[mconlonx]

Alright, so...

I posted my final 2021 Q4 roundup here:

The 2021 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

Peace and goodwill to you all. Merry Xmas to everyone.

www.watchuseek.com

And since then, listed 9 10 watches for sale - 7 from year end SOTC, two not shown, and of these, 4 5 sold, including three four pictured.

Goals for 2022: Consolidate.

• end the year at less than 20.
• finally do an online watchmaking course.

Q1 may be messy, with a few purchases planned. I've already sold more than I will buy, and when all is said and done, sales will cover purchases and there will be net outflow.

Q2-3 zero purchases

Q4 one Big Purchase.

WPAC has never been about complete abstinence for me. I like the community, the people who contribute and the level of conversation. It has also led to a very much more discerning view toward purchases - i look for reasons not to buy, rather than reasons to buy.

And it seems like I will follow that well-trodden path of fewer purchases, but higher-peiced watches. The mrs-ish gifted me a Tudor BB36, and it is actually all that. I now have my eye on a 4-5 watch collection as an ultimate goal, with maybe 3-4 slots for messing around with affordables.

 

[mconlonx]

In the 20+ years prior to COVID I traveled 125 nights/year for work, in the last 2 years I’ve not been out 25 nights total. I’m sure that has a lot to do with the waning interest in watches and I’ve worn my G Shock 90% of the time.

I've heard a similar sentiment expressed by many, and I'll be honest - I just don't understand this. Another friend says most of his good watches are in storage in Austria - he doesn't have them because he doesn't need them, having retired from the business world.

Even when I was working from home 4/5 days of the week, I still wore different watches in rotation, still got a kick out of whatever WotD was on my wrist. Maybe this is why things did not appreciably slow down for me in 2021?

In any case, members have posted some really compelling smaller collections, which is the kind of inspiration for which I hang out at WPAC.

 

[mconlonx]

Think of it as wearing jewelry on some level, which is what watches are - more or less. When I’m home I’m doing stuff around the farm and a G Shock is more appropriate, when I’m on the road seeing customers I like to wear something a little bit nicer.

Add in the fact that, with a few exceptions, we’ve dialed our social schedule back to almost zero. Wearing a nicer watch isn’t worth the effort, atm, and I don’t like to have “stuff” just lying around not being used. I’ve also sold a bunch of nicer knives, lights and pens over the last few months for the same reasons.

Things will eventually get back to quasi-normal and I will likely rebuild the collection then. Until then I’m content with what I have and there isn’t anything I’ve sold that can’t be replaced, they’re just baubles.

Oh, I get it. But different strokes, and all. Kudos to you for being you.

Me, doing messy things around the house? Swap out to beater watch... then back to lounging WotD.

Also, me, just hanging around the house, all casual-like:

 

[mconlonx]

Alright, so...

I posted my final 2021 Q4 roundup here:

The 2021 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

Peace and goodwill to you all. Merry Xmas to everyone.

www.watchuseek.com

And since then, listed 9 10 watches for sale - 7 from year end SOTC, two not shown, and of these, 4 5 sold, including three four pictured.

Goals for 2022: Consolidate.

• end the year at less than 20.
• finally do an online watchmaking course.

Q1 may be messy, with a few purchases planned. I've already sold more than I will buy, and when all is said and done, sales will cover purchases and there will be net outflow.

Q2-3 zero purchases

Q4 one Big Purchase.

WPAC has never been about complete abstinence for me. I like the community, the people who contribute and the level of conversation. It has also led to a very much more discerning view toward purchases - i look for reasons not to buy, rather than reasons to buy.

And it seems like I will follow that well-trodden path of fewer purchases, but higher-peiced watches. The mrs-ish gifted me a Tudor BB36, and it is actually all that. I now have my eye on a 4-5 watch collection as an ultimate goal, with maybe 3-4 slots for messing around with affordables.

Three more sold today. To clarify current SOTC:

The ones circled are either for sale, shortly will be listed, or are under consideration. The four along the bottom... not sure which will stay, which will go.

The two empty spots were watches not shown, but already gone.

Down to 23, with 3 of those still listed; 7 watches sold in the past few days.

Harder choices coming up...

 

[mconlonx]

4 more chosen to go up 4 sale...

Techniques:
-
No watch is perfect. For a long time I bought watches if there things I liked about a watch. Now, I look carefully at specs and pix, to really figure out what I don't like about a watch. And then figure out if I can live with it.

- Buy something else, preferably something which retains value, or even appreciates. Precious metals - silver bullion and junk coins can be purchased down into the 10s of dollars. Or create a dedicated savings account / jar, for money you did not spend.on a given watch.

 

[mconlonx]

I wonder - is it possible to get every member through January - just January- without a purchase?

Nope. January purchases already pre-planned.

However, I did sell a watch today. Which I think is an auspicious start to the year, on top of 7 sold watches through Dec. Right track, anyway.

