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The 2023 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

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Hornet99
Welcome to the 2023 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club, otherwise known as WPAC. This is the 7th year of WPAC, which gives me pause to stop and think that I'm surprised it has lasted this long. We might just be onto a good thing?

I'm not intending to repeat the usual opening remarks, but if you're coming to this thread wondering what this is all about have a gander at the last couple of years WPAC threads:

www.watchuseek.com

The 2022 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

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...
www.watchuseek.com www.watchuseek.com
www.watchuseek.com

The 2021 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

The 2021 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC). Welcome to the 2021 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club, otherwise known as WPAC. This is the 5th 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...
www.watchuseek.com www.watchuseek.com
www.watchuseek.com

The 2020 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

The 2020 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC) Welcome to the 2020 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club, otherwise known as WPAC. This is the 4th year of WPAC, which was started at the beginning of 2017 as I was in a spiral of buying, flipping and buying again. Sometimes I was looking at the...
www.watchuseek.com www.watchuseek.com

.....obviously don't read them all, but the original, opening posts should give you a good idea. In short this is a thread for a like minded group of watch obsessed individuals who are generally trying to improve their watch buying habits. Anyone is welcome to join, but if you join we want participation and contribution!

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 2023. 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 with that I declare WPAC 2023 open for business. Yes, it's a little premature but I reckon I'll be quite busy after Xmas and between NY, so a little forward planning is required.
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8
Here is most of my collection.








These are all being sold and I just pulled the trigger on a CWC military pocket watch.
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D
mconlonx said:
After household needs are met, including all that boring, mundane stuff like savings, retirement, etc., modest expenditures are usually OK.
Or something might be saved-for, augmented with watch sales of lesser-loved examples.



I would disagree with the futility of buying the cheaper watch. I have purchased cheaper versions of designs I admire, and in at least one case, came away with a cheaper watch that probably wears better and meets more of my criteria than the watch it might be accused of homaging.

Likewise, I bought the Pagani Design PD1717 - the Longines-Spirit copy design - and have to say, it is excellent value for money on its own. ...But a poor substitute for the real deal. It's a decent 38mm NH35-powered automatic, but it's nowhere near the 37mm Longines Spirit. That said, after living with the PD for a bit, and trying on the Longines... probably not, regarding the Longines. Lovely watch, heritage brand, if I had to get one, the 37mm Spirit would be the one to get, but... again, only ever a secondary watch to either the BB36 or the Sinn 656.

I had a San Martin 6105 in bronze for a while, which has saved me money, long-term, by not feeling the need to purchase and probably flip a real-deal Seiko SPB151.

Cheaper watches have their use. I'd lose more flipping a Longines than the PD cost... to find out that I'd probably end up flipping the Longines...
Click to expand...
Yep, I think you have a valid point with the much more affordable stuff vs expensive versions they draw from / homage.

My Timex / Todd Snyder Marlin allowed me to try a 38mm auto, no date, vintage styled watch on a strap. I've learned I like all those things and that I really like gold tone arabics / gold indices. And I've done so for relatively minimal outlay. The watch also taught me that I'm far less likely to flip a watch that has a defined role in the collection... I.e. This has served as shirt-sleeve watch / date night watch and has therefore survived the churn as it's the only watch I have that suits that use.

But... The Timex feels fairly cheaply made, with a very noisy rotor, a false date position, basic all polish finishing etc. So it's only a stop gap until I fill that role with a more expensive watch. That's all par for the course but I think it's more tricky once you're dealing with sums that are harder to raise.
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Wimads
Pete26 said:
Here is most of my collection.








These are all being sold and I just pulled the trigger on a CWC military pocket watch.
Click to expand...
I don't recall an exception for pocket watches... strike 2/3 for Gulag sentence.....
Also you did not request bashing for the pocket watch... strike 3/3....

You are requested to report to Hornet's office immediately, arrangements for transport will be made. Better pack some warm clothing...

@Hornet99 it's time to prepare the transport canon for it's first test ;)
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sticky
What happened to the PPAC? This is something I can get behind and be successful at. You never know, I might accrue enough Brownie points to get out of the WPAC gulag.
P.S. It’s cold here.
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Zzyzx
Apparently Momentum is reissuing the original "Magnum PI watch." Never watched the show, and I don't care about getting watches from shows or movies. But the watch itself is pretty nice. Only thing is, Momentum being Canadian, I'd probably have to pay almost 20% import fees on any watch sent to me from there.

That's always enough to dampen the purchase impulse.
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Hornet99
Zzyzx said:
Apparently Momentum is reissuing the original "Magnum PI watch." Never watched the show, and I don't care about getting watches from shows or movies. But the watch itself is pretty nice. Only thing is, Momentum being Canadian, I'd probably have to pay almost 20% import fees on any watch sent to me from there.

