way to create good collection in our price range.

 

[ajbutler13]

My advice is, spend what you can afford. Watches are luxury items, non necessities. There are great watches in all price ranges, so no need to get into debt over them.

In terms of buying online, just research the seller. Make sure he/she has mostly positive reviews. With vintage watches, you need to factor in the cost of servicing it. It might need to be serviced as soon as you get it.

Also, don't rush to buy what you happen to like at the moment. A lot of us buy then regret the decision. Research and determine exactlywhat you want and then try and find the best price.

Have fun with it!

I could not agree more.

 

[TKnova]

I am a student as you and I try to buy affordable legends such as Orient Mako or affordable Special Edition watches such as Seiko 5 50th Anniversary Edition.

In my opinion it is the most effective way to create good collection in our price range.

Orient Mako is under 100 on rubber around 150 on bracelet on Amazon. You get a great legit mechanical. Same for the Seiko 007. Its a little more like 105 on rubber and 150 or so on bracelet. Again a legit mechanical to get u started. Plus amazon takes away the worry of your first online purchase.

 

[JacobSimon]

I too have (and most likely always will be) on a budget of some sort. I realized long ago that if I attempt to "compete" with those who can afford five figure watches, I will come up short. I have chosen to go a different route, and purchase watches that are both cool looking and have unique and interesting stories.

Examples:

Vostok Amphibia ministry scuba dude... A very unique story about a nontraditional development of the watch case. Also well under $100.

HMT White Pilot... Another cool story about a watch still made in India using technology that was modern in the 60s.

Seiko Orange Monster...another classic.

There are a lot of really cool watches out there. I encourage you to examine non-traditional routes as well. Happy hunting!

 

[Skeptical]

For some more affordable ideas, here's a group shot of mine:

From left to right, Sea-Gull 1963 Chinese Air Force reissue ($300), G-Shock GW-5000 ($300-ish, but there are much cheaper options for $100 and under), the aforementioned Orient Mako, which I find dresses up or down perfectly ($133), Sinn 556i, a little pricier, but not outrageous on the used market ($800 for mine) and the Obris Morgan Pradata, one of the best value divers on the market ($289 for that model)

 

[ghorn11]

Head over to the affordables forum and repost, the folks over there are the masters of bang for your buck and helped me find watches as a student on a budget.


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[Bobby75]

My advice for what it's worth is buy cheap so you have no great loss if you sell or don't like it. That way you will start to develop your own personal taste so when you get something more expensive you are getting something based on a build up of your own personal knowledge rather than the infuence of others.

There are lots to choose from, Zarya, Vostok, Seiko 5, Orient, Citizen, Slava, Seagull. All for under £200 some less than £50

 

[sticky]

You don't have to spend a fortune to build a collection. Just buy what you like in your price range. As to whether you should go for modern or vintage that is a matter of taste and only you can make the choice.

 

[HiramRanger]

Invicta 8926OB around $75 new, best bang for your buck Sub homage

Seiko monster, can be had for $150 or less used on a steel bracelet

Tiger Concepts, great Rolex homage watches fom Tudor Black Bay, vintage Sub, Explorer, and Deep Sea

Parnis and Alpha, some great styles and value. QC can be hit or miss, shop the seller or good customer service if needed

Deep Blue makes some great value divers, and you can get them on shophq.com with payment plans that help make it affordable

Casio MDV series for under $50

Vostok

Seiko 5

Sooooooooo many choices

 

[Medusa]

I used good grades as a motivator. Every semester I received straight A's I bought my self a watch as a reward. There are excellent watches to fit almost anyone's budget. Get good grades and by the time you graduated your collection will be off to a great start.

 

[thechrism]

Collect watches the way I do. If you like them and you can afford them then buy it if not look for a different one you like that you can afford or just save that money and add it to the next amount of money you would buy with and keep going until you can afford the watch you want.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[David Holt]

Being a struggling student, I would avoid spending much on a vintage watch right now. You could end up with one dead watch sitting in a drawer. There are numerous inexpensive, and very cool watches out there.
Not to apoear self serving, but knowing people here like me is perfect for someone like you. Im working on tier two (maybe three) of my collection and I'm considering selling a few "starter" watches at a very fair price. There has to be a few hundred others here just like me. Truthfully, I hate to part with anything...but, to me, it's a shame to just keep them tucked away.

 

[black watch]

Just joined Watchuseek and I have a couple of questions I would like to ask.

I have this passion for collecting watches. However as a student, it might be laborious to become a true watch collector.
Recently, I have been thinking whether to get an affordable watch (which could probably get in less than 3-4 months) or save to get a vintage watch.
Additionally I have never buy a watch online before which makes me insecure with spending all my savings on the vintage watch.

Hope you guys could give me advice and tips on starting a watch collection. Thanks!

Welcome to the forum, lots of watch knowledge here, but try not to get too consumed so early on.
Thank god your question shaped up the way it did, because not long ago another young person was trying to decide if he should buy an expensive watch instead of his first car.o|

First, put your savings away and don't buy anything just yet, unless you've been lurking. Get a feeling of what types you really like that's been around awhile without needing to spend all your money. Make a short list and try to pick it up on our sales forum, there's nothing wrong with starting your collection modestly.

Most all the members take great care of their watches regardless of their value, you should be able to pick up a really nice pre-owned watch at a reasonable cost to you. You'll end up with something nicer than a cookie cutter watch on your wrist.|>
You can ramp up your collection later, and you don't have to worry about having some buzz killing expensive watch accident at a party.