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The 2022 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

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The 2022 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

Welcome to the 2022 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club, otherwise known as WPAC. This is the 6th year of WPAC, which was started at the beginning of 2017 to try and get myself and some other addicts out of a crazy buying/flipping cycle with watches, we were buying for the sake of it rather than for the appreciation of the watch itself, constantly chasing the next, new shiny watch or searching endlessly, fixated on some watch; generally, IMHO, a rather unhealthy behaviour.

So, what is the point of WPAC? Well, the aim is to abstain from purchasing watches. But that's a bit blunt really, the abstinence is a tool or a method to break the cycle of buying/flipping and become a discerning consumer of horology. Learning to appreciate what you have, understand what works for you with watches and think rationally about purchases, rather than emotionally. Or the ethos of less is more, as some have suggested the philosophy is here. Yes we still love watches, but as we all know we can be weak, so WPAC is a place to get help; here you can take solace from like minded people and get support and encouragement to stop impulse buying.

With those that stick around and make some commitment WPAC has been successful; for me it's certainly helped me break the buy/flip cycle and stop obsessing, so maybe it can help you.

In previous years we've had some rules, but this year there aren't going to be, there seems little point when we all have subtly (sometimes massively) different goals. If you are in serious horological trouble with buying then look back at the OP in previous WPAC threads, the rules should be a useful starting point if you want to get things under control or just shout out here to get some advice, it's what we're good at. Think of it like a clubhouse or a WUS subforum dedicated to being friendly, chatting about everything and anything and where you can find like minded watch fans.

Having said that, there is one rule I'd like everyone to adhere to; first post should be an intro with a SOTC picture (include everything, don't cheat) and some goals/aims for 2022. Whether you want to abstain completely, want to save for a special watch, just need to take control, slow things down or whatever, we'll be happy to have everyone. Just as long as you're clear on what your aims are.

Please participate in the thread, it's what makes it what it is. Any reasonable topic of conversation is acceptable and in fact welcomed.

Bashing of any potential purchases should still be a mandatory element, but let's keep it funny. Nuclear level bashing is required for any actual purchases.
Expect to be challenged by others if you're suggesting a purchase, whatever your personal goals/aims and expect to need to defend yourself.

.....and one last thing, we do occasionally get some trolls visiting, let's agree to not feed them.

Edit - clarification on enabling: this is a difficult one to deal with as WPAC has evolved such that we discuss watches, post pictures, etc., previously we tried not doing that but it didn't really work and as well despite the temptation provided by this individuals need to develop the control to not be tempted every 5 minutes by something. However, this year we seem to have a mixture of regulars and new participants, and some the latter are wanting to abstain. Hence please don't directly enable by suggesting watches......
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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:

View attachment 16330789
Damn why do I want to look like this?
46 watches is quite a lot by any standard. WPAC's main goal is to stop unbridled watch purchasing although many of us have found that reducing the number of watches in our collection helps to focus our attention on what really is desired as opposed to what may happen to be the latest Watch Hotness (insert buzzy micro-brand release here) or what can be obtained just because you found a bargain. I see a ton of overlap in your collection and wonder if some carefully-considered culling might be helpful to you.
Exactly Lee, exactly.......


......from a personal perspective I've found that all of the watch related media, especially including WUS, acts as an massive enabler. Bet the majority of us, if we looked back before we found WUS, would have been content with one average watch, not needing a collection of 46 watches. Being on WUS there's an element of normalisation in either having a huge collection, buying/selling constantly or needing to own that expensive luxury watch that's probably beyond your budget.
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I guess it’s a good thing that I joined the 2022 WPAC, because a unicorn just popped up and I bought it.

So I guess my goals for 2022 are still to not buy anymore. And to enjoy my new original orange Arnie.

I’ve already bought it, so don’t roast it too badly.

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I’d like to participate too.