Bunch more listed with a few bites which I hope will turn into sales over the next few days.

 

[mconlonx]

Controversial opinion: Ali watches are for consumers, not collectors.

Well... I bought a Baltany 36mm field watch off AliX, which I modded, and it turned into one of my favorite, most worn watches.

Collectibility? Outside my life, not so much. Consumer good? Sure, that too.

But like some few other inanimate objects in my life, it's definitely attained more precious status than it's raw value - what I paid for it, or what I could sell it for.

 

[mconlonx]

There are exceptions to every rule- you buying one, and it becoming one of your favorites, is way different from buying 15 and flipping 14 in a year!

True. Not quite sure how I avoided it, but just never went through that cycle.

Part of it is that most of the available watches homage designs which don't really appeal to me. The other part was that the few I did like, I purchased Ebay or direct from the brand.

Probably best that I really only started looking at AliX after finding WPAC...

 

[mconlonx]

The trouble with all this is that I like expensive stuff, but not the expensive prices Eg, Teddy Baldassarre reviewed a lovely dark blue JLC moon the other day as an alternative to a Reverso. It looked fantastic, but it's getting on for 10k, and that's well out of my comfort zone.

I got issues with Teddy. He's hawking watches off his website, so I don't trust that reviews of the brands he sells are anything but shilling to the masses.

Some of the other ones he does, are simply pandering to the wealthy. And then there's his "look at my pretty girlfriend" vids.

But what really stuck in my craw was when he dissed a Vostok Komandirskie. Unforgivable. He is dead to me.

 

[mconlonx]

The ruthless cull continues.

One more of these up for sale, VAER was traded for something which will hopefully be an easier sell, Vostok off the sale table of the three field watches. If I can't get a decent price for the Boldr, it might stick around, too.

One of the not-pictured watches deals fell through, but it's a new watch from a retail outlet, so I'm seeing if I can return - it actually was advertised at the wrong size. Two more of these were put up for sale and sold immediately.

5 sold in the new year, so far. Or at least since Dec 30. 10, total, in this purge
1 possible return
1 coming in off a trade, to be listed for sale immediately.
4 on the sale table
Started the year at 30. Currently at 20. 6 in flux. 14 keepers.

From deals initiated in 2021, 3 incoming.
Leaning toward canceling 2 pre-orders, or selling both on arrival. I believe I lose my deposit if I cancel; I might even profit, if I resell at non-pre-order, regular pricing.
Probably a no on an anticipated Q1 release.

If it all works out, I will have reached my 2022 "under 20" goal.

 

[mconlonx]

On the subject of watch review videos (or online press) is there anyone that people trust to give an objective view? We'd discussed here before about how most if not all reviews seem to be gushing and that lead to Lee suggesting that they are not wanting to bite the hand that feeds. I tend to watch reviews with the sound muted, I just want to see the watch not hear someone blabbering on.

I like: Watch Geek, Relative Time, and Random Rob (as long as it's not a G-Shock or Seiko Monster). Just One More Watch is hard not to pay attention to.

 

[mconlonx]

Red Dead Restoration, The Naked Watchmaker, Wristwatch Revival, among others.

Best stuff to fall asleep to, since Bob Ross passed away...

 

[mconlonx]

I don't quite see why the WPAC is part of the "affordables" section to be honest. It's probably more relevant in the general "public" forum, isn't it?

It is a conundrum, since there are more than a few around here who have moved up the horological food chain to collections with less than affordable watches.

But at its essence, the more affordable a watch is, the more one is prone to buy it - "So cheap, why not?" - and then flip it - "I won't take too big a hit..."

In Public, you'll find more serious collectors who hang onto watches, those buying fewer, more expensive watches, and to be frank, a lot more complete dickheadz.

 

[mconlonx]

I just didn't like how TGV went from singing the praises of homages (he owned several Squale sub homages) to practically bad mouthing them. Like you I used to enjoy his style, but now I find him painfully up his own rear end......

I will say this - I do get a kick out of the mash-ups he does with Marc from Island Watch.

 

[mconlonx]

We're recommending watch purchasing enabling youtube channels now?

Oddly, there are very few channels I watch anymore. I know what I want, I know what I like, and mostly, they are not reviewing those. I've resorted to searching by model to find what I'm looking for, which has led me away from the more mainstream channels.

 

[mconlonx]

First off, thank you all for your perspectives.

Buy the Rolex. Wear it. See if it really is all that. AD called, wife is on board, you can afford it... WPAC allows for one exception per year, so go for it. Especially considering waitlist, instant financial appreciation, near legend status, etc.

If you like it, you're done. If not, sell at a profit.

Personally, there's just not a single Rolex that thrills me enough to do that kind of cash outlay. Best I could come up with would be a DJ36 or OP36, and I find faults in both which would rule them out. Explorer especially... not sure what it is, but it just does not do it for me, even in 36mm. Odd, because I just adore my new Tudor BB36.

