How Many Watches Should You Have Or Need?

When people start getting into watches they really want every watch they can get their hands on, but shortly after they start wondering if they have too many.

Is there such a thing as too many and how many do you really need?

Realistically, You Only One Watch?

If you ask anyone on the street how many watches they own, they will probably say one. Realistically it’s all you need. I thought this way for years. Why would you need two of anything? Surely your first one serves the purpose?

Some people now might even say zero. Everyone has a mobile phone with them, so why bother with a watch? When I was younger and the battery on my watch died, I just kept putting off getting it fixed. It felt pretty awkward for a few days not having it, but I quickly adapted to just checking my phone and the next thing I knew I hadn’t been wearing a watch for 5 years.

I think smart watches have changed a lot of people’s opinion on this and they are now at least back to wearing something on their wrists.

Should You Have Two Watches?

Maybe you are like most people and own one watch that you wear daily. What about special occasions? Maybe you have two watches. Maybe this is all you need.

For the longest time this is what I did. I had my every day Casio f-91w and then when I wanted to be fancy I had the silver metal version, the Casio A168.

My wife was the same. She had a Casio f-91w the same as mine, then a nice little super cheap dress watch with a simple white dial and black leather strap that she wore when she wanted to dress up.

Both of our two watch collections came to a total of £20 each. However, maybe you have a cheap watch for very day tasks and an expensive watch you only wear on special occasions.

I think if you give this option to most people, they would agree it makes sense and probably the right thing to do. It’s sensible while also being luxurious.  

What If You Need A Tool Watch?

So maybe you have your occasional fancy watch and the one you wear every day, but what if you need a specific function on a watch. Say a stop watch, or the ability to be waterproof to a deeper level, then you would have to get a third watch. Maybe your every day watch already has this function, but maybe not. You can start to see how very easily it is justify owning more watches.                                                                                           

Have As Many Watches As You Want

The truth is you need as many watches as you need. There are no rules and there is no magic number to what is right. Your watch collection is a very personal thing. No one can tell you it’s too big or two small. It really only comes down to you and your personal preferences. It also comes down to your goals as a watch collector.

Realistically if you are starting to own more than 3 watches you probably are falling into the watch collector category.  It is then up you to own as many as you find reasonable.

Some people may have a set number in their head; others may just reach a point where they decide they have enough and other peoples collections may be dictated by what they can afford 

When you speak to watch collectors the average number seems to fall in between 5 and 10 but do not be surprised if you meet people with over 20 or even over a 100.

Just Get More Straps

If you are ever worrying about not having enough watches or even worrying you might have too many, just get more straps.

A new strap can cost a couple of quid and can really change the look and feel of a watch. This also allows you to now wear a watch in slightly different way. A rubber strap or nato may make it feel more sporty where as leather strap could make it look more dressy. Now instead needing a watch for every occasion, you can just change the strap to dress the watch up or down.

This can really allow you to have a smaller collection of watches, but keep the versatility.

(You can read more about – How To Pick A Strap For Your Watch)

What To Do If You Think You Have To Many Watches

Sometimes you might look at your collection and just think you maybe have a little too many. This is normal for most watch collectors, although you might not even realise it, so I will go through some indicators that may be suggesting you collection is getting out of control.

You Cant Wear All Of Your Watches

You can only wear one watch at a time. Well, some people do wear two, but that’s not the norm.

When you start notice that that some are not getting any wrist time it might be a sign that you have to many.

It’s down to you to work out how often you swap watches or how long it is acceptable for a watch to just remain in the watch box. You also need to take into account that some of these watches can outlast you, so you will have them for many years and maybe it feels like you do not use them much now, but over the course of your lifetime you get plenty of enjoyment from them.

It also depends on your collection goals and maybe you want to keep a watch safe so it doesn’t lose value or maybe it’s already been handed down to you and you want to make sure it doesn’t get damaged as it sentimental value is priceless.

You Remember What Watches You Have

Maybe you open you watch box and see something you have totally forgotten about. This could either be because you have a bad memory, or maybe because you have too many watches.

This problem is more likely to happen if you are just buying watches for the sake of buying them. There is no emotional attachment, memory or real reason for owning them. If that attachment is not there you are less likely to remember the watch or even care about it. You might not even wear it.

There is nothing wrong with owning watches like this, but you are more likely to not enjoy them as much in the long run, and you will probably want to get rid of them and downsize your collection.

No Where To Keep All Of Your Watches

Watches are not exactly big, but you can still very quickly run out of space to put them. Most people have a watch box, but if you are finding  yourself with multiple boxes, watch rolls and display stands and just generally seeing watches everywhere you look, you may have too many.

A lot of people try and ration themselves to one box or one area of their room. Once they start going over this it puts it into reality that they may need to downsize their collection.

Watch Service Costs

Buying watches is not the only cost they come with. They will need services every few years to ensure they keep running properly. Servicing a watch can start to get expensive depending on the brand and If you start to notice these costs adding up it might be a sign that you have too many watches.

Conclusion

Answering the question of how many watches is too much can only be answered by you. The good thing is that you can usually sell most watches, so if you feel your collection is getting too heavy you can always easily sell some one. However, make sure you are ready for this; the last thing you want is sellers’ remorse and then end up re-buying the same watch in the future.

(You can read more about – When Should You Buy A New Watch?)