A lot of people have mentioned that you could (and probably should) ask these same questions if you're buying large quantities of affordable watches, and I think that's a very good point. $5,000 worth of affordable watches will be unlikely to hold much value if you needed to resell them. Maintenance costs on a large collection of affordable watches also add up. Stewardship comes into play in building an affordable collection as well. It's good to be aware of how much you're spending on affordable watches and what else you could use that money on. How this applies to my own collection, I plan to discuss that a bit when I do my State of the Collection video, so stay tuned! Some really good discussion and comments, thanks guys!
Some thanks should go to you for bringing some of these issues to light, Dave. It's actually refreshing to discuss and- hash out- these moral and ethical decisions we make when making "luxury purchases." Quite a bit of a deeper take than most watch channels would be willing to go for, I appreciate it.
IF you collection was all mechanical sure but your maintenance costs go waaay down the second you look into something like solar where the only maintenance should be a battery replacement and seal restoration every 10 years. Also if you break or lose one watch you're not instantly out $5K. Just the value of the one watch. Plus lets face it. if your buying watches for resale your doing it wrong and you should never buy watches to tick boxes so allot of the stuff that ends up in your collection long term is stuff you usually keep. If I learned anything in my 43 year its that collecting for monetary reasons is the WORST WAY TO INVEST MONEY for most people. You end up with closets full of boxes of unopened stuff you don't both to enjoy to hope 20-30 years from now people will still collect it. Dosen't happen. Often you end up with valuless fads or ageout properties that no one wants anymore. I've seen that with my Macross toys, transformers, Gi Joes and in video games. People are REALLY going to get burned on games soon. The same hacks that speculated and killed trading cards and comics are now getting into video games. The idiots who paid over 1 mill for Mario 64 already lost their shirts when a second one went for less than half that. Plus its Super Mario 64. It was a pack in game on the N64. How many SEALED versions of that game exist out there? Hundreds? Thousands? So with watches unless you've got knowledge, cash and connections I really just recommend buying what you like, enjoy them, attach memories to them and pass some of them down to your family. Otherwise your just a horder who might get lucky but more often than not lose money. Anyone good at making money at it have already opened watch stores which is maybe what a person should be trying to do than investing in physical goods.
@@swilkobarfingtoniii1642 collecting watches has nothing to do with morality. It’s really disappointing to see religious thinking go into places it does belong. If you want to argue ethics just go on Twitter or some philosophy forum. He could’ve just had three points, but it never ends there with fundamentalist.
@@mariog1490 as a Christian, collecting watches can be a morality issue, like all things. Excessive consumption however you want to define it is a moral matter. This discussion certainty belongs here. If it offends you, Sorry, but it shouldn't. It's a valuable conversation.
@@jonirwin7316 moral conversations don’t belong everywhere. The fact that you think they do reveals your fundamentalism. Buying your favorite pillow isn’t a moral conversation. Listing the presidents of the United States isn’t a moral conversation. Your favorite watches aren’t a moral conversation.
For me life is all about balance. I’m approaching 50 and had recently purchased my first luxury watch. It’s in recognition of the stress, long hours and commitment I’ve put into my career and family. I’ve worn Seiko / Casio for most of my life. My new purchase gives me a sense of achievement every time I put it on in the morning.
I truly believe that encouraging people to collect affordable watches is a disservice to the watch-loving community. They lose almost their entire value in a blink of eye. They also need maintenance (if automatic) and this is definetely not a cheap thing to do. Talking about Jesus and collecting goods (being attached to material goods) is at least paradoxical. Building a collection of affordable watches makes absolutely no sense as it also can hurt your family's finances in the long run. Patience and learning about quality is the key. Save for some years and buy a watch you can give to your son when he graduates, or use it in a similar way. I'm not against buying affordable watches, but please do not build an entire collection around this concept because you're burning hard-earned money. I'm old and I've seen this before a lot of times and this is just heartbreaking.
@@juniorgallo8786 very good points there Jamil, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter. I agree with you there certainly is a place for a high quality luxury watch and purchasing something that retains value is certainly advisable over buying things that don't. Sadly they aren't for everyone though I offered one to my father, it would be much easier to justify one for him than myself but the stubborn old boy doesnt want one, he recently went down the iWatch path and loves all the features... Now if Rolex could make a watch with paywave and all the sensors I might be able to convince him.
What a pleasant surprise to hear a popular youtuber speak so candidly about being a Christian! Too few Christians are mindful of how we are called to put the needs of others before our own desires. Good stuff, man.
Love interpretation of the “ Steward Principle " you mentioned Dave. My most expensive watch cost me $500. USD. I don't think I'm ever going beyond that. I find much satisfaction with my Entry Level and Micro Brand prices.
Must admit that whilst I would love an omega, and it would be a one off special for me, I find some of these other review channels casually flipping watches worth thousands without a care in the world as bordering on obscene. The amount of money wasted on watches that mean so little to those guys could feed a whole starving village for years. I don't begrudge people buying something special, I'd do it myself if I didn't have other priotities, but there's a point when it starts to feel distasteful to me.
Dave, I appreciated your thoughtful reasoning on this. I believe you are the only UA-cam watch geek I’ve listened to that has included the the larger (and more mature) view of keeping luxury watch buying balanced with other higher moral priorities. Egocentrism in this field is a dangerous trap-and you have eloquently articulated that. Good for you (and us)! Makes me want to take my loving wife on a vacation to Germany and be content looking down at my Sinn on my wrist instead of spending it on a GO. Thank you!
The phrase “I’m a Christian and therefore I take the teachings of Jesus very seriously…” is really nothing to do with being Christian specifically but rather could apply to anyone. The phrase could be “I’m a caring human who wants to invest to helping people rather than blowing it on luxury” and can also be applied to atheists like me. But thank you for bringing up the morality of luxury items. No other watch people seem to bring this up.
I tell my Brothers in Faith (whatever that is to you) that atheists will be in Paradise. I catch heck for that but if you read Jesus words (as opposed to the words of the pointy hat dudes) you will quickly see God ONLY cares about the intent of your heart. Jesus said the most lyingest people on Earth are the RELIGIOUS. LUKE, chapter 12 V#1. Peace be to you Sir.
No, the Christian part really matters, because Jesus teaches rejection of materialism, to the extent that he wants the poor to give away what little they have to spare (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). Luxury purchases are much more compatible with Ayn Rand's Objectivism, for example, than with an honest Biblical interpretation of Christianity. I'm an atheist in part due to having given up trying to reconcile Biblical Christianity with modern concepts like slavery being morally abhorrent, capitalism producing better outcomes than communism, and sciences like astronomy, geology, and biology.
The Grand Seiko 9F series is a great option as you can easily find them at a 1.5K starting point. I truly believe that encouraging people to collect affordable watches is a disservice to the watch-loving community. They lose almost their entire value in a blink of eye. They also need maintenance (if automatic) and this is definetely not a cheap thing to do. Talking about Jesus and collecting goods (being attached to material goods) is at least paradoxical. Building a collection of affordable watches makes absolutely no sense as it also can hurt your family's finances in the long run. Patience and learning about quality is the key. Save for some years and buy a watch you can give to your son when he graduates, or use it in a similar way. I'm not against buying affordable watches, but please do not build an entire collection around this concept because you're burning hard-earned money. I'm old and I've seen this before a lot of times and this is just heartbreaking.
@@juniorgallo8786 Exactly if you have limited means a grand Seiko quatz IS the only way to go if you're going to do ir. You can almost maintain the thing yourself and if its dose need service its going to be rare. Yes it won't hold value like an auto but how much value gets lost in doing the maintenance on the bloody things? I love Autos but I'm learning that having a large collection them is literally owning ticking timebombs. Honestly all these youtube watch channels ARE NOT even considering what maintenance might cost down the road or they're flipping so much they don't experience it. Honestly I think its why most old school collectors only owned a few watches cause they knew a mechanical watch was not a one time purchase, It was only the first payment.
@@loganholmberg2295 9F movements are supposed to last at least 50 years without servicing, according to Seiko. They are solid well made watches and they won't cost you 5k. Automatic watches will need care and regular service, but with modern oils, IF they're not in regular use, you can stretch to a ten years intervals if you keep them stored in those air-tight plastic bags in a dry place. It helps to keep them lubricated. If you plain to store them long term it's pobably a good idea wind them up twice a month to get all those gears oiled. Changing the position you store it everytime you wind up a watch is also helpful, so wind it up and store it chrystal up, the next time crown down, then case back up and finally crown up, repeat, I do it clockwise. Making friends with good honest watchmakers is a good idea, they are scarce. Thanks for the feedback.
I'm also thinking Grand Seiko or nothing haha. Maybe one luxury watch in my life and I want to quit from watch collecting if thay happens because if I'm spending that much money, I'm wearing it for the rest of my life.
You totally got me with the God and “Is it right?” question…I think about that one the most actually. There is not a more fulfilling feeling to me anymore in life than to give service and help others with my earnings. I feel like that always wins out if you you’re wondering what the RIGHT thing to do is. I imagine having a Rolex or something doesn’t feel THAT much better to have on my wrist anyway than my Hamilton or Seiko. Thanks so much for the good message this morning!
I totally agree about setting your priorities first and also keeping in mind the fact that no watch you give you happiness if you're not at peace with yourself and others. In the other hand if you're into automatic watches, you'll have to spend money with servicing every 3-7 years (depending on movement, how often you use it etc), sometimes the service cost will pair or even exceed what you had paid for the so-called "affordable" watch itself. So, the way I see it, it makes no sense collecting disposable goods. In this case, you'd better save and wait, even if it takes some years, and then buy a watch that can somehow retain it's value and last some generations if proper care is taken. Christian values have a very positive impact in civilized societies if you take a social approach to what Jesus really meant. But it's tricky: watch collecting can be a pitfall if you're driven by christian guilt because you can end up with a lot of watches you can't resell and this also has an impact in your family finances. Collecting, by itself, cannot be seen as a christian behaviour, it means you're somehow emotionally attached to an inanimate object, a very material-oriented attitude towards life if you look deep into it. Sorry, I wrote a book but I'm 50 yo and I've seen so many watch lovers collecting dozens of watches they can't sell just because they feel bad and guilty spending money in a high-quality watch, it's just heartbreaking. Sometimes patience and thinking long-term is the right thing to do.
@Dan M Sorry man, It was a total misunderstanding, right? I was SO astonished with this horology-theology theory that i just got it in the opposite way, sorry again.
I mean, the Dalai Lama has a Patek and various popes have had some nice time pieces although it appears the current one wears a Casio. I think like most things it all depends. I really like that I have time piece that I can pass down that future generations would be proud to have. I also love my Seiko's but they will probably just end up in a drawer or the trash when the future generation needs to service them. Just last week I was at a shop in Japan and had a great conversation about watches with the guy in the shop comparing his Oyster Perpetual he inherited from his grandfather to my Datejust.
Ask God what's more sinful. Is it more greedy to own 10 cheaper watches or just one expensive one. How many do you need? In 10 years when you have thrown away the worn out cheaper ones , isn't that more wasteful and bad for our environment than keeping just one watch for life.
The "feeling" of the Rolex to me, is the honeymoon period. The beginning is so exciting, but after 6 months you can sell it, say, "I've been there, done that". and move on to achieve other things.
Great video Dave as always mate. I must say, its a very difficult position to be in (as a Christian) deciding whether or not you should outlay a large some of money into a luxury watch or not. The conviction of the heart is always the best judge in any man. Follow your personal conviction my friend and don't be swayed by others...as I can see you are not 👍. Personally I have always held to the belief that if I cannot afford it, I cannot have it. That should apply with anything I have or own. Like you said in your video, there are other more important issues in life that need our finances rather than our hobbies. Once again, thanks for sharing Dave 🙏
You're right on all accounts. Part of this 'bug' is just appreciating the marvels that can be created...technologically and aesthetically. The majority of people who are enthusiasts can't and don't buy these watches. The majority of people that do buy these watches aren't enthusiasts. That's the way is it...same with cars...mechanics don't drive Ferraris, Ferrari owners don't know a wrench from a hammer.
