State Of Envy

When watch collecting becomes an extreme sport

- Ricky Teo

Like any hobby pursued with genuine passion, and quite distinct from the experience of ticking off the to-buy list at the supermarket, watch collecting is no mere form of retail therapy. No sir, no ma’am. It’s a bona fide adventure.

Reading about how watches came to be, uncovering the histories of particular models, debating with newfound friends the merits of trends and developments, hunting down grail watches while watching the collection grow in a corporeal and connected way, satisfies one’s inner desires in ways that are unlike that of growing one’s stock portfolio. The joy of watch collecting hardly needs a herald to extol them. What is sometimes forgotten are the pitfalls and dung on the quest; the clumps of turd that stain the golden moments and precious friendships made.

Watch collecting is such a deep reservoir of experiences because, even as a hobby, it isn’t merely a retreat or respite from the stress and unpleasantness of everyday life. Rather, it is a microcosm of all of these.

People Are People

It all begins innocently enough: a personal, solo quest to enjoy and buy watches. But the moment one decides to bring a new dimension into the collecting life – that is, add steroids to it by connecting with like-minded others over forums, convivial watch gatherings, and so on – the experience begins to take on all the rewards, anxieties and nastiness that mirror life. Soon, the rocky road of watch appreciation becomes a journey of material and personal growth in the company of friends, strangers, heroes and assh*les.