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Sorting and storing your collection.

3K views 62 replies 17 participants last post by  Jet Jetski 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am sure there are a few collectors that store their watches randomly, but each of my boxes has a topic or theme, though it can be a pain when a new watch arrives and pushes a watch from collection, and you have to find a logic for it to go in another box. My trench watch has been pushed out of technology corner by a 40's chronometer, and so now finds itself in my 'action watch' box, for when I indulge my sporting proclivities!

Watch Analog watch Light Clock Watch accessory


I have these watches on standby in case I take up (L-R) 1) Rally driving. 2) Shark diving. 3) Nocturnal orienteering. 4) Pylon racing. 5) Sub-orbital skydiving. 6) Extreme croquet.

How do you divvy up your watches, and is one box more, erm, eclectic, than the others? I think we should see that!

J
 

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#5 ·
There was a thread on this previously, split opinion, those who don't use them and those who do, from the discussion there doesn't seem to be any proven science they make any difference, it seemed if you just wanted to pick your watch up and go then all's good, but others felt for the 2 mins it takes to change why bother. Also the improvements in oils means that being better the watch would not dry out if not being used.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
If you have a day / date complication auto they are a good Idea. My 'best' auto has a quickset date, no point keeping it wound for the odd occasion, the one I should keep on the winder is my citizen day/date auto 'bullhead', but that is in my 'scales of time' box :laugh: and the one I do keep in the winder is a non-date auto that I wear pretty much every night, so ignore my advice. People say quartz are grab and go, but so is an accurate auto kept in a winder. If mine has gained more than five seconds I just leave it off the winder for 36 hours (though still wear it at night) and that calms the rate down. If it has lost a second or two I give it a few turns of hand winding. It's always in the zone and never stops.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
I use the same as @Roger the Dodger a tea box with pipe lagging , no order though they are just all placed in together

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I also have a cardboard box with foam for the remainder of the watches

Nickel Rectangle Font Gas Serving tray


These are old photos and over half these watches have been passed on now.
 

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#11 ·
I work from home, and I've converted one of my desk drawers to a watch box, which holds my top twenty favourites. The dividers are covered in carbon fibre effect sticky backed plastic (very Blue Peter! :laughing2dw: ), and I made individual cushions covered in black velvet (very Austin Powers! :tongue: ) to hold them safely in place. The rest of my collection are on stands dotted around the office, so ironically I get to see the cheapies on display, while the good stuff is hidden away :whistle:
 
#15 ·
Neat.

I have a couple of old day/date Citizens that are a real pain to set, so they stay in the winder. All the Allaines are together. The rest are split between two boxes with a logic that I couldn't possibly explain.
I need to plan my citizen day date chroni in advance - quickset the date to match the day shown according to that month's calendar, then hand wind it to the current day date, to avoid having to quick-set the day.
 
#17 ·
20200819_143207

Vintage

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Modern

The trouble is knowing what to wear.
 
#20 ·
Next thing you'll be telling me you do hourly updates on a spreadsheet.

:biggrin:

I'm not that organised, to much like hard work, I sold all the good ones and just kept the LV and some other bits and bobs.

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I do have a decent watch box which has more in it, not sure what though haven't looked for a while

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, The main issue is what happened to the trainers that were in the boxes I repurposed but that's a whole other story all together

:laughing2dw: :laughing2dw:
 
#28 · (Edited by Moderator)
I was retiring to my chambers and "technology corner" caught my eye.

Early attempts at keeping moisture out of wristwatches.

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Starting (L-R) with a 1914 screw bezel and back from Rolex, the next is similar in some ways but with a 1918 Borgel patent stem-set design, third is a 1927 Rolex Watch Co 'Oyster' case, then Mr. Harwood's 1929 idea of dispensing with a winding / setting stem completely; the penultimate watch is a clam-shell patent around 1937 from Audax (Fortis bumper movt.), and finally my 1940 Movado chronometer with a Taubert (Borgel) case, that has a tight fitting cork sleeve for the stem to pass through.

Hope you are all well.

