Originality in Watch Collecting: Finding Your Own Rhythm in a World of Copycats

Ever thought about how there are probably 100,000+ watch models out there yet we keep seeing the same ones again and again?

There’s something fascinating about how predictable we have all become as collectors.

One week it’s all about steel sports watches, the next it’s integrated bracelets, then smaller vintage-inspired pieces. Scroll through Instagram, and it feels like déjà vu on loop. Same wrist shots. Same captions. Same “grail” stories.

We all think we are making personal choices, but are we? Or are we just parroting what the algorithm told us was cool this month?

Do we keep seeing the same watches because they represent perfection, or because marketing has conditioned us to believe they do? Perhaps it’s a combination of both.

Let’s talk about originality in watch collecting - about being authentic in a world that’s constantly selling us someone else’s idea of taste.

The Psychology of Copying (and Why It’s Only Natural)

We humans are social creatures and hardwired to imitate. It’s how we learn language, behaviour, and style. Psychologists call it mimetic desire, the idea that we want things because others want them. If everyone’s obsessed with the Daytona, our brains light up and whisper, “Well, if everyone wants it, it must be special.”

And truthfully, that’s fine, at first. Imitation is how we start.

Every collector’s journey begins with borrowed taste. We look up to seasoned collectors, friends, or certain style icons. I’ll happily admit there are a few whose collections I deeply admire and wouldn’t mind mirroring. It’s not shameful, it’s human. I am also responsible for encouraging this as I am sure many of you are who are reading this, posting the latest NWA - showcasing a timepiece maybe people have not seen before or seeing it from a different POV. 

But here’s the catch: staying stuck in imitation mode means you never graduate from student to collector. It’s like forever tracing someone else’s drawing and calling it art.

The Marketing Machine: Selling Dreams in Stainless Steel

Marketing is psychology with better lighting.
Every glossy campaign and limited-edition drop is designed to make you feel incomplete, until you buy. The watch industry is masterful at this. They don’t sell you time, they sell you identity.

You’re not buying an Explorer 2; you’re buying adventure. Not a Cartier Tank; sophistication. Not a G-Shock; resilience, not just a Patek..but a timepiece for the next generation..

The message is simple: buy this, become that.

And it works because we all want belonging. We want our wrists to signal who we are,  or who we want to be seen as. Add social media to the mix and you’ve got a perfect storm. Influencers flaunt their latest acquisitions, “unboxings”, wrist rolls and we scroll through endless feeds of perfect wrists and perfect lighting.

It’s not even subtle,  it’s mass behavioural conditioning dressed up as lifestyle content... And we fall for it. Again, and again. The irony is, most of us know we are being marketed to  and we still can’t help ourselves. That’s the brilliance (and danger) of modern marketing: it doesn’t convince you; it infects you.

Cartier and Celebrity Influencer Marketing:

Cartier has long leveraged celebrity and influencer partnerships to reinforce its image of timeless luxury and sophistication. By collaborating with global icons such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Lily Collins, and Blackpink’s Jisoo to name a few. Cartier connects its heritage craftsmanship with modern cultural relevance. These partnerships often highlight the brand’s elegance through exclusive events, digital storytelling, and high-fashion campaigns that appeal to aspirational audiences worldwide.

Rolex and Roger Federer:

Another example is Rolex’s enduring partnership with tennis legend Roger Federer exemplifies the brand’s alignment with excellence, precision, and prestige. Federer, known for his grace both on and off the court, embodies the qualities Rolex seeks to project discipline, timelessness, and performance. Their collaboration extends beyond sponsorship, symbolising a mutual respect and shared values, with Federer serving as a living ambassador of Rolex’s commitment to mastery and enduring legacy. I mean who would not want to be Roger Federer? 

Who’s Actually Setting the Trends?

You might think collectors shape trends, but in truth, the currents are set upstream, by auction houses, PR teams, luxury conglomerates and Watch Dealers. A watch that was ignored ten years ago suddenly becomes “cult” because an auction house decided to spotlight it in a sale. One record-breaking result later, it’s “iconic.”

Then brands catch on, influencers amplify it, and collectors scramble to buy one before the market spikes. Rinse, repeat.

Even the shift from oversized watches of the 2000s to smaller pieces today wasn’t some organic rediscovery of good taste - it was marketing’s pendulum swinging back, making old feel new again. 44mm was once “bold and masculine.” Now 36mm is “refined and elegant.” Translation: the industry ran out of big watches to sell you, so now it’s time to resell you the small ones.

Individuality: The Hardest Thing to Fake

True individuality in collecting isn’t about being contrarian for the sake of it. It’s about understanding why you like something. It’s knowing your own preferences deeply enough that they don’t sway with the wind.

A collection that feels personal - even imperfect - will always have more character than one that looks algorithmically curated.

There’s something quietly magnetic about collectors who mix it up - a quirky Seiko next to a Tank, a Sinn beside a Submariner - pieces that tell their story, not someone else’s. On the other hand, seeing a collection that looks like a carbon copy of another’s? Sometimes it feels like the collector outsourced their taste. 

Inspiration vs. Imitation

We all take inspiration from others - that’s what makes this hobby so wonderful. The community, the conversations, the mutual admiration which I love on Instagram and in person. But inspiration and imitation are two entirely different things. 

Figure out what you like and, more importantly, why you like it. That “why” is the compass that separates originality from mimicry.

Final Thought

At the end of the day, collecting watches is about time, and time’s too short to spend living someone else’s taste, its also too short to worry about these ramblings I am on. 

So, learn from others, I certainly have - admire freely, imitate occasionally, but ultimately, carve your own path and yes it takes time. We are all learning. Because the most interesting collections aren’t the ones that follow trends they are the ones that tell stories that only you could have written.

Perhaps I’m overanalysing this, and originality is an illusion in the world of watch collecting. 

I’ve purchased watches because I’ve seen them on other people - I will admit that straight up. I’m not here pretending I’m above influence. But there’s a fine line between being inspired and buying something purely to imitate. Maybe this post makes no sense at all and maybe I’m being completely contradictory - and that’s okay too, after all.. Isn't that similar to the watch world? 

@awristology on Instagram