When I was a young man I used to covet things like expensive cars and jewelry. The epitome for me back then were things like Patek perpetuals and the like. As I aged and travelled the world I began to realize that my priorities were changing... I seemed to need "luxury" less and less, instead I became more interested in "quality." No need to explain that concept, it's pretty obvious. Dave, you made a good point about maintenance costs. People always seem aware that buying something like a Ferrari is going to come with ridiculous maintenance costs, but never consider it when buying a watch. If you drop a Patek Phillipe Perpetual, prepare to pay a pretty penny (OK, got the alliteration out of my system...) Just a sidenote here: The development of clocks and mechanical timekeeping were very much driven by the needs of religious institutions to keep track of time for their highly regimented lives.
Just got the Omega Aqua Terra for a 10 year wedding anniversary, absolutely love it. Not only is it a functional piece of art, it carries so much meaning to me and it’s something I will have forever, and hopefully give it to my son one day! I agree 100 percent with the points in this video though. When it finally came time to pull the trigger I had to sleep on it an extra night just to make sure it was the right thing.
Simply answering your questions Dave: 1. NO, not now, not in the future 2. NO, I barely struggle to maintain my car and that costs much less. 3. YES, no problem with that 4. YES, but I'd probably be afraid to wear it as much as I would like. I love watches, I own a bunch of affordable ones that I really love and I like swapping them on my wrist according to my mood. Justifying the purchase of a luxury watch, you say 5.000, I say even 1.000 or 2.000, for me is impossible. Sure, I'd love to have one, but I don't believe I'd ever be able to enjoy it. Kind of buying a Ferrari that I cannot maintain or even refuel, what's the fun in it just looking at it in box? I also don't like at all the other idea, of having a single watch collection. Like fe. to sell all my affordable watches and buy the luxury one....no, thanks, I'd never do that. My experience has made that clear to me. By the way, I have another thing to point out. It's my personal opinion of course, but I really do not think that the prices of these watches reflect the actual reality or even true quality of these items. I personally feel like been fooled when companies ask these incredible amounts of money for whatever item that may be. I hope you get my point.
#3 I have never heard anyone in the community speak about this and was shocked and then delighted to hear your thoughts. 100% with you and great to share a little bit of your faith. Lots of respect for you.
@Dan M Not really because he was talking about the ethics (for him) of spending $5k on a luxury and ultimately not completely necessary purchase. Christianity talks a lot about money and what you do with it so I guess for him this point is important.
Not religious, but I like to buy a watch to reward myself after hitting a financial milestone. It keeps things in perspective and keeps me motivated. For example, becoming debt free, having a fully funded e-fund, college fund fully funded for my son, every time my retirement savings increases by a given amount. It's neat to be able to look down at my wrist and remember the hard work and discipline that has gotten me to this point. It gives me gratitude for the past and motivation to keep going.
Wow I was having a similar discussion just last night (I'm watching this video at 3:45am). You raised two of the points I pointed out why I may not get a luxury watch (the first two) and two that i hadn't. That one on stewardship really hit home cause I've been in a position where I needed help from others and now that I'm in a better place financially I make it an imperative to do the same for others so getting a luxury timepiece will not fit into that equations
Great topic, especially from a Ytube content creator. Usually, they are the ones hyping up that need for a luxury watch. Due to my smaller wrist I ended up in with 36mm really expensive options. Then I bought Casio f91w and I couldn't be more happier. Having a part of history and culture that is affordable and usable is more than I ever wanted.
Lovely to have a fellow Christians perspective on this. I too have this battle when spending money on watches, I think it's because I know what I spend money on shows where my heart is. My heart should be set on Christ and the way I use my money should reflect that. Great to hear you speak of your faith Dave keep it up 💪
I perform a similar inventory before making a watch purchase of any sort. I’m the only one in the house that benefits from them! To help offset concerns about upkeep and maintenance, I typically only purchase watches with off-the-shelf movements. If one breaks, I’ll be able to swap the movement out at home. Really enjoyed this video. This corner of watch collecting doesn’t always see a lot of light, and it’s a pleasure to see that there are other collectors out there that can enjoy the hobby without the typical epicurean trappings. Keep up the good work!
Bringing he teachings of Jesus into this conversation is so unique and refreshing, at least for me as a fellow Christian. Once we think about what Good we could do with that kind of money, a wrist watch seems really unimportant. 🙏
Years ago I went BIG into luxury timepieces. Over the years I owned watches from Rolex, Omega, JLC, Patek, AP, and ALS. I enjoyed them, but just never bonded with any of them. Then, about a year ago I paired the collection back to just a couple high-end pieces and couldn’t be happier. I now wear a Tudor BB58 blue dial almost every day and love it. It’s not super expensive (about $4,000) so I don’t have to worry too much about it. Sometimes less is more.
This is why I subbed to your channel Dave-san ... your willingness to explore subjects beyond the basics of the wristwatch itself. Advance congratulations on the upcoming 50k subs. Best wishes from Malaysia 🇲🇾😊👍.
15 years ago, thinking of buying ANY Seiko or Citizen would be expensive enough for me to consider it a luxury purchase. Nowadays I'd consider buying a vintage Omega on the used market without considering the purchase a big sacrifice (depending of the price, of course). One thing I'm sure: there's no chance I'll ever pay the retail price for a brand New luxury timepiece.
I go back and forth on this quite a lot myself. Part of me thinks it's obscene to spend large amounts of money on luxury goods, but part of me also thinks that life and the world are hard enough and if you've got the money then an occasional treat is good for the soul. Who knows what the right answer is here, there probably isn't one?
Great comments! Before starting to watch your channel, I had a 6 watch collection, the cheapest of which cost me $ 2000, half my watches cost over $ 10,000. It took me almost 20 years of saving to accumulate this collection. Since staring to watch your channel I've acquired a further 3 watches, the 3 combined cost just north of $ 1500. That's less than I spent servicing my most expensive watch this year.
Your videos have helped with my understanding of the world of watches, they are a very welcome part of my week, and I always get something out of them. This topic is rarely done and merits attention. Thanks!
Great video Dave! I've been reading through some of the comments and it seems your "Prophecy" of point #3 being controversial came true! 😅 As a Bible believing Christian myself, I agree with point #3. It is definitely something I've had to constantly check myself with. Over the past number of months, I've been saving "extra" money towards the purchase of my first luxury watch (Cartier Santos) and was about half way there when a complete stranger decided to buy it for me! Needless to say, I am blown away that this happened! As you mentioned, God, Church, Family, Charity, etc come first in the use of any finances God blesses us with. I think there are many variables that come into play when purchasing a luxury watch or any luxury item but in the end if it was purchased in accordance and within the boundaries of biblical principles (like what you mentioned in point #3) I don't see any problem with it. Thanks for sharing this perspective!
If you own and service a few luxury pieces every five to ten years (really, you should) is comparable. Budget watches movements are just swapped. Until they're no longer available. I have a few luxury pieces, plus some Seiko's I wear on and in the water:)
Dave, it's an absolute pleasure to hear your thoughts on this as a fellow Christian. I'm probably never gonna make it to a luxury watch either, but you know what? Can't take those things with us to heaven, so I think I'm ok with that! (What would you even do with a luxury watch in heaven? Use it to fill the pothole in the street of gold?) 😂 Thank you.
As a Muslim, that third point hit home. Is it morally right to buy a luxury piece, when i should be helping others and providing charity? I have been given gifts by God, am I to spend them exclusively on myself?
God bless you Brother. I am a Christian but I do not call myself that. Radical Christian fundamentalism is the EXACT same thing as radical Muslim fundamentalism. Violence is their calling card. My Doctor is a Muslim Brother and we talk about the Prophet (Blessing be to his name) and about Jesus. You catch hatred everyday from the racist morons that populate a very large portion of this country.. All of God’s children need to come together. We will need each other in the coming horrors of future as it unfolds. All of God’s deepest blessings I wish and pray for you and your family. We will survive this and I will look forward to meeting your family far better place. Peace to you!
LOL no one dares to jump into the topic head on. The questions should be , do you have the freakin money? If you need to save, borrow, pay installment, most probably you should not ( I say most probably cos you might need it for something more important if you dont have 5 k lying around). If you have the money and have nothing more to do with it, then go for it. There are no moral right or wrong in buying an luxury item. Remember the old lady that has 2 coins, and she donate 1 to the temple? Bear in mind she is poor, she might have a family, and house to pay, kids to feed etc etc, same as all of us. Now would you give off 50% of what you have? I dare to say even most pastors and leaders wont do that. You know that Seiko you have, do you know how many poor African child you can feed with that, why you are not selling them?? Helping does not count amount, its from the heart (make sure ur heart is on the right place lol). And finally feeling.. Buying anything, especially luxury is just so that you can feel good. Its just a feeling. The new fridge, the entertainment set, the holiday you want, its all about feeling good. Can you feel good without all of those?? Yes of cos, but we need to be realistic here right. My point is, the question that should be ask is that do you need all this (luxury watch in this case) to feel good? If you cant be happy with a Seiko or Casio, a Rolex dont do much better for you. Cos its just wont stop, a more expensive watch, car, house, holiday, more beautiful wife, successful husband etc. NOW, finally what happen when you own it, what happen next? You get your next one. It will never ends. But if you have the spare cash, and admire the quality and craftmanship of a Rolex, heck go get one, I know I will lol. We just needs to be wise in our decision, thats why God give us wisdom. And choice. (well I admit i made a few bad choices regarding buying watches, but heck, its life, you fall, you learn)
If we’re thinking of the same story, she put both coins in the collection box. Regardless of anyone’s moral standing on issue, you should have an emergency fund with 6 months of savings before (and after) spending on luxury items.
For the purpose of telling time, anything above a $50 Casio is superfluous.For the purpose of transportation, anything more than a $27,000 Toyota Camry or Prius is ridiculous Watch collecting or any other hobby is fueled by passion, research, hunting, sharing and experiencing. Life is short and meant to be experienced by living your best life.
It is just jewelry. Even tool watches from say Rolex are not really tools. Some of the designs are iconic but it is not like someone is going to dive with their submariner, or climb Everest with explorer. Once I thought that a luxury watch could be a good gift to pass on to your child, but you can also take that money and invest into college fund or maybe add to down payment on summer house or get a boat. Lastly, I sort of agree, you can also just give that money to charity. It is not a matter of religion, it is more about just realizing that luxury watch will tell you the same time as 20 dollar Casio but 5 k worth of food will feed a lot of hungry children.
Dave, I’m encouraged that you have incorporated your Christian faith in a few videos of late. I do know that talking about faith can be received in many different ways, but I find that you do it in a firm yet respectful manner. About luxury watches, I’ve come to the conclusion that I simply wouldn’t be able to properly enjoy owning a luxury watch. Probably the most important aspects of owning a watch for me is to feel that I have gotten a good deal and value for money. I just have a hard time envisioning that a watch costing $1000 would be good value for money. As a watch enthusiast, I understand that some watches are objectively and market-wise worth the price. From what I have learned, watches from Sinn, Damasko, Tudor, Omega, etc are all probably worth their asking price. I actually admire many models from these and other comparable brands. I just don’t think I would be able to enjoy owning one 🤷
I find the chirping of VaLuE fOr mOnEy to be laughable. Literally _any_ price is asked for a watch and watch idiot savants will clap like seals claiming it’s a steal. LOL. What do they base these claims on?
