My 12 months in watches this 12 months has been…distinctive within the time since I began amassing watches oh so a few years in the past. What’s totally different this 12 months? I didn’t buy a single watch! For the primary time in over 20 years I went the entire 12 months with out including any watches to my assortment. For over twenty years I’ve at all times purchased some, offered some, or traded some in order that I find yourself on the finish of every 12 months with a extra refined assortment that’s normally within the plus column. I’ve to say that I didn’t even notice this 12 months was totally different till our illustrious editor Zach gave us this task. I’m nonetheless at all times taking a look at and for watches although, particularly for a number of particular fashions. My bi-weekly eBay Finds column retains me poring by the eBay listings frequently, and I do nonetheless see numerous nice items on Instagram. However how did I find yourself on this rarest of predicaments, ending the 12 months with none new additions to the gathering?
Like most issues in life, the explanations are myriad. I must say the most important elements can be that I’m fairly darn pleased with the state of my assortment because it at the moment stands, and there are few watches (that I can afford to purchase) that I’m nonetheless trying to find. I imply, I’m at all times looking out for a pleasant classic Squale, and there are some items that I’d nonetheless love so as to add to the Seiko steady, however the fashions I’m on the lookout for are fairly laborious to search out on the market within the situation I need. So it’s not that I didn’t need to add any watches this 12 months, it simply labored out that I didn’t discover something that match my assortment proper now. Actually, one in every of my New Years watch resolutions originally of this 12 months was to really dump a number of and consolidate by buying one main piece, like a classic chronograph (Omega, Common Geneve, and so forth) or new Grand Seiko. Sadly that didn’t come to cross both, however that’s principally as a result of me being lazy and never eager to take the time to determine which items would go. Possibly subsequent 12 months…
Whereas I did keep considerably in tune with the watch world this 12 months, principally by Instagram and writing the eBay Finds columns, I spent most of my “free” interest time concentrating on my first amassing love, classic comedian books. I gained’t bore you with all the main points, however I’m making an attempt to finish a run of Incredible 4 (1-200), which is a frightening job practically 30 years within the making. That mentioned, I did make a while this summer time to take a look at some excessive finish watch boutiques in Beverly Hills whereas in Los Angeles for a marriage. I went to IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Westime. Westime carries some heavy hitters like MB&F, Urwerk, and Richard Mille amongst others. I’ve to confess, it was fairly wonderful to see and deal with among the most unbelievable watches out there. Whereas I’m a classic man at coronary heart, seeing these ultra-modern masterpieces within the steel was very inspiring. Not that I can afford any of them, but it surely did reignite the watch flame a bit. My favourite although was the Grand Seiko part that they had. I’ve a number of classic Seikos, and their high quality takes a again seat to no model. And I’ve to say that the identical may be mentioned for the trendy iteration of the model. I actually loved attending to deal with among the stunning Grand Seikos, particularly the brand new SLGW003. The ending and a focus to element on this (and their different choices) is solely beautiful. To not point out the buttery clean movement of the second hand ticking together with the hi-beat handbook wind work-of-art motion.
So even supposing I didn’t add any classic watches this 12 months, or pull the set off on a brand new Grand Seiko, I used to be undoubtedly impressed to maintain trying and to possibly, really, notice my aim of consolidating numerous my assortment to 1 or two massive boys.
