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The place for discussing 1930-1985 Heuer wristwatches, chronographs and dash-mounted timepieces. Online since May 2003.
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About collecting...

Hello,

Thinking about my collection I make some thoughts I'd like to share to see if they have also occurred to you and what are the answers you give to yourselves...

Question 1:
"Have I gone too far?"

When I started collecting, I never though I would invest the money I have now invested in watches.
I have started a couple times to count the money my modest Heuer collection has cost me so far and I stopped when I found out that the cost was too high considering my means. It was sort of terrifying to find out what I have done with my hard earned money. So my answer to the question is "yes I have gone too far". My solution is just to not think about it. Trying to explain why it happened, I found three reasons. Firstly, the initial cost of buying a Heuer is usually not too high, so it's easier to be carried away. Secondly there are the "hidden" repair costs that you do not count as purchases (but hey count as money in the balance account). And last but not least it is "the bug", the obsession, the pleasure of watch buying. You just enjoy spending your money on watches.

Question 2:
"Do I really need all these watches?"

Nope. I don't. But there is some kind of special satisfaction to own more than one watch of the same breed. I guess it's called collecting. Maybe that's why I like so much group photos.

Question 3:
"With all the money I have spent on Heuers I could have bought a couple of very expensive and highly complicated watches from Patek, Audemars, Dufour, Dubois, Journe or an AHCI member. Should I focus on more expensive watches? Is my collection more about quantity than quality?"

My mind may change in the coming years but for now I stay away from high end watches because I believe they are highly overpriced (if purchased new). The issue of prices in high end watches would require a separate discussion, but to put it simply, I think that the cost of such watches is way, way, way, way above their actual production cost. In a way, they just don't worth it.

I'd be glad to read your take on these isues.

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