The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I grew up in a fairly well off family, money was never a factor as to whether or not we would do something. My parents though very rarely would buy expensive jewelry, and if they did, it was my dad buying my mom something with gold or diamonds. He would never spend more than $100 on a watch, and still wont.

Growing up, I would see high end watches and just think it was crazy to spend thousands of dollars on something that a $50 quartz watch with 20 other features could also do. I saw a Breitling Navitimer once and then wanted it. I decided if I spend a significant (and by significant, I mean for something that is simply stated, telling you the time) amount of money on a watch, I'll just buy a navitimer, which is what I did (the World).

So, what made you decide to spend real money on your first watch?

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End of Discussion.

It was a lifetime of built-up desire.

I wanted a watch since I was very young. Kids often wish they were grown-up, and nothing signified that to me like a watch. That, and it ticked and the second hand moved, totally cool things, and I wouldn't have to ask what time it was. My first watch was a child-sized Timex I got for my birthday. I was maybe 7 or 8.

I remember, years later, gaping in awe at the first (Red!) digital Pulsar, and how cool it was. They were crazy-expensive for the day, but I wanted one. Not happening, but we all went to a new-fangled place in our little Midwestern town called a mall, to the fanciest jewelry store in town I knew of (Zales!) and my Dad bought a wood and gold-toned Bulova Accutron. I was mesmerized by the hum and how smooth the second hand moved. That watch probably doomed me. My first adult watch, bought about six months later, again for birthday, was a self-winding Pulsar. Two years later, the new cool thing, a quartz watch by the hot new name which made them, Seiko. I was about 17.

We moved to a bigger town, close to an even bigger one, which is about when I found out about Rolex. I didn't know Breitling existed, and I knew Omega timed the Olympic games on TV, but didn't know anything more. Maybe when I get my first real job, after college. Then came college, cars, law school, marriage, kids, etc. Years flew by, with the sense that I needed to be an adult and not overspend like that, and I never got that Rolex. I wondered if the day would come or if life had passed it by.

Then Mom intervened. In her last days with us, she told me I would get a little money at her passing and I was instructed to buy something special for me. We both knew what that was. I spent the money on a pre-owned GMT Master. In the process of finding it, though, I found a world of watches I never knew. I might have bought a moon watch or a Navitimer had I not felt that I wanted a Rolex for so long I would regret anything else. The watch was beyond what I had hoped, the little kid came back, and I was off to the races.

I don't have a Rolex now, but I have come so far, now with an AP and already having owned a Breguet, that I wonder if I will someday be ready to call it quits. Who knows, but ever since I bought that GMT, it's been a wild ride. And yes, I have an Accutron, about seven years older than Dad's. Yes, it is the culmination of a lifetime of desire for a little machine, a living mechanical thing which sometimes seems like the truest personal expression in a shirt-and-tie or polo shirt world, that's what brought out the wallet and what brought me here.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

Great story, very well written! Sorry to hear about your mom.

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End of Discussion.

Great story, Scott.

Here is mine - one day I simply went nuts.


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SHARKMAN

Tom you crack me up

It's true.


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SHARKMAN

I justify it simply because a watch still has value. I bet there's lots or people who say it's crazy to spend thousands on a watch, but have no problem dropping that on a trip away, and have nothing to show for it. Basically I just think of watches as a bad investments to enjoy, but ones that aren't likely to go to zero.

I'm with Tom. In spite of every bit of logic dictating the Lings or any luxury watch makes no sense, I find myself throwing away the rules I live by in all other aspects of my life and blowing huge sums of $$ on a luxury time piece. Purely an emmotional purchase.

My story is a lot like Scott's, though I won't take the time to express it nearly as well. My first watch was a Popeye by Timex. When in high school, I worked at a jewelry store and was able to buy a nice Seiko quartz at a steep discount. At some point, I don't know when, I discovered nice automatics but there was no way to buy one: grad school, houses, kids..., there was always something else demanding the money. Until one day I gave in to decades of desire.

I suspect that this isn't an unusual tale for watches, or any other luxury item for that matter.

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David
Je suis désole pour mon mauvais français.

Zenith Pilot Big Date; IWC Vintage Collection Aquatimer; IWC Portuguese 7-day

Because I wanted to be cool because only cool people buy expensive watches.

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

"Went" implies past tense!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

For me it was kind of just a "natural progression" over time. I've liked watches for as long as I can remember and I was one of the few kids a my infants school to have a watch at the age of 5. Over the years, I've always owned at least one watch, and obviously the value of them just naturally went up as the years went by - not by much at first, but always a bit more than the last. Then when I started working I suddenly found a step change in what I could both afford and justify, so it was pretty soon after starting work that I broken the £1000 barrier. My peak (to date, and probably for the forseeable future) is my IWC BP which currently retails for over £10K. TBH, even poor timekeeping aside, I don't think I'll spend that much again in a hurry as I do find myself even more paranoid about damaging it than usual. My comfort zone in terms of "wear and forget" is probably circa £5K or £6K. (And when I say "wear and forget" I'm always very careful anyway, it just means I don't break out in a cold sweat!)

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Driver8

Site Moderator

i know, but it cracks me up that you didnt have a long story. just straight to the point.

My story is very similar to Driver, a natural progression. I bought my first watch the day I graduated basic training. It was a Timberland (shoes) analog quartz watch. Then a year or so later a Bulova. Then to Seiko Kinteic. Then about 5 years ago I picked up an Oris. Two years ago I picked up my first Breitling. I have two now. Now, I'm considering a no date Sub. During that time, I have learned a lot about myself, and what I truly like as "my style". Like all of you, well most of you, I put A LOT of time in researching and soul searching on my next purchase. Because it's gonna cost me more than the last!

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Rob
Breitling SO Steelfish, silver
Breitling SO Abyss, silver
Rolex Submariner, no date

Well,us guys need something. Handbags just dont look good on us and we cant drive our cars into our living rooms. So watches it is!

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Who doesn't love BS??