“I’ve Made a Terrible Mistake!”

[mncz]

WSers,

Do you ever get that feeling that you’ve missed that “one last” opportunity for the #1 apple of your eye, the one that you’ve scoured every nook and cranny for, researched, and pined for the most? That you should have just put down the extra smackers for, and with prices on the continual rise all across the board, you’ll never find it in such condition again?

I know that I am new to this hobby compared to most of you. Nevertheless, I have had this feeling for three months since a certain fateful contender’s passing, but even in the short few years that I’ve been interested in watches, and the even shorter period that I’ve been (pro-)actively interested in collecting them, a period of change is undeniably churning around us who geek over Japanese steel.

What is the line between remorse and reality?

[DAHASCO]

Get used to it....

[bklake]

I searched for a year for a birth year/birth month watch.  Either way too expensive or poor condition.  Several periods of nothing to even look at.  Then one day, I bid on and won a watch for a fair price. Oh it get better.  The next week another one shows up.  Then a third. 

Don't ever give up the hunt. 

I just got a tool on ebay for half what they regularly go for.  Place a bet for what you are comfortable with and wait.  This Seiko mania may end as abruptly as it started.  I suspect many of these watches will be back on the market when the new owners discover that most watch makers doesn't want to mess with that "Seiko junk".  That's what I ran into when I tried to get my 6309 serviced.  Not many have their 6309 diver they purchased new in the early 80's.  It's not junk to me.  It drove me to learn to service a watch.  Almost ready to tackle my 6309. 

[eeki]

Having just missed a nice specimen of a watch I've been hunting for a long time (6117-8000/8009 "Navigator Timer") because of random "country specific restrictions" for eBay Global Shipping Programme, I know how you feel. It went for around 100 USD less than I was prepared to spend, but as I left the bidding to the last seconds, I didn't see the warning beforehand...  

[earthphase]

SDGZ013.

The one that got away.

[DAHASCO]

Are you looking for sympathy ? Or similar experiences from other members ? This happens all the time, Nothing new. Heck they even run out of specials at the grocery store....

[1bloodywatches]

I've been collecting for a few years and most weeks I feel the same as you, however you always must remember that most production runs were huge just to cover the gearing up expense, but after you miss the one you had you sights on the next week you will find something else

and probably miss that one as well, the best advice I was given was, to be a collector not a hoarder - I still find this hard to do

[daveswordfish]

There will always be another one. None of these are so rare you won’t see one again.

I once sold a truly pristine 7015 speedtimer to another collector. I immediately regretted it. I was truly upset that I had let it go. I had never seen it’s equal before, and never would I again. I may have cried.

Well, I found it’s equal not two weeks later, with box, manual, and a really cool speedtimer instruction sheet I had never seen before. It was like heaven opened up and gave me its greatest gift.

Of course, I flipped that second one a year later.

Like women, there will always be others. Always.

[small]

I regret less those that I missed out on then those I've had and let go....

[GuyJ]

When I go through my imgur... Well I need a whisky put it like that.

[69ChevelleSS]

You know the hunt is better than the kill.

[catkicker]

I don't worry to much about missing one, another one will come along and in most cases it's nicer then the last.
I use to watch my minature pinscher lay prone in the grass waiting for that dam squirrel for hours. He missed a couple time but would go right back to his prone position and wait patiently. Till another squirrel came along.
He racked up quite kill record.

[mncz]

Feb 27, 2018 12:03:04 GMT -8 DAHASCO said:

Are you looking for sympathy ? Or similar experiences from other members ? This happens all the time, Nothing new. Heck they even run out of specials at the grocery store....

I would think this is a rather funny place to go looking for sympathy! I think empathy is a good candidate, though.

Similar experiences is all, and I thoroughly appreciate and enjoyed seeing a number of members chime in with their stories of encouragement. To me, the moral of the story (and my low-key MO since day one) is/has been if I love the watch, don’t let it go!

We’ll see how long that lasts, but for now the hunt continues.
As far as the state of my satisfaction with the hobby is concerned, I’ve got plenty to enjoy for now. Despite the knowledge that I’m paying far higher going rates than many did years earlier, I believe that I’ve got a lot to be thankful for. A few years ago, I thought that enjoying quality timepieces was a world above me! Now I’m playing in the same sandbox where countless others have come upon the same realization that Japanese watches are affordable works of art and precision. Perhaps that’s worth shilling out the extra dollar for.

In addition to some successful hunts, I’ve got some projects to look forward to, a few quirky watches with similar calibers to that of my favorites that I can take my time learning to service and really expand my appreciation for the technical aspects of mechanical watches.

The day I find what I’m looking for wrt the topic lamentation, I’ll be jumping through the roof and making noise up in here, believe it! And plenty of goody wrist shots on Instagram because, well, I’m no longer above that by any means.