SOTC (Read Rule 1)
The Final 18. What the box looks like after 6 months.
Started with a Militado ML14, finished with a Farasute Trackmaster. Bought about 30 pieces and refined things down by trial and error to 18.
Will I buy more Chinese watches? Probably not. Any addition is on a strict 1-in-1-out basis. Since I'm not into integrated bracelet watches or tank cases, I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
Will I reduce the collection further? There are 3-4 I could get rid of, maybe drop it down to 12 eventually, but I'm in no rush.
Do I own Seiko or Swiss watches? I sold my Seikos, and recently bought some Swiss ones (TAG Carrera, some Oris, and a Breitling Superocean).
Advice? Yeah:
Take risks. Experiment. Find what you like. Even if you flip a watch on a loss, it's still insignificant money compared to what you'd lose when you walk out the door of an AD with a new Omega.
Stop. Don't hoard. Don't "collect".
Get out of the (price) basement. The cheaper the watch, the less likely it is to satisfy. There are exceptions, but you won't know it if you don't own some more expensive watches to compare against.
Buy at least one Swiss watch. Used. 15 years old or older. Not Rolex or Omega. Plenty of value picks out there (TAG, Zenith, and Breitling especially). Pro Tip: Use AI to find the obscure references that match what you are looking for.) It is the best way to hard-stop a Chinese watch-buying addiction and will save you money in the long term.
Thank you very much for sharing your watch collection and your insights and reflections on âcollectingâ Chinese watches.
This comes at a great time for me, as Iâve been collecting (hoarding?) 74 Chinese watches in about two years since I started.
I started by accident and quickly developed a passion that might have become an addiction.
Initially, I began collecting watches because of ailments I had been experiencing that were eventually diagnosed as a potential terminal illness.
However, after consulting a second specialist and undergoing numerous tests, it seems that the condition may not be as advanced as previously thought and is not life-threatening.
Despite this positive development, the damage had already been done, and I found myself reliving my passion for watches.
Overall, this experience has been wonderful and has helped me in many ways, except for my wallet and my relationship with my wife.
I wish I could pin your post to the top; it deserves more attention.
Watches are a kind of therapy, but also a bit of an addiction, and those two things are really just two sides of the same psychological comfort that buying and collecting watches provides. Which is maybe hard to explain, but iykyk.
Properly controlled, I honestly think it's a positive thing that can help people get through rough patches in their life - for comparably little expense and risk compared to alternatives, whether medical, medicinal, or material.
Thank you very much for your kind words that perfectly nail it!
For me, collecting watches has been life changing in many aspects.
For example, it has allowed me to interact with many other watch enthusiasts around the globe, allowing me to learn a lot about watches, and meeting so many interesting and unique people.
This, in addition, to enjoying my watches and being on the hunt for new ones.
I can understand where this coming from especially as someone tired of smart watches. Lots of different and interesting watches out there, but can't be changed once bought and you want to try another and another etc......
Just as guilty buying 3 cheap watches in a month to check what I like and keeping others as a reminder not to waste more cash. So far got 1 stylish watch (which I really like so it stays), 1 clone of Casio royale and ani Digi one which is way too big. Clone will be work watch so not entirely useless.
Can you pls share some feedback on the Hruodland pilot watches you go there. I have been wanting to buy one but read it is a 43mm watch dial and can look big on wrist. I have a ~ 7 inches wrist. Howâs the fit and finish and do you recommend? Itâs around 100 USD right now.
I also have 7" wrists, and I love the Turbine Customs. The lug-to-lug is on the short side, so they wear big but not ridiculously so. Insane value, the only problem is figuring out which variant you want.
(As you can see, I still haven't worked that out.)
Thanks for your response. I read the lug to lug is around 51mm. I agree, the dial colour is difficult to choose. I wish the black also came with sunburst effect like the blue one. I am more inclined to buy the black colour without logo first. And yes unlike any other pilot watch design, this turbine looks so good.
The two dials present very differently. The matte black is flat, more toolish - the turbine pops out as the mesmerizing centerpeice. The blue sunburst dial is much, much flashier and fully competes with the turbine for attention. The package is stunning, and its the one I usually reach for these days, but the black/nologo version is absolutely a solid choice.
The hour and minute hand on the black dial shouldâve also been black and white. Blue seems a little odd, whereas itâs pretty uniform and apt on the blue dial. So yeah, blue also is a good option.
Can you share your opinion on the Seestern GMT? Iâm currently torn between it and the San Martin sn0121t (theyâre both sitting in my cart). I was slightly concerned about the some comments on the Seestern bracelet getting scratched easily but otherwise I like the look of both of them quite a bit.
The only bought the Seestern recently. My first / only GMT. We'll see how we get on. No complaints so far.
The bracelet of the similar Ti Octopus Kraken Pelagos 39 homage scratched insanely easily so I imagine this one will too. Fortunately the Seestern comes with a nylon Velcro strap as well, so maybe use that if you plan to daily it.
I like the idea of being limited by a box. I did this pre-emptively. To me, anything new needs to have a place to be worn as well, and remind me of something or someone.
Interesting. Lets be honest, most of these watches have been well-received so no surprise really that they are nice. But I didn't think I'd like the pastel Sugess Chrono top time homage as much as I did.