I truly believe that encouraging people to collect affordable watches is a disservice to the watch-loving community. They lose almost their entire value in a blink of eye. They also need maintenance (if automatic) and this is definetely not a cheap thing to do. Talking about Jesus and collecting goods (being attached to material goods) is at least paradoxical, if not hypocritical. Building a collection of affordable watches makes absolutely no sense as it also can hurt your family's finances in the long run. Patience and learning about quality is the key. Save for some years and buy a watch you can give to your son when he graduates, or use it in a similar way. I'm not against buying affordable watches, but please do not build an entire collection around this concept because you're burning hard-earned money. I'm old and I've seen this before a lot of times and this is just heartbreaking.
Fully agree. Thank you for your courage in posting this video on our faith and watches! To me, a watch is already a luxury to me. Having a luxury watch will be luxury². Haha.
@@juniorgallo8786 I believe some common terms and grounds need to be established for our views of what our watchboxes look like. Team Affordable doesn't want an unlimited number of watches and Team Luxury doesn't have unlimited money to buy whatever they want so both are limited to some sort of ideal collection size. What is it then, three, five, ten watches? More? Does that number change if they're affordable of luxury? Using Dave's number of $5,000/watch, luxury guy would have between $15,000 and $50,000+ in watches. Affordable guy is not going to spend anywhere near that much on his collection of $300, $500, $800 maybe all the way up to $2,000-ish watches. Therefore the Affordable vs. Luxury argument is actually about how to spend a single $5,000: on a One Watch Collection or on a curated collection of different styles and purposes. Next point is: Are luxury watches "worth it" and represent a reasonable increase in quality relative to their additional cost? Their relative "value." This is a completely different discussion and not for right now. As for 'passing it down' and 'only looking after it for the next generation:' Your children will care about your watch because it's _your_ watch and not because it's a Breitling, Omega or Rolex. It's sentimentality is not tied to it's monetary worth, it has generational appeal because the wearer has rubbed off on the piece. It was dad's favorite. Why would the money value matter on a heirloom if you never want to part with it and cash out?
Great content and its a question I’ve asked myself a few times. In my opinion, and as I push towards the big 6 0, I am more inclined to spend money on experiences rather than more ‘things’. I had saved up some cash thinking about a luxury watch purchase but the money is now going to be spent on a two week tour across Route 66 on a Harley next May. I’ve only ever been to Florida (live in Scotland) so looking forward to experiencing more of the US. Oh and I’ll probably wear a G Shock on the trip. I’m hoping that the memories of the trip will last a lifetime as opposed to a short honeymoon period looking at a new watch. Thanks for helping to reaffirm my choice 😃🏍
What pushed me over the edge on luxury watches: Value retention. What does a luxury watch really cost? The watch is not disposable, there is a significant investment however if you sell out of it, typically you'll get most of your money back or in very rare cases, will make money on the watch. This assumes you do not keep it or screw it up. If I need that $ for literally anything else (do I owe anyone) then its a no. But it took a long time to become comfortable with the idea and it adds a level of seriousness to this hobby that is not always pleasant.
Thanks that was very refreshing! End of the day the majority of people are working class and £5000 or $5000 is a huge amount of money for something that will only really benefit you.. maybe have both? Buy a watch that holds value and when it’s time to go holiday just sell the watch. That way you’ve experienced both
Great video! Reminds me if the old saying "Be careful about your dreams, they might come true." and the economic concept of opportunity costs. Now I like my affordable watches even more, knowing that I spent most of my money for more worthy causes.
My sticking point was always the cost of ownership. Always wanted a Tag Heuer Aquaracer, finally took the plunge & bought a Tag Heuer Carerra which was costlier but with a much better deal. Super pleased with the purchase, wish I'd bought one years ago but it does make me smile.
Really good video with great questions that would make anyone think a few times before making a final decision. For me, the real problems begin when I see great value watches between $1000-$2500. Then the questions become a bit harder to answer. Plus there are so many watches in this range that you come across that I consider luxury in a sense.
A thought provoking video, thank you 👍 . The third and fourth points are really the most important, but the second is really worth telling people. I do own a Rolex, but I bought it so long ago, it was relatively inexpensive, my first service was just over £100 and the most recent £500 and it's a lot more now!
I think about this often, since I have a modest middle class income, and I'm obsessed with watches. Of course with a healthy amount of watch based media from day to day, one must say no to 99% of the watches one may want to own. But less than one year into collecting, I bought a used Omega Aqua Terra. I have 14 other watches of the affordable variety, My Omega is the gem of the collection on many levels. It brings me a lot of fuzzy feelings, kinda like climbing the ropes in gym class. This video is legit. Each of the questions posed by Just The Watch should be asked by anyone looking to buy a very expensive luxury item.
Absolutely fantastic video Dave and point number three has always been the thing that makes me also doubt that I will ever buy a watch that costs 5 grand or more. I think my limit will be a grand and that won’t happen that often either. Thank you for sharing your faith and how that factors in the decision, you aren’t alone in that my bro!!!
The most important element for me is value. You can get so much value under $500 or even $250, I simply can't see myself spending $10,000 or $20,000 on a watch that barely offers minor improvements that I probably can't noticed without a microscope.
Thank you for an honest, thought provoking reflection. I admire your values. Give up on my watches? I would do anything for Charity, but I won't do that!
Great video Dave. Me personally, I would feel guilty spending that kind of money on myself and not sharing it with my loved ones. But, as long as someone does not go into debt for a luxury item, then good for them 😊👍
I really enjoyed this video, in fact, I watched it on my TV last night and since I can't add comments from it, I made it a point to add one for you today on my PC. It takes a humble person with a strong character to address these topics in a very public forum like this and I applaud you for it. I have personally thought about every single one of these points during my time as a collector. I also believe they are all very valid and applicable for life in general, not just watches. I especially enjoyed your topic of stewardship, you are dead on and you explained it very well. Every time I "level up" in my watch collection purchases, I check that and pray about it. As a fellow UA-cam creator, I know and understand the feelings you get every time you post a video, especially one with content like this. Thanks again for sharing and for all of the content you produce. Have a great day. -David
Absolutely loved this video. When I first started collecting I thought I really wanted a Rolex. The more and I would see them, the less interested I became. My penchant for watches falls in line with mechanical hand wind watches and I have seen what Rolex has to offer and it 'says nothing to me about my life'.
I was taught that if you can’t buy something outright 3x over then you can’t afford it. There are exceptions like a home and primary vehicle. But anything beyond those two you should have the cash on hand and be able to buy three of them. Otherwise your money would be better spent elsewhere.
Good to see another man of faith sharing his conviction and beliefs! Christ's principle of stewardship has really been the biggest struggle I have in collecting watches 😅
I agree, but at the same time it's a reward for the added stress of career advancement. I feel like I earned it at this point in my life. Both older vehicles(2007, 1994) payed off, mortgage paid off, no CC debt. In every other facet, I live within my means. I can get out of my watches at any time for an emergency. I look at it as wearing my savings acct.
@Dan M I do. Going on my 5th Honor Flight next month. $400 each one. I reach out and help folks. My student was 12 hours from graduating college, got in a motorcycle wreck, got covid in icu, died a couple weeks later. Gave a good chunk to his daughter to help with expenses. I am careful, where my money goes. 🙂
Great video! I have been on the fence about saving money for a Grand Seiko, and this video made me re-think whether I really want a Grand Seiko or not. I have seen my own comfort zone regarding price increase substantially since I began collecting watches, but I have not spent over $1000 on a watch yet. That seems to be my own current price threshold. 😁
Thanks Dave for another great video. Thoughtful and thought provoking, respectful of others with different situations in life. All valid questions that I would answer negatively. The questions could be used in other areas as well. I can appreciate the style and workmanship of a luxury watch or car but not want even the maintenance cost. I know someone that a few years back bought a $130K Porsche that was fully insured and in the first month drove it less than 50 miles because of concern for damaging it. Questions 1,2 and 4 are primarily financial. Question 3 is the moral one that we often don't stop and consider but should. Thanks for sharing from the Christian perspective which I share and agree. We need to serve others with our resources and we need to be satisfied less by things and more by relationships. I would rather spend $5K to visit my son in southern Japan than have a Rolex any day! Keep up the good work and blessings in Christ to you and your growing family.
Thank you for not being ashamed or pressured into remaining silent about your beliefs. Everyone from every belief system and every background should appreciate that. We need to get back to a world where people can truly speak freely.
Even if you are able to afford a luxury watch, i think it advisable not to. It needs to be remembered that many of todays luxury products like Omega, Rolex etc, used to be affordable tools. I firmly believe that there is little need to spend over $1000, or even $500 on a watch.
I just wrestled with this very thing. I passed on getting an omega for my 50th birthday to get something more affordable. The extra money I'm taking my family on a nice vacation. Great insight sir. Really enjoyed the video and I am now a subscriber!
Great video Dave , it was nice to see you being completely sincere on your point of view, despite knowing that your religious explanation on question 3 might be controversial for many. Your questions are easy to understand and analize. Good balance between logic and faith. Its refreshing to see someone willing to speak on how God guides his life, even in small things like buying watches!
yeah. with a lots of money you can satisfy the needs and wants to yourself, family, friends and deserving people who really needs it and still can afford to buy luxury items.
I think number 3 really hits the nail on the head. If you can support your family, church, and other important pursuits and also buy a luxury watch, then go for it. If not, maybe think twice. On the flip side, God gifted humans with creativity, ingenuity, passion, and joy. I don't think He has a problem with that looking like a beautifully crafted Rolex. Ensuring those other needs are met is the important consideration.
I love reason #3 on Stewardship. Our funds are means to accomplishing good things whether it's for your family or for society in general. It's not even necessarily even about religion. I guess if I'm at a point where I've accomplished my responsibilities to my family and my community... and have enough to feel like buying a Grand Seiko is like buying a Seiko 5, then okay. It's all relative though. To some people, even a Seiko 5 is already a luxury. It depends on where you are in life and what your income and responsibilities are. I guess the video also applies in answering the question: "Do you really want a _____?" (dropping the word Luxury)
It's extremely relative but definitely not only about religion. You will be hard pressed to find more greedy and egotistical people than many wealthy right wing American "evangilicals"! (Nor anyone who misinterpreted the Bible more than them, lol)
The majority of people spend money on unnecessary items. Coffee every morning, a pack of cigarettes every week, fast food for lunch. All of which can be considered luxuries and certainly add up to a lot over time. I choose to spend my hard earned money on luxury watches and have had many over the years. I currently own a Royal Oak, a vintage Rolex 1016 explorer, a 67 Speedmaster 145.012, a Universal Geneve Polerouter, and I love owning them without guilt or regret. However, I am not a watch snob and also own various G-Shocks, a Seiko skx, and a Casio calculator watch, among others. Life is short. Work hard, take care of yourself, friends, and family, but buy what you want and what makes you happy.
I agree! I will put in my 2 cents. I have wanted a Seiko Snowflake for over 10 years. I recently purchased a Borealis Neptuno Icy Frost with a similar dial for $ 290. I love it and with my over 50 year old eyesight I don’t even know if I could tell the difference in dials.
This video has come at the time when I have been drooling over the new no time to die Omega watch after watching the movie. Was thinking of a long term saving plan to buy it. Now my perspective has changed. What you said perfectly makes sense with respect to a regular salaried person. Keep up the amazing work. Kudos👍🏻
Great Video Dave, you make some very good points, particularly on the moral issue. One thing I would add though is that I think it's about the overall amount of money you spend on watches, not just one luxury watch. You could spend $200 each on 25 watches & it could be argued this is worse than spending $5,000 on one watch.
I think I’m gonna stick to affordable watches as well, loosing 500$ on a watch is quite a chunk of money but not a heavy blow. But loosing $5k or $10k is money better spent somewhere else like improving quality of life for my family.
