Fratello On Air: The Biggest Myths And Misconceptions Of Watch Collecting

Clearing the air in our favorite hobby

July 08, 2025

comments 19

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we aim to debunk some of the most prevalent myths surrounding our beloved watch-collecting hobby. Some will be obvious, but some require some discussion. Enjoy the show!

Misconceptions within the hobby have run rampant for as long as folks have been collecting watches. Therefore, it’s time for us to challenge these beliefs. We can thank one of our longstanding listeners, thelostspringbar, for our topic. Specifically, he asked about “the top 5 myths or misconceptions about watch collecting.”

Handgelenkskontrolle

We kick off our show with a discussion about this year’s Wimbledon tournament. Mike had the opportunity to attend for a day, and there were plenty of watches to be seen. This turns into a discussion about Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, a documentary on Apple TV. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Mike is wearing a watch he rarely brings out of hiding. The Rolex GMT-Master 16758 escaped from the bank for a couple of days for a dinner outside the city. Balazs has a new release on his wrist. The blue Nivada Grenchen Aquamar (€1,095) is a lovely watch with a cool party trick in the way of changing lume.

The top myths surrounding watch collecting

Thankfully, most watch collectors are good people. We’ve met loads of them, and 99% of our interactions have been positive. The problems, it seems, come when people are left to ruminate on videos, in forums, or on podcasts! All sorts of horror stories come out, and while there’s likely truth behind the tales, many are overblown. We discuss some of the most common myths we encounter and why you shouldn’t believe everything you hear when it comes to watch collecting. The topics are as follows:

Pre-owned and vintage watches are scary
Only expensive watches are worth collecting
The grail watch exists
A large collection is required to be a serious collector
Rolex is the only answer, or focusing on one brand is the only way to collect
Quartz watches aren’t collectible
Watches are always a great investment

We hope you enjoy the show, and feel free to share the most popular myths you’ve heard related to watch collecting. Thanks for listening!

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Fratello On Air: The Biggest Myths And Misconceptions Of Watch Collecting

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Enuona says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 10:40

There is no such thing as “the universal truth cast in stone”. Time rolls on, and with that, the collective perception will change.

Philosophers, painters, authors, cars, watches or what not might be ignored (or immensely popular) when introduced, stay/turn dormant and forgotten for decades until someone or something put it into the spotlight, and suddenly “everyone” agrees to the now obvious quality of whatever it is.

Thus, if you are wired with collecting/gathering genes, have fun while, connect it to whatever you find interesting and follow YOUR flow, just make sure you own the collection, not the other way around. (Yeah, the idea of 7 things)…

As far as I’m concerned, my mindset is not that of a collector. Have had a go at it with music/albums/singles, newspapers with historical frontpages – like the one I had announcing the end of WW I, mono prints and a few first edition books. Just don’t have it in me. And I think that’s fine. Still enjoy music, books and paintings, and I love a great front page. Have played with the idea of a tiny ignorable watch collection, but I just don’t have those genes.

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1. SC
  Tam O’ Banter says:
  
  Jul 08, 2025 at 12:29
  
  I think someone is a collector or not. It’s genetic. And although I get great joy from my various humble collections and have learned from most purchases, I do at times envy those who don’t have it.
  My partner’s daughter surveyed my watches the other week. She opened all the drawers of my watch boxes, then came into my living room and shouted, “They’re all THE SAME!”
  
  I don’t think she has the gene. ☹️
  
  Reply
TR
tarartrat2112 says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 13:55

Does anyone really worry about whether they’re seen by others as a SERIOUS collector?

