Watch Collecting Goals for 2019: Appreciate What I Have

Reading Barry Schwartz's The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, I learned a lot about the pathology of watch addiction:

One. Too many watches leads to brain overload and less happiness.

Two. We must learn to appreciate what we have in order to stave off addiction.

Three. We must avoid comparing what we have with what others have, a true challenge in social media age when people curate their existence in a hyped way. 

Four. We can be happier when we choose what's "good enough" over "the best." 

Five. We should focus more on what we want more than worry what other people think we should want. 

In this context, I have some specific watch goals:

One. Keep my collection in the single digits. 

Two. Sell some watches that are too similar to other watches in my collection.

Three. Rebuy two watches I failed to appreciate when I had them: The Citizen Promaster Sky in gunmetal ( reference number BY0084-56E) and the Citizen Promaster Land (reference number CC3060-10E ). 

Four. Quit collecting? That would be nice but I don't know that will happen.

 

Comments

[Angelo]

With a collection of between 150-200 watches, I can't see a path to get down to single digits...a better goal might be in the single dozens. That said, I haven't bought a watch for myself since April or May of this year, which for me, is a very long time between watch purchases. I am finding myself content with the current state of my collection and haven't seen much that I "must have." There are probably two or three watch models that I would acquire if I see them for the right price. I have bought watches this year to give as gifts though.

[herculodge]

Wow, 200 watches. Did you collect watches during the great radio spree of 10 years ago? Or did your radio purchases slow down to be replaced by watch buys?

[Angelo]

My radio purchases slowed down and watch purchases went crazy. I'm now up to seven of my own cars and one company car (a Ford Explorer). I bought two of those cars in 2018, which might explain my watch buying slowing down.

[herculodge]

You're going Jay Leno on me, Angelo. I hope you have a capacious garage. If you could have only one of your cars, what would it be?

[Angelo]

If I could only have one, I would keep the Saab 9-5 Estate. It's the perfect blend of everything else.

[herculodge]

Love Saab. I just hope you can get a mechanic and parts.

[Carlos Williams]

I feel like those are rules to life I learned when I was about 12 years old. What took you so long?

[herculodge]

Fair point. Addictions are by their very nature childish, so to address an addiction at any age forces one to look at principles one should have known at 12.

[Angelo]

So far, so good with the Saab. It's a common model that was made for a long time. The dealership we bought it from was a stand-alone Saab dealer, so they no longer sell new cars----but they moved down the street to a smaller, less expensive location and now sell used cars but continue to have a lifeline to what's left of Saab and still specialize in Saab service (along with servicing other brands). They tell me for my model, parts shouldn't be a problem for a while----still supported. It's a 2004, so it's already 15 years old but low mileage given that I have a company car for most of my daily driving and six other personal cars. I only have a two car garage----but a large driveway and two parking pads----a small one and a large one. So I can manage to park all of my cars on my property, not the street, and still have room on the property for guests to park their cars too.

[herculodge]

Sounds like you're covered for the life of the car. Peace of mind.