Our New Year’s Resolutions for 2024

Last week, Zach Kazan shared his personal watch related New Years Resolution. This time around the rest of the team is getting in on the action. We asked the Editorial team and our roster of contributors to think about what they hope to accomplish in the watch space in 2024.

A theme emerged quickly: almost everyone wants to consolidate, buy fewer watches, or some combination of the two. This, it should be noted, is not surprising. Watch collectors tend to indulge themselves, recognize it, and quickly commit to reversing course. Does change ever really take hold? Let’s just say, it remains to be seen.

Even though many of these resolutions sound the same on the surface, the reasoning making tough decisions to sell, or to scale back the purchasing, vary quite a bit, and it’s a lot of fun to see everyone’s philosophies laid bare here at the start of the year. And it’s not all about cutting back: some of these resolutions actually involve actively buying more watches, and taking on a greater role in local and internet based watch communities. That’s definitely a resolution we can all get behind.

Zach Weiss 

My watch resolution this year is a simple one, consolidate. Well, consolidate and focus. I’m going to push myself to make hard decisions, sell off watches I love but don’t wear enough (that means the once or twice-a-monthers), and put them towards something special. Not something that just pops up either. I want to be more intentional. My interests have veered towards the slightly more exotic and independent as of late (thanks Bel Canto!), so the discipline will be in resisting all of the cool micro-brand and Seiko watches that often pull me in, and staying on goal.

This year happens to be a large birthday for me that rhymes with sporty, so I have the perfect “excuse” to splurge a bit, but I really want it to count. I don’t just want another watch, I want a watch I won’t want to take off for years. Something new, something me, something special.

Kat Shoulders 

I feel like every year I set the same goal: “Kat, don’t buy so many watches. Do. Not. Buy. So. Many. Watches.” And to be fair, last year was a slower year for me in general with new additions compared to years past, so I do believe I’m making some progress. This year, I’m telling myself the same thing. Slow down. I really tend to get caught up in the impulsivity of purchasing a watch. I find something I like and I hunt it down until it’s mine. I would love to take a major step back from that mindset this year and be more thoughtful around my purchases. I also have some other, non-watch buying goals and keeping new purchases to a minimum will have to be a must. I say this of course as I have already picked up a watch this year and have another on the way soon (although does it count if I paid for it last year?). 

 

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Another goal I have is to be more active on social media. I know many folks have set their goals in the opposite direction of being on social media much less but I feel that my Instagram feed has pretty much become a portfolio of my work at Worn & Wound. Not a bad thing of course because I’m extremely proud of all the projects I’ve gotten to work on and continue to work on. But I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the days that I would stay up late at night and shoot a few watch photos for my instagram page. Just for the fun of it. Being in both the watch industry and photography field has somewhat warped my level of enthusiasm when it comes to shooting watches for fun, but I want to play around a lot more this year and hopefully bring that passion back.

Alec Dent

There’s an old writing adage that every writer hates and every editor loves: kill your darlings. Sometimes in order to make something better, you have to get rid of parts of it you may really like. (Editor’s note: Like with the preceding sentence, which was initially twice as long.) I hope to bring this ruthless attitude to my watch collection this year.

While looking through my watch collection the other day, it occurred to me there are really only four watches I have that I could never part with: two were gifts from my fiancée, one I bought to celebrate a new job, and the other is the first watch I ever owned.

These sort of associations tend to pop up when you ask someone about their favorite watches. Design, movement, historic significance, all tend to fall by the wayside when someone has the watch they wore at their wedding or the birth of a child or their grandfather’s vintage watch he wore every day for forty years. I’ve always appreciated this nostalgic aspect of watch collecting: There’s something beautiful and poetic about the passage of time being commemorated with a timepiece. (It can also keep your watch collection from getting out of control. When you buy watches just based on their coolness there’s no limiting factor other than how much you’re willing to spend—there are a lot of cool watches out there.)

So for 2024, I want to trim down my watch collection just to pieces that mean something to me.

Now, I don’t believe in downsizing for downsizing’s sake. I’m doing this because there are pieces I want to add to my collection, milestones and memories I’ll want to commemorate, that I either need to make room for or that will make pieces I currently have obsolete. The best, as the start of a new year always reminds us, is yet to come.

Chris Antzoulis 

I feel like I’m at the part of my life where promises I make to myself are the most important promises of all, as they typically involve growth of character. I want to be healthy and happy, but these things are just lofty concepts if I can’t enjoy how I choose to spend my time…or, in our case as enthusiasts, how much I spend on time. That being said, I have two Watch Resolutions for 2024.

