More often than not, we hear so much negative opinions about a hobby that seem to drag newcomers away from it. Whether we like it or not, a lot of it has to do with money because hey, that’s how things work. Watch collecting is no different. From the outside, the hobby might seem a little intimidating to newcomers as it’s arguably an expensive hobby to begin with. But is it really that intimidating?
Although not being in this hobby for an extensive period, I’ve had the opportunity to meet some great enthusiasts who are also great people in general. Some of which I’m now friends with on a more personal level. While it’s always great to gain watch-related knowledge through quality conversations, I find that there is a certain form of joy when the conversation seamlessly shifts from watches to other aspects of life. At least to me, that’s something that I always look forward to when attending a gathering and it definitely contributes to the beauty of this hobby.
Without a doubt, we all came into the hobby because of watches. But as we go deeper, at least to me, watches do not represent the entire picture. I mean, if watch collecting only involves you buying watches and not having anyone to share that happiness with, is it really that exciting? When some thought is put into this, it’s pretty similar to life as a whole where while you’re in pursuit of your next milestone or goal, it’s the people involved that really elevate the entire experience.
At the end of the day, watches are simply items that can both bring and take away joy from us depending on how attached we are to the hobby. Put it this way, there will always be snobs in any hobby and watch collecting is no different. But on the flip side, the same can be said about the great people in a hobby that will make your collecting journey a great experience to a point that you’d stay for the people instead. I guess that’s one of the reasons why we go for watch meets after all right?
feedthewrist. 