The 5 watches you’ll regret buying

Fergus Nash

Making mistakes is often credited as the best way to learn, but in the case of watch collecting your mistakes can be both emotionally and financially draining. Buying a watch that you either soon or eventually live to regret is painful, and even if you sell it then you might take a loss. But, if you can listen to advice then you may be able to avoid these mistakes altogether. Here are the 5 watches you’ll regret buying.

The fad regret

Hype is a more powerful tool than ever before, especially with short-form entertainment like TikTok managing to expose audiences to way more instances of advertising. The next big release can often feel like it’s going to change the world, or maybe it promises to fill a hole in your collection which you didn’t know you had. All of these emotions can easily be mistaken for excitement centred on the watch itself, when really it’s just the zeitgeist sweeping people up. Before you buy a new watch that’s getting a lot of media attention, be sure to question that it’s something you really want, especially if you’re going to have to pay above the RRP.

The budget-blower regret

Window shopping whether online or brick-and-mortar has the uncanny ability to make you forget what your bank statements look like, and that can be simultaneously thrilling and dangerous. Even if you are fully aware of your finances, the idea of putting a luxury watch-sized hole in your savings can actually make it seem like a more exciting idea. You may talk yourself into it, saying it’s an investment or that it makes you feel special, but try to keep a level head. An expensive watch purchase can definitely be a thrill, but that enjoyment should stem from the fact that you can actually afford something extravagant. If you find yourself in an emergency, with car troubles, or even something simple like a surprise utility bill, then having to sell the watch you had recklessly bought will only add to your pain.

The runner-up regret

Have you ever seen a watch, fell instantly smitten, and raced to buy one only to discover that it wasn’t available? Maybe it was a sold-out limited edition or an international boutique exclusive, or maybe it was a one-of-a-kind vintage oddball that nobody else has heard of or cares about. Either way, a very natural reaction is to then go hunting for the next best thing. The impulse to purchase has already been set in your mind, and the money sitting in your bank account is as good as spent. Maybe you find something that looks similar, or you finally pull the trigger on a watch you’ve been unsure about for some time. The tricky thing about watch collecting is that so many of the tiny details matter, and even though you may find something with the same dial colour, hand-set, case style, etc, it only takes one element of imperfection for your love to be spoiled. Your first choice should be your only choice, so you should either play the second-hand waiting game or simply move on.

The itch-scratcher regret

Sometimes it’s just been far too long since you’ve last bought a watch, surely it can’t be a bad thing to treat yourself? Well, if you’re not taking enough consideration of your needs versus your wants, you may just be scratching an itch. Not only is this a bad idea on the front that you might not care enough what you’re buying, but an itch once scratched may just come back with more vigour. Every purchase should be something that you truly want, even if it’s just a $20 Casio, as long as it receives the love it deserves. If your latest purchase has been sitting in a drawer or on a desk for longer than a week or two after wearing it for a day, that’s a sign you may have just tried to scratch an itch.

The rebound regret

Buyer’s remorse is bad, but seller’s remorse stays with you for a much longer time. I personally haven’t forgiven myself when I had a Cartier Pasha which I had truly loved, but thought I was trading up to a Tank Basculante. I made the sale, bought the Tank, and realised within a month that I’d made a mistake. If you find yourself in this situation and you’re unable to buy the watch back like I was, the immediate temptation is to fill the hole with another watch altogether. Unfortunately, this can just make you miss the original watch more. Just like a breakup, it’s important to take some time to heal before jumping back into a commitment, lest you end up back on Chrono24 within a week.