Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/08/10/watch-collecting-regrets-ive-had-a-few-but-not-too-few-to-mention-they-include-selling-too-soon-and-failing-to-buy/
—————————————————————————————————–
Shoulda, woulda, coulda
When it comes to regrets, however, it’s perhaps better to have owned and sold too soon than never to have owned at all!
It’s easy, I suppose, to rue the ones that got away; but in each case, the situation at the time with regard to available funds, other recent purchases, or even other recent sales that made me wary of plunging money back into new acquisitions drove me to hold back.
Sometimes, the regret is about a watch that comes to market once in a while and would have been a great piece for me at one time but doesn’t fit my current collecting goals. A good example here is the ultra-flat Audemars Piguet tourbillon, seen above on my wrist in a particularly alluring (to me, anyway) mother-of-pearl version.
In other instances, it’s a watch that I’d never crossed paths with before and that I’m unlikely to see again, like the “ultimate beater” Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar chronograph in platinum and on a platinum bracelet that I passed on at a ridiculously low auction price a couple of years ago.
And once in a while there’s a piece I’ve hunted for a long time and would still love to have, but just can’t justify spending the money on when it does pop up, as happened just last night when I decided to pass on a gorgeous example of the Agenhor-developed Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight in Paris that sold for a solid price at Christie’s.
Big fish
Finally, there are the true landmark watches that I either let slip through my fingers or might have had with more effort.
On two occasions in years past, I’ve had leads on examples of Philippe Dufour’s Duality whose owners were sniffing around about selling – and in both cases I allowed the very large price relative to the size of my collection at the time to keep me from a no-holds-barred attempt to hunt them down.
Now, of course, the Duality is completely out of reach for me barring a total collapse in its value, which I’m certainly neither betting on nor hoping for.
“The one” that got away for me, though, was another Dufour watch: the No. 1 sonnerie pocket watch he made for Audemars Piguet.
In April of 2012, Sotheby’s announced the auction of the very first Grande et Petite Sonnerie pocket watch made by Philippe Dufour for Audemars Piguet and signed by the master himself under the dial. I had already heard both wristwatch and pocket watch examples of the Dufour Sonnerie chiming, and the large volume of the pocket watch makes for a sound that is, if anything, even more heavenly than that of the wrist examples.
At the time, I was in the midst of a longstanding series of client engagements in Korea as part of my day job and as it happened was going to be flying to Asia at the time of the auction. I placed what I felt to be a very solid absentee bid, and upon landing found that I had missed out – by a single bid.
It’s not quite every day, but on most days, I look forlornly at the spot on my desk where that watch would have been hanging on a display stand, sweetly chiming out the passage of the hours and quarters, and let out a long sigh.
Such is life and collecting! I’m fully aware that selling off or missing out on buying expensive doodads is by no means life’s greatest tragedy, but the emotional ups and downs of our hobby are for me part of what makes it so interesting and ultimately rewarding. I’d love to hear some of your own stories of sales and missed opportunities in the comments below and wish you happy hunting!
* This article was first published on June 2, 2018 at Watch Collecting Regrets? I’ve Had A Few, But Not Too Few To Mention: They Include Selling Too Soon And Failing To Buy.
You may also enjoy:
Living Beyond Your Means as a Collector: How to Avoid Getting Hurt
Selling Watches To Buy Watches: One Collector’s Story
Long-Term Keepers: Three Watches I Can’t Bear to Sell
Why Tim Mosso Sold (Nearly) All of his JLC Watches – Reasons and Regrets (Video)
Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/08/10/watch-collecting-regrets-ive-had-a-few-but-not-too-few-to-mention-they-include-selling-too-soon-and-failing-to-buy/