Remember lusting after that watch you’ve been wanting for ages? You’d save for it, and look at photo’s constantly and when you saw it on other people’s wrists you would imagine it on yours? Does that still happen anymore for you?
It was a realisation that hit me the other day talking to some of the watchfam, when describing my first grail purchase. I thought back to 2014 when I was able to finally buy my Panerai 312, which if you’re curious about that journey, you can check it out here. That feeling of wanting a particular watch for a long time, and it being out of reach for a majority of that time, but it’s the one watch that spurred the love on and then the feeling that you get when you finally get THE watch! A combination of elation, happiness, and pride that makes you smile for days. I don’t have that anymore, and that’s what hit me.
Maybe this is the same for you, maybe it’s not, but I feel it’s worth discussing at least.
When we start our collecting journey, or at least our foray into the watch world, there’s a good chance that most people will have at least one watch that they’re aspiring to get, not matter how far out of reach at the time it is. And as we wrote in The Search For The Holy (Watch) Grail, this is different for different people and at different times in their life. For some it can be saving up for their first “good” watch, for others, it’s years of collecting culminating in consolidating some (or all) of the collection and buying that one obscenely hard to get, rare or expensive piece. And for some, it’s just another step in a lifelong journey.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum, at one point, there was that love for the watch. The joy that it gave you when you walked out of the boutique, first put it on, and then the honeymoon period that followed! However, after years of collecting, and watches coming and going, this can fade. Talking to people in the community, it seems that some of them agree. These days, it seems we’ve been more caught up in hype watches, acquiring pieces less for the love, and more so to to keep up with the Joneses or to fill a hole in the collection. I know I’ve fallen into that trap once or twice.
But this then begs the question, how do we get that lost feeling back? Can we get it back? The answer I feel isn’t straight forward and has many parts, and when I put some more thought into it, the reason isn’t all just ourselves. I get the sense that boutiques and AD’s are a little to blame as well. The magic of going in store and picking up that piece has diminished too due to the way we buy, many more brands having e-commerce sites now and just a lack of personal touch and experience in store. Buying has become almost too transactional. Where’s the love?
Coming back to my Panerai on this point, what made it special was a combination of factors. I had wanted one for so long, so it became my ‘grail piece’ at that point – even though I had a Breitling at the time, it was the watch that spoke to me the most. I was able to buy it overseas from the Panerai Boutique in Florence, which in itself was special, but the lady who served me made me feel special and the whole service experience was exceptional. And the fact that I had saved up for it, and finally had a well paying job and could now afford it meant that it represented achievement for me.
So maybe this is the answer – putting more emphasis on what the watch represents and striving for something. Instead of buying a piece because you think you need it or have to have it, re-think the motivation. When is your next milestone? Is there a piece that is still just out of reach but obtainable you can strive for? And if you’re the sort of person that likes an in-person experience, then shopping around for the boutique or AD that delivers exceptional service to you may help with that special feeling.
At the end of the day, we’re all on our own journey, and have different reasons and motivations for collecting, but one thing I may say to you fellow enthusiast is this; Remember why you started and what got you into watches and why you love them in the first place. I know that for me, I’m definitely going to try this, and maybe set my sights of a few pieces that I’ve been considering for a while now, the ones that bring a smile to my face and rekindle the love. And if they’re attached to a milestone or achievement, then all the better as it will represent that and remind you every time it’s on your wrist.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Have you lost the love or do you still buy each piece like it’s your first? Let us know in the comments section below.
