Here’s How a Watch Got Me Into Minimalism
By: Maximilian Perkmann
Tags: Minimalism, Mindfulness, Self Improvement, Money, Watches

Let me tell you the story of how my first Rolex got me into investments and ended up being sold as I became a minimalist.

The journey started in 2001 when my father gifted me a fake Rolex Datejust 1600. It was a joke, and I never wore it, but from that moment on, this watch had a deep meaning to me. During my young years, I always had a profound desire to achieve a “real” Rolex.

Photo by Daniel Andrade on Unsplash

Rolex evolved to the symbol of wealth for me. A symbol of status and a symbol of persistence.

Ok, let me come back to earth. Rolex is still only a brand amidst consumerism. Nonetheless, through the years, Rolex became a dream for me. And what do we do with dreams? Achieve them!

Chapter 1: Achieving Dreams

While being on the hunt for my first luxury piece, I developed a huge interest in mechanical watches. The combination of art and craftsmanship really inspired me.

By incident, this watch popped up in a local store:

Rolex Datejust, 1600. The photo was taken by the author.

Funny enough, it was the exact same watch I had, like a fake when I was young. Purchased the watch right away.

Random Facts

Some trivia about the Rolex Datejust:

The Datejust was the first wristwatch with a date window that changed automatically. This development was a groundbreaking change in the 1940s.

This development was a groundbreaking change in the 1940s. In 1955 important magnified “ cyclops eye ” was added. The “cyclops” magnifies the date about 2.5 times .

” was added. The “cyclops” magnifies the date about . Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) has a Datejust

Multiple US presidents wore a Datejust in the office and Martin Luther King during his “I Have a Dream” speech.

during his “I Have a Dream” speech. The “oyster case” (invented in 1926) of the Datejust was the world’s first waterproof case for a wristwatch.

Investment Perspective

While thinking about the purchase, I always saw it from an investment perspective too.

Similar to the vintage car and art markets, the watch industry has seen an increase in the number of investors. In contrast to many other investments, watches can be a hobby and a lucrative security blanket too. Most importantly, you can diversify your portfolio and think about some valuable heirlooms for the next generations. I really like that idea.

“A gentleman’s choice of timepiece says as much about him as does his Saville Row suit.” — Ian Fleming

Some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs have chosen to invest their money in watches, too, including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.

Essentially only a few watch brands/models were performing an increase in value over the last years. Let’s take my Datejust, for example:

Price Development Rolex Datejust versus DAX (Stock Index) & Inflation — timerating.com

The watch has doubled its value in about twenty years. Not that bad for an enjoyable hobby and a watch you can wear every day. But, in the high-end range, there are even more extreme cases. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 1A-010 doubled its value in about 3 years. Crazy, isn’t it?

Price development Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 1A-010 — watchpricetrends.com

While not being too bad from an investment perspective, stocks or ETFs are outplaying most of the watches. One has to be really informed about what he is buying in order to achieve a gain in value — with luck and high risk.

Chapter 2: Realization

While being happy with the purchase, I’ve sold the watch a couple of months later. Why?

First of all, this watch was a prime example of extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by external rewards such as money, fame, grades, and praise. This type of motivation arises from outside the individual, as opposed to intrinsic motivation, which originates inside of the individual. —verywellmind.com

The downside of extrinsic motivation: it is only working in the short term. After I’ve made the purchase, I felt happy and glad I was able to achieve this milestone. Instant happiness is what money gives you. But what happens when that feeling subsides, and you are back to being unhappy?

I soon realized that buying a watch won’t make me happy. For me, it was a big dream to own one. But once achieved… I realized that my belongings are not bringing me any value. On the contrary, they burden me.

Chapter 3: Evolving Mindset

Money does not make you happy

“The pursuit of money and power is ultimately an empty one. That’s why we see so many billionaires unburdening themselves of their wealth to downsize to a more frugal life.”

― Stewart Stafford

Money plays an important role in everyday life for all of us. Having so much money to not have any kind of financial worries creates a sense of well-being. The same applies to luxury goods that one can buy if the bank balance allows it. But there are things in life that money can’t buy. Health, family, and friends, for example. Things that really influence our feelings. Money is important, but we all have to bear in mind that money won’t make us happy.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Do not compare

We are often tempted to compare ourselves to others and, if we fail to match up, this can lead to dissatisfaction. A study by the Journal of Economic Behavior demonstrated the following:

Participants were given the choice between:

A) 50000€ per year when the average income is 25000€

B) 100000€ per year when the average income is 200000€

Half of the participants opted for the lower-income because it made them appear wealthier in relative terms.

It’s in human nature: No matter how many things you have or money, it will never be enough. We want something, we get it, and then we want more.

Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash

Be happy with less

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

– Annie DIllard

The watch brought me onto some deeper thoughts. As we are exposed to so much information, plenty of luxury, and constant comparison through social media, we often tend to diverge from the essentials. I felt, “bloated.” I felt the need for detoxification. The pillars of minimalism inspired me and got me thinking about all my belongings.

Minimalism is defined as a design or style in which the simplest and fewest elements are used to create the maximum effect. Minimalism had its origins in the arts — with the artwork featuring simple lines, only a few colors, and careful placement of those lines and colors.

[…]

Minimalism is all about owning only what adds value and meaning to your life (as well as the lives of the people you care about) and removing the rest. It’s about removing the clutter and using your time and energy for the things that remain. We only have a certain amount of energy, time, and space in our lives. In order to make the most of it, we must be intentional about how we’re living each day.

— breakthetwich.com

Chapter 4: Take Away

So, why do I tell you my story with Rolex? For me, the most valuable thing in life is to be able to achieve the dreams and desires I had as a child. Traveling the world, building the “own thing,” driving special cars, and — of course — owning a Rolex. It may seem like the prime example of capitalism. But in the end, those things have a different meaning for all of us. For me, they symbolize “you did it,” and they symbolize anything I’ve thought I would never be able to achieve.

Those symbols have driven me for years and still do it to date — even if I changed my POV to material goods.

I’ve observed so many people never reaching their full potential as they just did not believe in themselves. Stick to your dreams, and you will find a way to achieve them for sure.