defining your collection

One of the major pet peeves that I have with some of the watch forums out on the world wide web, is the pressure that new collectors feel to follow the herd, when it comes to adding timepieces to your collection, that other collectors consider "desirable".

Perhaps this is driven by the basic want, that everyone has, to feel connected, and be liked by a group. Many times, newer collectors will ask a consensus opinion of which watch to buy? Heaven forbid that they choose a timepiece that might not be on the favorites or wish list of the majority. I'm all for soliciting opinions, but they should be taken with a grain of salt, and as with most situations in life, experience is the best teacher.

Feel free to dabble in the major brands, and experiment with micro-brands. You'll come to learn the value to price and cost to value ratios that brick-and-mortar retail and internet retailers use, and there is a big difference. The old axiom of "if it sounds to good to be true.....", should always be followed, especially when it comes to purchasing watches over the internet. Pictures are great, but you won't have the benefit of touching, holding, and trying the timepiece on for size, through an online retailer. You will not get a high-end, "luxury" timepiece for sub $100.00, that's just not realistic. The internet is a great tool for researching timepieces, and looking up prospective vendors that want your business; and most consumers are not shy about letting their true feelings about a product be heard, by way of site reviews.

In the end, you may end up with many different styles and brands within your watch collection, but above all else, your watch collection should be unique as you are, and reflect your style and tastes, and not the tastes and opinions of a few thousand forum members.