[Wimads]

Allright, WPAC2023 it is then!

SOTC

Unchanged since last year. Left to right: Vostok komandirskie; Hamilton viewmatic open heart; Union noramis gangreserve; Raketa alarm clock.

Intentions
No watches for 2023. There's been a small urge on and off the past year to add a Botta UNO quartz, but if that is going to happen it will not be before 2024. So basically if I can maintain my 2022 trackrecord for another year I'm happy

For more detailed intentions I'll refer to my '22 SOTC and updated intentions

 

[Wimads]

For all the newbies around here, there may be no written rules, but be aware there are unwritten ones which if violated will be punishable with re-education in Hornet's arctic gulag! As grand inquisitor Hard-love I'll make sure to enforce those unwritten laws indiscriminately. Violators will be called out, bluntly (but with love and good intentions) 🔨💕

 

[Wimads]

Here's where I'm at, and my plan for 2023.

FINAL SOTC 2022

Haven't got them all with me at the moment so a collage will have to do. Not pictured the Armida and Farer I'll sell once I'm back in the UK and take some photos. The ? is there just to fill the empty space, damn prime numbers.

View attachment 17116530

THE PLAN FOR 2023

• Sell two watches.
• Finally stop procrastinating and sell/gift a number of straps.
• Buy... nothing? Something?

There are a lot of watches out there that I like but, at this moment, nothing really is bothering my wallet. As in 2022 with the Citizen, anything over 2k would mean replacing any of my current top 3. That's very difficult. The mechanicals that could are way north of 2k, or even 10k. I'm at a point where buying anything with gears would have to be truly spectacular, like a Breguet 7027BB/11 (still and always this one). Quartz however is a tempting proposition. Want to check a Cartier Santos Dumont two tone in the metal but that's going directly against the Fears, so probably nothing will come out of it. Looking at the SOTC above I still feel some more purple would be cool but there's nothing in the works.

Another point is the soon-to-be-gone Armida, and my long debated plan of a zerographe mod with a NH35. That might happen, I'd give it a 50% chance. I've also been looking into Baltany for a few months now, specifically the quartz 1926 Oyster. Something cheap and fun.

Might also invest in some Crown & Buckle Chevron straps, and haven't completely ruled out a steel case mod for the Royale.

THE PLAN FOR 2023: RISK ASSESSMENT

Is there something that may put the aforementioned plan, or lack thereof, in danger? Nothing worthy of note. The selling bits are 100% going to happen, the buying bit too... Unless I win the lottery (which is difficult considering I don't play), or something spectacular and affordable comes out next year (possible but unlikely), or I hit some financial difficulties which would force me to sell (extremely unlikely).

Did you sneak in that Cauny under the WPAC radar?? I don't recall having seen that before -- and looking through your WPAC'22 posts, it doesn't seem you ever posted a '22 SOTC, so no way to check either..

I think I'll need you to report to @Hornet99 to explain your lack of transparency!

 

[Wimads]

It's ok you don't remember, loads of people we interact with.

The Cauny is from the 80s, belonged to my dad and was my first watch. Wore it daily interchanged with the Casio for almost two years, before getting the Farer in 2020. Haven't worn it since, but keep it around.

Ah, right, think I remember something like that. Difficult to keep track (hence the usefulness of sotc posts)

 

[Wimads]

Planned purchases: Plus one Endgame Collection watch. Check - Glycine Airman No. 1. Unexpected: a need to sell a Sinn 656, only to pick up another one.

Otherwise... a Seiko 5 I know will not be available, cheap, OEM for too much longer. A Pagani Design which borrows heavy on the Longines Spirit with NH35 - solid watch, but largely superfluous. Stupid cheap deals on the Armitron digital ($10.00!), and Casio.

And then a whole lot of mod-builds. There comes some inevitable tipping point where I feel a need to put ideas into metal. Most lately, that involves the NH34. Like this one, a 24hr, single hand version...

View attachment 17117543

I've come to peace with the thought that I may only ever have dozens of watches at a time.

31 watches, 22 of which are anywhere from scratch-built from disparate parts, to lightly modded.

There was also the odd purchase which led to a miss-ship on the part of a Chinese company, a custom-dial watch to rectify the situation, and then me managing a run of 20 watches with custom dial and caseback, signed crown and buckle.