Here’s my collection, nothing too fancy. My main aim is to stop buying watches in 2022

SOTC

First box,

Rectangle Automotive tire Facade Symmetry Engineering


Top row L-R
Citizen “Ray Mears”BN0118-55E, Citizen Skyhawk JY8070-54E, Elliot Brown Holton Professional, Bulova Sea King 96B228, Casio Pro Trek PRW-6600Y-1ER, Citizen BN0205-10L

Bottom Row L-R
Citizen GMT BJ7107-83E, Citizen Promaster CB5007-51H, Elliot Brown Canford, Bulova Lunar Pilot 98A186, Casio MT-G S1000V (this intention is/was to sell this one) & Citizen Tough BN0217-02E

Boxes 2 & 3

Shelf Shelving Headgear Font Rectangle


Top Box (Casio)

Top row
GW-9400 Rangeman (modded and hydro’d), GMW-B5000G-1ER and GMW-B5000-1 (both sporting DLC bezels and bracelets) & GW-4000 Gravity Defier

Bottom Row
GBX-100, GW-B5600HR (modded, bezel and strap), GW-5000, GW-B5600AR (modded, bezel and strap)

Bottom Box

Top row
Steinhart Ocean One V3, Retangula Rdunae “Capt. Willard” Homage, Steeldive SD1975 “Tuna” Homage, Orient Ray “Raven”

Bottom row
Lum-Tec M47, Casio MTD-1080 and Suunto Core All Black

Not pictured, he’s in the safe, Fortis Cosmonauts Chronograph B-42
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Rossi fan then?
What gave me away? ;) Sad to see him go, but still looking very much forward to the 2022 season. The TW Steel isn't the prettiest watch, but I like wearing a MotoGP watch during the MotoGP weekends (also to remind myself to not watch the news when I can't see the race live).
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What gave me away? ;) Sad to see him go, but still looking very much forward to the 2022 season. The TW Steel isn't the prettiest watch, but I like wearing a MotoGP watch during the MotoGP weekends (also to remind myself to not watch the news when I can't see the race live).
LOL, fairly obvious to a moto GP fan.....! I'm not keeping up with the latest news but I'd seen he'd be retiring, pity but not surprising.
46 watches is quite a lot by any standard. WPAC's main goal is to stop unbridled watch purchasing although many of us have found that reducing the number of watches in our collection helps to focus our attention on what really is desired as opposed to what may happen to be the latest Watch Hotness (insert buzzy micro-brand release here) or what can be obtained just because you found a bargain. I see a ton of overlap in your collection and wonder if some carefully-considered culling might be helpful to you.
Yep, its funny I have always liked watches but until a few years ago was happy with a Timex, a G Shock and an Invicta prodiver (blue one in picture) as my “nice” watch lol, so much simpler before I learned about movements and brand history 🙂, so help me get better.
Looking forward to this!
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Yep, its funny I have always liked watches but until a few years ago was happy with a Timex, a G Shock and an Invicta prodiver (blue one in picture) as my “nice” watch lol, so much simpler before I learned about movements and brand history 🙂, so help me get better.
Looking forward to this!
I don't know how you can get to 46 watches. If i get to more than 10 i already get anxious as there is too much choice on what to wear and too many watches that don't get worn (enough).

If you wear each watch equally often then each watch gets used 8 days a year and sits in a box 357 days a year.
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I don't know how you can get to 46 watches. If i get to more than 10 i already get anxious as there is too much choice on what to wear and too many watches that don't get worn (enough).

If you wear each watch equally often then each watch gets used 8 days a year and sits in a box 357 days a year.
I remember discussing this along time ago, I think the general consensus was that you'd end up reaching for the usual suspects, a small sub-group, and there would be a majority of box queens in there. Unless you had some strict rules applied, but that probably ain't gonna work......

......draw your own conclusions from that about the merits of large collections.
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Yep, its funny I have always liked watches but until a few years ago was happy with a Timex, a G Shock and an Invicta prodiver (blue one in picture) as my “nice” watch lol, so much simpler before I learned about movements and brand history 🙂, so help me get better.
Looking forward to this!
It's a familiar story to many of us. I had one watch for thirty years before stumbling upon Watchuseek while researching a replacement for a broken Victorinox. I bought a Seiko Monster and the horses bolted from the barn! The largest my collection ever ballooned to is 32 watches, and over 90 have passed through my possession in the past six years. I'm at a much more manageable 12 now and as stated in my 2022 goals, I want to get that down to 10 or less.

My advice is to take a very harsh look at your collection. Move away the ones that you simply cannot sell because of cherished memories or they were gifts that would hurt someone's feelings if you sold them. I have a couple like that, gifts from my wife. Then look what's left and divide them into categories. How many G-Shocks? How many divers? How many chronographs? How many field watches? Then ask yourself, how many of that particular category do I really need? That's how I did it, but you have to answer that for yourself. We can provide moral support and insight to watches that we have owned in the past. But it comes down to your willingness to be ruthless in your evaluation of your collection and how you see it progressing in 2022.
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So about 10 of mine are gifts and are sentimental, some rarely are worn while the other gifts are. The ones not worn are usually not counted but since we were suppose to get them all out there I put it out there lol.

