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The 2023 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Club (WPAC).

133195 Views 2726 Replies 96 Participants Last post by  Wimads, 
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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W
Zzyzx said:
Excuse me, with that Batman watch you don't need to be here anymore. You have clearly peaked and any other watch will be a step down.
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Gift from my son-in-law, but I'll pack my bags. Been nice knowing y'all!
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M
Wimads said:
Mr. James Duffy said:
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
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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.
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One of the most important things I learned in my experience in Alcoholics Anonymous is how I went from hearing and sharing stories about my addiction to hearing and sharing stories about my recovery, including all the successes and failures. I went from seeing abstinence as shameful punishment, a metaphorical self-flagellation, to eventually learning that abstinence was just the beginning, that it was a means to have clarity of mind and give myself opportunity to make smarter, safer decisions. Abstinence was not a whip or chains, it was a mirror and a touchstone—a safe space from the chaos of addiction. This is how I came to embrace WPAC in the last few years and reduce my watch buying and hoarding. This is "my program," to use AA parlance, and it did not happen overnight. Addiction recovery never ends but it changes with sobriety and time. Hearing how others have employed the ideals of WPAC gives me new tools to add to my toolbox and it helps me continue on a path to becoming a more conscientious watch enthusiast instead of just a watch collector.

I am planning several purges throughout 2023 and budgeting to have a handful of them serviced before deciding on their fate. My hope is that reducing my collection size would give me greater clarity about where I want to go in this hobby. As for buying, my guiding principle today is to have a more interesting collection rather than more variety, and I am hoping an overall smaller collection will bring additional clarity.
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Hornet99
Mr. James Duffy said:
One of the most important things I learned in my experience in Alcoholics Anonymous is how I went from hearing and sharing stories about my addiction to hearing and sharing stories about my recovery, including all the successes and failures. I went from seeing abstinence as shameful punishment, a metaphorical self-flagellation, to eventually learning that abstinence was just the beginning, that it was means to have clarity of mind and give myself opportunity to make smarter, safer decisions. Abstinence was not a whip or chains, it was a mirror and a touchstone—a safe space. This is how I came to embrace WPAC in the last few years and reduce my watch buying and hoarding. This is "my program" to use AA parlance, and it did not happen overnight. Addiction recovery never ends but it changes with sobriety and time. Hearing how others have employed the ideals of WPAC gives me new tools to add to my toolbox and it helps me continue on a path to becoming a more conscientious watch enthusiast instead of just a watch collector.

I am planning several purges throughout 2023 and budgeting to have a handful of them serviced before deciding on their fate. My hope is that reducing my collection size would give me greater clarity about where I want to go in this hobby. As for buying, my guiding principle today is to have a more interesting collection rather than more variety, and I am hoping an overall smaller collection will bring additional clarity.
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Hotblack Desiato
Wimads said:
Everytime you've got a "sound" plan, let it pass the scrutiny of Grand Inquisitor Hard Love...
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Tough Love, Wim. Tough Love.

Hard Love is something completely different, and I don't want to think about that while visiting WPAC :)
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usclassic said:
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
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My thoughts are with you Larry, God bless you and your wife
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Earthjade
2023 Watch Purchasing Abstinence Report - Day 3

I haven't bought a watch yet.
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Lee_K
362 to go.
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Radharc
lo_scrivano said:
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.
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Nice collection! Good variety there.

What are your thoughts on the Speedmaster Racing? Interested in how you feel it stacks up to the other watches in your collection. (I've been thinking about one for a while, off and on.)
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D
My purge has begun! 5 watches listed for sale yesterday... Now the harder bit - not replacing all of them!
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Wimads
Hotblack Desiato said:
Tough Love, Wim. Tough Love.

Hard Love is something completely different, and I don't want to think about that while visiting WPAC :)
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I know, I'm not the one who coined that name lol, I just embraced it :p It's perfect for making multi interpretable statements 😂
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Wimads
Devro said:
My purge has begun! 5 watches listed for sale yesterday... Now the harder bit - not replacing all of them!
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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.
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Wimads
Lee_K said:
362 to go.
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You got it! That's the way to inspire motivation lol 😂
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jmariorebelo
Hotblack Desiato said:
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.
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Good god that's insane. Buying 3 watches and selling 2 of them every two weeks... for an entire year!

Took 5 years but you seem to be in a much better place now. Any watches from those heavy-flipper days you still remember particularly? Or maybe even a couple that are still around in the collection?
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sticky
I’m finding all this talk of selling watches a bit much.
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Wimads
sticky said:
I’m finding all this talk of selling watches a bit much.
View attachment 17133207
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There's no internet connection in the Gulag, so you won't hear about selling there, just abstinence. You don't need a sentence for admission to the Gulag, voluntary sign up is possible at H.'s office.
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sticky
Wimads said:
There's no internet connection in the Gulag, so you won't hear about selling there, just abstinence. You don't need a sentence for admission to the Gulag, voluntary sign up is possible at H.'s office.
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At the rate I’m going I can see me getting shipped off there against my will. “There’s a Batgirl in the corner of that railcar Sticky” “SLAM” and it’s off to the gulag I go.
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Hornet99
sticky said:
I’m finding all this talk of selling watches a bit much.
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More like this I reckon Sticky.....

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Lee_K
sticky said:
I’m finding all this talk of selling watches a bit much.
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My records indicate that I've sold 63 watches over the past five years just through listings on Watchuseek. I was apprehensive at first, but you learn that selling to other watch enthusiasts is actually fairly easy as long as you don't have an inflated opinion of what a used watch is worth. Being in the UK, you will need to make it known that you're only interested in selling to others in the same region. Brexit probably complicated sales to those in the EU.

Try it -- you may like it. ;)

PS. Stay the hell the way from eBay.
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D
Wimads said:
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.
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They've all been out of sight for a minimum of 3 months. They're goners!
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