Hi there, could you give a brief introduction of yourself? When did you start collecting watches?
Hello fellow watch enthusiasts, my name is Jeremy T, 51years old. I started watch collecting in my early 30’s, currently I own about 25 timepieces which consists mainly of Rolex and Seiko which are my 2 favourite brands to go to.
Could you share what draws you to watch collecting?
Well, it all started in the 80’s when my pre-university classmate showed me his Rolex Submariner ref 5513 that his dad bought him for his 17th birthday. Well, I could only envy and admire his watch as I came from a low-income family and I told myself that one day, I would work hard, save up to own a Rolex timepiece on my own, which I did in my early 30’s.
What are some advice you have when buying watches?
My advice to watch buyers is that do not just go for aesthetics, rather purchase what really suits your wrist size, thus knowing lug to lug distance is vital to a good fitting on your wrist. Also do enquire about the caliber inside the watch, its limitation as some vintage models doesn’t have quick set functions, do enquire about how old the watch is, and whether can you find replacement parts and watch technicians who are able to service them. Also kindly do some in depth research regarding whether the watch is in its original dial, hands, bezel and matching clasp code, polished/un-polished state etc. as these minute details can affect the value of the watch.
When purchasing watch from the greymarket (unlicensed 2nd hand dealers), I would strongly recommend to get the watch authenticated by a reputable qualified watch technician, which in my preference is Global Watch Service Centre which I always go to.
It is always recommended to service your watch as the lubricant inside the watch will run dry, gasket may disintegrate thus affecting its water resistant eventually over a period of time and if you realize that the watch is losing its accuracy, dry rough feel when you wind the watch, its high time to send in for a full service. If you are in doubt, you can always get a free assessment done here.
My main factor in determining my next purchase would be the age of the watch, if the watch is more than 20 years old, you may not be able to get the replacement parts as it gets rarer to acquire overtime as watch manufacturer stop producing them.
What are some of your favorite pieces in your watch collection and why?
My favourite timepiece now is my Explorer 1 reference 114270. The 36mm case size just hugs my wrist to perfection (I have a 7” wrist), bearing in mind that as we age, we lose a bit of body mass thus anything above 40mm in diameter would consider too heavy for me. The 3130 caliber is a proven workhorse for 20 years and the watch is fitted with solid end links which added a touch of class to the wearer itself.
What’s next on your list?
I don’t have one at the moment, but you never know, if a good bargain deal comes along in near future.
