Guides for watch collectors
Straight answers to the questions collectors ask: what a watch really costs you, how to keep a rotation healthy, when to service, how to catalogue a collection, and more.
GuideHow to calculate a watch's cost per wearCost per wear is what a watch costs you each time you put it on. The simple formula, why resale value changes everything, and what a good number is.GuideHow to track which watch you wearFive ways to track which watch you wear, from a notebook to an app, what's worth recording, and how to make the habit stick long enough to learn something.GuideHow to catalogue a watch collectionWhat to record for every watch you own, from reference and serial numbers to photos and paperwork, and the easiest way to keep it up to date.GuideWatch insurance inventory checklistWhat insurers typically want for a watch claim, how to document each watch properly and how often to update valuations. A practical checklist.GuideIs my watch collection too big?How to tell whether your watch collection has outgrown your wrist: the warning signs, a simple wear-share test, and how to trim it without regret.GuideHow many watches should you own?How many watches does a person really need? A look at the one-watch, three-watch and five-watch collection, what each covers, and how to find your own number.GuideWatch rotation strategiesPractical ways to rotate a watch collection so every piece gets worn: by occasion, watch of the week, seasonal rotation, random pick and one in, one out.GuideWhen to sell a watchHow to decide whether to sell a watch from your collection: the signs, a cost-per-wear check, questions to ask yourself, and how to prepare it for sale.GuideHow often to service a watchTypical watch service intervals, signs your watch needs servicing now, what a full service involves, and how to keep track of when each watch is due.GuideQuartz watch battery lifeTypical quartz watch battery life, the signs a battery is running out, why a dead battery shouldn't be left in, and how to keep track of battery changes.GuideLug-to-lug explainedWhat lug-to-lug means, why it matters more than case diameter for how a watch fits, how to measure it, and a rough guide to lug-to-lug by wrist size.GuideLug width & strap sizingWhat lug width is, how to measure it, the common sizes, how strap taper works, and how to choose the right strap length for your wrist.GuideDial finishes explainedA collector's guide to dial finishes and types: sunburst, guilloché, enamel, lacquer, meteorite, mother of pearl, aventurine, skeleton and more.GuideWatch complications explainedWhat a watch complication is, and a plain-English guide to the most common ones: date, day-date, GMT, world time, chronograph, moonphase, calendars and more.GuideHow to set a moonphaseHow to set your watch's moonphase: find today's moon age, set the disc from a full or new moon, and avoid the date-change danger zone.GuideBox and papers explainedWhat "box and papers" means, what counts as papers, how much a full set adds to value, and how to look after your watches' documents.
WristLog.app
See it for your own collection.
WristLog.app catalogues your watches from a photo and shows you how you really wear them. Free on iPhone and Android.