That's always enough to dampen the purchase impulse.
Click to expand...
Another negative (or positive?) point is that you'd need to grow a mustache to carry it off......
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Hornet99
Wimads said:
I don't recall an exception for pocket watches... strike 2/3 for Gulag sentence.....
Also you did not request bashing for the pocket watch... strike 3/3....

You are requested to report to Hornet's office immediately, arrangements for transport will be made. Better pack some warm clothing...

@Hornet99 it's time to prepare the transport canon for it's first test ;)
Click to expand...
Canon is primed and ready......


......WPAC Gulag guards are turning down the sheets at the accommodation

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Zzyzx
Hornet99 said:
Another negative (or positive?) point is that you'd need to grow a mustache to carry it off......
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How long do you think I'd have to grow a mustache for before the hair would hang like curtains down to my chin?
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Hornet99
Zzyzx said:
How long do you think I'd have to grow a mustache for before the hair would hang like curtains down to my chin?
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Assuming 1/2" per month and that you've a reasonable normal face with a 2" distance from bottom of nose to chin, approximately 4 months give or take a week or so......
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Wimads
Hornet99 said:
Assuming 1/2" per month and that you've a reasonable normal face with a 2" distance from bottom of nose to chin, approximately 4 months give or take a week or so......
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If my experience with my own beard is anything to go by, it'd take considerably longer than 4 months :p It'd maybe reach your lower lip by then, making dinner inconvenient. A magnum PI mustache may be doable in 4 months though ;)
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Lee_K
Zzyzx said:
Apparently Momentum is reissuing the original "Magnum PI watch."
Click to expand...
Didn't Tom Selleck wear a Rolex GMT Master with Pepsi bezel insert while filming the TV show in the 1980s? Is that what Momentum is homaging? I could find no mention of it on their website.

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Lee_K said:
Didn't Tom Selleck wear a Rolex GMT Master with Pepsi bezel insert while filming the TV show in the 1980s? Is that what Momentum is homaging? I could find no mention of it on their website.

View attachment 17140299
Click to expand...
He apparently started out with a Chronosport SeaQuartz 30 before the Rolex. And, uh... it's right on their front page?
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I'm pretty new to watch-collecting, WUS, and (of course) this thread, so I don't feel like my purchasing is yet "out of control", but I feel like it could get that way if I bought more than this one watch box (lol). Sorry for the mediocre pic, but here is the current SOTC, most purchased second-hand recently or (for most of the second row) been in my collection for years/decades (in order):

Top row:
Borealis Adraga -- love the color and dial texture
RZE Endeavor -- yeah, it's almost the same color as the Adraga, bought when I thought the Adraga sale had fallen through
Henry Archer Nordlys
Mido Patrimony
Mod build by Red5 Watch Works (https://www.instagram.com/red5watchworks), Damascus titanium dial
Boldr Freediver -- hasn't gotten much wrist-time yet, might not keep

Bottom row:
Orion Hellcat (burgundy dial) -- my first purchase since starting in 2022, still love it
The rest... a random assortment of quartz, novelty, or cheap watches that I wear camping, hiking, etc. Most are too old, cheap, or well-loved to be worth selling off.

Incoming for 2023 (pre-ordered a month or so ago): Direnzo Eclipse in grey/black (DRZ 03 V2 Eclipse – Direnzo Watches)

Goals for 2023:
1. Not seriously consider buying unless there's a real purpose/intent. E.g., to add some color, if I saw a good price on the Oris ProPilot in green (Oris Big Crown ProPilot Limited Edition Okavango Air Rescue Green Dial Men's Watch 01 751 7761 4187-SET) I might consider it, but that's a step up in price from my current range.
2. Keep an eye out for well-constructed mods/builds that would actually go in the standard rotation, but it would take something special like that Red5.
3. Maybe find someone interested in trading their RZE Endeavor in a different colorway (orange, yellow?) for my blue.
4. Resist entertaining thoughts of probably the only next-tier watch I'm (currently) interested in -- a Grand Seiko Spring Drive. The engineer in me would love to have a piece of that technological marvel, but it's probably just too nice of a watch for me to envision actually wearing daily, which would be a shame.
5. Possibly channel my interest into building/modding, using a kit like this (NMK-WK05 DIY Watchmaking Kit: Great Wave Dress Watch White). I thought it might be fun to do some builds I could give to family/friends.

