So you’re ready and serious about starting a luxury watch collection? As much exciting as it sounds, the journey can bring quite a few obstacles if you’re not careful. With large investments on the way, you need to be clever and knowledgeable. 

Here is a comprehensive guide that will list 5 important rules to remember before you start your luxury watch collection. It will pay to remember these things, so don’t skip on this post until you reach the very end. 

Complete Your Homework First 

• Having a solid foundation of knowledge will help you set off in the right direction. So research as much as you can because you’ll be spending thousands on your collection. The best way to gain knowledge is to browse the internet. 
• There are several dedicated resources and forums where watch collectors share their experiences with aspiring collectors like yourself. But don’t just limit yourself to the internet. Go to retailers and collectors and talk to them face to face to understand how to watch collecting works. 

You should ideally spend months on researching this hobby before you get into it. Our advice is to read as much as you can about watches and look at the different brands that are available.  

Buy What Attracts You Most 

• Never shell out thousands on a watch that you are not sure how it will look because you’ve never worn it. Avoid buying a watch just for the sake of investment because watch collecting has a lot to do with emotions.  
• Carefully invest your hard-earned money on watches that make sense to you. Don’t fall for gimmicks and other complicated add-on features. If you cannot appreciate or use the add-on features, it is likely best to avoid the timepiece.  

Instead of falling for materials, add-ons, and other complications, buy a timepiece that gives you pleasure wearing it. 

Don’t Worship Specific Brands 

• Brands like Rolex are on the top of everyone’s list but brands like Breguet, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin are strong competitors with hundreds of years of history behind them. Hublot, Tudor, and Bell & Ross are popular among younger collectors while independents enjoy collecting Parmigiani, Armin Strom, and MB&F.  

If you look carefully beyond the brands, you will find many surprises out there. The key is to look beyond the brands and find the rare timepieces that others miss. 

Stick To Your Budget 

• When collecting watches, the temptation can always get you to spend more than you can handle. There are always better options available in every price category, so make sure that you shop around carefully. 

It is perfectly fine to invest in a pre-owned luxury watch obtained from a reliable source on or off the internet. Lido Watch Club, for example, has some of the best pre-owned luxury watches available, acquired directly from their previous owners, and carefully checked before listed. 

Make Notes of Your Collection 

• Want to add more value and emotion to your watch collection? Pen a journal. Write a good story behind every timepiece you acquire and it will become a memory you’ll cherish forever. Sometimes the story attached with a watch can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars when sold simply because it had sentimental value. 

The goal is to give every one of your timepieces an individual story, a history, and an emotion so that it becomes more than just a watch.