Would be nice to have 15 or 12. Its crazy if any of you look at how many I have sold since being here its north of 30 I think. So there have been many that have came and gone.

I need to work on not impulse buying. I do appreciate the community here. Hobbies are funny, something's I jump into and get many of like knives and Harmonicas, I hit a spot and stop and am content. Other things like guitars I saved up bought a nice Martin and got rid if my others and am happy lol.

I like art and mechanics so watches are a dangerous combo for me to want to have too many.
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It has begun!! Will make my entry post in the coming days.

Thanks Hornet. Lots of fiscal goals for 2022 so time to lay off the timepieces for a bit.
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Can we see a pic of them?
Current rotation/collection:

Vintage Rolex Submariner 16800


Sinn 104 St Green


Certina DS reissue (not wearing this anymore since I got the Sinn)



A couple of nice ones that are gone to maintain a small collection:




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So about 10 of mine are gifts and are sentimental, some rarely are worn while the other gifts are. The ones not worn are usually not counted but since we were suppose to get them all out there I put it out there lol.

Would be nice to have 15 or 12. Its crazy if any of you look at how many I have sold since being here its north of 30 I think. So there have been many that have came and gone.

I need to work on not impulse buying. I do appreciate the community here. Hobbies are funny, something's I jump into and get many of like knives and Harmonicas, I hit a spot and stop and am content. Other things like guitars I saved up bought a nice Martin and got rid if my others and am happy lol.

I like art and mechanics so watches are a dangerous combo for me to want to have too many.
You're in the right club here. We'll take care of your impulses by a good bashing - just make sure you post your temptations here before pulling the trigger.

Before you know it you'll be tempted to start bashing ppl's watches in the WRUW threads 😛
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I guess it’s a good thing that I joined the 2022 WPAC, because a unicorn just popped up and I bought it.

So I guess my goals for 2022 are still to not buy anymore. And to enjoy my new original orange Arnie.

I’ve already bought it, so don’t roast it too badly.

So why did you need the unicorn? Who wants corn on their horse anyway. [sidetrack, why are these things called unicorns and not unihorns in English?]

What is it with hard to get things? If a girl needs to play hard to get to get your attention, you know its because she's not all that attractive to begin with right...

How much of the decision to buy that watch was based on FOMO, and how much on actually liking the design?

Oh and also welcome to WPAC of course 😊
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Okay so was wanting to do this last year but did not. The past few years have been crazy in watch buying and selling. So here is a pic of the collection minus one of my skx007 which is at a watch maker so the one in the pic is my backup, and one cheap quartz watch that was a gift that I do not have a picture of, other than that its all here the good and bad lol.

My watch hobby goals this year is to only buy one and I may sell some that do not click with me. Maybe this will get me to focus on what I have and enjoy them or find them homes.

I am looking forward to this and have no idea what the one watch for the year will be. Here is the collection.
First picture are the divers/dive style

View attachment 16331239
Second pic is field watches View attachment 16331240
Third pic are dress watches View attachment 16331241
Fourth pic are aviation inspired watches View attachment 16331242
Fifth pic, Gshock and digitals View attachment 16331243
6th pic a wooden watch that was a gift View attachment 16331245
7th two pocket watches View attachment 16331246
8th a unworn glock 35th anniversary chrono View attachment 16331247
9th pic is my last one for 2021 and is currently in the mail system on its way to me. View attachment 16331248
10th pic are my sport watches, mainly bezeless woth good WR, the new Ball will be here, the two woth bezels here lack decent WR so they are casual watches. View attachment 16331249

Okay so yeah might have a problem, might not. Not sure but I want to slow down. This puts me at 46 total counting the two not here.
So help me keep to only getting one this year and maybe selling some of these. 🙂
Man, that is a bunch of watches and more than a few really great individual pieces in each category. The Marathons, Weiss, Hamilton, GW5000 and Rangeman stand out along with the incoming Ball.

You’ve already gotten some great advice from @Lee_K and he’s right, to pare down a collection like this you have to be a harsh critic and cull ruthlessly.

