Six brilliant reasons to indulge in another new watch!

#NWA! Let’s face it! We all need excuses to buy that next watch. Here are our favourite six. Please do share yours!

Six brilliant reasons to indulge in another new watch!

As watch enthusiasts, we all understand the importance of owning as many watches as possible. That is what is meant by being a collector, and it is our duty to aim for that N+1. For the uninitiated, N+1 refers to a collecting strategy where the ideal number of watches (or other objects) is equal to the number of watches you currently own plus one more. This is a useful dogma. One which I first encountered in bicycles. Velominati, a fun bicycling website describes it as follows:

“The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.

While the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned. This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner.”

Embarking on this principle, here are our favourite excuses to indulge in GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) for that #NWA, tongue firmly in cheek (of course!).

1. It is a great financial investment. Watches are a way to diversify your investment portfolio, and this new addition will appreciate in value over time. And as your collection grows, so does your net worth.
2. I need it for my mental health. As a watch collector, watches are a great way to relief stress. Looking at, playing with, photographing, talking about it with other enthusiasts are great ways to take the bite out of daily living.
3. I need a particular complication as I need it to complete my complications ladder. You will need to collect all the complications. And after the first, you will need to complete the entire ladder. For more on this, we have an article discussing the complication families.
4. I need a specific brand as I don’t have one in my collection. As a serious collector, you will need a Rolex, a Patek Philippe, a Audemars Piguet, a Jaeger-LeCoultre, a Lange, an IWC, a Grand Seiko, a Chopard, an “insert brand”. Otherwise the community will not take you seriously. Yes, blame peer pressure!
5. I have been just invited by a brand to an event, and I need to respect them by wearing one of their watches to attend. It is just being polite that as the brand has invited you to an event, to reciprocate by wearing the politically correct watch.
6. I need a watch for a particular activity. You just started a new sport or activity. So will need an appropriate watch appropriate for it. Be it a new chronograph, a diver, a pilot, specialist complication, etc. Better still, you will need several for variety.

In conclusion, purchasing another watch is not indulgence in frivolity. It is an exercise of passion. It is a security for the future and a confirmation of your own well being. It is an endorsement of your self worth. So go ahead. Make that purchase! Get that #NWA!