Great video mate, i agree that a lot of times the WCC (watch collecting community) can preasure you on How your collection should look. You dont need to break the bank to be a watch entusiast
I really love watches but once you start getting to the point where a watch costs the same as a car or more you can't justify it. I don't think luxury watches look better than budget watches and with some really good micro brand's I really couldn't justify the cost increase.
My most expensive watch is a Boldr Venture. $300. I can't justify even that because if I want to tell the time, I can just look at my smartphone. That's all a watch like this does. Might as well buy a $20 casio.
@@zahktuthalxalyrion6364 nice, I really like Boldr. Yes I know what you mean, you can literally find the time lot's of places.i recently got a Casio gmw 5610 and even though it was only £90 I had to justify it to myself as I have a young family and have more important things to buy.
@@davidbridge5652 Exactly! The closest I can come to justifying my Boldr is that since it uses an NH35a movement, it's easy to fix. So just every 3-5 years I'll have a watch repair shop look at it, perform maintenance, and I don't hafta worry about batteries. I could've bought other things with that $300, but I have a personal goal to reduce how much time I spend on my phone. If I dont use my phone to see the time, then I also won't see the notifications piling up.... lol
@@zahktuthalxalyrion6364 Haha that's a good excuse to get a watch. I would like to reduce the amount of time I spent looking at my phone however I end up watching UA-cam and watch videos. Maybe I need to get another watch, maybe an orient??
My pop gave me a Wenger quartz watch back in 2015, then used that watch for the next 6 years. In 2021, i bought a G-Shock 5610U to celebrate my graduation and to start my internship. For my 25th birthday, i'm looking forward to buy my first automatic/mechanical watch with Seiko SKX/GMT on my mind. Can't wait!
make a video to back this up. like, instead of getting an Omega Seamaster 300M, get XXXXXXX watch instead. Instead of getting a Rolex Explorer, get XXXXXXX Watch instead.
@@bopie5172 why not? There are also tons of other Watch youtubers who made videos about "Why not to buy Luxury watches". I don't see any reason why JTW will not be able to make another video about alternatives to luxury watches.
I might try to tackle that someday. It's hard because there's so many price points and perspectives. But I'd be most interested in tracking down alternatives that are under $500 and not homages.
Thank you for sharing your faith. As a fellow follower I really appreciate your point of view. Opening yourself up to all of UA-cam shows faith and honesty. I've already been a SUB of yours for sometime now and I will advertise your channel as much as possible. Keep up the great work and sending prayers your way
Helping out your family and friends ( and people you don’t know) is always a better thing to do than spending money on overpriced luxury items - even for us atheists 😊
Doing the right thing is doing the right thing, and that's common across all faiths and none (as a fellow atheist, i accept that mine is a faith as much as anyone else's)
@@tobiasz6613 If atheism is a faith then abstinence is a sex position (or at least an alcoholic drink)... The point is where moral obligation ends and morally voluntary act begins.
@@kostek4430 In what way is atheism not a belief bassed on faith? I have no more proof of my belif than anyone else does. I believe this existance is all there is, so there is a moral imperitive to do some good with it. I wasn't trying to hijack the thread into theology so much as saying whether it comes from a perscribed belief system (and I would observe that in the big picture, live a good life and give of yourself are the main teachings of all the faiths) or simply a personal understanding we (mostly) all regognise that giving of ourselves is part of the human condition, we all have obligations and choices to make. Peace my friend.
@@tobiasz6613 Atheism is a lack of belief in god, nothing more and nothing less. Your belief may be that there is no god - in such case it would be an anti-theism which is not the same thing. My question more specifically would be to what price of a commodity can one spend before one tries to do good to others. If someone earns a lot and drives some V8 or larger vehicle can one buy a luxury watch, what if somebody only rides a bike - what should be his limit. This is just a free floating thought that I also ask myself.
For me, I like the highest value for the lowest price that I can find with everything. It's almost like a sport to be practical and thrifty as possible. Function over form.
The pope is quite wealthy. King David I’m sure was quite wealthy. Maybe it’s just me David, but rule 3 seems to be coming from a fundamentalist perspective. I bet your kids have toys they don’t need. Aren’t those luxurious? You said you don’t want to step on anyone’s shoes but you brought morality into it.
I think you're on to some good points there Mario! I could definitely be sacrificing more for others. And that's something that I ought to continually work to improve in. For the purposes of this video on UA-cam however, I wanted to at least suggest that we should all be investing to some degree in supporting the poor, taking care of our family and giving back to God before we consider buying luxury items for ourselves. Given that I don't know the individual situations of the people watching this, I'm happy to leave it to them to decide in what proportions they ought to allocate their finances in those areas.
@@JusttheWatch I’m still not sure why the moral point is necessary. You probably have 5k in watches. I said it’s from a fundamentalist perspective because your taking a scripture - which has a beautiful tradition of being interpreted - and you encroached your interpretation as the correct and the finally moral one.
@@mariog1490 It's hard to see eye to eye on subjects like these, but I think it fits more in line with this: Yes, the toys could be considered a luxury. But from a different perspective, they could be considered essential. Why? Development of the human body. Children need outlets to learn how to do different things, feel different ways, and understand how to express themselves. In that regard, toys can be considered essential regardless of someone's morals. Watches on the otherhand...if you don't make a living off of it, then 5k worth of watches is likely one of two things: Poor Stewardship of your finances, or you are able to afford that on top of everything else and still save money for retirement. Which makes the question "Should you buy a luxury watch?" much easier to answer. We live in the day and age of technology. We all carry smart phones on us, which will always be more accurate than any other time telling device we can access. Watches are, by definition, obsolete. Everything we do is based on what we place value in, not really how we morally feel about it. Yes, some stuff is morals, but mostly it is value.
@@zahktuthalxalyrion6364 well, I was responding to the moral. I made that very explicit. There is also no data in psychology that suggests an abundance of toys is essential for the human body.
I was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020 on Remission since January 1st 2021 and yes i do want to buy a few luxury watches before I'm gone for good I'll be a lot happier passing down to my children luxury watches than micro brands.
Well, answered no on the first question, so I guess I'm done there. No luxury watches for me 😢. But you made some really great points throughout the video. Most I'd be willing to spend is 300. Anymore and it's too much. Luckily these days you can get some amazing value watches for that price, especially if you shop pre owned
Good points! I'm not religious, but I think it's important to consider helping those in need before indulging in unnecessary luxuries. Also, I think there is insurance for expensive watches that might alleviate the worry about losing it
David I think your initial approach is right: it is your personal opinion, your own perspective. In general I think having a luxury watch is beyond the expectation of loosing it or afford it. Affordability is taken care by financing and loosing it or damage it is taken care by taking care. The sense of deserved ownership is missing in your video; I remember my boss telling me "David , you work so hard, you are a great professional, you deserve to have what you really want, what makes you feel proud of yourself, you are at this point in your career... etc etc"... I do believe he was / is right. It is also about Quality no Quantity...
As a fellow Christian (LDS), I’ve had the same thought process. I can deal with the rest of the questions, but proper stewardship? …..yeah that’s a tough one to overcome. Maybe a $5k watch would be the limit. Currently I’m in the $1500 range. Anyway, kudos for freely expressing your religious beliefs. Rare these days. Keep up the great work!
With my first SKX I saw the longines legend diver as a Grail.We are doing a home loan & I'll be getting one.Cant see spending more on mutch more on a watch.A watch shouldn't be more Expensive than your car " in my opinion".....
With the likes of Casio Oceanus, Seiko Presage and some fun microbrands, I am very satisfied with my collection of affordables and have zero need for any luxury watches that provide you with only minimal improvements.
Great video brother, let’s face it, if you are really living for Jesus you can’t help but inject Him into all aspects of your life because He is our life! Great video, keep it up, God Bless from Wisconsin.
As a Christian i feel you can do both. Don't feel to guilty about enjoying life. Just never lose sight of others in need, be it financially or otherwise.
Thank you for this. I am a luxury watch collector and I really appreciate this. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you get that omega you will just start dreaming about that rolex. then that patek. etc etc..
I'm not religious myself but the stewardship point is really powerful - I admire how you express your reasoning without preaching to your audience, this may be your best ever post. I bought the 'Explorient' after seeing your vid and have been very happy with it. Happiness, success and all good things Dave, top man. 👍
Just finally got my Speedy 1861... At a 20% discount which is amazing... Yes it's too much money, but along with my G Shock and F91w casios, this is just such a stunning watch.... And will be in the collection forever... From my experience with Hamilton, Casio, Seiko - I end up selling everything after 6 months! This Omega is a keeper and is a world apart from anything I have owned before … I do agree with you on the other points you made - especially about giving, looking after your family and so on....You are so right
I like it that you’re asking these questions. I am in the market for my first 5000 dollar watch and i’ve struggeld most with no 3. I have a wife and kids, so spending 5K on a watch means i wont get to spend it on them. It’s all about finding a balance. Cant be to egotistical Cant never give yourself anything
Fantastic video. I'm yet to see this topic covered elsewhere in this manner. I have to agree with all of the points that were brought up💯 I'd also add that there is just so much variety and "awesomeness" to be had at the lower to mid end($100- $1000) of the price spectrum, that I'd be a lot more tempted to spread that $5000 over many watches instead of blowing it entirely on one. 10x great sub $500 watches would be my cup of tea ☕ We are "collecting" after all... And collecting generally implies that a collection is what we have (or are working towards)... It'd be damn difficult for most individuals to justify a collection of watches each costing $5000. Keep the awesome content coming. This is the most kickass watch channel on UA-cam. Regards Alawhie 🇿🇦
A lot of people have mentioned that you could (and probably should) ask these same questions if you're buying large quantities of affordable watches, and I think that's a very good point. $5,000 worth of affordable watches will be unlikely to hold much value if you needed to resell them. Maintenance costs on a large collection of affordable watches also add up. Stewardship comes into play in building an affordable collection as well. It's good to be aware of how much you're spending on affordable watches and what else you could use that money on. How this applies to my own collection, I plan to discuss that a bit when I do my State of the Collection video, so stay tuned! Some really good discussion and comments, thanks guys!
Some thanks should go to you for bringing some of these issues to light, Dave. It's actually refreshing to discuss and- hash out- these moral and ethical decisions we make when making "luxury purchases."
Quite a bit of a deeper take than most watch channels would be willing to go for, I appreciate it.
IF you collection was all mechanical sure but your maintenance costs go waaay down the second you look into something like solar where the only maintenance should be a battery replacement and seal restoration every 10 years. Also if you break or lose one watch you're not instantly out $5K. Just the value of the one watch.
Plus lets face it. if your buying watches for resale your doing it wrong and you should never buy watches to tick boxes so allot of the stuff that ends up in your collection long term is stuff you usually keep. If I learned anything in my 43 year its that collecting for monetary reasons is the WORST WAY TO INVEST MONEY for most people. You end up with closets full of boxes of unopened stuff you don't both to enjoy to hope 20-30 years from now people will still collect it. Dosen't happen. Often you end up with valuless fads or ageout properties that no one wants anymore.
I've seen that with my Macross toys, transformers, Gi Joes and in video games. People are REALLY going to get burned on games soon. The same hacks that speculated and killed trading cards and comics are now getting into video games. The idiots who paid over 1 mill for Mario 64 already lost their shirts when a second one went for less than half that. Plus its Super Mario 64. It was a pack in game on the N64. How many SEALED versions of that game exist out there? Hundreds? Thousands?
So with watches unless you've got knowledge, cash and connections I really just recommend buying what you like, enjoy them, attach memories to them and pass some of them down to your family. Otherwise your just a horder who might get lucky but more often than not lose money. Anyone good at making money at it have already opened watch stores which is maybe what a person should be trying to do than investing in physical goods.
