Ask The Viewers: How Many Watches Do You Purchase A 12 months?

I just lately had a dialogue with a couple of fellow watch collectors and innocently requested the query, “So, what number of watches do you have a tendency to purchase a 12 months?” As soon as I requested, I noticed how wildly the reply to such a query might differ from individual to individual. Some fanatics in all probability have strict quotas to fulfill or not exceed per 12 months, reminiscent of affording themselves two new timepiece per 12 months. Different folks in all probability buy extra spontaneously with out monitoring what number of watches they have an inclination to get every calendar 12 months. Both method, the reply to “what number of watches do you purchase a 12 months?” appears so essential as a result of gathering timepieces with no technique can (and sometimes does) result in burnout. Having a restrict to the watches you buy per 12 months can, in lots of situations, meaningfully prolong the satisfaction that comes from buying new watches. Are you pacing your watch gathering journey appropriately?

You don’t must remind me that my above assertion comes with somewhat little bit of irony. My starvation for brand new watches is personally tempered by the truth that as a wristwatch media skilled, I get to play with a whole lot of loaner watches that most individuals wouldn’t in any other case get entry to. Thus, my very own want to expertise new timepieces on the wrist is, largely, satiated by my career. Most fanatics don’t have that luxurious, and thus polling watch writers on their timepiece-collecting habits doesn’t actually symbolize real-world habits. Now, the aBlogtoWatch viewers has the chance to share their watch shopping for habits.

To make folks really feel higher, there isn’t any actual rule to what number of watches it is best to or shouldn’t be buying a 12 months. Extra so, it doesn’t make sense to speak about buying new watches with out speaking about how folks skinny out their collections over time. Our analysis finds that watch collectors are likely to skinny out their collections whereas on the identical time buying new items. Many individuals don’t explicitly report scaling down their watch collections, however we are able to infer it from the variety of years they’ve been gathering and the reported sizes of watch collections. For instance, when you usually buy 4 watches per 12 months and have been gathering for 10 years, it might stand to purpose that you’ve thinned out your private stock in case your present assortment consists of 10 items. Thus, as folks purchase new watches annually, less-desired items re-enter circulation and exit collections. What occurs to these watches could possibly be the topic of a unique ballot solely.

Whereas we must see what the ballot knowledge beneath ends in, in addition to what the group shares within the feedback, my suspicion is that almost all watch collectors buy a minimum of one new watch per 12 months. On common, I’d say folks buy between one to seven new watches per 12 months, and that solely a small variety of lively fanatics don’t buy a minimum of one timepiece annually. Lastly, my guess is that there’s a small however lively contingent of consumers who recurrently buy 10 or extra watches per yer. Since this latter group might be recurrently scaling down their typically ballooning assortment, it in all probability pays to be shut pals with them!

Tell us within the ballot beneath what number of watches (new, pre-owned, or in any other case) on common per 12 months that you simply purchase. Thanks to the bigger aBlogtoWatch group.