5 Reasons to collect affordable watches - (2020 SOTC)

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 Affordable watches are kind of a controversial topic in the watch world. Many people argue that they're not worth the money to purchase them. Here I give 5 reasons why I think that they are good to collect, and why I do. I also show all the watches in my collection at this point, so it serves as a sort of State of the Collection video for 2020.

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[buckifan]

It's nice to see the channel of a regular guy, with a regular income, and the watch collection collection he is able to obtain. This channel is where I feel at home.

[mikeharbison]

I have don't consider myself a serious watch collector, but I found that buying a variety of straps is a great way to breath life and excitement into my collection without buying multiple hundred dollar watches every so often and keep my watch count low.

[checkm]

I have a 10 watch collection ranging from $20 to $500 and I enjoy not worrying about what could happen to them. The best part is that about it is, a year ago I gave access to my 16 year old son and every day we go together to choose our watch for the day. Sometimes we want to wear the same watch and it’s fun sacrificing my self so he wears the one he wants, and 10 times better and more rewarding when he notices I have an important day and he sacrifices himself so I can wear the one I want. Anyway, I would not trade my collection and those experiences for any Rolex.

[alexmetalhead]

This video is eye opening. Im just on my first 2 watches and im hooked. Watching youtubers saying" $1000 is an entry level affordable, everyday watch" had me rethinking this hobbie.

[robertbrowne]

As a watchmaker I give the same advice almost weekly. Collect what you like, regardless of price.

[taoistgoth]

I sold both my Rolexes (2010 Submariner date and 2016 Explorer II), put the money into my pension and now I have a modest "affordable" watch collection that I'm enjoying enough that I don't regret the decision at all. I no longer face £500 service bills, insurance, fear for my personal safety walking the streets, lack of accuracy (oh the joy of radio controlled quartz!) and fears of costly repair bills. I feel a lot less stressed!

[albertgalangii]

The irony of affordable watch collecting is that it's both fun and agonizing because it never ends.

[craigwthomson]

I started watch collecting around ten years ago. I continually traded up to the point where I owned 5 luxury pieces. I’ve recently gotten back into affordables and I’m discovering great brands and pieces that I overlooked the first time around. What I’ve learned is that in this hobby, the relationship between cost and happiness isn’t linear. There are diminishing returns with the more you spend. Having experienced luxury watches has helped me appreciate the value offered by something like an Orient Kamasu, which I’m wearing on my wrist today.

[nickv]

Well, its a hell of a lot better than collecting watches you can't afford.

[politiform]

My Dad brought me a Timex Weekender when I was 13.

I'm 24 now and it's still ticking. One of the most timeless watches around.

[michaelbedford]

I'm 62 and here are some guidelines I've set for myself over the years, though I sometimes break them:
Decide if you're going to try and keep every watch you buy or try to just have say 5, 10, 20 or whatever and sell off a piece every now and then to help finance the next.
Unless you're going to keep them all, the secondhand value is crucial, so buying a pre-owned watch that has minimum 6 months warranty left and has the box, papers etc. can mean that you avoid the big price drop from new to used (even if the warranty is out of date, it tells you something about the previous owner if he/she kept all the stuff).
When window shopping on the web you can then make a list of watches that are up to maybe twice your budget.
If possible buy a watch that has a popular caliber that a watchsmith won't refuse to touch if it ever needs attention, especially with chronographs!
Buy a selection of watches that reflect your different moods: 'serious business', 'funky-fun', 'traditional reliable', 'wacky', 'vintage', 'exotic'...
If you're a bit OCD (many watch geeks are) avoid quartz, unless it's one with a sweep second hand, no second hand or even a sub-second (watches that hit the marker every time are not usually cheap).
Make a budget for straps to refresh your collection. If you can't afford a watch one month or quarter, an inexpensive strap that fits a number of watches can bring a lot of fun. Try some weird combinations, it's often surprising. A steel mesh can be interesting.
If you're going to buy a vintage watch try looking online at local watch vintage enthusiast forums. You're usually not allowed to sell watches there until
you've been a member for a while.
Longstanding members can give advice, sell at the market rate for a particular watch and condition, and have a reputation to protect.
It's not a foolproof method but better than most.

[mick]

"If you can't afford to buy a luxury watch, you probably can't afford to own one"...well said. I would add:
- If you are afraid of wearing a luxury watch (as not to scratch it or break it) then you probably should not get one
- If you can not afford to replace a luxury watch right away (as in..buy another one) then you probably should not get one
- If you're thinking what sort of other things you could do with the money that you would spend on a luxury watch then you probably should not get one
- If you're trying to justify to yourself that you need a luxury watch then you probably should not get one
I love seeing people take pride in affordable collections. Watch collecting is a different journey and experience for every person. Why would the journey of luxury watch collecting be more valuable than the journey of more-affordable watch collecting? It's still about the search, the thrill, the excitement, the fun, and the passion for horology !

[watchdogpodcast]

Always refreshing to see YouTubers who are affordable collectors. I have a Seamaster and several affordable watches. I get the same enjoyment out of wearing my Casio A168 as I do the Omega. I will most likely stay in the affordable watch realm as there are so many great watches out there for tremendous value. Seamaster was my dream watch, but I really can't justify spending that much again on a single watch. Great video as always

[batgiant]

I love affordable watches: My favorite: Casio, Victorianox swiss army, Seiko, Hamilton, Citizen, Swatch, Timex, Marathon, Tissot, etc ( no order) these watches are Quality, durable, etc. No need to spend thousands of dollars

[wanderers]

Just found this channel, and it's a breath of fresh air in a crowded market.

[blasthammer]

When he said he lives in Japan I knew he knows what he's talking about.

[watchcheapo]

For me who live in Malaysia, even 200usd is already expensive, almost close to rm1000, ...better buy car or house or go travel than omega or rolex...

[mrdisco]

I feel like for me $500 is sort of a threshold where you run pretty hard into the law of diminishing returns when it comes to watches. So I see that as a limit when looking for the next watch. I like Rolexes and Langes but I can't imagine spending that much money on a watch. I'd rather use that kind of money to travel somewhere. One thing that bugs me about my newfound watch addiction is it detracts from my travel budget.

[AlexCampana]

Love this down to earth content.The problem with people these days is they buy a watch to impress others.I own several affordable watches with different prices but the Casio duro(Marlin) is my favorite.

[thepenultimateninja]

I agree with your take on this. I actually own my 'grail watch', which is a Rolex Submariner.
While I was saving up for the Sub, I wore an homage (Invicta 8926OB), and continued to wear the Invicta as a 'beater' watch even after I got the Sub.
At the time, my Submariner cost about £2, 000. It was a lot of money, but it was worth it to me, because it was (and still is) my dream watch. I wore it daily. I would have been gutted if I had lost or damaged it, but £2, 000, while very significant, wasn't an insurmountable amount of money to save up if I had had to replace it.
Fast forward nearly 20 years though, and my Sub is now worth more than my car. If I lost or damaged it, I would never be able to afford to replace it, even if they were available to buy.
So, my Sub stays safely locked away except on special occasions, and I now mostly wear one of a number of Sub homages that I own.
I do like a bit of variety occasionally though, so I sometimes buy an inexpensive watch to scratch the itch. I still get that 'Christmas morning' feeling that comes with a new watch, but I don't have to feel guilty about spending loads of money or be scared to wear it.