@@swilkobarfingtoniii1642 collecting watches has nothing to do with morality. It’s really disappointing to see religious thinking go into places it does belong. If you want to argue ethics just go on Twitter or some philosophy forum. He could’ve just had three points, but it never ends there with fundamentalist.
@@mariog1490 as a Christian, collecting watches can be a morality issue, like all things. Excessive consumption however you want to define it is a moral matter. This discussion certainty belongs here. If it offends you, Sorry, but it shouldn't. It's a valuable conversation.
@@jonirwin7316 moral conversations don’t belong everywhere. The fact that you think they do reveals your fundamentalism. Buying your favorite pillow isn’t a moral conversation. Listing the presidents of the United States isn’t a moral conversation. Your favorite watches aren’t a moral conversation.
For me life is all about balance. I’m approaching 50 and had recently purchased my first luxury watch. It’s in recognition of the stress, long hours and commitment I’ve put into my career and family. I’ve worn Seiko / Casio for most of my life. My new purchase gives me a sense of achievement every time I put it on in the morning.
That's awesome brother! I'm sure you deserve it, may it continue to bring you joy for many years to come.
What did you buy? If I may ask
Well said.
Enjoy.
I truly believe that encouraging people to collect affordable watches is a disservice to the watch-loving community. They lose almost their entire value in a blink of eye. They also need maintenance (if automatic) and this is definetely not a cheap thing to do. Talking about Jesus and collecting goods (being attached to material goods) is at least paradoxical. Building a collection of affordable watches makes absolutely no sense as it also can hurt your family's finances in the long run. Patience and learning about quality is the key. Save for some years and buy a watch you can give to your son when he graduates, or use it in a similar way. I'm not against buying affordable watches, but please do not build an entire collection around this concept because you're burning hard-earned money. I'm old and I've seen this before a lot of times and this is just heartbreaking.
@@juniorgallo8786 very good points there Jamil, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter. I agree with you there certainly is a place for a high quality luxury watch and purchasing something that retains value is certainly advisable over buying things that don't.
Sadly they aren't for everyone though I offered one to my father, it would be much easier to justify one for him than myself but the stubborn old boy doesnt want one, he recently went down the iWatch path and loves all the features... Now if Rolex could make a watch with paywave and all the sensors I might be able to convince him.
What a pleasant surprise to hear a popular youtuber speak so candidly about being a Christian! Too few Christians are mindful of how we are called to put the needs of others before our own desires. Good stuff, man.
Not just Christians - anyone of faith should remember their faith in every decision. Thank you for reminding me, Dave.
Love interpretation of the “ Steward Principle " you mentioned Dave. My most expensive watch cost me $500. USD. I don't think I'm ever going beyond that. I find much satisfaction with my Entry Level and Micro Brand prices.
Must admit that whilst I would love an omega, and it would be a one off special for me, I find some of these other review channels casually flipping watches worth thousands without a care in the world as bordering on obscene.
The amount of money wasted on watches that mean so little to those guys could feed a whole starving village for years.
I don't begrudge people buying something special, I'd do it myself if I didn't have other priotities, but there's a point when it starts to feel distasteful to me.
Dave, I appreciated your thoughtful reasoning on this. I believe you are the only UA-cam watch geek I’ve listened to that has included the the larger (and more mature) view of keeping luxury watch buying balanced with other higher moral priorities. Egocentrism in this field is a dangerous trap-and you have eloquently articulated that. Good for you (and us)!
Makes me want to take my loving wife on a vacation to Germany and be content looking down at my Sinn on my wrist instead of spending it on a GO.
Thank you!
The phrase “I’m a Christian and therefore I take the teachings of Jesus very seriously…” is really nothing to do with being Christian specifically but rather could apply to anyone. The phrase could be “I’m a caring human who wants to invest to helping people rather than blowing it on luxury” and can also be applied to atheists like me. But thank you for bringing up the morality of luxury items. No other watch people seem to bring this up.
I prefer that statement, thank you
I tell my Brothers in Faith (whatever that is to you) that atheists will be in Paradise. I catch heck for that but if you read Jesus words (as opposed to the words of the pointy hat dudes) you will quickly see God ONLY cares about the intent of your heart. Jesus said the most lyingest people on Earth are the RELIGIOUS. LUKE, chapter 12 V#1. Peace be to you Sir.
No, the Christian part really matters, because Jesus teaches rejection of materialism, to the extent that he wants the poor to give away what little they have to spare (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). Luxury purchases are much more compatible with Ayn Rand's Objectivism, for example, than with an honest Biblical interpretation of Christianity. I'm an atheist in part due to having given up trying to reconcile Biblical Christianity with modern concepts like slavery being morally abhorrent, capitalism producing better outcomes than communism, and sciences like astronomy, geology, and biology.
@@timewave02012 fedora tipped good sir
Tipping my fedora to you
One day a grand seiko, but yes still probably not. But can't hurt to dream.
The Grand Seiko 9F series is a great option as you can easily find them at a 1.5K starting point. I truly believe that encouraging people to collect affordable watches is a disservice to the watch-loving community. They lose almost their entire value in a blink of eye. They also need maintenance (if automatic) and this is definetely not a cheap thing to do. Talking about Jesus and collecting goods (being attached to material goods) is at least paradoxical. Building a collection of affordable watches makes absolutely no sense as it also can hurt your family's finances in the long run. Patience and learning about quality is the key. Save for some years and buy a watch you can give to your son when he graduates, or use it in a similar way. I'm not against buying affordable watches, but please do not build an entire collection around this concept because you're burning hard-earned money. I'm old and I've seen this before a lot of times and this is just heartbreaking.
@@juniorgallo8786 Exactly if you have limited means a grand Seiko quatz IS the only way to go if you're going to do ir. You can almost maintain the thing yourself and if its dose need service its going to be rare.
Yes it won't hold value like an auto but how much value gets lost in doing the maintenance on the bloody things? I love Autos but I'm learning that having a large collection them is literally owning ticking timebombs. Honestly all these youtube watch channels ARE NOT even considering what maintenance might cost down the road or they're flipping so much they don't experience it.
Honestly I think its why most old school collectors only owned a few watches cause they knew a mechanical watch was not a one time purchase, It was only the first payment.
@@loganholmberg2295 9F movements are supposed to last at least 50 years without servicing, according to Seiko. They are solid well made watches and they won't cost you 5k. Automatic watches will need care and regular service, but with modern oils, IF they're not in regular use, you can stretch to a ten years intervals if you keep them stored in those air-tight plastic bags in a dry place. It helps to keep them lubricated. If you plain to store them long term it's pobably a good idea wind them up twice a month to get all those gears oiled. Changing the position you store it everytime you wind up a watch is also helpful, so wind it up and store it chrystal up, the next time crown down, then case back up and finally crown up, repeat, I do it clockwise. Making friends with good honest watchmakers is a good idea, they are scarce. Thanks for the feedback.
I'm also thinking Grand Seiko or nothing haha. Maybe one luxury watch in my life and I want to quit from watch collecting if thay happens because if I'm spending that much money, I'm wearing it for the rest of my life.
@@alexlilano1931 that butter smooth spring drive
You totally got me with the God and “Is it right?” question…I think about that one the most actually. There is not a more fulfilling feeling to me anymore in life than to give service and help others with my earnings. I feel like that always wins out if you you’re wondering what the RIGHT thing to do is. I imagine having a Rolex or something doesn’t feel THAT much better to have on my wrist anyway than my Hamilton or Seiko. Thanks so much for the good message this morning!
I totally agree about setting your priorities first and also keeping in mind the fact that no watch you give you happiness if you're not at peace with yourself and others. In the other hand if you're into automatic watches, you'll have to spend money with servicing every 3-7 years (depending on movement, how often you use it etc), sometimes the service cost will pair or even exceed what you had paid for the so-called "affordable" watch itself. So, the way I see it, it makes no sense collecting disposable goods. In this case, you'd better save and wait, even if it takes some years, and then buy a watch that can somehow retain it's value and last some generations if proper care is taken. Christian values have a very positive impact in civilized societies if you take a social approach to what Jesus really meant. But it's tricky: watch collecting can be a pitfall if you're driven by christian guilt because you can end up with a lot of watches you can't resell and this also has an impact in your family finances. Collecting, by itself, cannot be seen as a christian behaviour, it means you're somehow emotionally attached to an inanimate object, a very material-oriented attitude towards life if you look deep into it. Sorry, I wrote a book but I'm 50 yo and I've seen so many watch lovers collecting dozens of watches they can't sell just because they feel bad and guilty spending money in a high-quality watch, it's just heartbreaking. Sometimes patience and thinking long-term is the right thing to do.
@Dan M Sorry man, It was a total misunderstanding, right? I was SO astonished with this horology-theology theory that i just got it in the opposite way, sorry again.
I mean, the Dalai Lama has a Patek and various popes have had some nice time pieces although it appears the current one wears a Casio. I think like most things it all depends. I really like that I have time piece that I can pass down that future generations would be proud to have. I also love my Seiko's but they will probably just end up in a drawer or the trash when the future generation needs to service them.
Just last week I was at a shop in Japan and had a great conversation about watches with the guy in the shop comparing his Oyster Perpetual he inherited from his grandfather to my Datejust.
Ask God what's more sinful. Is it more greedy to own 10 cheaper watches or just one expensive one. How many do you need?
In 10 years when you have thrown away the worn out cheaper ones , isn't that more wasteful and bad for our environment than keeping just one watch for life.
The "feeling" of the Rolex to me, is the honeymoon period. The beginning is so exciting, but after 6 months you can sell it, say, "I've been there, done that". and move on to achieve other things.
Great video Dave as always mate.
I must say, its a very difficult position to be in (as a Christian) deciding whether or not you should outlay a large some of money into a luxury watch or not.
The conviction of the heart is always the best judge in any man.
Follow your personal conviction my friend and don't be swayed by others...as I can see you are not 👍.
Personally I have always held to the belief that if I cannot afford it, I cannot have it.
That should apply with anything I have or own.
Like you said in your video, there are other more important issues in life that need our finances rather than our hobbies.
Once again, thanks for sharing Dave 🙏
You're right on all accounts. Part of this 'bug' is just appreciating the marvels that can be created...technologically and aesthetically. The majority of people who are enthusiasts can't and don't buy these watches. The majority of people that do buy these watches aren't enthusiasts. That's the way is it...same with cars...mechanics don't drive Ferraris, Ferrari owners don't know a wrench from a hammer.
When I was a young man I used to covet things like expensive cars and jewelry. The epitome for me back then were things like Patek perpetuals and the like. As I aged and travelled the world I began to realize that my priorities were changing... I seemed to need "luxury" less and less, instead I became more interested in "quality." No need to explain that concept, it's pretty obvious.
Dave, you made a good point about maintenance costs. People always seem aware that buying something like a Ferrari is going to come with ridiculous maintenance costs, but never consider it when buying a watch. If you drop a Patek Phillipe Perpetual, prepare to pay a pretty penny (OK, got the alliteration out of my system...)
Just a sidenote here: The development of clocks and mechanical timekeeping were very much driven by the needs of religious institutions to keep track of time for their highly regimented lives.
Just got the Omega Aqua Terra for a 10 year wedding anniversary, absolutely love it. Not only is it a functional piece of art, it carries so much meaning to me and it’s something I will have forever, and hopefully give it to my son one day! I agree 100 percent with the points in this video though. When it finally came time to pull the trigger I had to sleep on it an extra night just to make sure it was the right thing.
That's a great watch! On my short list of luxury watches if I ever go there! Congrats on 10 years!
