We held our monthly online chat for Members this week and a new member said something very precious; he’d finally bought the watch he’d waited his whole life to get. He told us how he collected for years and enjoyed learning and researching all the different information about his favourite watch, then he saved up and sold most of his collection. His final step was finding the best possible place to buy it; in this case, the newly launched Rolex CPO program, which we previewed at the end of 2022.

He is a very happy customer. He’s got the exact model of watch he wanted with a fresh service and guarantee from Rolex. He’s achieved a lifelong dream for himself, and it’s a great watch. He wears it everyday and because it’s a well made and reliable dive watch, he never has to worry about it.

a rolex submarienr deepsea with black dial and bezel steel case and steel braceles with white mercedes hands and aged patina lume plots

The many types of Watch Collector

We meet all kinds of collectors at events with The Watch Collectors’ Club. I recently met someone who only became a collector because he started making watches for himself and friends using low cost parts available online. Since doing that his interest in watches from brands and confidence in buying what he likes has grown.

One of our collectors has owned many of the watch world classics over time, but recently has been backing one of Britain’s young watch brands as they’ve grown and produced an increasing range of timepieces. He’s also increasing his affordable microbrand purchases and adding to his vintage collection, never spending over £1000 at a time. It’s great to see collections evolve and as a Club we try and help by hosting a variety of events and providing great resources, such as our Learning Centre; a long list of fascinating links and websites.

We have another collector in the Club who only collects one type of watch from one brand and now has over 600 of them. Which is hard to believe, but it’s a very simple watch from a very big brand. When I recently asked him why he’d never bought a chronograph or an electric watch (the brand has produced plenty of both), he simply said: “I don’t know, I’ve been focussed on this collection”. He’s had a great time finding more models, filling gaps, and enjoying the watches he’s got as it’s his favourite style to wear. The variety over the 40-year period he collects in is astounding, and other members of The Watch Collectors’ Club look forward to seeing what he’s brought along to each Meetup.

An unusual square case Bulova watch with rounded corners and coffee coloured dial which fades to lighter at the bottom on a wrist next to a pink shirt

Some collectors focus on timepieces with a difference. My brother has just started collecting, no doubt due to my influence. He favours an affordable British brand called Mr. Jones which is entirely design led and focusses on ways of telling the time that are non-traditional. After the recent purchase of his third timepiece, he’s now got a variety of interesting, distinct and colourful watches that make him stand out. The brand speaks to him, he can afford them, and they show off his taste. This is a fantastic way to build a collection.

mr. jones watches with bee theme showing a yellow and black bee over a field of flowers all in a black case

We’ve now run over 100 in-person events at The Watch Collectors’ Club and more online. One of the most interesting things that’s happened is that the proportion of time people spend talking about watches at our events has gone up! when we first started we found that people seemed to spend around half the time talking about watches, and the rest of the time talking about their jobs, families, other hobbies, etc. Now however, whenever I join a new group at the event the talk is almost always all watches. What people like, what they own, used to own, wish the owned, saw in the news, and more. The community is extremely friendly and everyone want to hear what other people think. It’s a demonstration of how watch collecting doesn’t have to be a personal and private hobby (although that’s totally fine and I’ve met plenty of enthusiastic collectors who don’t want to share their watches with anyone).

a group of people round a low table covered in watches with some people reaching out to pick up the watches, all wearing a variety of jumpers and hats

Conclusion

Watch people are great people. They collect with passion and (mostly) love to share that. There are so many more ways of collecting that I could talk about, but mainly I wanted to highlight the simple pleasures collectors and members of our community get from this hobby. Whether it’s a lifelong desire for a certain watch, or a new journey into some really funky things.

We love that watch collecting is as unique as the people who do it. Whether it’s finally getting that dream watch, exploring a new brand, or building a fun, quirky collection, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy it. What brings us together is the excitement, the stories behind each watch, and the simple joy of seeing our collections grow. It’s not just about owning a watch—it’s about discovering new things and sharing what we love about them. At The Watch Collectors’ Club, we celebrate all types of collectors, from those with a handful of pieces to those with hundreds, because every collection tells a story. And that’s what makes this hobby so special: it’s not just about the watches, it’s about the journey.