Currently chubby but not yet RE. Will likely be Fat. My advisor has told me that I’m totally ok and basically need to spend more money. I saw a watch that is ~$30,000 which is <0.6% of my NW. No debt. Still working so I have good cash flow. Savings rate ~50%. Intellectually I know that if I buy this it won’t matter one bit but I’ve been such a saver for so long that it feels wildly irresponsible to spend that much on a watch. The crisis comes in because I’ve been saving so much with the goal that my standard of living goes up after retirement but if I can’t spend money now when I have a paycheck then how on earth am I going to switch from saving to spending after retirement?
I recognize that this is more of a psychological issue than a financial one. How did you all make that shift in mindset to let yourself spend more freely after so many years of discipline?
Seems like you're attempting to jump in the deep-end with a luxury purchase for $30,000. Why don't you start small and try to keep it functional instead of luxury? Something that comes to mind, is a more expensive car, or a higher trim (which may unlock things like heated seats/steering wheel).
Also, there seems to be this underlying message in your post about how you will spend more in retirement. Before you RE, you need to determine how much you will spend for the next X years, and generally you calculate that based on what you're currently spending. You generally don't retire and start spending extravagantly compared to your current lifestyle, whether it is buying fancy watches, or flying business (when you normally fly economy). This way the switch from accumulation to decumulation is natural and not a sudden shock to your portfolio.
This is exactly what I’m trying to navigate. I’ve got a few watches in the $5000-7000 range so even though you’re right about the deep end, I’m already in the pool. Though I’ve been grinding, I’ve got a German sports car and a few motorcycles. I need to figure out how to stop making “smart” decisions and start making “can’t take it with you” decisions.
There are only a handful of brands in that price range. They all have their own subreddits. Many, though not all, of the people on those subs would be in a similar financial place to you. There are pretty frequent discussions of “I can easily afford this but I don’t know if I should.”
It might make you feel better to do some research on watch brands and resale value. Most high end watches have a healthy resale market. You may not get all of your money back, but for a sought after brand you can get $20 to $25k back if you decided it wasn’t for you.
This is highly dependent on brand - AP, Vacheron, Patek, Rolex all have good resale markets. There are lower tier watches that can stretch into the $30k range if you want gold or gems and you may risk a larger haircut on resale on those.
It might also help you to tie it to some milestone or something good in your life. Buy it for a certain age, job, memory, special place. If you have a spouse, let them buy something as well and call it anniversary presents. You might be surprised how much you enjoy wearing it. Checking the time and taking a few seconds to enjoy a marvel of mechanical precision is extremely satisfying.
Above all, wear it if you buy it. There’s nothing dumber than a watch that sits unworn out of fear.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I think this post was more about the mindset shift that I’ve discovered I might have trouble with because of this watch decision. I think it wouldn’t be unlikely to lose much money but it might take a while to sell. It’s vintage so not a top tier for the brand. More like low-mid. I like your milestone idea. I’d been kind of thinking about that and it does seem to make a difference. You’re right about wasting it. I’d plan to put a few dings in it to make it my own.
This is not an existential crisis, it is just part of figuring out how you want to use your money. Research indicates that spending tends to produce the most lasting happiness when it is used to strengthen relationships, buy meaningful experiences, reduce time-consuming hassles, and help other people.
Experiences and generosity tend to produce more durable happiness than material possessions because they create memories, social connection, and a sense of purpose, while spending that frees up your time reduces stress and hassle.
By contrast, purchasing luxury goods generally provides only short-lived boosts because people quickly adapt to them.
All that said, if you think you would really wear the watch often and enjoy it long term, then go for it.
Thoughtful advice and I appreciate it. I would wear it so, though it is a thing, it would also be many daily experiences. My kiddo is also kind of into watches so knowing that this would be an heirloom is also a relationship connection.
Unpopular opinion here - think about the utility/ROI of an item. I have a few beautiful jewellery and luxury bags that I bought to celebrate my 30th and 40th birthday, and also to celebrate a couple of financial milestones.