In any case, call it your annual exception watch. If it meets or exceeds your expectations, you won't want to buy another watch this year. If it doesn't, flip it and wait for next year...

 

[mconlonx]

It's funny...

Conjecture about Rolex is just so much armchair speculation on my end.

I can't afford one, even at MSRP. I don't particularly want one. So I wouldn't be on an AD list for one.

And even if I could afford one, I'd probably be looking at other watches - I don't particularly care for Submariners, would opt for a GO SeaQ instead; forget OP/DJ/E1, a Cartier Santos Medium would get the nod if I had $6k burning a hole in my pocket. I.e. watches I could get right now, rather than waiting more than a year for when/if I get The Call.

---------------------------

WPAC conundrum: You bought into a pre-order to the tune of two watches, $50/ea, at pre-order pricing, full price to be invoiced at fulfillment, when watches are in stock and ready to ship. Do you:

a) Ignore the invoice, forfeit your $100 deposit, "$100 is small price to pay to maintain my WPAC dignity!" and not have to deal with headache of flipping.
b) Pay out on the invoice, know that you will be tempted to keep at least one, but if you follow through with sale of both, you stand to make money selling at current retail vs. preorder pricing?

Although previous sale of this brand and model have indicated that it should be no problem flipping for full retail between preorder release and follow-up general release, there is always a greater than zero chance you may lose money on the deal, potentially even more than the deposit value.

What say WPAC?

 

[mconlonx]

Giving it time before deciding anything - couple of months at least, from the moment you'd normally have pulled the trigger - is the best way to filter out the bullcrap.

Go back in time and tell yourself to stop doing pre-orders?

Kind of the same issue - pre-order = getting on The List at the AD, to wait for The Call.

You get the call/email invoice for the watch, what do you do? You literally can't sit on the decision for a month or three because you've had a few to 18 months to consider the deal, and now's the time to put up or shut up. They won't hold the watch as long as we might want to purposely consider the purchase, will move on to the next paying customer, already lined up for one, cash in hand.

Adds to the instant FOMO, doesn't it...? I've seen people get carried away at auctions, under the same kind of restraint: someone else might get this thing I want! So they bid beyond what they might have set as their max.

On my end, fact of the matter is, pre-order was done before I had an inkling a BB36 was at all in the cards. Plan was always to get two, different colors, choose one, and sell the other. Now, I'm left facing the fact that any time I'd wear either of them (36mm, no-date, three hand, sport watch), probably I'd lean toward the BB36, instead.

 

[mconlonx]

My point is that if its a trend that if someone is considering buying a Rolex that it almost gets a free pass, if it was an Orient or something else it'd take a bashing. I think that Rolex (and Tudor) et al all deserve more criticism for the outrageous pricing and customer treatment...

With Rolex, I think it's all about the financial gain to be realized with resale of a watch purchased at MSRP. If someone strolled in here looking for a bash on a Rolex at true market pricing, they'd get an earful.

Tudor pricing and outrageous treatment... Maybe with some models, some of the time? I had a choice of ADs where I could have picked up a BB36 in blue, and the mrs-ish actually went grey market for about a 15% discount off retail. One AD we shopped had BB58s for sale at MSRP, although the new Pelagos MN was display-only, taking orders. Pricing...? I dunno. I've said before that I can appreciate the pricing for the BB58, and even MSRP on Rolex watches. We splashed out on a BB36. Knowing full well that I could have got 90% of the quality for 10-20% of the price, and the same functionality out of a $45 Lorus/Alba... or a $10 Casio.

I tried one of these on once and whilst I'd loved the look wearing it was awful. It was just so big and chunky on the wrist. Reminds me of the old WPAC saying of "try before you buy".

Oddly, I was surprised how well a regular Speedmaster fit me, but was still repelled by the fact that it was a chronograph...

 

[mconlonx]

Thats nonsense. With preorders you can still wait for the inevitable catch and release listings on the secondary market. There may be a few instances where the secondary price is higher, but the majority will take a hit, so you save a few bucks as well (in case you still want it after all those months waiting).

Your current situation would have been avoided, if you had just waited for some other FOMO junkie to catch and release their pre-order.

True... But you'd be taking a chance then, eh? That's actually how I picked up a v1 model of this particular watch. Between pre-order and general release, someone sold one at regular retail pricing, at a premium over pre-order pricing, and I was happy to pay it to 1) be assured of getting one, and 2) ahead of the general release. Sold that one to fund this pre-order of the New! Improved! v2 version. Except this time, no-date.

This begs even more WPAC derision, I know, and probably will be part of why I don't need either in my life, one way or another.

I still maintain a wait list is analogous to a pre-order, just that in this case, with a Rolex, the opportunity to flip at profit is even more guaranteed.