The first is simple: I want to condense my collection and buy fewer watches. That limited edition watch that just dropped is not going to be the last cool watch that I see this month, and probably not even the last cool watch I see today. There will always be great watches and I have to remind myself that FOMO is not a good enough reason to buy a watch. My intake in 2024 must be more deliberate than ever. 

How do I plan to achieve this? 1. I will try not to purchase a watch I haven’t seen in person, or has just dropped that day because I’m afraid of it selling out. Seeing watches in person can be difficult if you love micros and independents like I do, but some brands will send you a watch to try on if you ask, or perhaps you can join a local watch group and find someone who owns the one you want to try on. And 2. Each time I see a watch that I’m tempted to buy, I’ll put that exact amount of money aside to one day put toward one of the “grails” I lust after. It adds up faster than you might think. 

My second Watch Resolution is more abstract, but more important to me. I want to be EVEN MORE involved in the watch community. Writing for Worn & Wound and being a member of Redbar Raleigh, and now Atlanta Watch Society, have all brought me so much joy. So many of you have reached out to me on Instagram or sent me an email and we’ve built relationships through this hobby. My resolution is to have more of that! Reach out to me. Let’s talk. And please don’t be creepy! 

Brad Homes

Each year tends to start with the same loose plan – to be more content with what’s in my watch box, and to make sure any future purchases are more considered. That means fewer (or no) impulse buys. 2023 wasn’t a complete failure in that regard. I can only think of six watches that were bought and then sold again during the last 12 months, which is pretty good going for me. Ideally, I’d like to restrict any purchases to just a couple that I have already mapped out. One of those is already preordered and slated for delivery in the second half of the year. The other is the subject of a long term hunt, and happens to be a watch that I once owned but sold. I’m well aware that it may not resurface in 2024, but I’m always on the lookout.

 I’ve now been what I would class as a watch enthusiast (not a collector) for close to 15 years, and some watches have been with me for well over half of that time. I no longer get the same ‘new watch’ thrill when I pick them out of the watch box, but instead have that feeling of familiarity and comfort. Watch events, meet-ups, and reviewing new pieces still give me all of that freshness without needing to constantly buy and sell watches. Consequently, I’ve started to find myself rediscovering the small details on watches that I’ve had for years and remembering what made me buy them in the first place. 2024 feels like the year I should make some time for some proper introspection. Exactly what I would do with those thoughts is another matter.

Ed Jelley 

In 2024, I want to clean up and streamline my watch collection. My watch collection didn’t change much in 2023, and I think therein lies the problem. There were a handful of watches that I only wore a scant few times, and taking up space in the watch box is no longer justifiable. Simple fix, right? Just sell some watches and pick up something new to spice it up a little. I tend to run on the sentimental side, and moving watches along is always kind of tough for me. I do tie memories into watches, I remember places I’ve been, things that happened, and enjoyable experiences with my watches and it’s made some of them harder to move along than others. But if I’m not wearing them anyway, am I really getting that much out of a quick glance in the morning when I inevitably grab my Speedmaster or Grand Seiko SBGN003? The answer is probably not. 

Maybe I need to harness my inner Marie Kondo (even if she has admitted to tidying up less in recent years) and see if these things still spark joy, and if not make a concerted effort to move some pieces along that have just been more or less sitting for the past year (and then some?). Off the top of my head, there are at least four watches that I could easily part with based on how little they’re worn that I could roll up into a nice new watch that I’m sure I’ll wear more than the four combined. At least that’s the hope. For me, 2024 could be the year of the clear and concise watch collection that rids me of the pieces I’m not paying proper attention to, and move them along to someone who can enjoy them more than me.

Marc Levesque

I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions, as I do not believe in needing a launching point to make significant changes.  I am also a relatively disciplined person, so if a change in my life is required, I usually make it and stick with it, regardless of what time of year it is. Having said that, I believe 2023 has taught me something about myself and I have a feeling this may change how I collect watches.

I have gone on record as being a one watch guy. Sure, I own a couple of less expensive pieces, which I wear when doing yard work, or any kind of sport. However, for the most part, I wear the one watch 95% of the time. I then use that watch to trade or sell, to acquire the next watch. Been this way for decades. It has been a fun way of having a constant flow of new watches, while at the same time keeping the wifely unit happy by not spending too much on my hobby.