I might start by identifying 2-3 favorites from each category and wear them in rotation for a while, put the rest of away for a few weeks and see what watches you miss and regret not being able to wear. I wouldn’t get in a big hurry to sell anything and if you let this process play out I would think 10-12 watches will sort themselves out as the heart of your collection. Then you can start the culling process and get some of these sold.

I could get this set down to less than 10 in about 5 minutes but I’m not you. I’m interested to see how this works out for you. Good luck and welcome to WPAC.
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So why did you need the unicorn? Who wants corn on their horse anyway. [sidetrack, why are these things called unicorns and not unihorns in English?]

What is it with hard to get things? If a girl needs to play hard to get to get your attention, you know its because she's not all that attractive to begin with right...

How much of the decision to buy that watch was based on FOMO, and how much on actually liking the design?

Oh and also welcome to WPAC of course 😊
Right, from latin then. English is a silly language with too many roots... So you get things like unicorn where onehorn would make much more sense (like in the much more sensible Germanic languages 😅, eenhoorn in dutch)
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I have been lurking on the 2021 WPAC thread for two months, and I'm happy to join this group!

I’ve never wanted a large collection, but I do like a rotation with some diversity (one diver, a dress watch, a versatile GADA, and something casual that is not a diver). I have had a long-held wish for either a Rolex OP, an Explorer 1, or an Omega SMP. Lastly, I’ve had a long-held wish to have two mechanical chronometers if I could. I am an astronomer, and love the historical linkage between astronomy, navigation, and precision timekeeping (John Harrison is a personal hero of sorts).
SOTC at the beginning of 2021:
  • Seiko 5 Field-style (SNKK35J1)
  • Oris Artelier Skeleton (my first “near luxury” model; a gift from my wife some years back)
  • Seiko SARB 17 Alpinist
  • Tudor P01 as my diver (pool diver that is...)

During the year I made a few trades and purchases and learned a surprising thing:
  • I gave the SNKK35J1 to my son who now wears it as his daily
  • I replaced the SNKK35J1 with a used Tudor Ranger at a very fair price in hope it would scratch my Explorer itch
  • I bought an Oris BCPD 80th Anniversary Bronze, partly because I really loved it, partly because it reminded me of my mom’s service as a USAAF WAC, and partly to pander to my local Rolex AD just a bit (which, in retrospect, was pretty dumb.) Thankfully, I love the watch.
  • I traded my Alpinist for a Glycine Airman Base 22 with a little cash in the deal. This was impulsive, but I did really like the 3-time zone functionality.

In September I learned on WUS that some years back AAFES opened online shopping to all honorably discharged veterans, AND that they have remarkable sales on Omegas. This set up an end-of year flurry of activity. I bought an Omega SMP 300m on the AAFES black Friday sale. At the price, I simply could not pass it up. On receipt of the watch, I was truly blown away. I love it.

So on Dec 1 I had six watches in hand, including two divers and two pilots, which felt like a bit much. I also had some sellers regret about the Alpinist because it had been my versatile GADA. And, like I said before, Omega. Wow. So, between Thanksgiving and Christmas I did a 3-for-1 set of transactions; the P01, Ranger and Airman (all of which I did really like) went out, and an Aqua Terra from my local AD (thankfully also discounted a bit) came in.

The SOTC now is:
  • Oris Artelier Skeleton
  • Oris BCPD 80th Anniversary Bronze
  • Omega SMP 300m
  • Omega Aqua Terra

I now have pretty much everything I ever hoped for. A diver that was on my obtainable grail list, a dress watch, a beautiful GADA, and something casual but not a diver. Two are high quality chronometers, one is from my wife, and into the bargain they all have the same 20mm lug width. My 2022 objective is to avoid temptation and be happy with what feels like an amazing rotation to me. My biggest fear is that I may get an AD call about an available Rolex – in which case I am truly not sure what I would do, because I’ve learned that 4 is the right number for me.

Cheers!

View attachment 16331202
That’s a great 4 watch collection but think I could find a spot for a Rolex Explorer, especially at retail. I have a permanent, yet unoccupied, space for a 36mm Explorer. It’s unlikely to be filled but I keep it open just in case.
That’s a great 4 watch collection but think I could find a spot for a Rolex Explorer, especially at retail. I have a permanent, yet unoccupied, space for a 36mm Explorer. It’s unlikely to be filled but I keep it open just in case.
Thank you!

But, isn't this the thread I come to to NOT be enabled? :unsure:;)
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