And thats the way to do it. Buy it to celebrate something. Not a collection investment. Congrats on the 10 years!👍👍
Your son will pawn it off for pennies.
@@zackinblack lol
Simply answering your questions Dave:
1. NO, not now, not in the future
2. NO, I barely struggle to maintain my car and that costs much less.
3. YES, no problem with that
4. YES, but I'd probably be afraid to wear it as much as I would like.
I love watches, I own a bunch of affordable ones that I really love and I like swapping them on my wrist according to my mood. Justifying the purchase of a luxury watch, you say 5.000, I say even 1.000 or 2.000, for me is impossible. Sure, I'd love to have one, but I don't believe I'd ever be able to enjoy it. Kind of buying a Ferrari that I cannot maintain or even refuel, what's the fun in it just looking at it in box?
I also don't like at all the other idea, of having a single watch collection. Like fe. to sell all my affordable watches and buy the luxury one....no, thanks, I'd never do that. My experience has made that clear to me.
By the way, I have another thing to point out. It's my personal opinion of course, but I really do not think that the prices of these watches reflect the actual reality or even true quality of these items. I personally feel like been fooled when companies ask these incredible amounts of money for whatever item that may be. I hope you get my point.
#3 I have never heard anyone in the community speak about this and was shocked and then delighted to hear your thoughts. 100% with you and great to share a little bit of your faith. Lots of respect for you.
Same
@Dan M Not really because he was talking about the ethics (for him) of spending $5k on a luxury and ultimately not completely necessary purchase. Christianity talks a lot about money and what you do with it so I guess for him this point is important.
Not religious, but I like to buy a watch to reward myself after hitting a financial milestone.
It keeps things in perspective and keeps me motivated.
For example, becoming debt free, having a fully funded e-fund, college fund fully funded for my son, every time my retirement savings increases by a given amount.
It's neat to be able to look down at my wrist and remember the hard work and discipline that has gotten me to this point. It gives me gratitude for the past and motivation to keep going.
How old are you?
Wow I was having a similar discussion just last night (I'm watching this video at 3:45am). You raised two of the points I pointed out why I may not get a luxury watch (the first two) and two that i hadn't. That one on stewardship really hit home cause I've been in a position where I needed help from others and now that I'm in a better place financially I make it an imperative to do the same for others so getting a luxury timepiece will not fit into that equations
There's nothing better than being able to help others after you've received help in the past!
Great topic, especially from a Ytube content creator. Usually, they are the ones hyping up that need for a luxury watch. Due to my smaller wrist I ended up in with 36mm really expensive options.
Then I bought Casio f91w and I couldn't be more happier.
Having a part of history and culture that is affordable and usable is more than I ever wanted.
Bringing ethics and sacred realities into the equation is so good. Thank you. Teddy B has also done this in a few of his vids. I so appreciate it.
Lovely to have a fellow Christians perspective on this. I too have this battle when spending money on watches, I think it's because I know what I spend money on shows where my heart is. My heart should be set on Christ and the way I use my money should reflect that. Great to hear you speak of your faith Dave keep it up 💪
Amen!
Massive round of applause for taking on this moral maze. Much agreement and so refreshing. I was a fan, I'm now a big fan.
I perform a similar inventory before making a watch purchase of any sort. I’m the only one in the house that benefits from them!
To help offset concerns about upkeep and maintenance, I typically only purchase watches with off-the-shelf movements. If one breaks, I’ll be able to swap the movement out at home.
Really enjoyed this video. This corner of watch collecting doesn’t always see a lot of light, and it’s a pleasure to see that there are other collectors out there that can enjoy the hobby without the typical epicurean trappings. Keep up the good work!
Bringing he teachings of Jesus into this conversation is so unique and refreshing, at least for me as a fellow Christian. Once we think about what Good we could do with that kind of money, a wrist watch seems really unimportant. 🙏
Totally agree Brother!
Yup. I loved it. Was considering buying more expensive pieces but bringing up the teachings of Jesus really hit me hard.
Years ago I went BIG into luxury timepieces. Over the years I owned watches from Rolex, Omega, JLC, Patek, AP, and ALS. I enjoyed them, but just never bonded with any of them. Then, about a year ago I paired the collection back to just a couple high-end pieces and couldn’t be happier. I now wear a Tudor BB58 blue dial almost every day and love it. It’s not super expensive (about $4,000) so I don’t have to worry too much about it. Sometimes less is more.
This is why I subbed to your channel Dave-san ... your willingness to explore subjects beyond the basics of the wristwatch itself. Advance congratulations on the upcoming 50k subs. Best wishes from Malaysia 🇲🇾😊👍.
15 years ago, thinking of buying ANY Seiko or Citizen would be expensive enough for me to consider it a luxury purchase. Nowadays I'd consider buying a vintage Omega on the used market without considering the purchase a big sacrifice (depending of the price, of course). One thing I'm sure: there's no chance I'll ever pay the retail price for a brand New luxury timepiece.
I go back and forth on this quite a lot myself. Part of me thinks it's obscene to spend large amounts of money on luxury goods, but part of me also thinks that life and the world are hard enough and if you've got the money then an occasional treat is good for the soul. Who knows what the right answer is here, there probably isn't one?
Great comments! Before starting to watch your channel, I had a 6 watch collection, the cheapest of which cost me $ 2000, half my watches cost over $ 10,000. It took me almost 20 years of saving to accumulate this collection. Since staring to watch your channel I've acquired a further 3 watches, the 3 combined cost just north of $ 1500. That's less than I spent servicing my most expensive watch this year.
Your videos have helped with my understanding of the world of watches, they are a very welcome part of my week, and I always get something out of them. This topic is rarely done and merits attention. Thanks!
Great video Dave! I've been reading through some of the comments and it seems your "Prophecy" of point #3 being controversial came true! 😅 As a Bible believing Christian myself, I agree with point #3. It is definitely something I've had to constantly check myself with. Over the past number of months, I've been saving "extra" money towards the purchase of my first luxury watch (Cartier Santos) and was about half way there when a complete stranger decided to buy it for me! Needless to say, I am blown away that this happened! As you mentioned, God, Church, Family, Charity, etc come first in the use of any finances God blesses us with. I think there are many variables that come into play when purchasing a luxury watch or any luxury item but in the end if it was purchased in accordance and within the boundaries of biblical principles (like what you mentioned in point #3) I don't see any problem with it. Thanks for sharing this perspective!
For me I’d rather have 1 or 2 watches that are “luxury” than a collection of 20 just cheap watches
If you own and service a few luxury pieces every five to ten years (really, you should) is comparable. Budget watches movements are just swapped. Until they're no longer available. I have a few luxury pieces, plus some Seiko's I wear on and in the water:)
No I think most people has the same thought like you . Just a normal thing .
The thing is once you start it, you are not gonna end it in 1 or 2
@@hrs.ai2018 why do you say this? You can stop at one if you want.
@@jonirwin7316 it almost like smoking 🤣
Dave, it's an absolute pleasure to hear your thoughts on this as a fellow Christian. I'm probably never gonna make it to a luxury watch either, but you know what? Can't take those things with us to heaven, so I think I'm ok with that! (What would you even do with a luxury watch in heaven? Use it to fill the pothole in the street of gold?) 😂 Thank you.
I don't think there will even be a pothole 😂 Good to hear from another fellow Christian here too!
As a Muslim, that third point hit home. Is it morally right to buy a luxury piece, when i should be helping others and providing charity? I have been given gifts by God, am I to spend them exclusively on myself?
Tell that to your Gulf buddies, mate.
@@panaceiasuberes6464 well, one reason i dont associate with them
God bless you Brother. I am a Christian but I do not call myself that. Radical Christian fundamentalism is the EXACT same thing as radical Muslim fundamentalism. Violence is their calling card. My Doctor is a Muslim Brother and we talk about the Prophet (Blessing be to his name) and about Jesus. You catch hatred everyday from the racist morons that populate a very large portion of this country.. All of God’s children need to come together. We will need each other in the coming horrors of future as it unfolds. All of God’s deepest blessings I wish and pray for you and your family. We will survive this and I will look forward to meeting your family far better place. Peace to you!
@@jazzman5598 peace be to you as well bro. Really glad Dave is outspoken about his religion, its lovely
Thanks for this! It's great to see the areas our faiths overlap, when so often all we hear about are the conflicts! God Bless!
LOL no one dares to jump into the topic head on. The questions should be , do you have the freakin money? If you need to save, borrow, pay installment, most probably you should not ( I say most probably cos you might need it for something more important if you dont have 5 k lying around). If you have the money and have nothing more to do with it, then go for it.
There are no moral right or wrong in buying an luxury item. Remember the old lady that has 2 coins, and she donate 1 to the temple? Bear in mind she is poor, she might have a family, and house to pay, kids to feed etc etc, same as all of us. Now would you give off 50% of what you have? I dare to say even most pastors and leaders wont do that. You know that Seiko you have, do you know how many poor African child you can feed with that, why you are not selling them?? Helping does not count amount, its from the heart (make sure ur heart is on the right place lol).
And finally feeling.. Buying anything, especially luxury is just so that you can feel good. Its just a feeling. The new fridge, the entertainment set, the holiday you want, its all about feeling good. Can you feel good without all of those?? Yes of cos, but we need to be realistic here right. My point is, the question that should be ask is that do you need all this (luxury watch in this case) to feel good? If you cant be happy with a Seiko or Casio, a Rolex dont do much better for you. Cos its just wont stop, a more expensive watch, car, house, holiday, more beautiful wife, successful husband etc. NOW, finally what happen when you own it, what happen next? You get your next one. It will never ends.
But if you have the spare cash, and admire the quality and craftmanship of a Rolex, heck go get one, I know I will lol. We just needs to be wise in our decision, thats why God give us wisdom. And choice. (well I admit i made a few bad choices regarding buying watches, but heck, its life, you fall, you learn)
If we’re thinking of the same story, she put both coins in the collection box. Regardless of anyone’s moral standing on issue, you should have an emergency fund with 6 months of savings before (and after) spending on luxury items.
For the purpose of telling time, anything above a $50 Casio is superfluous.For the purpose of transportation, anything more than a $27,000 Toyota Camry or Prius is ridiculous
Watch collecting or any other hobby is fueled by passion, research, hunting, sharing and experiencing. Life is short and meant to be experienced by living your best life.
I don't believe you got his point. Just because you have the money, doesn't mean you can afford it. Like he said, it's about stewardship.
It is just jewelry. Even tool watches from say Rolex are not really tools. Some of the designs are iconic but it is not like someone is going to dive with their submariner, or climb Everest with explorer. Once I thought that a luxury watch could be a good gift to pass on to your child, but you can also take that money and invest into college fund or maybe add to down payment on summer house or get a boat. Lastly, I sort of agree, you can also just give that money to charity. It is not a matter of religion, it is more about just realizing that luxury watch will tell you the same time as 20 dollar Casio but 5 k worth of food will feed a lot of hungry children.
Dave, I’m encouraged that you have incorporated your Christian faith in a few videos of late. I do know that talking about faith can be received in many different ways, but I find that you do it in a firm yet respectful manner. About luxury watches, I’ve come to the conclusion that I simply wouldn’t be able to properly enjoy owning a luxury watch. Probably the most important aspects of owning a watch for me is to feel that I have gotten a good deal and value for money. I just have a hard time envisioning that a watch costing $1000 would be good value for money. As a watch enthusiast, I understand that some watches are objectively and market-wise worth the price. From what I have learned, watches from Sinn, Damasko, Tudor, Omega, etc are all probably worth their asking price. I actually admire many models from these and other comparable brands. I just don’t think I would be able to enjoy owning one 🤷
I find the chirping of VaLuE fOr mOnEy to be laughable. Literally _any_ price is asked for a watch and watch idiot savants will clap like seals claiming it’s a steal. LOL. What do they base these claims on?
