Watch collectors often have other hobbies or collections that go hand in hand with watches. EDC combos containing flashlights and pocket knives are a common occurrence on Instagram. Many watch collectors also love cars, signaling the mechanical fascination in their brains. My other hobby is photography. At the time of this writing, I have been an enthusiast photographer for over 10 years. I cut my teeth in photography on landscapes and architecture. It was a way for me to get outdoors and see some beautiful things and places. I traveled most of the Southwestern United States taking photographs across the National Parks and back country.
It wasn’t until the last few years that I was not able to travel as much and indulge myself in landscape photography. My camera sat dormant in its bag, the batteries losing charge from non-use. As my watch hobby began to grow and I paid more attention to the beauty of the watches I was buying, I thought to myself…why not take a picture of it if you like it so much?
Learning to Shoot Again
My experience in photography was solely based around the whim of Mother Nature. If the light was good and the clouds cooperated, my photographs turned out beautifully. If it rained and I never saw a sunset, I came home with no photos. I had to learn a whole new set of rules, but they were my rules. In the “studio” with my watches, I could control the light, pose my subjects and re-shoot a photo if I wasn’t happy with the results. I had rekindled my love of photography with my love of watches.
The best part about taking pictures of watches is getting to experience a lot of watches. The best way to see how a watch fits and works with your style is to wear it. I wear all the watches I take pictures of. Some of them stay in the collection longer than others but I get to find out what I like. I consider myself extremely lucky in that regard. Even if the watch doesn’t stay long, I still have some photographs to admire the beauty of that watch for a long time.
Creating New Memories
Way back in Part 1 of this story, I said that I didn’t have a Rolex handed down to me or find some rare service watch in my Father’s drawer. There are plenty of watch collectors out there that have those memories already with them. Every watch carries a story with it. The story of the owner gets handed down from generation to generation if the wearer takes care of it. I know in my future; I will have someone to hand my watches down to.
The memories I created with them will carry on with the next generation. Whether it is my child or another member of my family, I know that person will see how I cherished them. They will see the joy they brought to me and might long to steal a moment with my Speedmaster or learn the story of how I got my Oris Aquis. It makes me think that the best part of owning a watch is giving the time to someone else.
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