Thanks for reading, for starting this thread, and for all the good community banter/support. :)
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Hornet99
PaulAdams11 said:
View attachment 17140407
I'm pretty new to watch-collecting, WUS, and (of course) this thread, so I don't feel like my purchasing is yet "out of control", but I feel like it could get that way if I bought more than this one watch box (lol). Sorry for the mediocre pic, but here is the current SOTC, most purchased second-hand recently or (for most of the second row) been in my collection for years/decades (in order):

Top row:
Borealis Adraga -- love the color and dial texture
RZE Endeavor -- yeah, it's almost the same color as the Adraga, bought when I thought the Adraga sale had fallen through
Henry Archer Nordlys
Mido Patrimony
Mod build by Red5 Watch Works (https://www.instagram.com/red5watchworks), Damascus titanium dial
Boldr Freediver -- hasn't gotten much wrist-time yet, might not keep

Bottom row:
Orion Hellcat (burgundy dial) -- my first purchase since starting in 2022, still love it
The rest... a random assortment of quartz, novelty, or cheap watches that I wear camping, hiking, etc. Most are too old, cheap, or well-loved to be worth selling off.

Incoming for 2023 (pre-ordered a month or so ago): Direnzo Eclipse in grey/black (DRZ 03 V2 Eclipse – Direnzo Watches)

Goals for 2023:
1. Not seriously consider buying unless there's a real purpose/intent. E.g., to add some color, if I saw a good price on the Oris ProPilot in green (Oris Big Crown ProPilot Limited Edition Okavango Air Rescue Green Dial Men's Watch 01 751 7761 4187-SET) I might consider it, but that's a step up in price from my current range.
2. Keep an eye out for well-constructed mods/builds that would actually go in the standard rotation, but it would take something special like that Red5.
3. Maybe find someone interested in trading their RZE Endeavor in a different colorway (orange, yellow?) for my blue.
4. Resist entertaining thoughts of probably the only next-tier watch I'm (currently) interested in -- a Grand Seiko Spring Drive. The engineer in me would love to have a piece of that technological marvel, but it's probably just too nice of a watch for me to envision actually wearing daily, which would be a shame.
5. Possibly channel my interest into building/modding, using a kit like this (NMK-WK05 DIY Watchmaking Kit: Great Wave Dress Watch White). I thought it might be fun to do some builds I could give to family/friends.

Thanks for reading, for starting this thread, and for all the good community banter/support. :)
Click to expand...
Welcome to WPAC!
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Lee_K
Zzyzx said:
He apparently started out with a Chronosport SeaQuartz 30 before the Rolex. And, uh... it's right on their front page?
Click to expand...
Ah, okay. I was looking for a GMT Master clone and completely overlooked the SeaQuartz. Never watched the show so I was unaware of the placement of the Momentum watch in seasons 1-3. Thanks.


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Zzyzx
Lee_K said:
Ah, okay. I was looking for a GMT Master clone and completely overlooked the SeaQuartz. Never watched the show so I was unaware of the placement of the Momentum watch in seasons 1-3. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
No problem. Like I said, the show connection is irrelevant to me. In fact I only learned about it from their website. I just thought it's a nice-looking watch at a decent price. But the extra 20% I'd have to pay is probably enough to stave off temptation.
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Miklos86
Zzyzx said:
Apparently Momentum is reissuing the original "Magnum PI watch." Never watched the show, and I don't care about getting watches from shows or movies. But the watch itself is pretty nice. Only thing is, Momentum being Canadian, I'd probably have to pay almost 20% import fees on any watch sent to me from there.

That's always enough to dampen the purchase impulse.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up. Loved the show, like the watch. However, Momentum is the name of a rather sketchy political party here, so I obviously can't wear that. I consider this a divine intervention from the WPAC gods.

...what, we have a yearly renewed constitution, a dictator, a justice system called Hard Love, our very own gulag, you say we can't have our religion too?
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AMM1959
AMM1959 said:
My 2023 objectives are simple; I will be on the lookout for a field style chronometer at a price point of $1,250 or less, ideally a Series 1 CW Sandhurst with remaining warranty.
Click to expand...
I discovered that a few Series 1 Sandhursts are still available, and I pulled the trigger on one. It feels really good to have waited since last June's bash request - I feel much more confident that this is a good fit for completing my collection.

Nothing else for 2023 remains the plan.

Cheers
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Because I cannot post my SOTC, I might be the Billy Bibbit of the WPAC Gulaug. However, I am nowhere near as talented or charming as actor Brad Dourif.
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Wimads said:
I don't recall an exception for pocket watches... strike 2/3 for Gulag sentence.....
Also you did not request bashing for the pocket watch... strike 3/3....

You are requested to report to Hornet's office immediately, arrangements for transport will be made. Better pack some warm clothing...

@Hornet99 it's time to prepare the transport canon for it's first test ;)
Click to expand...
Does it change things if I cancelled the order for the pocket watch?
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