If you have become interested in horology, are already a watch collector or looking to make your first watch purchase then you probably have seen all the different options available such as how the watch internals are composed, how they are powered, what information is presented on the dial and also what maintenance is needed for your new timepiece and life expectancy.
Looking into a selection of watch collections it is easy to identify that it is quite common for a watch collector to have a theme running through their collection. Some collectors may opt for a particular brand name such as Oris or Rolex, some will grow their collection by focussing on the heart of the watch, the mechanism inside. They mach only want watches which run on a mechanical basis rather than quartz based. One common theme is to collect during a timeframe, maybe a period where the collector found the designs to be interesting or more appealing than new models. If you are looking to collect watches from days gone by and not new then you will be looking at spending a bit more as highly collectable watches are considered an investment and usually appreciate in value.
Whatever your budget you can get started as a watch collector, from a few pounds for something in much less than perfect shape to several hundred thousand pounds for a particularly rare or collectible piece. Sites like ebay are a great source of used watches as are web forums which have sections to buy, sell and trade watches.
It isn’t in any way wrong to collect various, non-related watches, some people only buy timepieces they like the look of and don’t have much intrigue into the workings, history or company behind the brand. This means you are able to build up an eclectic and interesting collection and are not restrained by any guides or criteria you have set yourself. A lot of watch collectors like to know the ins and outs of their watches, how they work, when the innards were first put into production, why certain features were chosen and this is the main part of the fun for them. Another big buzz is how intricate and precise the mechanism is, probably the finest bit of engineering they own, only rivalled by high-performance sports cars.
Swiss watches are well known for their precision and accuracy as well as build quality but there is high demand for watches produced all over the world, with a great number of followers focussing on watches from China and Japan. These can be analogue and digital and offer a great insight into watch making from different parts of the world.