What has changed? I turned 50 in 2023 and I received a milestone watch for my birthday. A watch that has become a permanent resident in my collection. One that I refuse to part with, which means, if I want to continue to experience new pieces, I will no longer be a “one watch guy”. In late 2023, I acquired another watch that features tremendous lume and it has become the watch I wear at night. 

I have always struggled with how others are able to regularly rotate their watches within their collections. I have never been able to do it, though I have attempted many times. Perhaps I did not have the right combination of watches? I do not really know, but I do know that this “night” watch has really helped me get over this hurdle and I find myself keeping it on and wearing it through the day from time to time.

My New Year’s Horological Resolution is to become a proper watch collector and own multiple pieces. The tough part will be learning how to enjoy them all, while rotating them. The even more difficult part will be convincing my better half that this is a good idea. Can I blame Worn & Wound for this? Which Zach should I have her call, should she need to chew someone out?

Griffin Bartsch 

Well, like many others, I am not typically one for making hard and fast resolutions coming into a new year. I tried last year, making the bold claim that I would not buy any watches in 2023 while I saved up for a very particular purchase. That all lasted until about March when a G-Shock broke through and opened the floodgates. I’m pretty happy with the watches I added to my collection last year, but folding that quickly acted as a swift, strong reminder that I’m maybe not built for hard and fast resolutions. That said, I do have a few watch related goals for 2024, even if it took me three attempts to type the correct year just now.

The first of these is to add two watches to my collection — one from Tudor, and one from NOMOS. I have frequently cited each of these brands as ranking among my favorites and yet, in 15 years of collecting, I have never owned a (modern) watch from either brand. I’m not saying I know what these watches will be and I probably won’t be too broken up if it doesn’t happen this year, but I think there is something to be said for collecting with focus, and this year I want to fill what feels like some holes in my collecting.

The second goal is really more of a continuation. About a year ago I realized that, having been a longtime admirer of those colleagues who can pick up a camera and do more than just snap a shot on “auto,” I started working towards becoming a better (read: passable) photographer. This year is all about keeping that train rolling. So with that in mind, I have a camera in hand, some lenses in the mail, and a lot of YouTube Lightroom tutorials bookmarked. I am also always open to advice, so don’t hold back.

To keep myself honest, you’ll all be seeing a lot more from me on my two Instagram accounts — sorry Zach, I’m in too deep and merging accounts doesn’t yet seem possible. Hopefully, by this time next year, I’ll be posting pictures without caveat on a unified account, though I don’t think I’ll be giving Kat a run for her money any time soon.

Nathan Schultz

Being a watch enthusiast was easy in 2023. In fact, a little too easy. With dedicated watch publications, YouTube creators, and Instagram giving me never-ending updates on new releases, I constantly found myself asking “Am I going to buy that watch?” And, a few times, I did buy that watch. But buying a new watch means selling an old watch, including all the hassles of taking photos, low ball offers, and then trying to remember where I put that darn roll of bubble wrap after finally accepting an offer.

Experiencing ownership of new watches is an irreplaceable and rewarding aspect of this hobby, but that experience doesn’t come without considerable effort. After countless hours spent on r/Watchexchange this year and too many trips to the post office, my current collection is an underwhelming lineup of five seemingly random watches. Six months ago, it was mostly dive watches. Right now, it’s a lot of field watches. In fact, a Bulova Hack just arrived at my doorstep last week, as if I needed another budget friendly automatic field watch.

 

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To break the cycle, my New Year’s Resolution is to purchase zero watches in 2024. I have two goals with this. First, to simply appreciate new releases without the self imposed pressure to buy them. I’ve come to realize, no matter your price range, there will always be a watch to be excited about. I’m looking forward to sharing in that excitement while enjoying a 12 month hiatus from Reddit when the honeymoon phase almost inevitably ends.

And, perhaps this experiment will help me build a versatile collection with some actual intention behind it. Maybe that means a classic three watch collection covering the classic bases of field, dive and dress. Or maybe that means upgrading my budget beaters, or finally adding a quartz watch to the lineup. I don’t know my next move now, and I’ve got 12 months to figure it out.

Meg Tocci

I talked with a stranger on an airport shuttle. He was wearing a gold Casio, similar to one I had at home and I asked him about it. We chatted for the duration of the ride and parted ways at our respective stops. You have to understand, until then, “talk with a stranger on an airport shuttle” hadn’t been part of my general disposition. I’m the introverted type. If I have to make a phone call to order pizza (it’s 2024 – why can’t everything be online?) I will debate skipping dinner.