@@Mister_Phafanapolis Well, I disagree. But okay, sure.
I truly believe that encouraging people to collect affordable watches is a disservice to the watch-loving community. They lose almost their entire value in a blink of eye. They also need maintenance (if automatic) and this is definetely not a cheap thing to do. Talking about Jesus and collecting goods (being attached to material goods) is at least paradoxical, if not hypocritical. Building a collection of affordable watches makes absolutely no sense as it also can hurt your family's finances in the long run. Patience and learning about quality is the key. Save for some years and buy a watch you can give to your son when he graduates, or use it in a similar way. I'm not against buying affordable watches, but please do not build an entire collection around this concept because you're burning hard-earned money. I'm old and I've seen this before a lot of times and this is just heartbreaking.
Fully agree. Thank you for your courage in posting this video on our faith and watches! To me, a watch is already a luxury to me. Having a luxury watch will be luxury². Haha.
@@juniorgallo8786 I believe some common terms and grounds need to be established for our views of what our watchboxes look like. Team Affordable doesn't want an unlimited number of watches and Team Luxury doesn't have unlimited money to buy whatever they want so both are limited to some sort of ideal collection size. What is it then, three, five, ten watches? More? Does that number change if they're affordable of luxury? Using Dave's number of $5,000/watch, luxury guy would have between $15,000 and $50,000+ in watches. Affordable guy is not going to spend anywhere near that much on his collection of $300, $500, $800 maybe all the way up to $2,000-ish watches. Therefore the Affordable vs. Luxury argument is actually about how to spend a single $5,000: on a One Watch Collection or on a curated collection of different styles and purposes.
Next point is: Are luxury watches "worth it" and represent a reasonable increase in quality relative to their additional cost? Their relative "value." This is a completely different discussion and not for right now.
As for 'passing it down' and 'only looking after it for the next generation:' Your children will care about your watch because it's _your_ watch and not because it's a Breitling, Omega or Rolex. It's sentimentality is not tied to it's monetary worth, it has generational appeal because the wearer has rubbed off on the piece. It was dad's favorite. Why would the money value matter on a heirloom if you never want to part with it and cash out?
Great content and its a question I’ve asked myself a few times. In my opinion, and as I push towards the big 6 0, I am more inclined to spend money on experiences rather than more ‘things’. I had saved up some cash thinking about a luxury watch purchase but the money is now going to be spent on a two week tour across Route 66 on a Harley next May. I’ve only ever been to Florida (live in Scotland) so looking forward to experiencing more of the US. Oh and I’ll probably wear a G Shock on the trip. I’m hoping that the memories of the trip will last a lifetime as opposed to a short honeymoon period looking at a new watch. Thanks for helping to reaffirm my choice 😃🏍
What pushed me over the edge on luxury watches: Value retention.
What does a luxury watch really cost? The watch is not disposable, there is a significant investment however if you sell out of it, typically you'll get most of your money back or in very rare cases, will make money on the watch. This assumes you do not keep it or screw it up. If I need that $ for literally anything else (do I owe anyone) then its a no. But it took a long time to become comfortable with the idea and it adds a level of seriousness to this hobby that is not always pleasant.
Thanks that was very refreshing! End of the day the majority of people are working class and £5000 or $5000 is a huge amount of money for something that will only really benefit you.. maybe have both? Buy a watch that holds value and when it’s time to go holiday just sell the watch. That way you’ve experienced both
Great video! Reminds me if the old saying "Be careful about your dreams, they might come true." and the economic concept of opportunity costs. Now I like my affordable watches even more, knowing that I spent most of my money for more worthy causes.
Great video man, I specially love point #3 and #4! ❤️
My sticking point was always the cost of ownership. Always wanted a Tag Heuer Aquaracer, finally took the plunge & bought a Tag Heuer Carerra which was costlier but with a much better deal. Super pleased with the purchase, wish I'd bought one years ago but it does make me smile.
I want one! How do you like it so far?
Really good video with great questions that would make anyone think a few times before making a final decision. For me, the real problems begin when I see great value watches between $1000-$2500. Then the questions become a bit harder to answer. Plus there are so many watches in this range that you come across that I consider luxury in a sense.
A thought provoking video, thank you 👍 . The third and fourth points are really the most important, but the second is really worth telling people. I do own a Rolex, but I bought it so long ago, it was relatively inexpensive, my first service was just over £100 and the most recent £500 and it's a lot more now!
I think about this often, since I have a modest middle class income, and I'm obsessed with watches. Of course with a healthy amount of watch based media from day to day, one must say no to 99% of the watches one may want to own. But less than one year into collecting, I bought a used Omega Aqua Terra. I have 14 other watches of the affordable variety, My Omega is the gem of the collection on many levels. It brings me a lot of fuzzy feelings, kinda like climbing the ropes in gym class.
This video is legit. Each of the questions posed by Just The Watch should be asked by anyone looking to buy a very expensive luxury item.
I support several charities-my favorite is Rolex, which is also a charity 😄!
😂
Absolutely fantastic video Dave and point number three has always been the thing that makes me also doubt that I will ever buy a watch that costs 5 grand or more. I think my limit will be a grand and that won’t happen that often either. Thank you for sharing your faith and how that factors in the decision, you aren’t alone in that my bro!!!
Love this, Dave! Thanks for the thought-provoking reflections!
A man with excellent life balance and sensibility. Not something I have seen often in this world (let alone on UA-cam aka MeTube)
The most important element for me is value. You can get so much value under $500 or even $250, I simply can't see myself spending $10,000 or $20,000 on a watch that barely offers minor improvements that I probably can't noticed without a microscope.
Thank you for an honest, thought provoking reflection. I admire your values. Give up on my watches? I would do anything for Charity, but I won't do that!
Great video Dave. Me personally, I would feel guilty spending that kind of money on myself and not sharing it with my loved ones. But, as long as someone does not go into debt for a luxury item, then good for them 😊👍
I really enjoyed this video, in fact, I watched it on my TV last night and since I can't add comments from it, I made it a point to add one for you today on my PC. It takes a humble person with a strong character to address these topics in a very public forum like this and I applaud you for it. I have personally thought about every single one of these points during my time as a collector. I also believe they are all very valid and applicable for life in general, not just watches. I especially enjoyed your topic of stewardship, you are dead on and you explained it very well. Every time I "level up" in my watch collection purchases, I check that and pray about it. As a fellow UA-cam creator, I know and understand the feelings you get every time you post a video, especially one with content like this. Thanks again for sharing and for all of the content you produce. Have a great day. -David
Absolutely loved this video. When I first started collecting I thought I really wanted a Rolex. The more and I would see them, the less interested I became. My penchant for watches falls in line with mechanical hand wind watches and I have seen what Rolex has to offer and it 'says nothing to me about my life'.
I was taught that if you can’t buy something outright 3x over then you can’t afford it. There are exceptions like a home and primary vehicle. But anything beyond those two you should have the cash on hand and be able to buy three of them. Otherwise your money would be better spent elsewhere.
Good to see another man of faith sharing his conviction and beliefs! Christ's principle of stewardship has really been the biggest struggle I have in collecting watches 😅
Completely agree brother
@@jackiemoon_lms Selah, brothers.
I agree, but at the same time it's a reward for the added stress of career advancement. I feel like I earned it at this point in my life. Both older vehicles(2007, 1994) payed off, mortgage paid off, no CC debt. In every other facet, I live within my means.
I can get out of my watches at any time for an emergency. I look at it as wearing my savings acct.
100% I have many watches but even more than one is really a luxury.
@Dan M
I do.
Going on my 5th Honor Flight next month. $400 each one.
I reach out and help folks. My student was 12 hours from graduating college, got in a motorcycle wreck, got covid in icu, died a couple weeks later. Gave a good chunk to his daughter to help with expenses.
I am careful, where my money goes. 🙂
Great video! I have been on the fence about saving money for a Grand Seiko, and this video made me re-think whether I really want a Grand Seiko or not. I have seen my own comfort zone regarding price increase substantially since I began collecting watches, but I have not spent over $1000 on a watch yet. That seems to be my own current price threshold. 😁
Thanks Dave for another great video. Thoughtful and thought provoking, respectful of others with different situations in life. All valid questions that I would answer negatively. The questions could be used in other areas as well. I can appreciate the style and workmanship of a luxury watch or car but not want even the maintenance cost. I know someone that a few years back bought a $130K Porsche that was fully insured and in the first month drove it less than 50 miles because of concern for damaging it. Questions 1,2 and 4 are primarily financial.
Question 3 is the moral one that we often don't stop and consider but should. Thanks for sharing from the Christian perspective which I share and agree. We need to serve others with our resources and we need to be satisfied less by things and more by relationships. I would rather spend $5K to visit my son in southern Japan than have a Rolex any day!
Keep up the good work and blessings in Christ to you and your growing family.
Thank you for not being ashamed or pressured into remaining silent about your beliefs. Everyone from every belief system and every background should appreciate that. We need to get back to a world where people can truly speak freely.
Even if you are able to afford a luxury watch, i think it advisable not to. It needs to be remembered that many of todays luxury products like Omega, Rolex etc, used to be affordable tools. I firmly believe that there is little need to spend over $1000, or even $500 on a watch.
Couldn't agree more.
I just wrestled with this very thing. I passed on getting an omega for my 50th birthday to get something more affordable. The extra money I'm taking my family on a nice vacation. Great insight sir. Really enjoyed the video and I am now a subscriber!
All good points to think about especially as a Christian. Thanks, Dave.
Wow, when did religion have anything to do with watches :)
@@zaedlo "religion" or better Faith in Christ has everything to do with everything!
@@zaedlo if you have nothing good to say shut it
I owned a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Ref 15200 from 1999. Bought for 3300€. Still wore SEIKO for day date function. Sold the Rolex for 3800€. 💪
Some thought provoking stuff. I actually enjoy the thrill of 5he affordable chase as much as the watch itself
Great video Dave , it was nice to see you being completely sincere on your point of view, despite knowing that your religious explanation on question 3 might be controversial for many.
Your questions are easy to understand and analize. Good balance between logic and faith. Its refreshing to see someone willing to speak on how God guides his life, even in small things like buying watches!
It all comes down to one thing : how much money you make
yeah. with a lots of money you can satisfy the needs and wants to yourself, family, friends and deserving people who really needs it and still can afford to buy luxury items.
I think number 3 really hits the nail on the head. If you can support your family, church, and other important pursuits and also buy a luxury watch, then go for it. If not, maybe think twice.
On the flip side, God gifted humans with creativity, ingenuity, passion, and joy. I don't think He has a problem with that looking like a beautifully crafted Rolex. Ensuring those other needs are met is the important consideration.
I love reason #3 on Stewardship. Our funds are means to accomplishing good things whether it's for your family or for society in general. It's not even necessarily even about religion.
I guess if I'm at a point where I've accomplished my responsibilities to my family and my community... and have enough to feel like buying a Grand Seiko is like buying a Seiko 5, then okay.
It's all relative though. To some people, even a Seiko 5 is already a luxury. It depends on where you are in life and what your income and responsibilities are. I guess the video also applies in answering the question: "Do you really want a _____?" (dropping the word Luxury)
It's extremely relative but definitely not only about religion. You will be hard pressed to find more greedy and egotistical people than many wealthy right wing American "evangilicals"!
(Nor anyone who misinterpreted the Bible more than them, lol)
The majority of people spend money on unnecessary items. Coffee every morning, a pack of cigarettes every week, fast food for lunch. All of which can be considered luxuries and certainly add up to a lot over time. I choose to spend my hard earned money on luxury watches and have had many over the years. I currently own a Royal Oak, a vintage Rolex 1016 explorer, a 67 Speedmaster 145.012, a Universal Geneve Polerouter, and I love owning them without guilt or regret. However, I am not a watch snob and also own various G-Shocks, a Seiko skx, and a Casio calculator watch, among others. Life is short. Work hard, take care of yourself, friends, and family, but buy what you want and what makes you happy.
