What makes a Watch Collector tick?
It's tough to put a finger on the pulse of why watches inspire such intense interest out of "collectors." We often try to make sense of this passion for horology through metaphors and similes - "collecting is an unscratchable itch," or "collecting is like a window into the soul." This approach of describing what we love and why we do it only speaks to how illusive the collecting spirit truly is. So where does one even start to examine such an abstract idea as "the collecting spirit"? Well, with collectors themselves, of course.
Over the last few weeks, I spoke with some of our most well-versed horology enthusiast friends to get a better grasp on what makes a watch collector tick. Through all the conversations, there is one major overarching theme: what you get out of watches is not just a time-telling device.
Across the board, everyone said they came for the watch and stayed for the community, the knowledge, the personal evolution. It's interesting that this is the case, because no one really seems to enter the watch world with a community mentality. It's almost like a surprising perk that one only realizes afterwards. In part, this seems to be a wider symbol of the collecting spirit. Like realizing there's a vibrant community, it's just something that happens over time through the accumulation of more experience and knowledge. But what does it actually mean that collectors stay for the community?
It might be easiest to ground the community’s influence on the collecting spirit by taking a quick look at social media. Instagram, where many of us congregate, has a firmly established baseline of popular watches that frequent our feeds. So much so, you probably know exactly which I'm talking about without having to name any specifics. For this reason, it can feel like Groundhog Day sometimes. So why do we keep coming back? For the connections to our peers ... on a global scale. Instagram has facilitated connections to friends we would've never otherwise had, and with that comes a constant trickle of new, shared knowledge.
Naturally, this is not to say that watches play an insignificant role in what makes collectors tick. In all of this, the watch acts as the foundation of the collecting spirit. And in discussing collecting, everyone remarked at length on the material aspects of watches they love - most commonly the dial, case, and movement. Though tastes vary, I've never encountered a collector that doesn't recognize material beauty in watches.
As mentioned in the introduction, it's difficult to move beyond metaphors and similes to tie down the collecting spirit. This is not the post to try to do so, but rather to maybe point things in the direction of a more true-to-form expression: watch collecting is like a friendship with oneself, others, and objects. It's a constantly evolving social and educational experience with high's and low's, many surprises, and ultimately, a sense of fulfillment. Of course, everyone who enters the watch world doesn't have to become a bonafide, "card carrying" collector, but when one does, he/she will likely come for the watch and stay for everything else.
Special thanks to @nycwatchguy and @shani.watch for chatting about this topic and shaping these thoughts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike is a horology enthusiast and collector of independent watches. He is the publisher and editor of The Open Caseback, a blog and Instagram page for watch collectors to engage and discuss unconventional topics in the watch industry.