Back To Basics: Expert Advice For Novice Watch Enthusiasts

Welcome to another instalment of Back To Basics, our series aimed at newcomers to our lovely shared passion. This installment does not cover one specific theme. The aim is rather to provide novice watch enthusiasts with some broadly applicable tips and mindset advice. Where do you start? How do you start? What mistakes can we help you to avoid? That sort of good stuff!

As always, I invite our seasoned readers to share their insights too. Let’s make this a warm welcome for budding aficionados and save them from some of the pitfalls we fell into. Please share your tips in the comments section below!

The novice-watch-enthusiast mindset

If you’re reading this, you have probably had a faint interest in watches for a long time, and you decided to dive in. This stage is exhilarating but daunting at the same time. Our times see more information available to us than ever before. While this makes it possible to immerse yourself and gain scholarly levels of knowledge in absolutely no time, it can be treacherous as well.

For starters, you will run into tons of polemics online. If you read too many comments on social media, you might feel that you need to hate brand X if you love brand Y. Or, perhaps even worse, you may assume that a certain cynical and aloof mindset is required to be a “true” watch guy/gal. None of that makes sense. If you can keep your novice-watch-enthusiast mindset based on wonder, curiosity, and excitement for as long as possible, you win. Hate has no place here, and we’re dealing with a largely inconsequential pastime.

My biggest tip at this stage is to find a niche and expand from there. You can learn so much, from space-going watches to wartime watches, from high complications to mechanical inventions, from watch design to metiers d’art, from racing watches to dive watches, and so much more. Start where your curiosity takes you, and go deep. There’s no need to learn everything at once; just start wherever you want to be most.

Image: AWCo

To love is not to have

Okay, let me get a bit preachy here, because this is a pitfall I bet all Fratelli stepped into at some point. To love is not necessarily to have. Being a watch enthusiast does not equal being a collector. And even being a collector does not equal having to acquire everything you see.

Part of what makes watches so fascinating is that they can serve as portals to other worlds. You would not be the first to learn tons about space exploration from the starting point of an interest in the Omega Speedmaster, to name an obvious example. If you spend a lot of time studying and learning, your brain can trick you into thinking that “now you must have this watch,” only to come out disillusioned afterwards. Remain critical of your desires. It is perfectly okay to explore and enjoy watches without owning them. The opposite also goes: you don’t need a justification for wanting to own a watch beyond the mere desire. If you wish to avoid cognitive dissonance at all costs, watches aren’t the most suitable hobby. Embrace it!

Let me make it personal for a minute to illustrate my point. I have an obsession with Hublot. I cannot help it. The brand, with its completely different marketing strategy based around the concept of fusion, fascinates me to no end. I follow everything Hublot does, but I don’t own any Hublot watches. I don’t plan to either. Those two parts of my enjoyment live in separate parts of my brain, I suppose.

What to have if you’re a novice watch enthusiast

Now that we have our priorities and motivations straight, let’s proceed to buying your first watch(es). Where should you start? While there is no right or wrong way for novices to acquire their first watches, we can help you navigate around some common pitfalls.

First, look for something easy to own. You will find tons of dirt-cheap vintage watches on online (auction) sites. While they look like bargains, the reality of owning them can be challenging. These entry-level vintage watches require proper maintenance from a watchmaker. For starters, economically, they may not justify a watchmaker’s time. Second, it may be extremely hard to source parts for them. You wouldn’t be the first to see a newly acquired vintage dress watch fog up the first time out the door, only to hear “I cannot work on that” from your watchmaker.

You may want to play it safe. Perhaps dip your toe in with something widely available and easy to service — something with a common Sellita, Miyota, or Seiko caliber inside, for instance. Maybe you find joy in scouring the internet for rare parts. Maybe that’s a hobby for you, and I get it. But be sure that this is the case before getting something exotic, old, and rare.

The placeholder watch

On to a divisive subject, the placeholder watch. Most novice watch enthusiasts grow into the hobby. Maybe you’re different. Maybe you have enjoyed great professional success, and you celebrate with your first watch being your grail watch straight away. The majority of us, though, start small and slowly make our way to a segment we feel comfortable with. Both paths are fine, of course, but they carry different challenges and opportunities.

Many novice watch enthusiasts can point at a watch that’s out of reach (for now) as their grail. Maybe you wish to own a Rolex Submariner, Cartier Tank, or a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar someday. On the way there, you will likely be tempted by placeholder watches. These serve the same purpose or even look like your grail, but they’re more affordable alternatives. Some might even be homage watches, with a copied design in every sense but the quality and branding.

Now, whether this is for you is entirely personal. In my experience, the placeholder watch always feels compromised. I bought many placeholders along my journey, and they all left my watchbox as quickly as they arrived. I found much greater enjoyment from affordable original watches than from affordable alternatives to grails. Your mileage may vary, but my advice is to ponder this before choosing your next target.

Learning money for the novice watch enthusiast

My next tip for the novice watch enthusiast is to be prepared to pay some learning money. Yes, if you put your mind to it, you can buy and sell cleverly and come out with little damage. Keep in mind, though, that this is a hobby and a hobby can cost some money. Even professional dealers struggle, so don’t be fooled by the experienced watch hobbyist claiming to do this “as an investment.” I am sure some people succeed at that, but they’re rarer than Instagram might make you believe.

Here’s the thing: as you go from a novice watch enthusiast to a more seasoned aficionado, your taste develops and changes. What excites you now may no longer push your buttons a few years down the line. Similarly, what leaves you cold now may appear like the most exciting genre of watches to you later. Be prepared to take a loss now and then as you grow closer and closer to the watches that are perfect for you.

In fact, I wrote an article about catch-and-release collecting a while back. It may contain some insights to help you get going. You can find it here.

Seek out other novice watch enthusiasts (and seasoned ones)

My final tip is one I wish I had followed a bit more. The watch community is a thriving, buzzing one with passionate members all over the globe. In recent years, the number of get-togethers, fairs, and events has exploded. Seek them out and connect with like-minded novice watch enthusiasts and seasoned veterans alike.

Such get-togethers enable you to handle watches you might otherwise not be able to see in real life. You will hear all about them from their lucky owners, and you can enjoy a veritable buffet of watches, from the exotic to the common. Crucially, you will meet fun people and make real and often lasting connections. It wouldn’t be the first friendship built on the watch hobby!

Crucially, the cynicism you might encounter on social media is absent from in-person events. Suddenly, you will shake hands with tons of kind people who are looking to enjoy the same interests as you, and that is just plain fun.

Closing thoughts

There you have it — some basic tips on mindset and approach for novice watch enthusiasts! I will follow up with a more practical Back To Basics article on great gateway watches soon. Which watches make the best “first real” watches? Stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, please do share your insights and tips for budding watch enthusiasts in the comments section below!