I know you're not here to abstain, but I'm still tempted to send you to the Gulag..... But I fear re-education will be useless, and at some point you'll figure out a way to mod a watch from the IKEA set you were supposed to build your accommodation from...

 

[Wimads]

Every time we, as a family, go through duty-free I get some comments about the watches. I don't mention that the ones on display are rubbish fashion watches and that they are beneath me...... 🤣🤣🤣

I bet you don't dare walking into the duty free High end Tudor/omega/rolex/etc AD, for risk of your family piecing together what kind of cash you are actually spending on your trinkets...

 

[Wimads]

Although I haven't done my SOTC post yet... Could I still request a bash? Everyone loves a bash right?

BAUSELE® Official Store | Crafted with care since 2011

Bausele is an Australian watch brand proposing unique and vintage inspired watches with an extreme care for details. Official supplier to the US Army™. Straightforward but ultra-precise and ultra-robust watches. #Takethetime.

www.bausele.com

View attachment 17120747

I need some help. This ticks lots of boxes for me...

I love IWC / JLC chopped pilot baton hands. It uses them without feeling like a rip-off homage watch. I like 22mm straps, as long as they don't result in skinny lugs - this avoids that and I have some expensive straps in that size sitting unused.
I don't tend towards date windows and it should be durable. And I don't own a watch that overlaps with this in any way.

The best bash I've come up with on my own is the movement... Seiko NH38, accuracy likely to be poor. But on the flip side, likely durable and replaceable. Oh and it puts me £600 further away from an IWC Mkiv (a watch I've long loved but exists beyond my comfort zone price-wise).

Thanks in advance

That dial is a mess.... why print the number outlines on a sandwich dial? It's ugly and unnecessary. It just emphasizes the stencil design of the 0 6 8 9 numerals. And then the 24h track, why in gray? Like, make them legible, or don't print them at all....

Oh, and this is 600 bucks?! Looks like 300 bucks at most to me....

 

[Wimads]

I'm in for 2023 (although not aiming for complete abstinence).

SOTC

View attachment 17122109

I got the G-Shock bug in a big way in 2021 and embarrassingly, the above is the result of already significant culling through 2022. A few non G-Shocks also came and went, including some forum favourites like Seiko SARB etc.

Since my father made me the gold face-plate for the 6900 (front left), I haven't really worn anything else, aside from the Timex when I'm in shirt-sleeves or the orange one when I'm doing something that might mess up a watch.

Goals for 2023

Sell any watch that isn't regularly worn. Which means all the back row and probably the Gulfman front right.
Avoid impulse purchasing G-Shocks. Which requires some control during their anniversary year.
End the year with 5 or less.
End the year with a more focused and diverse collection. I could imagine a watch on bracelet coming in and maybe a vintage piece to serve as my dress watch.

Welcome! Sounds like you've got a plan 👍

Just some tips to avoid impulse buying:

1. Take your time! Time is the single most instrumental tool to avoid impulse buying. Wait at minimum one month from the moment you would have normally pulled the trigger, before buying anything. 90% you'll have lost interest by then.
2. Reduce your exposure. Unsubscribe from mailing lists and other services that promote deals. Depending on the tenacity of your problem, WRUW threads may also be good to avoid.
3. Deals, limited editions, discounts, etc. are the enemy - they promote the false idea that a product is scarce and that there is a limited time frame to get in on it. There is always the secondary market you know... (yes that will require more time, but that's a good thing!)
4. Don't buy into the hype. The forums are nuts. If you need a sanity check, post it here for bashing, or ask your wife...

 

[Wimads]

Working on returning the gift watch for various reasons, and can't thank my very understanding wife enough.
2023 goals still intact, and -1 before the new year.

I hate getting gifts for this reason I'm typically pretty particular about what I'd buy for myself, so a gift is usually exactly what I would not have bought lol. I always tell people to give me an experience if they really have to give something, like a dinner out or an activity; or just cash

 

[Wimads]

Or "Hard Love"

You wish... Dealer Hard Love only deals in beatings.

 

[Wimads]

I saw some others admitting their cumulative failures year by year, so I thought I would join in the self-flagellation. These numbers are approximate, but I think they are pretty accurate.

