All for one?

Lorddrakul

I've been doing a bit of soul searching recently in relation to my grail watch.

It got me thinking, would I be able to get rid of every watch I have, good bad or indifferent, to fund the purchase of my grail watch?

I'm not sure I could.

My collection consists of mostly inexpensive pieces, mixed between sentimental value, early acquisitions and technically interest (to me).

They are mostly tool watches, and I like the wear pattern of rotation.

Even with a grail watch, I'm not sure I could just wear one watch for the rest of my life, even with a variety of straps.

Could you give them all up, for the one?

893bet

It rarely works from looking at other people collection.

Grail is a moving target as your taste change.

Buy. Consolidate. Buy. Consolidate.
Repeat.

sparrowcar

893bet wrote: »

It rarely works from looking at other people collection.

Grail is a moving target as your taste change.

Buy. Consolidate. Buy. Consolidate.
Repeat.

Couldn't have said it any better.

unkel

I'd swap all my watches, including the watch that has been my grail watch for a decade (I own it 3 years now) for my new grail watch in the morning without flinching. Out with the old, in with the new!

Deep Thought

Its a great idea, and indeed something we have all considered , i have bought a grail, only to realise that its not what i thought...

Sadly, right now my grail is a new set Titleist TS2 Woods...

But I do have something quirky incoming, will post when I get it

DT

micks_address

I had a few watches that I sold once I got the Omega aqua Terra.. it just seems the ideal watch for me..I kept the gshock all metal as a beater and I'm all set. Finding it very hard to justify buying anything else.

Birneybau

I spent money on this and that watch, never anything really fancy, and whilst I don't regret them, since buying a Speedmaster Professional, I'd get rid of all of them bar maybe the Bulova moon watch as a 'bit on the side'

Trigger Happy

I have often considered selling the lot and starting again to build up a new collection. I know I could sell them all. On ebay in the past I have managed to sell some terrible junk for a few quid and it all helps.
But when it comes down to my current collection I would need to take a deep deep breath before parting with some of them.
I am always tempted to get rid of some of the more expensive ones but the problem is that at the moment I dont really have a 'grail watch'.
Sad!

Lorddrakul

Interesting angles here.

I'm finding the idea of the grail watch evolving intriguing.

I think I've only had a grail watch in recent years, as I have developed more of an interest and a knowledge.

Watches are a necessity for me, in terms of actually telling the time, but my disposable to spend on them is severely limited.

My grail watch would be roughly the same price as the three year course of orthodontic treatment my son completed recently. (There's those bloody dentists again).

Talk on.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

For me the grail is unachievable....man maths is envoked....grail is purchased...grail becomes ordinary...internet surfing recommences...back to start. Its a sickness.

Wibbs

I suppose I'd be pretty satisfied at the mo. Too many damn watches anyway. My grails would be either cray cray money, like 80,000+ for a 1930's steel cased black dialled Longines flyback chrono, or vanishingly rare. The latter often tends to be quite cheap actually. I suppose because there are so very few of them the market doesn't really exist to any degree. Generally and outside of extremely high ticket items like vintage Patek, rarity restricts the market. The collecting hobby/madness can exist because these were/are mass produced items so more people can get into it. If they were like old master paintings the market and hobby would be tiny.

EG I missed out on one such grail a few months back, when one of the very earliest waterproof watches from 1917 came up on ebay. Only one single other example is known and that was in bad nick. I misread the end time. In the end it went for only 400 quid. If one were to create a collection of "firsts" in wristwatches, like say the first waterproofs/automatics/date windows, which would be rare watches, very few would cost more than a grand. Pricier items would be the first GMT/timezone(Longines DualTime) and first quartz to market(Seiko Astron) which would leave a bank balance bruised alright. Still, they would be around what brand new steel Daytona's are going for, so there's that. The first true dive watches would be pricey enough too.