The Collector’s Urge: And The Journey to now
A Watch Collector’s Journey
A Watch Collector’s Journey
Every watch collector remembers the moment it started.
For some, it’s a first proper watch bought after saving for months. For others, it’s a gift that sparked a fascination with mechanical movements, craftsmanship, and design. However it begins, collecting watches quickly becomes more than simply telling the time. It becomes a journey.
My journey started with a simple curiosity about how these tiny mechanical machines worked. From there it grew into a passion for learning about watchmaking, discovering different brands, and understanding what makes each timepiece special.
Over time, the collection evolved. Some watches stayed for years, others were enjoyed for a while before moving on to another collector. Each one brought something new: different movements, different stories, different eras of watchmaking.
That process is what inspired The Watch-Collector Leeds.
The idea was simple. Create a place where collectors and enthusiasts can find interesting watches, talk about horology, and enjoy the journey of collecting without pressure or pretence.
Every watch has a story, every collector has a journey. Here is a guide for building a collection for a beginner. Learn more about building a thoughtful collection here.
A Watch Collector’s Journey
Like many collectors, I never actually set out to become one.
My watch collecting journey started almost by accident. I simply wanted to buy my first proper watch, something that felt special and a step up from anything I had owned before.
The first watch I bought was a pre-owned Breitling Aerospace. I paid £800 for it at Owen & Robinson in Leeds city centre. At the time, that felt like a huge purchase for me. It was the first expensive watch I had ever owned and I absolutely loved it. It felt solid, beautifully made, and importantly, it felt like a real watch.
Looking back now, I realise that the watch unknowingly started everything.
A few years later, another opportunity came along. I managed to buy a pre-owned Rolex Submariner 14060 on eBay for £1,100. That moment was a real turning point in my journey as a watch enthusiast.
The Submariner completely blew me away. The build quality, the heritage, the simplicity of the design. It was on another level entirely. From that point on, I became fascinated with Rolex. What had started as a simple interest quickly grew into a genuine passion.
But the real obsession arrived when I discovered the Rolex Daytona 116520.
The Daytona is one of Rolex’s most iconic and desirable watches. The white dial version in particular, is a piece many collectors admire long before they ever own one. Clean, perfectly balanced and instantly recognisable, it’s the sort of watch that stops you in your tracks.
When that watch finally joined my collection, it became one of those pieces you simply admire every time you look at it. The white dial Daytona in the photo is exactly that watch. Everyone has to start their journey somewhere. Many collectors begin with TAG Heuer.
I started with Breitling… and somehow ended up deep in the world of Rolex. And like most collectors will tell you, once the journey begins, it rarely stops. ⌚