How to start watch collection

My wife really likes watches so I would like to help her start a collection. What recommendations new or vintage women or men (since it the style to wear mens)for price points 1k, 2.5k, 5k . She's very conservative and doesn't like bling but would like watches that watch people would appreciate.

I was told Tissot was a good watch to start.

What are good sources to purchase from especially for vintage ?

 

Check out Time Zone for watches as well as getting a ton of info on specific brands and models. There are sub forums for most of the major players.

Once you hit the site, click on "Community". Then you can click on "Sales Corner" for watches under $5k, and "TZ Showcase" for watches over $5k.

An Omega Speedmaster "Moonwatch" has a decent price point and is worthy of most collections. Good luck!!!

 

JLC Reverso

 

How to start a watch collection?

Buy one.

Repeat as necessary.

 

Starting a watch collection is like starting a clothing collection, it's as much about your personal taste as anything and there's usually only a fraction of the value left if the item has visible wear. Very few watches in the $1K to $5K range are going to be worth more after wearing, particularly after a few years, so the collection should be less about price appreciation and more about quality and aesthetics that please you, plus some stable residual value.

If the criteria are watches that watch aficionados would appreciate, then generally start with mechanical movements, not quartz. Then there are a bunch of traditional names like Omega, Rolex, Tissot, Blancpain, Tag Heuer, Breitling, and so on that will be recognized as good quality, long-standing names. Watch aficionados also get into the "complications", which is anything more than time of day on concentric hands, that the watch can do; such as date, day of week, perpetual calendar, chronograph, flyback chrono, power reserve, dual or triple barrels, etc, etc; but the more complex or the more quantity of complications, the higher the price goes, far far above $5K.

Does your wife like bracelets or straps? Sports or dress? Steel, gold or mixed? Round, cushion, oval, shaped cases? Plain, engraved, pearl, or diamond dials? Think about two or three watches - one for evenings out, one for business/office and one for casual/sports use. That would make a practical starting collection. You can define how you dress most often in each category and that could help you define what style and look would work best, which will then help you define what quality brands might offer what you're looking for.

As an example, my wife's collection includes the following watches:

Blancpain annual calendar/moonphase dress watch (ladies medium case, suitable for nights out, overkill for office)
Rolex gold dress watch (ladies small case, suitable for nights out, overkill for office)
Ulysse Nardin GMT +/- ladies dress watch on strap (ladies medium case, about right for dress-up office wear or also nights out)
Breitling Superocean on either bracelet or strap (compact men's case, suitable for daily sports or office wear)
Omega Seamaster on bracelet (compact men's case, suitable for daily sports or office wear)

I figure ladies large is near the same as a compact (or small) men's case size.

Dial colors include white pearl, gold, pastel blue, yellow, navy blue; in order.

She hasn't asked for a watch for a while now, so this set seems to work for her.

 

Are you looking for status, style, complications, what?

You have to know what you want then the blanks can be filled in.