At The Watch Collectors’ Club we believe that anyone with more than one watch has a watch collection. This is because we find that as soon as someone buys one watch they really like, they swiftly find they are thinking about another one. This is the mark of someone who is starting a collection. We also want people to know that watch collecting is easy, it can be very simple. This Blog Post will talk about some of the simplest ways to start a collection.

The watches that started the Author's collection. All over 60 years old, and all made by Swiss brand Jaeger LeCoultre.

What is a Watch Collection?

A Collection is a group of objects that have been brought together with a deliberate purpose. So in the case of watches, there are many reasons you could have a few of them. For example, if you like to wear a watch all the time but have a different watch for different purposes, one to wear all day, one for the gym, one for a night out, and one for special occasions, then that is a collection based around your use for them. We wrote about what makes a watch collector earlier this year, and it goes through the different types of collector we’ve met.

How to Start a Watch Collection

When I first started collecting watches, I started browsing eBay. I wanted a low-cost vintage watch that was different to what I’d been wearing before. I didn’t know much about watches at all, but knew I wanted something a bit different and saw buying a vintage watch as the most affordable way to buy a top Swiss brand. I chose a Jaeger LeCoultre, one of the most famous historic brands.

When it arrived I was delighted with it, despite the somewhat battered dial. It was light, kept good time, and looked really different to anything I’d seen anyone else wearing.

I immediately wanted another one! I started searching for more vintage watches from Jaeger LeCoultre in my price range. Most of what came up were simple, time-only pieces from the 1950s and 1960s. Their small size and simple design really appealed to me. I soon bid on another, this time in all gold. I won the bid and again, was delighted when the watch arrived.

I started researching a lot more about Jaeger LeCoultre, and before long I had discovered the famous Reverso, the world’s first sports watch, and the intriguing series of military watches Jaeger produced in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. I also grew to respect their heritage, history and important position in the Swiss watch industry. This all combined to make me more of a fan of the brand, and be proud to try and build a collection of Jaeger LeCoultre watches.

How you can start a Watch Collection

My story is the same story many watch collectors have. They like a type of watch and they collect similar. In my case it was following a brand, but in other cases, it can be a type of watch, like Dive or Pilot’s watches, a style of watch like gold or bronze cases, a model of watch like the Seiko Day-Date models, or even something rare like watches with left-sided crowns (the part you use to wind the watch).

We recommend buying what you like, and doing the research as your interest grows. We at The Watch Collectors’ Club are always happy to help you with your watch research, find out more details about the watches you have or like, and can point you to good online resources. We encourage people to look at vintage watches as they are often very good value. We encourage the exploration of microbrand watches as they are so interesting and can offer incredible value. We especially love any collection that is the result of passion and enthusiasm, and the great thing about our watch Meetups is we are finding people full of both, whether they have one watch or hundreds.

We don’t care if your collection is broad or niche. Whether is specialised and expert or simply what you like most. All of them are interesting watch collections, and all of them are easy to get started, and once you’ve started, you’ll probably keep going!

Conclusion

Getting started really is as easy as buying something on purpose, and seeing how you feel about it and whether to continue down that route. As I learned more about watches my interests changed, and after buying the Jaeger LeCoultre Dirty Dozen Watch (featured above), I started to buy other watches. Firstly from Breitling, another brand that had always interested me, and then from other brands too. I now have a wide-ranging collection that includes watches I would never have dreamt of owning when I started. You can start anywhere, and we encourage you to simply go for it. Buy carefully of course, and you can use the How To guides from our Blog. Most importantly, don’t be afraid of your own taste.

Don’t be afraid to ask us for help if you need it, and we at The Watch Collectors’ Club would love to hear all about your collection. Please sign up for our email list, and you can join one of our watch events either online or in-person, and follow us on social media.