Here's the bad news: You're always going to watch more and more expensive watches. That's the reptilian brain telling you to dominate your fellow citizens with more aggrandizing toys. The good news is you can learn to appreciate what you can afford and live within your boundaries. And remember, the moral of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is to live within boundaries or become like those pissy brats who are sucked into the chocolate river.
The other pitfall is hyperbole or more spcifically the either/or fallacy, which goes like this: "If I can't afford a Breitling Super Avenger II, then I might as well just throw away my whole crappy collection."
That's like saying if you can't date super model Adriana Lima, you won't go out with women. Or if you can't drive a Porsche, you'll walk to work. Boulderdash.
Having said that, I think I'll look at pics of the 47mm Panerai.
Your first couple sentences reminds me that, in a way, we could say that there are two basic orientations, the Freudian--which sees everything we do as rooted in libidinal urges and the desire to "win"--and the more Jungian, and later humanistic, orientation, that takes a more positive spin, that everything we do is derived from a desire for fulfillment, love, joy, etc. This is not to say that you are a hardline Freudian, just that I don't agree with this assertion, or at least it plays little to no part in my desire for more expensive watches.
That said, I agree with everything else you say, although am worried for you that it seems the Grand Touring has re-opened the gaping wound that is Panerai Lust.
There's another middle ground possible between "$5K+ watches or bust." Its this: less is more. Less purchases, but better purchases. Rather than 15-20 $300 watches a year, how about 1-3 $2K watches a year?
I just posted a Breitling that cost less than $2,500 used and was absolutely gorgeous. At some point I'm going to have to bite the bullet and disavow lesser gratifications for half a year and go after a bigger fish. Think about this: Six months of saving $300 per month = $1800. Selling three or four watches that I don't wear much anymore for $3-400 a pop, leaves me at about $3K total. That's enough to go after one of my grails - a used Breitling or Seiko MM600.
The only thing keeping me from doing this is generating the will not to buy anything else for six months.
Posted by: jonnybardo | February 18, 2014 at 10:15 AM
I should qualify my remark and say it's an over simplification to say that desiring nice things is Darwinian dominance only. It's also the joy of the thing.
Panerai is too expensive for me to realistically pine for it and experience a "gaping wound."
Posted by: herculodge | February 18, 2014 at 10:31 AM