Mild or Wild! They’re All Good!

Mbandf.com

I’ve never really subscribed to the notion that watch collections need to contain certain types or styles of pieces to be complete. Watches are extremely personal to each collector. Some people only want to collect Swatches—every single one—and that makes them happy. Others are really into digital watches and don’t necessarily believe in having a dress watch, a dive watch, and a complicated watch. For me, it’s not about adhering to a specific philosophy but about what brings joy.

What interests me about different types of watches is that you can go from the classics or the really mild watches all the way to the fantastic and wild watches that are sometimes barely recognizable as timepieces. Watchmakers like MB&F or Jacob & Co. create pieces that are certainly functional timepieces but really resemble something more like a science project that’s been shrunken down to fit on your wrist. They are unique, expensive, and really, really cool.

I think one of the things about the really wild watches is that they’re mostly at price points that aren’t really approachable for me, which is totally fine. Except to say that I would like to experience them in some way, but it’s unlikely that’ll happen anytime soon. So, when I see something like an RM Nadal online, I’m intrigued by it, but it doesn’t jump out to me as one of the favorite pieces out there. I think that watches, especially the new perpetual calendars, are extremely fun to look at, and I have such a deep appreciation for the mechanics that went into creating that piece. It stands out as both a work of art and something that’s not your typical wristwatch.

Companies like Urwerk also make cool pieces that don’t look like your traditional watch. While I’m not drawn to trying to set aside funds to buy these kinds of watches, I still think they represent why people like watches in general. We don’t have just one or two types of watches. We have a large variety of pieces out there, and that is what makes it fun for such a vast number of people. You can always find something that’s for you, even if it’s unique and doesn’t resemble what you think of as a wristwatch.

Ressence is another brand that brings together a watch that doesn’t look like something you would normally see. In fact, the images of the watch make it look like a computer screen almost, but the truth is that it’s a watch with a dial that’s magnified by being filled with fluid.

One brand that does a really good job of walking the line between a more traditional-looking watch and a watch that’s really fun and creative on the dial is Mr. Jones Watches. These pieces bring together the art community with their unique work and the watch community to combine them into something both approachable and completely different from what you would see in everyday watch collections. It’s a way to bring together a couple of different communities to celebrate the uniqueness that can be seen in some watches.

Perhaps it’s not the money that drives me towards watches; it probably has more to do with the history behind watches than anything else. When I see something like a Rolex Submariner, a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, or a Cartier Tank, I feel like those are the watches that draw the desire to collect these pieces because of that connection to the history behind watches and some of those specific pieces.

Blancpain.com

I like that a Submariner or a Fifty Fathoms watch is deemed an old-school dive watch. I certainly have no desire to take a watch like that into the ocean, but I understand why that’s the heritage behind them. The same way if you look at a mil-spec Sub from Rolex or Tudor, you can see why the ruggedness of the piece led to them being used by people in the armed forces as a way for them to know the time, have a built-in timer on their wrist, and feel confident that the watch would work as intended during their actions.

Recently, a lot of people have been talking about unique watches on the podcasts I’ve been listening to, and it’s something that has been a topic of interest because a lot of people always like the same-looking watches. That’s why there are so many iterations of some of the classic watches, as it’s an attempt to make an even more cost-effective version of the things we know and love. But this would be a really boring type of collection if everyone had the same watches. That’s why I have great appreciation for the fact that there are so many different artists out there who want to participate in making watches. While right now I think we’re seeing a lot of people putting together watches with looks from perhaps an older era or the early days of wristwatches, it’s nice to see the variety. It’s nice to see that there are both the classics out there and those pushing the limits of both design and technology in making their watches.

This brings me back to one of the original points I was trying to make, which is that I don’t have a particular style. When I look in my watch box, there isn’t a single type or brand that particularly sticks out to me. That’s my way of collecting. While I know a lot of people are really into single brands or single styles or need to have one or two pieces for each style, it’s not what’s brought me into the fold of being an enthusiast. In fact, I think I would probably get bored if I were only into one style of watch. It wouldn’t keep me invested or interested in being a part of the watch community. But again, that’s just personal for me. That’s the way I am. It’s what makes this collecting really great. I can look at some of my friends on Instagram and see that all they are into is Rolex, and I love looking at the Rolex pieces they are fans of. It makes me very happy to see the pieces they are into. I see others that are really into the more wild side of watches or some of my favorites right now, which are the vintage pieces. Again, these bring that connection for me to the historical aspect of watches, which I think is one of the important reasons why we like automatic watches. They are built to last. In most cases, they can last decades, if not centuries, in theory.

I’d love to hear from some of the people reading this about their collection thought processes as they go through acquiring more pieces. I’m curious to hear what the philosophy is, why you picked one piece over another, and what drew you into a certain piece. For me, it’s really challenging because there are so many options. When it comes to actually hitting “buy now” on a particular piece or walking into an AD and picking up a particular piece, there’s a lot I know I’m not ready to put down for. A lot of times I can’t put my finger on it. I know that I get a lot of joy out of the search, the hunt for the next piece, which probably brings even more happiness than actually wearing the piece three weeks after owning it. It’s a little sad to say, I suppose, but I think it’s just part of the reality of how our brain works when we are looking for something we think we really want. When we actually get it, it sometimes isn’t as enjoyable as the search for that particular piece.

In the end, my approach to collecting watches is deeply personal. I enjoy the variety and the hunt more than adhering to a specific style or brand. I’m always curious about what drives other collectors. What’s your philosophy? Why did you choose your last piece? I’d love to hear from you and start a discussion about the diverse reasons we love watches. Let’s celebrate the uniqueness in our collections together in the #WatchFam!

Thanks for reading!

-Adam