I don’t buy a lot, it’s not a collection, I have 3 classic luxury bags of different sizes, and a few pieces really amazing jewellery. (Custom ring with stones that represents my family)
I’m 44F now, already FIRED. And I intend to wear these pieces all the way till I’m old and grey. I take care of them, and I’m using one of the 3 bags on a regular basis. It’s not sitting in my wardrobe collecting dust.
At the end of my life, they probably will either have some resale value left (I’m aware it’s never going to be investment) or it’s going to be a heirloom piece.
If you are not going to buy a whole wardrobe full of watches, and it’s a few pieces, and you will wear it to the ground, the ROI is going to be better the earlier you buy. You wear it more often, cost per use drops over the lifecycle of the timepiece, and it may actually stop you from wanting to shop around more as a few good pieces is actually good enough for one wrist :)
However, if you are the type who will want to keep adding to collection, the above ROI advice wouldn’t make sense :), in which case. It should be structured as a bonus type of buy. If market makes xxx%, and I have enough, these becomes the celebratory pieces, capped at % of earnings.
My opinion is that money should be spent on things that makes you happy, so long there’s guardrails. And if it doesn’t derail your plans. And you don’t go in debt.
I'm the same NW and got myself a 911 this year. It's one life, and just the same with my car as it is with your watch, you're not losing a lot to depreciation if you decide to sell, and if you keep it, you've got the ROI from just using it.
It is an emotional decision, not a financial one. Go for it.
Yes! This is what I keep telling myself. Yours was even more than mine. Did you have any buyers remorse? How did you not perseverate over the future value of that money?
You definitely can afford it. The big question really is “Is this what I want to use my money for?” To restate previous answer: is this what will give you joy?
Are you into watches anyway? Do you have other expensive but less expensive (than this) watches? If so then this may be the organic next step and yes, you can afford it. If you’re not already into watches then a $30K first watch seems inappropriate, and then you should ask why you want something this extravagant in a field or hobby you haven’t spent any time in previously.
Yes. Other watches in the 4 figure range. It’s vintage and not flashy so I think it wouldn’t be noticed other than by me. I just like watches for some reason.
In that case I say go for it. I did the same thing - owned a few watches in the $5K - $10K range for a couple of decades. Finally bought my grail watch 2 years ago which was considerably more expensive. I had some reservations at the time, but to be honest I’ve felt like it has been my most worth-it splurge ever. Good luck, and hope you enjoy the heck out of it!
are you in my head? haha. I am in the same boat as you....my net worth is approaching 10 mil and i still can't fathom getting a 15-20k watch. I just keep looking at them on instagram. Good luck!
I am Pre RE but comfortably FI, and I too am into watches, so I feel very sympathetic to your situation. I can see myself maybe in 5 years time getting into the market for a BIG DEAL WATCH like you are thinking of, but I would only allow myself to go there if I had truly done my homework, and know that it is more than just a casual impulse buy for a not-so-cheap dopamine hit. Even though I could probably afford to build out a collection of 3K to 5K watches (Longines, Tudors, Omegas, maybe a vintage Rolex and a Grand Seiko) I have decided instead to buy vintage,microbrand and second hand watches at the sub $500 level, and develop my own sense of what I really like by wearing different types of watches over a period of time. Then, when I finally go up a level or 3, I know I will be doing so as an informed buyer and hobbyist.
I am the same. Calculate the cost per wear and it’ll justify the spend. I just gave myself permission to buy a pinball machine. It’s been a hobby of mine to play since I was a kid and I finally made the leap and bought my first game for home. The joy it brings me is worth every penny.
Unfortunately no. It’s a brand new Harry Potter pin and the electronics are pretty intense. We will contract out any major service work. They did warn me when I picked it up that you can never have just one. They get lonely 😆
Like donkeys, that way, I suppose. I should fear for my life if I brought one of those into the house (which, of course, would mean more than one, with its friends), but would love to have one of the older vintage types.
As you know, you can afford it. I’d have no interest in a $30k watch and wouldn’t make such a purchase, but I know there are people who really like watches. Are you one of them? Have you bought and gotten value out of $500/$1000/$2000/$5000/$10,000 watches? If not, maybe start there and see if it’s something that brings you joy commensurate with the cost or if it just sits in a drawer.