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1. Roy-65 says:
  
  Jul 12, 2025 at 22:52
  
  I’ll settle for amateur status
  
  Reply
TW
Berlin_Tony says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 15:28

Pre-owned and vintage watches are scary – not if you do your research first

Only expensive watches are worth collecting – no but by using all of your budget collecting cheaper ones you stand the risk of becoming a hoarder rather than a collector

The grail watch exists – until you own it & the next one rears it’s head

A large collection is required to be a serious collector – no, a carefully curated smaller one can also be taken seriously, it’s the huge, “because they are shiny” collections that make their owner look silly

Rolex is the only answer, or focusing on one brand is the only way to collect – deprives you of many watches that are also very good if not better than your chosen brand

Quartz watches aren’t collectible – yes they are

Watches are always a great investment – no they aren’t

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xbarx1 says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 16:34

Collecting is different for everyone. I have a collector gene and like a lot of things. There’s some basic principles like researching watch brands and models to learn what you really love. Also knowing that our tastes change over time as we learn more. I leaned in on vintage from day one.

I’ve been buying watches for 40 years and always knew what my first grail watch was, and had goals set for a couple others. And then fell head over heel for explorer-style dials. Not Rolex Explorer as we know it today, but watches like Hillary’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual that went up Mt. Everest. It’s a very period look, small case, and evolved into a 3, 6, 9, 12 dial.

In the 50’s everyone made something like it. I stumbled on Nivada’s original Antarctic model and own dozens of them. They came with Nivada, Nivada Grenchen, Croton, and Croton Nivada Grenchen branding. I collected them all. The textured ‘snowdift’ dials are a category all by themselves. They’re known as ‘tundra’ dials, but tundra is not white. D’oh.

I have more than a few other brands as well and still finding Nivada and others I’ve never seen before. This is not high horology, but a fun and relatively affordable category that still surprises regularly. I’m pretty selective about design first. Condition as well. I stick to known Swiss movements and buy parts watches and spare movements too. I’m the guy that might have bought a watch I had to own from right under you when you made an offer, then someone clicks Buy It Now price after seeing the watch was already in two carts. My new favorite search is vintage watches under $500. I’ve been really surprised by what shows up. Hint: great deals!

In the end it’s about buying what you love and not going into debt. Having a decent and reasonably priced watchmaker is paramount for general service, especially when you drop off 5 or 6 watches at a time. But having a watchmaker willing to take on some level of restoration for when you find a really special example that needs more attention is a good thing.

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Fruit-Loupe says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 17:14

I think the biggest misconception around watches is that the overwhelming majority of the people you see and interact with during the day give a toss about the watch you are wearing. I’m reminded of when I took Mrs Fruit Loupe into the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel earlier this year when passing through Singapore, for eye wateringly expensive cocktails and some ‘free’ peanuts. A gentleman two tables away couldn’t have tried harder to highlight his Portugieser if he had attached flares to it and you know what no one else gave a dam or looked in his direction. To be fair most were in shock due to the cocktail prices or had heat stroke due to the outside temperature. But i digress, wear whatever watch you like when you like but do it for yourself and enjoy what’s on your wrist for the happiness it brings you.

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1. SC
  Tam O’ Banter says:
  
  Jul 09, 2025 at 08:51
  
  It’s true that few people care or notice what you’re wearing on your wrist, except (I believe) when you are wearing something outré and expensive.
  A person in good physical shape with exuberance, ease and generosity of spirit can pull off a flashy watch more easily than a insecure person of the type you referred to.
  Unless you’re dressed like a tramp, the only thing anyone cares about is whether you are polite.
  Unfortunately, I am impervious to my own advice. I changed my watch to meet someone yesterday.
  
  Reply
  1. Fruit-Loupe says:
    
    Jul 09, 2025 at 15:27
    
    To be fair to the guy in Raffles he didn’t seem particularly insecure but was desperate to show off the Portugieser in an appropriate environment. I on the other hand was insecure enough to change out my Tudor FXD at the last minute for my ‘backpacking’ G-shock GBD-200-1ER with the MIP display, for fear of unwanted attention at unknown destinations. Shouldn’t have been worried as I never felt unsafe, especially in Singapore, where every local we spoke to was brilliant. Whilst I’m on about Singapore I stumbled across the Gnomon watches store, which I had assumed was an online only business. Lovely people and couldn’t be more helpful.
    
    Reply
AT
trixster1979 says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 18:17

I’ve yet to listen to the podcast, but who other than watch journalists looking for something to talk about are making up these ‘myths’?

