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Decisions to Make
Anybody going to start a watch collection has first of all to come to some important decisions. A beginning collector whose imagination has been stirred by watches and timekeeping will have to focus his attention on some special category to make the collecting experience as exciting and useful as possible. It will be necessary to review or redefine your own personal style to create it in correspondence to a vintage or antique watch you will be wearing. Having a unique watch on your wrist is a part of the pleasure provided by collecting timepieces. Some collections, for example stamps and coins, are not really related to the personal life of the collector, as they are not practically used, but require safe keeping. A vintage watch may be successfully used and be depended upon.

Choosing a Category
The first priority for a novice at watch collecting is to decide what kind of a budget is at your disposal and what you are interested in. You can choose from a wide range of directions. Some collectors prefer to hunt for a particular brand by name or period. Others form their collections by timepieces’ style or country they have been produced at, for example American watches that appeared before World War One, usually referred to as trench watches or military styles. Some collectors concentrate at purchasing just chronograph or calendar watches. There are people who are looking for “new old stock” watches not paying attention if it is a Bulova for $400 or an extremely expensive Patek Philippe for $10,000. It is also a good idea to collect every model developed by a particular house during an era. This usually becomes quite difficult as your collection is growing, but there is an alternative to embellish the collection by selling off not so perfect duplicates. Many collectors pursue the hobby as a way of investing, collecting for value.

Some Ideas for a New Collection
Some experienced collectors select watches that reflect some idea or theme. In their collection you may discover timepieces of modest value worth $200 or $300, but they are accurately related to a special theme or idea. There may be several watches representing Art Deco design, or some that feature the shapes that they are called, for instance a nice tortoise shaped watch called a tortue. A collection may comprise several watches that represent very precious high quality copies of renowned designer’s ideas. Some collectors stop their choice at collecting memorable pieces that are not necessarily expensive but define an era, or highlight an event. It is also great to collect watches with great engravings, and historical provenance. Your collection may consist of watches owned by famous people which were given to them by famous people. Some people may prefer very old wrist watches, really antique pieces, as old as 200 years.

What Does ‘RARE’ Mean?
The most exciting thing for those who belong to watch collectors is that they have the opportunity to take part in 500 years of scientific experiments, and the entire history of contemporary design, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, and Modernism. Some collectors may be puzzled by the question what timepieces to consider rare. A watch might be rare because there were only a few pieces produced, but there is another aspect of the rarity. Precious metals have been used for many centuries as means of financial support of wars and expansions. As the result, even unusual and unique watches and pieces of jewelry have been destroyed for their metal utility. Gold and silver has been melted down for jewelry producing and melted down again numerous times. While new gold and silver is still being mined, old precious metal is being refined from old jewelry to be used for producing new jewelry. The new gold is used in mixture with old refined gold, so when a new piece of modern jewelry or watch appears, it may posses elements of ancient gold. Every ring, watch, or necklace may have elements of jewelry worn by Cleopatra, Charlemagne, or George Washington. In this magic way every owner of a watch or jewlry is linked to the past and the future. Maybe this is the explanation why jewelry and timepieces historically have such a mysterious attraction to human beings.