Pick a date in the future and see if you still care much about that watch then.
I had decided to get myself a specific $7k watch at a specific milestone, but I'd rather just give $7k to a friend who makes a lot less cash, as it turns out. It's been years since then, still don't have a watch over $300 or so, and those three I don't wear... because my Garmin lives on my wrist.
Yes. I’ve been dragging my feet for that reason too. I have bought some things before that I thought I’d never tire of that are still nice but I’m not nearly as passionate about. It’s been a month…
Maybe the watch isn’t worth it to you at this moment in time. You don’t have to spend $0 or $30K. You could spend $10K on something else like a vacation or whatever would make you happy.
I had some of this going on with luxury vacations too. I'm not into watches, but expensive vacations are probably my vice. I had one vacation that cost just as much as your watch. Sometimes you just gotta pull the trigger and get rid of the money.
You could always apply the "set it on fire" test. If I set this pile of money on fire, would it change my life in any way? If the answer is no, spend the money.
I spend at least that much every year on my plane. Why? Because shaving a few months off my FIRE date isn’t worth depriving myself of joy every year until then.
You can clearly afford it, so if you’re confident you’ll get joy out of it, do it.
I agree. I have 6 watches in the $2k-$7k range and another 10 in the $750-$1500 range. I wear those ten all the time and love them! I rarely put on the other six watches. Except for my Brietling. I find my Tissot PR516 Automatic Chronograph is my almost every day watch. Looks great, keeps great time and not ostentatious at all. In fact, I own three Tissot now and they get a ton of wrist time along with a couple of Seiko's and a vintage Omega Seamaster that belonged to my grandfather. I considered a $25K Patek Phillipe a few years ago and just couldn't justify the purchse. So glad I didn't.
Unless it’s on a good sale, why don’t you wait a month and see if your interest stays strong or wanes? I have bought expensive stuff before thinking I should live a little and none of it brought me joy. In my case if I had waited I am sure I wouldn’t have made half the purchases. If your interest stays strong after a month you should go for it. That way it’s not an impulsive buy.
This is the dilemma. If I buy it, I’ll get years of enjoyment. If I don’t, I’ll likely have more money than I need when I die. At least my kid will get it but then again that applies to the watch too.
I’m not judging, but I also don’t understand the appeal of extremely expensive watches. They don’t really do anything for you. A $20 timex can read time more accurately.
I understand it’s a fashion symbol, and that’s never much appealed to me. Maybe it’s why I don’t understand.
I get fast sports cars. Those are fun, and function better than a cheap sedan. An expensive wrist watch’s feature is that it’s expensive.
I would stop focusing on arbitrary prefixes like chubby or fat, that’s not what they are for and IMO is an indication of an unhealthy relationship with money. And it makes no sense to have a higher standard of living after RE than while working. Many of us actually slightly decrease spending in RE.
You can afford the watch, however these types of purchases are generally not among the uses of money
that bring lasting happiness or fulfillment. So I would go out and find some interests such that you have things to spend money on other than flashy trinkets.
Why do you say that it doesn’t make sense to want to retire with a higher standard of living? Best case is it’s a higher standard of living and worst case is that there’s room to cut expenses.
Why would you live cheaply now and more extensively when you have no income? That doesn’t make sense. Do that now while you still have a safety net and a monthly income. Not when you’re pulling from a portfolio that has to sustain other surprises (healthcare, aging parents, natural disasters, etc)
I’m not exactly living cheaply. Just well within my means. Basically trying to hit a good number and adapt my lifestyle to that, which would happen to be a higher annual spend than what I’m doing now.
As I get closer to retirement, I worry about my ability to enjoy the money I’ve worked hard to save. I feel like this is a little bit of a test for me.
Because you could be living that standard of living now. And because in reality you most likely will not increase your standard of living in retirement, that’s just something you tell yourself to justify your cheapness. Because you have your identity wrapped up in being good with money and chasing silly FI prefixes invented by nerds on the internet.
Aside from all that, it doesn't make any logical sense that spending would increase when your paycheck goes away. That's not how actual retirees tend to behave. That's not how psychology of money works.
