Following my horological adventure in Europe with a small travel watch collection, I’ve been thinking about consolidating my extensive collection. Every watch collector comes to a crossroads in their collecting adventure where they feel closer to the end than the beginning, and considers calling it quits. So is it more about the collecting journey or the final destination? And what has caused me to reconsider my own priorities when it comes to watch collecting? Is it my drastically changing taste in watches? Or the exposure to so many different watches and the knowledge I’ve gained over the years? In this video I discuss the advantages and disadvantages of small and concise versus large and diverse watch collections, my ongoing obsession with Panerai, and how a recent acquisition of the Casio A700W and the release of Frederique Constant’s new Tourbillon (which is the most affordable Swiss made watch on the market at the moment) have impacted my collecting priorities. I also unbox the new Nivada Grenchen F77 and share some quick thoughts on the blue dial with date. And I discuss what’s next in my collection journey, how all of these individual watch moments have changed my collector perspective, and thoughts on what my final grail watch will be. What do you think is the perfect watch collection size? And how have your watch collecting tastes changed over time? Please share in the comments!
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My travel watch collection for Italy:
https://youtu.be/jPNGcTsutkA
My travel watch collection for NYC:
https://youtu.be/U6g8eV7IhqQ
The Best Everyday Watch Under $30:
https://youtu.be/GjEA7lYWuwE
Panerai Luminor Review:
https://youtu.be/gpjm6HS-n-E
Top 10 Best Dive Watches Under $500:
https://youtu.be/ym6WzqtDjd0
A One Watch Collection:
https://youtu.be/v3Luwhfod1Y
The Hidden Meanings of the Luxury Watch:
https://youtu.be/P9rZsUjBRrM
Essential Watch Movements Explained:
https://youtu.be/lDGZXjnWBVs
Best Value Luxury Watches Under $5000:
https://youtu.be/j3tngQcVUPA
How To Restore & Service Your Rolex:
https://youtu.be/JNRTMIbfFKw
My Cartier Santos Galbee:
https://youtu.be/lZfUNmbr-ew
A Legendary Watch Collection Inside the Empire State Building:
https://youtu.be/e3Qz8uzFZxU
#watchcollector #watchunboxing #nivadagrenchen #frederiqueconstant #panerai #casio #seiko
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Awesome video. I just bought the blue version! Unfortunately there is A 7 month, time so it will be a a post Christmas present!!
This is why I stopped watching Teddy Baldassre videos for example, tell me something I cant read off a spec sheet, show me a model that we dont already know, just blah blah. Thank you TGV for keeping making videos like these, your thoughts on this industry is an absolute gem.
there is no perfect size watch collection but the cost to maintain automatics would get crazy if you aren't careful.
"I'm done with watch collecting!" Meanwhile, TGV tells us all that he would like a Zenith, Panerai, GS, etc, etc. Ha! You're not selling your entire collection. Come on man. Integrity. Not clickbait. I never believed such a claim for a moment. Just keeping you honest. No collection theme here. Buy what you love. Wear it. Enjoy it. Simple as that.
Just watched Hard Boiled again so my 16 yo could experience it ; )
My collection habit (obsession?) is somewhat akin to yours. The count is currently nearly 200 – all types, brands, price points, colors. Mostly automatics, but a healthy smattering of quartz movements too. New and vintage. I am not narrowly focused…nor do I want to be. Lately I find myself drawn to "unique" – whether it's the face, complication, or simply the band material. 🙂
i'm done with clickbait titles
A daly beater watch, a casio, and a dress watch, 3 that's it
The great Luciano Pavarotti wore a Hublot with great elegance and sophistication!!!!
Who'd have thought that the next 007 would be announced on YouTube? Congrats TGV: well deserved!
Good stuff. Always natural to want a ‘tidy up’ every so often. Makes room to fill the collection back up again ha
I'm currently at the sub £1000 mark and refuse to play the ladder game. My two watches are Hamilton Khaki Field (because it was a safe first watch) My other and most worn is a Certina DS PH200M ceramic, acquired after many, many hours of learning all I could about Certina and the heritage behind the vintage re-issue. I also have a G-Shock GA-2100 (obviously) for beating and care free travel.
I always said that I’d stop when owning a luxury watch for every day of the week…and then I invented the 8 days week and now working on the 9 day week.
I've began with an Invicta pro diver. Homage, sure. But then i began learning more. Got a Seiko, then another 2 seikos, lots of casios, a couple of homages. Then I got the watch I wanted, the bulova lunar pilot. Big for sure but a really Nice watch, love it. Still didn't click the gears the right way. I am actually more a diver watch guy. Some more came and I loved them ALL. One day I Saw something about a vintage TAG Heuer Formula 1. Never really wanted to spend big Buck on swiss luxury watches and TAG Heuer is a really controversial Brand. Being a cheap quartz I Just bought It to have It with Very low expectations. The First impression was actually… underwelming. It's Very small, quartz, plastic bezel… But with the time I spent with It I Just find It perfect. Fits my small wrist, I love the design, the diver style… I Just can't imagine another that would check ALL the Boxes about what I like.
