Finally found peace - no more flipping

[yoast]

For some reason I feel like I need to get this off a chest and at the same time wondering if I am the only one suffering from this?
For the last 3 years I have been a major flipper, going through 3 different watches in a coupe of months during a several years period. I have no idea why but I just wanted to try all these watches to sort of satisfy an itch of some kind. I just couldn't find my peace with any watch and was always looking for the next best thing.
In the 2000"s I had only one panerai watch, which was my one and only and liked it a lot. Then my interest in watches grew and got my first Rolex, iwc and so forth... Sold them, but really loved the build quality of the Rolex, an explorer II black dial. I had sort of a mixed feeing shared by both Rolex and panerai, I loved the design of panerai and even the "wobble" of the 7750 auto movement inside. Then suddenly they started to feel too big to me, and I got really put off by the direction the company was going. The appeal disappeared and I turned to Rolex.
Got another explorer, then a gmt II, a sub, well, you get it, tried pretty much the entire range until I visited a well known vintage Rolex dealer here in HK where I live since a few years.
If you have ever been in HK and you are into watches AND you are a flipper, your wallet will get a hernia from folding it open too many times.
So I started with vintage... A 5513 amazing watch and birth year, too... Paid quite a bit for it, but it was one of the best examples I had ever seen, gorgeous...
Deep down inside I wanted a gmt, but finding a perfect birth year example was pretty much impossible to me at the time.
After about 6 months, I got a bit bored with the 5513, even though it was a birth year and gorgeous and special Bla Bla I wanted a gmt.
I passed by the same shop and waddayaknow, an amazing 16750 birth year gmt was sitting there, looking at me... Matte dial with orange / yellow patina, traded the 5513 and was a happy camper.
I have told myself never to sell that one and I still have it today. Really planning to keep it.
However, I still wasn't 100% satisfied and had a panerai left that I never wore anymore.
I never gave it much thought, but I had never tried a Daytona... I found an A series black dial 16520 and traded the panerai plus $ for it.
I think I can finally say that now I am a flipper no more. Somehow, since I got the Daytona, my collection feels complete! I can't get it off of my wrist for over several months, the longest time I have ever worn the same watch lol
If you are still here, thanks for reading my story and I guess the moral is that no collection is complete without a Daytona
Does anyone feel the same? Please reply if you do :) (also reply if you think I'm insane lol )
Thanks!

[RinkRolex]

Congrats! Not sure when my collection will feel complete. Actually, I know I could live with just an Explorer, but I keep searching. Maybe like you, I will feel complete with a Daytona. I've tried one on, but do not own one. Anyway, happy for you!

[antbkny]

so, will you be picking up a ceramic bezel daytona of they get announced this year at basel?

[kilyung]

It's always nice to hear satisfied collectors. We, each, have to work to get to that point and I for one am a long ways away (despite having had multiple Daytonas).

[superdog]

That's the Grail. Contentment.

[yoast]

Originally Posted by antNYC

so, will you be picking up a ceramic bezel daytona of they get announced this year at basel?

Don't get me started....

[travisb]

I'm not there yet but you've chosen a fantastic pair! Congrats!

[silverbullet818]

Like jock itch, the feeling of relief and contentment is temporal. Soon the itch will return.

Lol!!!!!

Til then, enjoy your state of zen! Who are you kidding? You are a WIS. A WIS not wuss!

[tkerrmd]

Huge congrats!

[WAK4]

I've got my core watches that aren't going anywhere, but don't see me stopping anytime soon. I've slowed myself down quite a bit, but the wheels still turn often enough.

That said, I was reading your post thinking "yeah right!" until you mention its been several months. If it was a week or two, I'd say you were still in the honeymoon period and I look forward to hearing about your next watch!

Sounds like maybe you really did find the sweet spot. Congrats and good luck!

[rolexnub]

Originally Posted by superdog

That's the Grail. Contentment.

Agreed

[yoast]

Originally Posted by WAK4

I've got my core watches that aren't going anywhere, but don't see me stopping anytime soon. I've slowed myself down quite a bit, but the wheels still turn often enough.

That said, I was reading your post thinking "yeah right!" until you mention its been several months. If it was a week or two, I'd say you were still in the honeymoon period and I look forward to hearing about your next watch!

Sounds like maybe you really did find the sweet spot. Congrats and good luck!

That's it, I have my "core" watches which I am totally satisfied with. They include the 16750 birth year gmt, a 16710 y series (was a daily beater) and now the 16520 Daytona. I think I might add a sub and be done!
I do gravitate more towards discontinued models ( I guess that's a good thing - well, sort of) which makes it a bit easier.

Lol about that honeymoon period... So recognizeable.... Good to see I'm not the only one lol

[Charlie_pace]

That's awesome! I am a musician, and have had that itch (we call it GAS [gear acquisition syndrome]) with musical gear. Sometimes, it felt like I was never satisfied. One day, I sold all my "average" stuff, and slimmed my collection to a few very nice "high end" pieces, and since then, I have had no desire to buy gear. This is coming from a guy, who was flipping/buying multiple times a month to a guy who hasn't bought anything serious in 2+ years.

[sickened1]

Congrats. I haven't found peace yet... the flip continues. When I find peace is when I stop coming here.

[Grey.Coupe]

Any thoughts of no longer being interested in acquiring new watches are brief and intermittent. And nearly always prove wrong.

[SemperFi]

Congratulations on achieving satisfaction with your Daytona.
As far as Rolex is concerned I am totally content with my Explorer 214270. I have no burning desire to own another Rolex since I feel that I have the best one made.
If I'm able to acquire a Black Bay Black sometime later this year I'll be perfectly happy to have a two watch collection.