2018: 75 watches purchased. 52 removed. SOTC - 23 watches. Joined WPAC mid year to reign in the madness.
2019: 33 watches purchased. 39 removed. SOTC - 17 watches. Still crazy churn, but certainly better than 2018.
2020: 20 watches purchased. 23 removed. SOTC - 14 watches. Getting better, but not reasonable yet.
2021: 13 watches purchased. 9 removed. SOTC - 18 watches. On the right path, but still too much flipping.
2022: 5 watches purchased. 5 removed. SOTC - 18 watches. Much improved, and finally disgusted with the churn.

Man, I had forgotten those mad numbers of when you joined here. You've certainly come a long way! 👍

 

[Wimads]

Happy New year everyone! Hope you all had good celebrations.

Decided to quit the booze this year; not that I had an alcohol problem, but lately I just started feeling like losing the next day over a night fun just isn't worth it anymore like it used to be.

Haven't felt this fresh on a 1st Jan since childhood! A good start is half the work as they say, so here is to a good 2023

Financial losses has always been a regret in this, but I can rationalise that as the price to play. I think the major regret is selling some watches that I should have probably held on to, ones that would have been perfect to live with for a long time, but the desire to be having the next shiny obsession realised clouded one's judgement.....

Finances are definitely what prompted me to join wpac. Looking at the amount of cash that went into it really was the red flag for me that something wasn't right. I haven't regretted selling anything though. I only ever sold watches because they didn't get the wrist time they deserved.

I may be changing. I used to not pay over £100 for a Chinese watch, which eliminated all mechanical chronographs despite the apparent similarity to the speedy pro for a fraction of the cost. So if I wouldn't pay £200 for a Ali Express, I decided £400 and now £500 for the same thing in a fancier package (ie studio underdog watermelon) wasn't great value.

I just broke my £100 rule and bought a Sugess Moonphase for about £135, (see near the end of WPAC 2022), and was much hammered for buying the temporary discount, but it's terrific. The moon is waxing strongly now, as you can see. If I ever contemplated a ST chronograph, I could see me adding one of a few Sugess models at around £200, but I really do not expect to buy a watch next year

I did spend £3 on this 21mm mesh bracelet for the Sugess though which arrived today.

View attachment 17127919

I must admit it looks nice, particularly for an ali x watch. I hope you will keep enjoying it though, even when the novelty will inevitably wear off.

As promised I’m back — this time with a crappy SOTC shot. It’s missing one of my submersibles which will be listed for sale shortly. I plan to buy zero watches in 2023. Pretty serious about that commitment as I’m happy with what I have. But to be safe I’ll say that I will buy one watch if a unique deal presents itself as a one in one out with the aforementioned submersible.

Welcome! That is a dangerous backdoor in your plan there though... The drug watch dealers will unquestionably try to tempt you with unique deals on every conceivable occasion... If your requirement for an exception is a "unique deal” you will end up with so many exceptions they'd become the rule....

 

[Wimads]

I vaguely thought a Moonphase would show a partial moon progressing across the sky each night, rather than the way it does actually work to be honest.

Generally an ali-x "moonphase" is exactly that, nothing more than an am/pm indicator. So not bad you got an actual moonphase complication.

Maybe the slow pace is a good exercise in abstinence, one watch for an entire moon. We've done the "one watch for a week" exercise here before, as a way to learn to appreciate what you own instead of compulsively tickling your dopamine receptors with a different watch every day.

 

[Wimads]

I am not sure about the am/pm indicator.
A moonphase is a moonphase, surely.

I read that the simplest moonphases use a 59 tooth ring, linked to the date change, I think, so it's apparently not particularly hard to make. The moon's true monthly cycle is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes though, so a 59 tooth mechanism is 44 minutes off for each cycle, and after about 33 months, it's therefore a day fast, which is a shame for me, as the only button on the watch advances the moon a day, rather than retards it a day. Once every 2 years or so, I can manage though. Even then, you would only really notice it was a day off at New or Full moon, because at those times you should either see no moon, or the entire moon.

A more accurate mechanism uses a 135 tooth ring, and more gearing and that's precise to 122 years (but you still have to keep the watch running!). Andreas Strehler made the worlds most accurate moonwatch, accurate to 2million years. It's 125,000 swiss francs. This pretty thing. I think with his watches, if you have to ask, you cant afford them

Lune Exacte - Andreas Strehler - Independent Swiss Watchmaker (astrehler.ch)

There is a lot of chinese watches copying moonphase designs, but putting in a sun/moon disk that rotates every 24 hours. Generally, on ali-x for around a hundred bucks, that is what you get (or at least, that used to be, but the market might have changed since I lost my interest in cheap chinese stuff years ago). Similar to the "chronograph" designs that are basically calendars with a day, week and month subdial, because that happens to be the movement that is cheaply available in that market segment, rather than an actual chronograph movement.