Sorry mate, I don't buy it. You aint quittin' sh*t! 😜
Watch collecting is a very personal matter. I for one have figured out that I like to take my time before getting a new watch. Take the time to figure out if it's just a crush or actual true love! And I'd never spend too much money on a watch. It's just material goods after all. Cheers TGV!
i have 6 watches…is that too much ? ( 2 dress, 1 diver , 2 everyday , 1 casio)
Going down to three might be a little extreme for you TGV. I’m sure there’s a happy medium.
This is truly one of your best videos ever TGV – I think it's the sign of a mature watch collector, when you get to the point that you want to own fewer watches. I've been collecting on and off for 15 years now and I've finally got to the point where I own just two watches. The 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual in green – 41mm and that's worn Mon-Fri. On weekends, I'll use my G Shock B5600 (bluetooth + multi band 6). Having less watches dramatically reduces time spent researching watches and trying to keep up with the joneses as you rightfully say in the video. I love the content you produce – it's always very thought provoking. Thanks, TGV.
No King Seiko ?
Enjoyed the video, I'm currently debating a restructuring of my collection – the question is to sell my sub and explorer or not – I've gotten a bit bored with them…
You had me till Hublot, TGV.
Every watch I have I bought a certain time in my life. My first was a G shock in NY ga 200 blackout when I visited Macy's in New York. It was so it never miss time and it looks passable in my job. I got 14 other watches after that mostly dress and mechanical. I won't sell them because each was used in a different position I held. Mechanical quartz were both great.
Hi Tristano, I am curious to know if and how your watch collection changed once you became a YouTube content creator. Likewise, I'd like to know what you think would happen to your collection if you stopped creating content for YouTube.
Your channel turned me into a watch enthusiast almost 6 years ago now. You’re channel has always been a classier one and the inspiration for my first two watches I bought for my collection ( 1969 Bulova Accutron Spaceview and Dan Henry 1970 ) . I hope selling your collection will bring you joy going forward . At the end of the day these things we obsess over simply measure time . And it ironically seems quite easy for us to lose track of that in pursuit of our next one . If this channel and the jobs you work cause you to burn time you were supposed to enjoy , I fully support if you take a step back . Time is never given back it only moves forward . I hope you pursue what fulfills you the most .
I follow my heart when it comes to collect watches. So go on👍👍
I expect that what you’re feeling has been felt by every collector at one time or another. It’s a healthy reflection on our priorities. To me watch collecting is about story telling. Some watches tell their own story through association with famous events, people or activities. Some watches tell our stories when we buy then or are gifted them to mark a significant occurrence or we inherit them, complete with memories from a loved one. Some watches tell a tale of what might be, representing a better version of ourselves that we might aspire to be. The stories associated with my watches are what I really collect. This is why my collection has some watches of value that come with their own stories but still the ones closest to my heart are the ones where their value is in the story that I have imbued them with. These are the ones that I will never part with.
TGV, this video struck a chord with me as I find myself facing a similar dilemma and considering a similar course of action. Having had a collection that has ebbed and flowed in terms of both size and taste, I now find myself gravitating to the same watches – a Seamaster, a Casio Oceanus and a CW – and neglecting most of the others. This Diver, GADA, Dress trio fits my taste and lifestyle, and I am considering reducing to just this focused set. Aside from a GShock square, that is vital equipment for active duty military.
Whether this watch collection is the "perfect collection size" I'd never presume to say, as I feel is a question that really we can only answer as individuals, however; I'd pose the question of which watches suit your needs and provide enjoyment? Then work backwards.
Does that mean I'm done with watches? In some sense yes, but in others no. I'm certainly not done with learning about the mechanics of these little engineering marvels. Since you bring up Grand Seiko, their 9F Quartz movement is truly an incredible feat in terms of engineering, for example. However, I may be done with the ownership race of watch collecting, personally. I feel that learning and appreciating watches, such as the GS 9F, can be separated from the cost and chase of acquisition and ownership.
Perfect collection would be 1 watch. That my friend is focus. I speak to myself as well. 😀
1960s is my thing, my childhood. To connect with the memories, to feel the moments of back then, I put on iconic sports pieces from that era. The more scratches the better. The more patina the better. A 67 Speedy 321, or a 1967 5513, or a Heuer Autavia Panda from 1966, and a few more. I agree, one must realize what type of watch will give you a major adrenaline or nostalgia rush. And it is not the price of a watch that provides this. When you will know what type of watches give you these intense emotions and why, then you find … illumination.