47 Unpolished Rules for Watch Collecting

Buy what you understand, and other practical & theoretical rules to guide your collecting (or not).

Let’s get this out of the way: Buy what you love isn’t one of these rules. It’s the most commonly given advice in watch collecting, but also the most meaningless. I’m saving the full explanation for a GQ piece next month, but I offer the alternative as Unpolished Rule #1:

Buy what you understand.

That’s understanding if your watch has the correct crown or pushers, sure. But it’s also deeper than that: Understanding the motivations behind what you want.

That’s just one rule, but watch collectors can give themselves all kinds of rules. We put up guardrails to keep this obsession in check, to convince ourselves that what we’re doing isn’t mere accumulation, but something more. I figured it was time for Unpolished’s own Rules, so I solicited feedback from various corners of the watch world. Then, I shaped and molded that into 47 Rules for Collecting. It comes with all the caveats that come with all rulebooks. They’re meant to be broken, the fun is in the exceptions, and so on. But that’s never stopped us from making and breaking rules before.

Here they are, 47 Rules for Watch Collecting. They don’t claim to be comprehensive, but hopefully a few will challenge conventional wisdom or common cliches.

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On Mindset

1. If it’s not a “hell yes,” it’s a no.

2. Buy watches, not brands. A brand will never love you back.¹

3. Collecting is mostly deciding what not to buy.

4. There’s no such thing as a grail watch, so stop chasing it. There will always be another.

5. It’s all cosplay, get over it.²

6. Buy a watch for the life you actually live, not the life you want.

7. Remind yourself: If no one ever knew I had this watch, would I still want it?

8. Be content and appreciate what you already have. Most don’t get to collect.

Buying

9. Never buy a watch on credit.

10. Try it on first. Go out of your way to try on watches.

11. Do your own research and form your own opinion before asking others. Then, look to others for information, not validation.

12. All valuable watches are rare, but not all rare watches are valuable.³

13. Buy rarity sometimes, condition most of the time.

14. However, condition is often more important for selling a watch than for enjoying it.

15. Don’t confuse hard-to-find with worth finding.

9. The Railmaster Rule: Don’t settle for the affordable alternative, it will end up costing you more. Wait for what you really want.⁴

10. Understand the details: It’s where money hides and enjoyment lives.

11. “Buy the seller” is only half of the equation. Buy the watch, too.

12. The worse the photos, the better the find. But beware of sellers who know this too.

13. If you’re searching for a watch and can only find listings in Japan, you might be onto something.

14. The Tom Haverford Rule: Only buy bangers.⁵

15. Avoid any brand that refers to its clients as “family.”

16. Buy the best you can afford. Cheap watches often end up being expensive mistakes.

17. Don’t buy a watch just because it’s a “good deal.” A good deal on a watch you don’t like is still a bad deal.

18. You can only afford it if you can also afford the service bill.

19. If there’s an option to buy on a strap or bracelet, always choose the bracelet.

20. It’s okay to start with the “icons”—they’re often easier to resell—but there’s no reason to stop there.

21. When it’s time to sell, liquidity is as important as market price.