Crossing the threshold: The first time I bought a watch over $1000

Ricardo Sime

Many of us within the watch community can remember the moment we fell in love with a piece. Whether it was a textured dial or a complication that caught our interest, that moment creates a sense of euphoria that’s impossible to forget. Immediately following that high, we come back down to earth and commence “The Search” – a multi-day hunt for that watch, in an acceptable condition, at the best price. However, there comes a time when that best price still lies in uncharted financial waters. You’re then left asking yourself: “Am I willing to take the plunge?”

That quandary exists for everyone. Even the ballers among us have a price point they’ve thought twice about crossing. Whether it’s a $5000 Omega or a $50,000 Vacheron, the thoughts we have when faced with such a decision are still generally the same. Is the watch worth it? Do I have that amount of passive income to spend? Do I feel comfortable wearing it? How much do I really want that watch?

The first time I came face to face with this decision was in late 2017. After years of looking for and buying watches under $1000, I started to think differently about how I wanted to collect. The whole idea of a small collection suddenly appealed to me and I found myself willing to sell off everything I had in hopes of downsizing. (I know. Crazy talk, right?) I took a look at the landscape of what was available and focused in on two watches; the Oris Big Crown Pro-pilot Day Date and the Oris Artix Date. These two would cover my sport and dressy needs for years to come.

I spent the next few weeks researching both watches. In the end, I realized that even after selling everything I had, I would still have to come out of pocket. Both watches retailed over $1k, which meant that when it was all said and done, I would need an additional $1300 to get to the finish line. At that time, I was so used to flipping one watch to get a new one that I’d never needed to spend that much money, at one time.

Before checking out, I went down the list. I had enough disposable income to make the purchase. I felt comfortable wearing a watch worth that much in the environments I would be in. I also had some hands-on experience with both, and to me, they were definitely worth the price of admission.

So with those things in mind, it was only a matter of days before both watches were on my wrist.

And it was only a matter of months before I was doing the same thing again to get my Tudor M79730. Because when you cross that initial threshold, crossing it again, even as you’re adjusting your tolerances, is bound to happen.

When I look back at the experiences that followed, much of what now defines me as a collector stems from that decision. I’ve grown to be more patient, fully willing to wait months to save for something special, with that wait acting as a buffer between myself and a watch I’ll quickly get rid of. And now as I find myself targeting watches at price points I would have never dreamed of and experiencing luxury brands I would normally admire from afar, that decision to cross the threshold years ago is one I don’t regret.