J
 

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#30 ·
I wonder if there is an 'average' amount of watches that form a collection on the forum. Maybe we should take a poll?
I've got 60 in my collection at the moment, and that number seems to have stayed pretty stable for a while. If I see something I like I try to pay for it by selling one or more watches, which keeps the hobby more or less self funding most of the time, while introducing new blood into the collection. There are exceptions, of course, but mostly I only use money that has built up in my PayPal account from occasional watch sales (the money doesn't usually stay in there for very long... :laughing2dw: )

Here's how I store the watches in my home office, starting with the "top 20" all nicely protected in their soft cushions:

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And here are the rest, sitting in the cheap seats:

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:rltrlt:
 
#38 ·
:swoon:

I'd like to own around 20-30 watches, but to get to the number I would need a serious cull.
I think around 30 would probably be an ideal number. I've thought about having a cull, and possibly moving some of my cheapies on, but I'm just too lazy to sort it out :laughing2dw:

I've got watches that don't get worn in between battery changes, which seems a bit pointless... :whistle:
 
#43 ·
My eclectic box has become a little less eclectic, I went through a phase of rejecting watches too similar to something I already own, but decided that when it comes to a box full, similarity is a good thing, so the eclectic box has, with the addition of a couple more black dial watches, become 'kwartz korner'!

Watch Analog watch Motor vehicle Gauge Clock
 

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#44 · (Edited by Moderator)
At the moment Ive got 3 which are very specific to what I need objectively and subjectively. Being left handed the run is from left to right in my 3 watch storage case and angled on cushion at about plus 20 degress north on the rear side.

The Sarb sits to far left and is objectively positioned to guard the crown against a closing lid. Even though subjectively It won't catch on the felt, it just looks like it would which is where subjectivity and objectivity are at logger heads. However it makes sense to me. My objectively sensible watch to the left as im left handed.

In the middle sits my currently favourite girl. My 1980 demour twin quartz as she needs protecting. September 1980 reminds me of Abbas Super Truper or is it trooper and this watch in the purity of it all reminds me of the blonde girl in the white dress who gave me a fizz then and still sends shivers now.

On the far right is the late 70s king quartz which is objectively the least liked of my watches and subjectively the best made in case at least and possibly in relation to the 'tang' which is only about as thick as a human hair but operates the worlds first known stepper motor in a watch for extra fine accuracy. I leave it on the cold side of the box because whilst i respect its technology for then I do feel Seiko were just gloating at their destruction of the Swiss Mechanical watch industry. Which was as much to do with clever Lawyers advising on no patent for the quartz Astron. Which being left handed appeals to me even if ive actually or maybe reversed polarity in my objectivity and subjectivity in the first sentence of this last para.

Sensibly it sits at that side because it is smaller than the 033 and being lefty then im more likely to safeguard the large crown.

You dont need a photo the evidence is clear to see in my words. Photos are very unreliable because you never know the source or reality.
 
#57 ·
Well I am calling that a success.

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I can still see the slightest glint on the left hand side at 6 o'clock, but that is because I did not risk rolling the top - the underside is snug.

"A blind man'd be pleased to see that." As my gran used to say.

Cheers nigelp.

J

p.s. this is a very good watch to put on a bund - the bund makes it harder to wind and set, but provided I keep this on the winder or give it a good shake now and then, I never need to wind it or set it.
 

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#58 ·
Well I am calling that a success.

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I can still see the slightest glint on the left hand side at 6 o'clock, but that is because I did not risk rolling the top - the underside is snug.

"A blind man'd be pleased to see that." As my gran used to say.

Cheers nigelp.

J

p.s. this is a very good watch to put on a bund - the bund makes it harder to wind and set, but provided I keep this on the winder or give it a good shake now and then, I never need to wind it or set it.
Brilliant Lad. Have you seen how many members have been on your thread here since weve been away a few minutes. I would say that sorted jimitsalive out eh. Yeh its a grand watch that en. You can still have my strap if you want. Ive only been able to get it to 19mm and so my sarb wont fit. Guess your pin is heavier. But nevertheless for all you lot watching me and jon have confirmed it can work.
 
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