 

[Wimads]

This raises a nuanced existential question, where do such watches fit into WPAC if the club is founded on purchasing abstinence but not necessarily collection size and wearing habits? Is this something for the individual watch enthusiast to decide for themselves?

Collection size would be a bit of a legacy of one's pre-abstinence era I guess. It is up to the individual to decide what to do with that legacy. However, as a consequence of abstinence, I think your mindset towards the "hobby" will inevitably change as well. WPAC is ultimately about learning to appreciate what you have, rather than chasing the next shiny thing; and with that mindset one may arrive at the conclusion that appreciating a small collection is easier than a massive hoard, and thus reducing one's collection size may be the next logical step.

 

[Wimads]

Hope everyone had a good New Year. I have not been reading through the posts and spend little time on WUS anymore. However I thought I would check in and give a report on my watch journey. I have not bought any watches since Nov 2022. I did not sell any watches at all in 2022. I gave two watches away as gifts in Dec., one G-Shock to my son and one nice new Arnie SNJ035 to my neighbors father for his birthday. She helps with my wife and did not know what to get her father, so I was happy to help. Turns out he is a retired Navy Seal so he loved the watch.

That brings me to my current SOTC

Mechanical box has 4 plus the Hammy digital.

View attachment 17131514

Solar box has 11

View attachment 17131524


Quartz box has 20

View attachment 17131527

Misc box some needing batteries has 6

View attachment 17131532

One I will never fix

View attachment 17131533

With this I have no plans nor desire to buy any more watches. Maybe will sell off the Omega and Tag if the market for them improves over the years but that's about it. Don't rotate much any more. I have been wearing the Mondaine for over a month just switched to an Arnie today. Anyway I have been into other hobbies and don't spend much time searching watches though I do look occasionally. My wife's condition continues to deteriorate which takes my time now. I don't expect to follow much here this year but wish you all success with whatever goals you set for yourselves.

Best wishes,
Larry

You've been busy USC! No more desire for watches hey.. the regulars here know how much that claim is worth lol, but I'll not argue.

Anyway, I wish you a lot of strength with your wife, and may you keep healthy yourself. 🙏

 

[Wimads]

Hey look, a new recruit for WPAC right there!....... oh wait.. never mind 😂

I am posting this with a heavy heart. I love collecting...

www.watchuseek.com

 

[Wimads]

Lee_K, you've reminded me of two other points I'd forgotten to make; firstly whatever the action plan is you've really, really got to be sure it's right, the number of times I've had what I thought was a sound plan quickly fell apart. Secondly, I was going to mention about the various watches on waitlists, seemed to be a shotgun approach to "classic" pieces, rather than focusing on one that was that grail......

Everytime you've got a "sound" plan, let it pass the scrutiny of Grand Inquisitor Hard Love. Foolish plans can be bashed as well!

But as a rule of thumb, if the plan involves buying something, no matter how rigorous the compensation (selling your entire collection, your house, your children), it's probably just another trick of your mind to justify getting the next shiny thing....

Also, the same thing applies to everything: take your time. The more rigorous the plan, the more time to reserve before taking any drastic actions. If I've learned anything over the years of WPAC, it's that taking time is most crucial to clear the smoke and mirrors of desire.

 

[Wimads]

Tough Love, Wim. Tough Love.

Hard Love is something completely different, and I don't want to think about that while visiting WPAC

I know, I'm not the one who coined that name lol, I just embraced it It's perfect for making multi interpretable statements 😂

 

[Wimads]

My purge has begun! 5 watches listed for sale yesterday... Now the harder bit - not replacing all of them!

Be careful with rushing it! Taking time with buying and selling helps with preventing impulse decisions.
Generally I'd advise people who want to do a serious culling of the collection, to first put away the watches to sell in a drawer out of sight for a month, to see how you feel about living without them. Then proceed with selling those you didn't miss. Sellers remorse just fuels the next impulse buy.