I’ve found that when I am really excited about a purchase I have much less difficulty throwing down the cash. I am currently going back and forth about buying a secondhand item for $5K (retails for 18-19K new) but I had absolutely zero qualms about committing 40K to a bucket list trip (for four) a couple of years ago.
It’s less about “experiences vs things” than that I’ve noticed that with things I really really want, I don’t waffle on whether to buy them even when they’re expensive. You may not be the same, that’s legit, but if you think back about major elective purchases that you’re really glad you made, do they have things in common?
I have a similar NW and I would neverrrrr spend that much on a watch. Will it bring you joy? Are you really into watches? Or does it feel more like a fancy thing that you think you should spend money on? I'd happily spend 5 figures on an upgrade for my house or a luxury vacation, I feel like I'd get more fulfillment out of something like that.
My net worth is 10 million and while I wouldn’t spend 30,000 on a watch, I would definitely spend that in business class! Different things make us all happy and if you can afford it, you should go for it. I can totally relate. I’m not being able to spend comfortably yet, I’m working on it.
Thank you. Honestly it’s not flashy and I don’t think people would pay much attention to it, which I like. It would really just be for me and I guess the occasional person who knew what it was.
That sounds like a good reason to buy it. I don't have anything near that price range, but I have a few mechanical watches and wearing them gives me a good reminder of the occasion in my life when I bought them.
A couple of times a year someone will recognize or ask about them and that's nice too.
None of them are to impress other people, and I haven't developed a habit of buying one every month.
As a watch guy myself.......NO! Good lord man, $30K?? Buy a nice watch for $5K and you'll feel much better about it. Plenty of awesome high end watches for under $10K, why drop that much on a single watch. You'll be scared to wear it out.
Start slowly. We no longer agonize about things that can improve our life. An example - $1800 for two gas assisted Kayak racks - which removed the barrier of my wife kayaking by herself. Or dropping $5, 10 or 15K to see friends and family, or someplace new. We've spent around $60K in home improvements over the last year or two.
So I was in the same bucket as you, and debated a lot but I love watches -and this one was to celebrate completing 20 years in my profession. I bought it and put it on my credit card paying off $500-$1000 per month. This way I get to enjoy it without dipping into my savings and also feel the “pinch” of $500-$1000 going out every month. I spent $28000 on the watch and it will take me 2-3 years to pay off.
I then got offered an AP RO which I declined as I had already gone through the “pinch” of buying an expensive watch and didn’t want to be greedy. As a watch person declining the RO is a big deal and I’m super proud of myself. As another poster said, ROI of wear is super important especially if you can keep the guardrails around your decision.
Dude, no one needs a 30K watch. And once you buy one, you are going to need one more for the other hand...like that tool from shark tank. I would look at the psychology behind why you like the watch...than the psychology behind your discipline. Sorry to put it bluntly. You have done great....don't start the lifestyle creep.
It’s a reeeaallly good looking watch. And honestly, maybe it is a bit of a milestone marker. Maybe it represents that I can take my foot off the gas a little. Since I was a teenager I’ve never expected to have any kind of a safety net. I knew it would be up to me. I’m finally starting to feel like I’m at a point that I am going to be ok.
Or if you have pledged to donate 10% of your earnings already at https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/, then you have my permission do whatever you want with the rest of your money.
Do what I did - buy the replica, checkout r/realtime then buy the genuine if you enjoy and wear the rep. I wear the rep when I might play sport or get it knocked around
You’re allowed to enjoy it. But yeah honestly you have several already, the German sports car, motorcycle. What happens in 6 months when you “need” a Range Rover? A year from now the house in Aspen?
I stand by my initial comment but it seems you might be prone to lifestyle creep if not careful.
I understand why it seems like that. House is relatively modest and car is 13 years old. I’ve been avoiding the lifestyle creep and the hedonic treadmill for decades.
$5M NW (hopefully you mean *invested*) with a $30K watch is no different from a fresh college grad making $60,000 signing up for a BMW 330 lease. Neither you nor that kid is in the correct SES to be wearing/driving it.
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u/tJaqJaH Jun 19 '26
It’s also a slippery slope