For people like me I guess a $500 watch is luxury 😂. But I guess the same points work in this case too.
I agree! I will put in my 2 cents. I have wanted a Seiko Snowflake for over 10 years. I recently purchased a Borealis Neptuno Icy Frost with a similar dial for $ 290. I love it and with my over 50 year old eyesight I don’t even know if I could tell the difference in dials.
This video has come at the time when I have been drooling over the new no time to die Omega watch after watching the movie. Was thinking of a long term saving plan to buy it.
Now my perspective has changed. What you said perfectly makes sense with respect to a regular salaried person.
Keep up the amazing work. Kudos👍🏻
You can buy a fully serviced vintage omega for under 2k as well, so that might be a consideration.
Great Video Dave, you make some very good points, particularly on the moral issue. One thing I would add though is that I think it's about the overall amount of money you spend on watches, not just one luxury watch. You could spend $200 each on 25 watches & it could be argued this is worse than spending $5,000 on one watch.
I think I’m gonna stick to affordable watches as well, loosing 500$ on a watch is quite a chunk of money but not a heavy blow. But loosing $5k or $10k is money better spent somewhere else like improving quality of life for my family.
Great video mate, i agree that a lot of times the WCC (watch collecting community) can preasure you on How your collection should look. You dont need to break the bank to be a watch entusiast
I really love watches but once you start getting to the point where a watch costs the same as a car or more you can't justify it. I don't think luxury watches look better than budget watches and with some really good micro brand's I really couldn't justify the cost increase.
My most expensive watch is a Boldr Venture. $300. I can't justify even that because if I want to tell the time, I can just look at my smartphone. That's all a watch like this does. Might as well buy a $20 casio.
@@zahktuthalxalyrion6364 nice, I really like Boldr. Yes I know what you mean, you can literally find the time lot's of places.i recently got a Casio gmw 5610 and even though it was only £90 I had to justify it to myself as I have a young family and have more important things to buy.
@@davidbridge5652 Exactly! The closest I can come to justifying my Boldr is that since it uses an NH35a movement, it's easy to fix. So just every 3-5 years I'll have a watch repair shop look at it, perform maintenance, and I don't hafta worry about batteries. I could've bought other things with that $300, but I have a personal goal to reduce how much time I spend on my phone. If I dont use my phone to see the time, then I also won't see the notifications piling up.... lol
@@zahktuthalxalyrion6364 Haha that's a good excuse to get a watch. I would like to reduce the amount of time I spent looking at my phone however I end up watching UA-cam and watch videos. Maybe I need to get another watch, maybe an orient??
@@davidbridge5652 Orients ARE kinda pretty to look at. Really got some nice designs under their belt!
My pop gave me a Wenger quartz watch back in 2015, then used that watch for the next 6 years. In 2021, i bought a G-Shock 5610U to celebrate my graduation and to start my internship. For my 25th birthday, i'm looking forward to buy my first automatic/mechanical watch with Seiko SKX/GMT on my mind. Can't wait!
make a video to back this up.
like, instead of getting an Omega Seamaster 300M, get XXXXXXX watch instead.
Instead of getting a Rolex Explorer, get XXXXXXX Watch instead.
What for? there are other videos that do this.... I prefer this perspective, it's refreshing
@@bopie5172 why not? There are also tons of other Watch youtubers who made videos about "Why not to buy Luxury watches". I don't see any reason why JTW will not be able to make another video about alternatives to luxury watches.
I might try to tackle that someday. It's hard because there's so many price points and perspectives. But I'd be most interested in tracking down alternatives that are under $500 and not homages.
Thank you for sharing your faith. As a fellow follower I really appreciate your point of view. Opening yourself up to all of UA-cam shows faith and honesty. I've already been a SUB of yours for sometime now and I will advertise your channel as much as possible. Keep up the great work and sending prayers your way
Helping out your family and friends ( and people you don’t know) is always a better thing to do than spending money on overpriced luxury items - even for us atheists 😊
Doing the right thing is doing the right thing, and that's common across all faiths and none (as a fellow atheist, i accept that mine is a faith as much as anyone else's)
Yup, totally agree.
@@tobiasz6613 If atheism is a faith then abstinence is a sex position (or at least an alcoholic drink)...
The point is where moral obligation ends and morally voluntary act begins.
@@kostek4430 In what way is atheism not a belief bassed on faith? I have no more proof of my belif than anyone else does. I believe this existance is all there is, so there is a moral imperitive to do some good with it. I wasn't trying to hijack the thread into theology so much as saying whether it comes from a perscribed belief system (and I would observe that in the big picture, live a good life and give of yourself are the main teachings of all the faiths) or simply a personal understanding we (mostly) all regognise that giving of ourselves is part of the human condition, we all have obligations and choices to make. Peace my friend.
@@tobiasz6613 Atheism is a lack of belief in god, nothing more and nothing less. Your belief may be that there is no god - in such case it would be an anti-theism which is not the same thing.
My question more specifically would be to what price of a commodity can one spend before one tries to do good to others. If someone earns a lot and drives some V8 or larger vehicle can one buy a luxury watch, what if somebody only rides a bike - what should be his limit. This is just a free floating thought that I also ask myself.
For me, I like the highest value for the lowest price that I can find with everything. It's almost like a sport to be practical and thrifty as possible.
Function over form.
The pope is quite wealthy. King David I’m sure was quite wealthy. Maybe it’s just me David, but rule 3 seems to be coming from a fundamentalist perspective. I bet your kids have toys they don’t need. Aren’t those luxurious? You said you don’t want to step on anyone’s shoes but you brought morality into it.
I think you're on to some good points there Mario! I could definitely be sacrificing more for others. And that's something that I ought to continually work to improve in. For the purposes of this video on UA-cam however, I wanted to at least suggest that we should all be investing to some degree in supporting the poor, taking care of our family and giving back to God before we consider buying luxury items for ourselves. Given that I don't know the individual situations of the people watching this, I'm happy to leave it to them to decide in what proportions they ought to allocate their finances in those areas.
@@JusttheWatch I’m still not sure why the moral point is necessary. You probably have 5k in watches. I said it’s from a fundamentalist perspective because your taking a scripture - which has a beautiful tradition of being interpreted - and you encroached your interpretation as the correct and the finally moral one.
@@mariog1490 I'd love to hear your take on the parable! (Matthew 25:14-30)
@@mariog1490 It's hard to see eye to eye on subjects like these, but I think it fits more in line with this: Yes, the toys could be considered a luxury. But from a different perspective, they could be considered essential. Why? Development of the human body. Children need outlets to learn how to do different things, feel different ways, and understand how to express themselves. In that regard, toys can be considered essential regardless of someone's morals.
Watches on the otherhand...if you don't make a living off of it, then 5k worth of watches is likely one of two things: Poor Stewardship of your finances, or you are able to afford that on top of everything else and still save money for retirement. Which makes the question "Should you buy a luxury watch?" much easier to answer.
We live in the day and age of technology. We all carry smart phones on us, which will always be more accurate than any other time telling device we can access. Watches are, by definition, obsolete.
Everything we do is based on what we place value in, not really how we morally feel about it. Yes, some stuff is morals, but mostly it is value.
@@zahktuthalxalyrion6364 well, I was responding to the moral. I made that very explicit. There is also no data in psychology that suggests an abundance of toys is essential for the human body.
I was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020 on Remission since January 1st 2021 and yes i do want to buy a few luxury watches before I'm gone for good
I'll be a lot happier passing down to my children luxury watches than micro brands.
If you have to save-up for it, you can't afford it. Long live cheapo watches!
Well, answered no on the first question, so I guess I'm done there. No luxury watches for me 😢. But you made some really great points throughout the video. Most I'd be willing to spend is 300. Anymore and it's too much. Luckily these days you can get some amazing value watches for that price, especially if you shop pre owned
Great vid! I liked the idea of stewardship
Good questions, especially 3 and 4. The only reason I'd want a luxury watch is for status and I don't like that about myself so I won't do it.
Good points! I'm not religious, but I think it's important to consider helping those in need before indulging in unnecessary luxuries. Also, I think there is insurance for expensive watches that might alleviate the worry about losing it
David
I think your initial approach is right: it is your personal opinion, your own perspective.
In general I think having a luxury watch is beyond the expectation of loosing it or afford it. Affordability is taken care by financing and loosing it or damage it is taken care by taking care.
The sense of deserved ownership is missing in your video; I remember my boss telling me "David , you work so hard, you are a great professional, you deserve to have what you really want, what makes you feel proud of yourself, you are at this point in your career... etc etc"... I do believe he was / is right.
It is also about Quality no Quantity...
As a fellow Christian (LDS), I’ve had the same thought process. I can deal with the rest of the questions, but proper stewardship? …..yeah that’s a tough one to overcome. Maybe a $5k watch would be the limit. Currently I’m in the $1500 range. Anyway, kudos for freely expressing your religious beliefs. Rare these days. Keep up the great work!
With my first SKX I saw the longines legend diver as a Grail.We are doing a home loan & I'll be getting one.Cant see spending more on mutch more on a watch.A watch shouldn't be more Expensive than your car " in my opinion".....
Just to hear the words "I am a Christian" is an inspiration to other Christians who tune in.
With the likes of Casio Oceanus, Seiko Presage and some fun microbrands, I am very satisfied with my collection of affordables and have zero need for any luxury watches that provide you with only minimal improvements.
Great video brother, let’s face it, if you are really living for Jesus you can’t help but inject Him into all aspects of your life because He is our life! Great video, keep it up, God Bless from Wisconsin.
As a Christian i feel you can do both. Don't feel to guilty about enjoying life. Just never lose sight of others in need, be it financially or otherwise.
Thank you for this. I am a luxury watch collector and I really appreciate this. Another thing to keep in mind is that when you get that omega you will just start dreaming about that rolex. then that patek. etc etc..
I'm not religious myself but the stewardship point is really powerful - I admire how you express your reasoning without preaching to your audience, this may be your best ever post. I bought the 'Explorient' after seeing your vid and have been very happy with it. Happiness, success and all good things Dave, top man. 👍
I have an Oris Aquis, that’s as expensive as it gets for me. Point #3, great perspective brother.
Just finally got my Speedy 1861... At a 20% discount which is amazing... Yes it's too much money, but along with my G Shock and F91w casios, this is just such a stunning watch.... And will be in the collection forever... From my experience with Hamilton, Casio, Seiko - I end up selling everything after 6 months! This Omega is a keeper and is a world apart from anything I have owned before … I do agree with you on the other points you made - especially about giving, looking after your family and so on....You are so right
I like it that you’re asking these questions.
I am in the market for my first 5000 dollar watch and i’ve struggeld most with no 3.
I have a wife and kids, so spending 5K on a watch means i wont get to spend it on them.
It’s all about finding a balance.
Cant be to egotistical
Cant never give yourself anything
Fantastic video. I'm yet to see this topic covered elsewhere in this manner. I have to agree with all of the points that were brought up💯 I'd also add that there is just so much variety and "awesomeness" to be had at the lower to mid end($100- $1000) of the price spectrum, that I'd be a lot more tempted to spread that $5000 over many watches instead of blowing it entirely on one. 10x great sub $500 watches would be my cup of tea ☕ We are "collecting" after all... And collecting generally implies that a collection is what we have (or are working towards)... It'd be damn difficult for most individuals to justify a collection of watches each costing $5000.
Keep the awesome content coming. This is the most kickass watch channel on UA-cam.
Regards
Alawhie 🇿🇦