Do you know the value of your watch?

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This article is a bit philosophical, but I hope it will help clear up some of the confusion that probably lies somewhere in your mind about watches by putting it into words.

How to feel when buying a watch

Let's think about the situation when you buy a watch.

The first and most common pattern is that when we buy a watch, we most often buy it because it is cool or cute.

Then, as you look at your watch and use it habitually, you become more interested in the brand and start researching the brand's history and the background to the creation of that model.

This can also happen in reverse.

I also really enjoy learning about the historical background and stories behind the creation of these things, and while I don't know what women think about men who can talk about such things, I think they're cool as a man.

On the other hand, there is a term called "wristwatch investment," but this only refers to a handful of watch brands out of the many available, and in summary it could be called Rolex investment.

There are other brands and models besides Rolex that also increase in price, but for the sake of ease of understanding, I will focus on Rolex here. The above only applies to Rolex watches; basically, watches will decrease in price with use, and it is rare to find a watch that does not decrease in price.

However, everyone is still concerned about these price increases and decreases.

This brings us to the second pattern when purchasing a watch, the "asset" aspect, and it is this second aspect that makes us watch enthusiasts feel uneasy.

Humans have an instinct to not want to incur losses, so they end up being swayed by the "resale" aspect, which is actually the least important factor.

The reason this happens is because money is involved.

When money is involved, it becomes difficult to decide.

So, if you buy a brand other than Rolex, are you already losing out at this point?

That's what people are saying, but I don't think that's the case at all.

First of all, fundamentally, when I buy a watch I'm not aiming for resale.

Obviously, watch lovers don't buy watches with the intention of selling them.

No one would think, "Let's get married with the intention of divorcing this person!"

Because I like that person, I want to date them, and because I fell in love with the watch, I bought it.

To sum up, the first pattern, ``your own feelings,'' and the second pattern, ``assets,'' are incompatible.

The watch I want is a Rolex, and it's going up in price!

That would be the ideal scenario, but not everyone likes Rolex, and if you choose a watch as an investment, you have to focus on that, and your heart won't be in it.

Because this watch resonates with me more, and it's the one that will likely increase in value in the future, so I have to choose this one.

That's the way I think.

So, from here on, the question is: should I prioritize my feelings or my assets? Which is more important?

I would like to explain my thoughts on this matter.

Is your heart more important? Or your assets?

I believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing a watch as an asset.

I recently read a book called "How a manga artist who worked on four animated series got obsessed with watches and ended up in 50 million yen of debt."

I read this book, which is about a man named Hiroyuki who draws anime, and how he gets obsessed with watches.

In the book he says that initially he had no interest at all, but then he became interested in watches, and ended up buying so many that he ended up in debt for 50 million yen, but that he didn't mind at all because it was like having an asset and he bought the watches because he really wanted them.

It's a very relatable book and you can finish reading it in about an hour, so I would encourage you to actually give it a read. Hiroyuki is very humble and says he doesn't have any money, but by general public standards he is considered wealthy.

So, although I don't deny the idea of ​​thinking of a watch as an asset, I think it is probably only an option for people with money.

This brings me to my consideration of whether or not I would consider my watch an asset.

Here's what to think about when buying something you want.

This is my own story, but when I was in my mid-twenties, I loved Paul Smith and there was a time when all of my clothes were from Paul Smith.

They also recommended a watch to me there, and I bought a Paul Smith watch for 100,000 yen because it was so cool, but when the battery died I stopped using it and it ended up just collecting dust in my closet.

Later, when I was cleaning up my room during the New Year holidays, I happened to find the watch and decided to sell it since I no longer use it.

I wondered how much it would sell for on Mercari, and when I checked, I found that it was being sold for a whopping 10,000 yen.

It can't be helped since it's a second-hand item, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I remember being disappointed that it was like that.

That said, I had that Paul Smith watch when I was going to all the matchmaking events in my mid-twenties, and wearing this watch gave me confidence so I was able to talk to the girls who came to the events. I always wore it when I went on dates with my current wife, and I also wore it when I proposed to her. And when I checked the time in the waiting room while attending the birth of a child, this Paul Smith watch was always by my side.

I occasionally look at photos and videos on my old iPhone for the first time in a while, and in them I'm always wearing a Paul Smith watch.

So, what if you bought a Rolex watch 10 years ago for 100,000 yen and it was worth 300,000 yen today?

As an asset, this has increased in value by 200,000 yen, so it can be said to have been a good investment.

However, at the time I liked Paul Smith and thought it was cool, so I bought it.

Looking back at 10 years ago, do I wish I had bought a Rolex watch then? No, I don't.

The reason is that I have had many good experiences wearing a Paul Smith watch.

It was because of him that I went to a matchmaking event and talked to girls I didn't know, and it was because of him that I looked so cool when I proposed to him, so I don't regret it even a single percent.

I think the same can be said for everyone.

I went up to the door to enter the Breitling boutique, but then I got scared and said I'd go next week, made excuses to myself and put it off until the next week, and when the next week came, there would be customers inside and it would look busy, so I made excuses to myself that I'd skip it today, and when I finally opened the door on the third week, it was an overwhelmingly more stylish space than it looked from the outside, and it smelled nice, and I thought I'd be treated like trash, but they were very kind to me, and now I'm laughing and chatting with the person in charge like normal.

Now that I think about it, why was I so scared back then?

And.

It's really moving to go into a Breguet boutique, purchase a watch, and then have your name written in the same ledger where Marie Antoinette's name is written.

And.

There are so many experiences that I would never have had if I hadn't bought that watch.

And surprisingly, that experience remains in my memory quite well and continues to this day.

So, if I had bought a Rolex, would I feel regretful if the price had gone up by 200,000 yen? "No, I wouldn't feel that way at all. Because of him, I was able to have many different experiences, he gave me a push at times, and I've had many good experiences over the past 10 years. So I don't really care about resale value.

The turning point is whether you can think that way or not.

If you find yourself regretting not buying a Rolex, then you need to do proper research on the watches you buy in the future and choose ones that are likely to increase in value.

But for most people, even if it's half price, that's just how it is.

I think you'll be able to accept that.

Assets are important, but there's no need to rely solely on watches for that.

Instead, let the watch fulfill its intended role, and the time you spend with it will become an irreplaceable, original history that is just yours, just like it was for me earlier.

Looking back now, I realize I was stupid to act so energetically in my 20s, but the memories of my 20s can't be bought with money.

I don't think this will ever happen, but even if for some reason I had to sell my Paul Smith watch, I think seeing myself wearing it in a photo would bring back nostalgia even though I no longer have the physical item.

summary

I understand that people around you will have different opinions and you will receive a lot of information, which can make you hesitate, but it is up to you to decide whether the watch you purchase is a good one or not.

If you factor wealth into your watch purchase, you will never be able to get what you really want.

Weigh what you want against your assets, and then buy the watch you want!

If you purchase a watch with that in mind, then you will have made a purchase with full confidence, and you will not regret it even 1% of the time.

Finally, I would like to end with these words.

Sometimes there are lists of 10 watch brands that you should avoid buying, but any watch you choose will be great no matter what brand it is.