Mike and Kaz are reunited after a brief recording hiatus and it’s time to catch up. This week, the guys talk about some of the biggest mistakes watch collectors make. Kaz is also finding it harder to part with the Nodus Trieste. Special thanks to everyone who has entered the giveaway so far!

We then get a recap of Mike’s recent trip to Cartagena and hear what it was like to navigate the city as a watch enthusiast. Plus, a Rolex watch finally makes its way into the audio wrist check. Spoiler alert… it isn’t ours 🙂

What are some of the worst mistakes you’ve made as a collector? What advice would you give to someone starting out now that you’ve taken a few horological punches? Be sure to listen in this week and let the TBWS gang know.

Show Notes

Rolex Datejust

Nodus Trieste

Nodus Retrospect

Greubel Forsey

Cartagena, Colombia

Hublot Classic Fusion

Cartagena Rolex Boutique

Rolex GMT Master II 116710LN

Papa Roach Last Resort

Doxa Black Lung

Getsemani

Citizen Satellite Wave

Tom Delonge Stratocaster

Adam Savage/Jason Bourne Burn Bag

MB&F Gallery Robbery

3 thoughts on “Ep. 83 Mistakes We’ve Made As Watch Collectors”

  1. First, love the podcast, thank you for releasing on Mondays. Makes Mondays just a bit better and I really appreciate the dedication to producing a weekly podcast…
    I have two questions one serious, one less so: Michael, I was left wondering what you did with your watches while you out running around Columbia. If you stayed in a hotel, did you leave them in the room, wrapped in socks, in the room safe, hidden in the room in a baggie and in the toilet tank, safe at the hotel’s front desk…? I am hesitant to take more than one watch on vacation because I don’t want to leave it in the room.

    Also, my grail (at the moment) is the Omega Railmaster Blue Dial, but seeing Cindy Crawford’s son wearing it makes me want it less. Is not getting a watch because someone annoying owns/wears/likes the watch the same mistake (but the inverse) as buying a watch because some you idolize wears it?

    Reply
  2. Hey guys,

    For better or for worse—depending on how you look at it—I’m a vintage Seiko guy (@phillipndavis on IG). And despite being really happy with my collection now, it wasn’t a straightforward road to get here. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:

    Mistake: Going vintage too soon
    When I first got into Seiko—and I’m not sure how that happened, now that I look back on it—I was quickly drawn to vintage pieces. I probably saw a 6138-8020 Panda on WUS and fell in love. Anyway, my early attempts at acquiring vintage pieces weren’t smooth:

    • I made a trade for a 6139-6053 and eventually sold it for far too little cash, because I thought it was too small (this was probably at the height of the massive scale watch trend; more on that later), and I was frustrated with its performance. All it really needed was a service. I wish I had it back.

    • I took a flyer on a fixer-upper 6138-8020 and it has turned into my “Eleanor.”
    – I thought it would look better with an AM dial (I didn’t understand / appreciate the concept of patina at the time), and I threw away the original dial. (NOOOOO!)
    – Had a local “watchmaker” service it, and they royally screwed it up (obviously, it’s a chrono, yet I got it back with a sweep second and non-functioning pushers?!?!)
    – Sent it to someone reputable, and they were able to correct the previous mistakes, but were unable to perform a proper service.

    Potential Mistake: Risk Tolerance
    If you’re going to take a chance on something questionable, make sure you have the resources lined up to handle it—or can eat it if it doesn’t turn out. I’ve taken a couple risks on bad pic listings and local craigslist finds, and have mostly come out on top (apart from the above story) because I have someone who can do the restoration I cannot. I came away with an AMAZING 6117-8000, silver-dialed Navigator Timer because I was willing to go all-in on a bad pic / listing, AND I had someone who could do what was needed to properly care for it.

    Potential Mistake: Letting trends get in the way of what you love
    As I mentioned before, I regrettably sold a piece because I didn’t perceive it to be trendy at the time. That’s bullshit. It looked good, was comfortable, and I liked it; I was too dumb at the time to realize that’s all that matters. Now, other than posting for the other Seiko nerds on IG, I don’t really care what anyone else thinks of my collection.

    Potential Mistake: Collect them ALL
    This is pretty simple: Set reasonable goals for your collection; don’t try to boil the ocean. Just because something is cool doesn’t mean you have to acquire it.

    Mistake: Watch Winders
    Final hot take from me: NO winders—especially for vintage watches. Part of the fun of this hobby is getting to select a piece from the box, maybe swapping out a strap, giving it a shake and setting the time before you put it on. You know what’s not fun? Letting a dumb winder put wear and tear on your timepiece instead of you.

    Anyway, thanks for the cool topic and reading my rant here. Great stuff, as always, and I look forward to the show each week!

    Reply
  3. Swanson and his Eco-Drive AV0050-54A. I was expecting this watch to be a lot cheaper after I finished the fourth season, but it still goes for between $600-$1000. Silly me.

    Reply

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