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RB
Lellobservi says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 19:16

I do not consider my self a watch collector, although I have some ten watches. Mainly from granddads and uncles. Everybody in my family knew that I was into watches as a child, so all the family watches ended with me.

I read about watches every day 1-2 hours maybe more but collecting them is not that important. I am a one watch guy although I flip 4-5 watches in a year.

I service my own watches because they have simple movements except a Landeron cal. 3 chronograph that is a challenging movement to service.

My grail watch is the Omega Globemaster two tone blue dial maybe on a Forster bracelet. It is obtainable but three years has already gone by.

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Tinka.Taylor says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 21:04

Didn’t listen to the podcast, but thanks for the exact to-do list.

Avoid vintage, buy only expensive, hunt my grail, build a large collection, only Rolex is worth it, quartz is trash, buy investment watches.

Understood, noted — I’ll follow it exactly as instructed 👍

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RM
TachyTales says:

Jul 08, 2025 at 23:47

We get so little for our money now. The Nivada Grenchen gets praise for what? Offering a mediocre diver for 1100 Euro? This is supposed to be a lasting piece in someone’s collection? I can appreciate the design and still reject the absurd idea that every watch is special. If all watches are special, then none of them are.

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Dan Trelford says:

Jul 09, 2025 at 22:24

Interesting episode and great have you back lads. Each one of these myths could make an episode in itself.
thanks always for the best watch pod out there!

Reply
PK
OmegaLover says:

Jul 12, 2025 at 19:26

The biggest myth and misconception around watches in my opinion is that people think they need to collect watches in the first place. I love watches; I like to try other people’s watches, appreciate them, discuss them for hours, and visit watch boutiques. I love to read and listen to everything about them, but I definitely don’t want to own every watch I like. In fact, I own two (yes, two) excellent watches, which I chose for multiple reasons, and I am done and happy (two for the occasions when one of them needs to be serviced, or simply as a redundancy—I wear only one of them most of the time). And no, it’s not because I couldn’t afford more. Even if I were to acquire more watches, I know I would simply not wear them. I believe I have a much stronger bond with my watch than most collectors will ever experience.

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Roy-65 says:

Jul 12, 2025 at 22:12

It’s good to hear that Balazs made it safely back to Karlsruhe. The only discomfort is a sore throat, which is due to the plane’s air circulation system that pumps every virus and bacteria around. In Canada, he suffered a nosebleed—so maybe the salmon won after all?

You’ve landed on an interesting topic, and want to add a few comments.

Pre-owned watches are scary.
Believe it or not, for most of my watch hobby, I only bought new watches. My wife absolutely didn’t want any pre-owned watches in the house, claiming she could sense the sorrow or loss from the previous owner.
After relationship therapy, she was advised to give me more space, so I started buying pre-owned and vintage pieces. But her uneasy feelings about those watches remain. With one watch, she described the previous owner and the stomach pain he died from. Pretty creepy—and coincidentally, it’s also a gold GMT.

Generally, I agree with your views on most topics. But everything is relative… what’s expensive, and what counts as a large collection?
I have around 15 to 17 watches and thought I had a big collection. Turns out Mike has more than 200 watches.
I also try to collect as many different (major) watch brands and complications as possible: time-only, date, day-date, annual calendar, perpetual calendar, chronograph—with quartz, manual wind, and automatic movements.
And I’ve taken a loss on nearly all of them. But each one brings me a lot of joy.

PS. Note to self: Balazs can’t handle heat, so only invite Mike to the Champagne party in Marbella.

Reply
1. LawrenceH says:
  
  Jul 23, 2025 at 20:33
  
  I think you need to quadruple the figure for the number in Mikes collection 😅
  
  Reply
  1. Roy-65 says:
    
    Jul 25, 2025 at 14:00
    
    Mike has more then 800 watches?????
    
    Reply
LawrenceH says:

Jul 23, 2025 at 20:31

As always, another great episode. Please bring back WEEKLY episodes though Fratello!!

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