A Passion for Fashion: 9 Steps to Start a Watch Collection

Watches don’t just make a great Christmas gift for your dad. They can also be an excellent collector’s item.

Even if you wear the same watch every day (or don’t wear a watch at all because you can just check the time on your smartphone), it can be fun and rewarding to set up a watch collection.

You’ll be surprised to find how much you enjoy hunting for the perfect watch or getting your hands on a unique style.

Are you interested in starting your own watch collection? Are you unsure of how to begin or what you should be looking for when you start shopping for watches?

Here are nine steps that will help you build an awesome watch collection.

Why Collect Watches?

There are lots of reasons to collect watches over other items. Some benefits of starting a watch collection include:

• You’re collecting a practical item that you’ll actually use (the same can’t be said for a rock collection or baseball card collection)
• A watch collection can be worth a lot of money, especially if you invest in unique, high-quality pieces
• There are tons of different watches on the market, so you can easily find ones that match your personality and personal sense of style

Whether you want to have different watches to wear with different outfits or want to treat luxury watches as investment items, there are plenty of benefits that come with collecting watches.

How to Build a Watch Collection

At this point, you might be eager to start putting your own watch collection together. Where do you begin, though?

Here are some tips you can put into practice today that will help you start building your collection:

1. Do Your Research

When you’re collecting any kind of item, the first thing you need to do is start researching.

Learn as much as you can about the most popular watches on the market, look at what other people are wearing, and take note of which kinds of watches appeal to you the most.

Educate yourself on the different styles of watches and the different prices they sell for, too. The more you know, the easier it will be to figure out which kinds of watches you want to add to your collection.

2. Decide Between New and Vintage Watches

Do you want to focus on collecting the hottest, trendiest watches on the market? Or, are you more interested in classic, vintage finds?

Figure out what appeals to you and let that influence your search.

If you’re looking for new, trendy watches, you can shop at regular jewelry stores (both in-person and online).

If you’re looking for vintage finds, you’ll have to a bit more digging and look at antique stores, consignment stores, and thrift shops to find pieces that appeal to you.

3. Decide Whether You Want to Wear or Store Your Watches

Are you going to purchase watches to wear on a regular basis, or are you going to store and display them?

Either answer is fine — it’s up to you and your personal preference. Keep your answer in mind when you’re shopping for watches, though.

If you are interested in storing and displaying your watches, you might be more open to styles that you wouldn’t otherwise buy if you were planning on wearing them.

4. Care for Your Watches

Whether you’re wearing or storing your watches, you need to make sure you’re taking good care of them. This is especially true if you’re investing in luxury watches.

Replace the batteries regularly, get them professionally cleaned, and store them in a cool, dry area where they won’t be damaged by sun exposure or moisture.

5. Don’t Buy Watches You Don’t Like

This is especially important if you’re going to be wearing your watches. It doesn’t matter how cool, trendy, or valuable a particular watch is. If you don’t like it, you’re probably not going to wear it.

You have a little more leeway in this department if you plan to just store your watches. But, you should still make sure you actually like them. What’s the point of paying money for something that doesn’t appeal to you personally?

6. Don’t Buy Watches that Don’t Suit You

It’s also important to steer clear of watches that don’t suit you. For example, if you have very narrow wrists, a thick watch band probably isn’t a great fit for you.

Invest in watches that suit your lifestyle, too. If you never have to get dressed up, why would you spend a lot of money on fancy watches for formal occasions?

7. Don’t Get Hung Up on Fashion Trends

There’s nothing wrong with buying a popular, trendy watch, such as Tom Brady’s Tag Heuer Carrera. But, don’t let fashion trends be the only thing that dictates your purchase. Remember, if you don’t actually like something, there’s no point in buying it.

8. Don’t Exclusively Buy Investment Pieces

Watches can certainly be a great investment. Remember, though, that there’s no guarantee a particular watch will appreciate in value.

Buy some investment pieces here and there if you wish, but don’t waste your money exclusively buying expensive luxury watches that you think will be worth more money later.

9. Insure Your Collection

Finally, be sure to insure your collection. This is especially important if you have a lot of luxury watches.

How awful would it be to be out all the money you spent on your watches if they were damaged or stolen?

Start Building Your Collection Today

Now that you know how to go about building a watch collection, it’s time for the fun part — shopping for and beginning to collect watches!

Not sure which type of watch you want to add to your collection first? Want to do more research to make sure your first watch is one you’ll love for years to come?

We’ve got lots of fashion and style articles to help you make the right decision.

Start by checking out this article to learn more about the pros and cons of leather strap watches and metal strap watches.