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Beginnings are always magical, and this is especially true of the beginning of a long-term romance with watches. But in those early days there are also some traps into which even well-intentioned newbies are bound to fall, some of which may hold you for decades in a sort of somnambulistic denial. Stuff is bound to happen, but if you are still set on the idea of becoming a watch nerd we herein present, for the purpose of prevention, ten pitfalls which often beset the beginner.
1. Buying what others like
People are, understandably, receptive to the views and opinions of watch experts, and this can especially be true of inexperienced neophytes. But be careful! Many who have come before you have failed to develop their own taste, and have for many years been merely swimming with the current. Watch videos with particularly high view counts usually feature one “watch icon” or another, which is highly touted by the commentators. And while this can be powerfully persuasive, in the end you should only buy a watch for one person: you.
2. Buying around the clock
Most likely you will quickly fall in love with watches that are simply out of your financial reach, and as you scrimp and save cheaper watches are sure to come along, tempting with their attainability and their similarity to the object of your true desire. But these purchases will just keep setting you back, to the point that you may never be able to satisfy that true desire. Better to save and savor the anticipation!!
3. Buying too many watches too quickly
Especially during the hobby’s initial euphoria you may go a little mad, buying too many watches too quickly. Often these rash initial acquisitions must be sold off later on, either to finance more considered purchases or simply because they no longer please. We’re all crazy about watches, but when you first start out just try to keep in mind that less is often more.
4. Paying list price
When shopping for almost anything, and especially when shopping for watches, prices are rarely set in stone. Comparison shopping is the way forward, so keep informed about how much of a discount you might expect and don’t be afraid to ask. With Montredo you don’t even have to ask – the discounts have already been given.
5. Buying watches sight unseen
Watches on the internet may sometimes look rather different than they do in person. Not only that, but not every watch looks the same on every wrist. If you’re just not sure, based on a picture on a screen, it is better to actually hold the watch in your hands and strap it on your own wrist whenever possible. Better a little delayed gratification than a potentially big disappointment.
6. Buying tribute watches
There is a huge range of so-called “homage watches,” watches which do not have an original design of their own, but are modeled after well-known watch classics – especially ones that are particularly popular and difficult to get. It could be said that these are nothing more than fakes, copying pretty much every part of the original except its logo. Of course, homage watches are completely legal. Their real problem is rather that they try to be something other than what they really are. Better to buy something original than to waste your money on a wannabe.
7. Marketing Traps
There are many watch manufacturers whose history apparently goes back for centuries, esteemed houses that never seem to tire of emphasizing, in advertising and marketing, their own great tradition. It’s not uncommon to discover, upon closer inspection, that some of these once venerable watch manufacturers are now nothing more than a name, and that the watches themselves are made in the Far East (which in itself does not necessarily guarantee bad quality).
8. Buying uninformed
Do your homework before buying! The Internet is full of reviews and videos on almost every well-known watch, reports that will help you to assess a potential purchase more and more clearly. This can definitely help you avoid lemons and bad buying decisions. But, even if you’re armed with all of the facts and all of the subjective opinions, at the end of the day you should always just buy what you like!
9. Buying watches as an investment
There are always reports of how well watches perform as investments. But the actual truth of the matter is that watches are not a good investment, and the few that actually will increase in value will be nearly impossible to get at list price. Buy watches that you enjoy! After all, what fun is a watch that’s just vegetating in the safe for years?
10. Fashion watches
We were all young and penniless once, and for many of us a fashion watch with a quartz movement seemed the ideal entry into the world of luxury timepieces. One should therefore not completely demonize Daniel Wellington and Co. But the fact remains: such watches are hopelessly overpriced. The quartz movements are often only worth a few euros and everything else is made at a fraction of the final price. To make matters worse, the designs are often far from original. You could, on the other hand, get the real deal from traditional watch manufacturers, which even with incredible automatic movements may not be much more expensive. If fashion quartz watches are, for many, the gateway drug into watch addiction, better you should take the hard stuff straight away.