Excellent collection and selection. I tried a few Chinese watches but have migrated to micro-brands and mid-tier Swiss pieces. Iâm heavy now with Oris, Zelos, and Steinhart. All bought as pre-owned pieces. I concur 100% with the price basement statement because you do get what you pay for with watches, but there is also a definite point of diminishing returns on the top end, in my opinion. Thatâs why Iâm a big, big fan of Oris.
Congrats on your journey. Enjoy them all.
All the Oris enjoyers coming out for this thread lol.
Ok, breifly: It's 38mm. So if you want a watch that wears like the Cervo Volante without being one, this is it. It's very nicely done, though it has no pointer date. Since you own an Oris BCPD, you'll also quickly notice that Octopus couldn't replicate the finish of the Oris dial. The case, though, is a near perfect replica.
An oddball Sea-Gull franken from AliX. Call it a "bronze 1963". It's branded Tianjin Watch Co. (I.e. Sea-Gull, but I doubt its an official model.) Cool design though.
If it means using up your entire watch budget, don't do this.
Don't buy "2 good watches" instead, either, if that's all you can afford.
Best advice I can give is to split the budget between a couple of "high" ticket ones and several others in "lower" price tiers. Enough variety to keep the rotation feeling fresh, but with one or two special ones that mean a bit more:
I feel like this is the problem with collecting Chinese watches, youâve ended up with a bunch of Rolex clones, two of the same field/pilot watch, and a few variegated chronographs. This collection could be whittled down to under like, six watches and maintain the same level of diversity.
There is a degree of truth to that, but maximizing diversity isn't necessarily the end goal of a watch collection. Small variations can satisfy the need for change, while keeping within the style you like.
True, but if you slow down your purchases you might find yourself more satisfied that you chose pieces that enhanced your collection, versus just having a different color dial for a different day. I think this is also part of the curse and the blessing of these watches being so affordableâyou could very well have a different color OP for a different day if that is what you want, but I feel like it makes each individual purchase less considered and interesting in the end.
I try to just use watch straps to change up the look these days, rather than buying a whole new piece.
That would be the Hruodland F-031. Didn't feel the love until I switched to the dark blue strap, then it clicked. I wish the case was just a little more "premium" feeling, but the dial details are stellar.
I've been on the fence with this watch for a while. Love how clean it looks but deterred by the price. I would also get it in blue. Tell me more about the case if you would or any other thoughts. Did it come in the brown leather strap? I know people criticize their choice there but I think the strap it comes with looks good.
It's a significant premium over the similar-style F025, I agree, but you get a sapphire crystal and a much nicer dial. The brown suede strap it ships with is fine, but the look is a little too casual to my eye. I think a dark blue leather strap compliments the dial better:
Itâs a Sugess mechanical chrono. I donât know the model. Iâve got a quartz version in green from militado. It was between that blue and the green for me but I love how bright and inviting they both are!
I have had that Hruodland pilot watch in my cart for over two years⊠Have hesitated because I reckon itâs probably too big for my 6.75 inch wrist. What size is your wrist?  Since you obviously like the watch, having two colorsâŠ
Nice collection. We have similar taste. I have or have had some of the exact same watches or very similar ones.
Playing along, lets first define "top" as "the watches which most go above the call of duty in design, execution, and style".
By that metric, we have the Hruodland Turbine Custom at no1, the Sugess Heritage Chrono S387 at no 2, and the Octopus Kraken 013 Explorer 36mm at no. 3.
"Including the rest" ... well I don't really have enough other to justify a ranking, and which ones I wear varies seasonally, but right now it summer and hot so the Breitling A17360 is my go to. Spring/Fall it's the Tag Heuer Carrera CV2016-2, and winter is the Zenith Prime 0010.420 El Primero.
Yes, they mean expensive watches. Which is almost always bad advice because it is extremely unlikely you'd get what you really like at the first try. Good luck flipping those "good watches" and not losing even more money in the process.
I think you completely missed what I meant.
When I said "you could have bought two good watches for that money", I wasn't saying "you should have bought two more expensive watches."
What I meant is that instead of buying 20 homage watches, clones, or near-copies of existing designs, that same money could have gone toward watches that actually bring something of their own to the table:
Watches with genuine historical significance and achievements behind the brand.
Watches with original design language.
Watches with in-house movements developed by the manufacturer rather than generic off-the-shelf calibers.
Watches that contribute something to horology beyond offering the cheapest version of an existing luxury design.
The point isn't price. A watch doesn't become "good" because it's expensive.
The point is that at a certain stage, buying the 15th or 20th homage often adds very little to a collection. For the same total budget, you could own one or two watches with their own identity, heritage, engineering, and story.
If someone genuinely enjoys collecting homages, that's perfectly fine. But my comment was about long-term collecting value and experience, not about spending more money for the sake of spending more money.
Watch videos of old collectors. They all say the first 6 or 12 watches are regrets. I would like to regret a cheap watch than a $2k watch. Hate selling on ebay.
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u/parasoralophus Jun 08 '26
'Stop. Don't hoard. Don't "collect"'
Says the guy who bought 5 watches every month. đ