On many watch forums, it’s clear that collecting can be a solitary pursuit. We love watches, but it can be hard to connect with others because the hobby is still pretty niche. Yet when I think about why watches appeal to me, a large part of it is because it allows me to connect with friends, family, and, yes – strangers – in a way that feels natural. “How did you get into this?” “What is your grail watch?” “Tell me what you really think about all these Swatch collabs.” I have conversational fodder and motive in these contexts and I have watches to thank for it.

I was reflecting this past week on my goals for the upcoming year and how quickly my watch community has grown over the past few months. I’ve been collecting for two years, but really began seeking out experiences in watch circles back in May when I took to Instagram to meet fellow enthusiasts and learn more about the hobby. It’s a small world, and saying ‘yes’ to opportunities to engage deeply with watches and watch media, has led to new experiences each week. I’m now meeting and collaborating with the people who helped usher me into the hobby at the start. 

Pursuing connection within this community has also led to RedBar meetups and happy hours. I’ve toured an Olympic Training Center, sipped pumpkin lattes while watch swapping, and participated in more Instagram wristcheck chains than I can count. It’s made me realize a watch is just a watch, but it’s the stories that go with them that make them worth collecting. My watch resolution in 2024 is to collect as many of those stories as I can. 

Brett Braley 

It’s no secret that I’m a relative newbie in my watch journey. And while I’ve been enjoying the ride, I can tell, when looking back on the last year, that I’ve been easily swayed by some preconceptions I’ve had on brands. I went with brands I’ve known with a bit of panache first versus looking at smaller makers, thinking that it would somehow legitimize my collection quicker.

This year, I’m going to try to cast aside my own biases and go more towards watches that fit my personal style. I’m the first to admit that heritage brands have always intrigued me, but that’s a very one-dimensional way to build a collection. I’m recognizing, more and more, that small brands and start-ups have exciting stories to tell, too. And not just that – but some pretty great products that I have ignored for the simple fact that I wanted to convey a sense of “luxury” without any sense of personality to my collection.

So in the New Year, you’ll find me supporting smaller brands, micro-brands, and random one-offs from eBay that just happened to catch my eye. While I’ll be breaking out my Tank for some more formal occasions, there’s going to be more room on my dresser for brands that need a little love – and I’m just the guy to give it to them in 2024.

Christoph McNeill 

New Years is a time for resolutions, so making one for my watch collection is a fitting task. My collecting of vintage watches has definitely slowed down over the last few years, a combination of having most of the models I want and the ones left that I don’t have being too hard to find or too expensive. Also, truth be told, my collecting vintage comic books has taken a front seat, pushing watches to the back seat a bit. As a result, I’ve also been less engaged with my @vintagediver Instagram account, posting much less than I used to. So, with that said, I have three watch related resolutions that I would love to implement 

First off, I would like to post more watch content on Instagram. Instagram is probably the one place that has had the single greatest influence on my watch collecting (other than eBay!). It’s a place that has a vibrant watch community, and I’ve met so many cool folks there, including the good people here at Worn & Wound. I definitely plan to be more engaged there, and it’s really just a matter of not being lazy (easier said than done!).

Secondly, I’d like to write more about watches. W&W gave me my first shot at writing, and it was an out of the blue offer that has turned into something that I really enjoy. But as it’s a side gig rather than a primary job, sometimes with a busy life with a full time hospital job, a wife and three teenagers, and now a golf obsession, it’s honestly hard to find the time to write. So, I would definitely like to make the time to get back to doing something that I really enjoy.

Lastly, I’d really like to pare down my collection to something a little more manageable going forward. I have about 80 vintage watches, and as we all know vintage watches need care from time to time, and that care ain’t cheap! Also, I have way more watches than I actually wear. I’ve been wanting to sell off a good chunk (maybe half?) and turn that into one or maybe two big pieces, like perhaps a vintage Universal Geneve chronograph and Seiko 6159 or 6215. Of the three resolutions, this will be the toughest. I’ve bought and sold a ton of watches over the years, but in the process I’ve gotten my collection down to the pieces that I really like, so deciding what will stay and what will go is not going to be easy. In any case, here’s to a great New Year to the watch fam, and I hope all your watch resolutions come true!