End of year reflection. Time to be honest about which watches actually got wrist time.
Most worn: Perun Veles
No surprise here. The pointer date captured my attention in June and never let go. Probably 150+ days on wrist. The €399 purchase that embarrassed everything else in the collection.
Bought a 12-slot watch box three years ago. “Room to grow,” I told myself.
Seven slots remain empty.
The empty slots taunt me. They whisper about the Cartier Tank I haven’t bought. The Grand Seiko I can’t justify. The chronograph I keep researching but never purchasing.
The seasons dictate my watch choices more than I’d like to admit.
Summer was all about the Veles and dive watches. Casual straps, bright dials, pieces that could handle sweat and water.
People ask about my watch photos. What camera do I use? What lighting setup?
The answer disappoints them: a phone and a window.
Natural light does 90% of the work. Position the watch near a window on an overcast day. The diffused light minimizes reflections on the crystal and brings out dial texture.
Record broken. Three Omega Speedmasters spotted in one day, all on different wrists, none at a watch event.
First one: Hesalite Professional on a guy getting coffee. Worn bracelet, scratched crystal, clearly loved. We nodded at each other.
Got a quote today for servicing my vintage Omega. €450. The watch cost me €600 five years ago.
This is the hidden cost of mechanical watches that gets glossed over in every “value proposition” article.
Two weeks in Greece. One watch decision.
Normally I’d agonize over this. Bring the nice one and risk damage? Bring the beater and feel like I’m missing out? The eternal collector’s dilemma.
Walked into a watch boutique today with zero intention of purchasing anything.
Just wanted to see some new releases. Handle the Tudor Burgundy. Look at the Land-Dweller in person. Get a feel for current stock.
I’ve seen more Land-Dweller content in the past six weeks than I’ve seen for any watch release ever. Every YouTube channel. Every forum. Every Instagram account.
And I can’t decide if it’s genuinely exciting or just hype-cycle machinery doing what it does.
“What watch should I buy as my first nice watch?”
I get this question weekly. And I’ve stopped giving direct answers.
Not because I don’t have opinions. I have too many opinions. But the question reveals a misunderstanding about what makes a watch valuable.