Watch Collecting and ADHD: The Ballad of the Cocaine Squirrel and the Shiny Things
Photo donated by Kathleen McGivney (@kmcgivney) and taken by Atom Moore (@atommoore)
Since publishing my first article in the watch community (this one right here; you should read it), other collectors have reached out to discuss ADHD with me. My initial article focused on a milestone watch I purchased after receiving my ADHD diagnosis more than three years ago. Since then, and likely to the surprise of no one with ADHD, I’ve sought out as much content as I can regarding my own neurodivergence. It is now unsurprising to me that there are so many people with ADHD in the watch-collecting hobby. Collecting watches, like any other hobby or collection, attracts many individuals with ADHD due to their tendency to hyper-focus on topics, actions, or hobbies that bring joy—and by that, I mean “brings the dopamine.”
Photo donated by Anna Kubasik (@chrono.girl.life)
To pick up what I’m putting down, you need to have a basic understanding of the chaos that is ADHD. ADHD stands for “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” However, the “attention deficit” aspect of ADHD can be misleading because individuals with ADHD do not have a “deficit” of attention; instead, they often experience an uncontrollable misallocation of attention. No, we’re not all like squirrels that just took a bump of cocaine. The term "hyperactivity" can also be misleading because many people envision the stereotype we’ve been presented with: a person who is visibly hyperactive and unable to control their energy. While this is one form of ADHD, each individual with the condition manifests it in a unique way.
Take me, for example; I have what is known as ADHD inattentive type. People with ADHD inattentive may not display any visible signs of hyperactivity since it occurs internally instead. Essentially, the cocaine squirrel is inside my head. Often, those with ADHD inattentive struggle to stay focused and organized. Life feels as if it’s happening amid sporadic and uncontrollable thoughts. And when they can’t control the rabid chaos in their head, those tricky bastards, anxiety and depression, sometimes get tapped in. Individuals can also experience ADHD paralysis. This happens when thoughts become so overwhelming that they are unable to start or finish a task, often finding themselves frozen in thought on a couch or in bed.
A common characteristic among all people with ADHD is a deficiency in dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in motivation, reward, mood, and memory. Consequently, balancing dopamine levels is often an effective approach to treating individuals with ADHD. This can be achieved through medication (legal meth if you’re on stimulants, hi-ho!), the integration of therapy, or a combination of both. This deficiency also means that individuals like us continuously seek whatever will provide a dopamine hit, often neglecting essential yet minor tasks, such as cleaning (we all have at least one chair hidden under a pile of clothes), as well as more significant responsibilities like filing taxes on time or making a doctor's appointment.
So, what the hell does any of this have to do with watch collecting?
Photo donated by Meg Tocci (@minutemeg)
It turns out that the reason people engage in hobbies is that they enjoy them. We release dopamine when we participate in activities we find pleasurable, and this chemical is what makes us feel good. Dopamine also motivates us to assess whether something is worth the effort based on past experiences or the expectation of feeling pleasure. Like watches, we’re all just machinery on the inside; but instead of shiny and meticulously crafted, we’re gross and sticky. For most people, learning about something and building a collection based on research and knowledge is enjoyable, but it becomes even more rewarding for those with a dopamine deficiency. When access to knowledge is abundant and the items to collect are plentiful, it creates an ideal environment for individuals with ADHD to utilize their hyper-focus and satisfies the inner cocaine squirrel.
The constant craving for joy to quell hyperactive thoughts or calm outward hyperactivity is addictive, which is why individuals with ADHD can oftentimes learn things faster than neurotypical people—we just can’t always control how and when it happens. There are centuries of horological knowledge, and the sub-genre of watchmaking is extensive and intricate in its own way. The desire to learn and then own watches representing research and knowledge is enjoyable. I believe this is why my decision to open up and speak about my watch in connection with my ADHD resonated with many of those who read it, and I’m so grateful to those who have reached out to connect based on our shared neurodivergence. There are many of us out there, but it can feel isolating. This leads me to something I didn’t fully understand until recently.
Watch collecting has been one of my longest-running hobbies. Usually, by this point, I would have abandoned the hobby since I would have taken in enough information to numb the joy it brings me. Among those with ADHD, this phenomenon is known as “hobby bouncing” (fuck, we really are squirrels, aren’t we). So much information is absorbed so quickly that the novelty wears off, the hobby is dropped, and the individual with ADHD must find something new. The cycle repeats ad infinitum.
Photo donated by (@thewristchick)
I recently listened to an episode of the Time 2 Calibrate podcast featuring Ariel Adams, the creator of A Blog to Watch, as a guest. While I found the entire episode entertaining, there was a segment where they discussed the watch community as a key reason many people remain passionate about collecting watches. I have thought about this before and even mentioned it in a few of my articles, but for some reason, when I heard these nerds (I mean that with sincere affection) talking about it, something clicked. After all, every other hobby I’ve devoured, digested, and left bones for the worms to pick at when I inevitably moved on to the next hobby has had communities too. What makes this hobby so different?
I don’t want to come off as an overbearing or out-of-touch mom, but my baby is special! This hobby seems unique in its community because there are connected international clubs like RedBar, people from all cultures and socio-economic backgrounds who can afford to participate, and brands whose owners are often accessible. All of this surrounds objects that don’t just sit on a shelf collecting dust; they accompany us wherever we go. Each day, we live our lives with our hobby attached to us, creating memories, and we have a device in our pockets filled with connections to a community of people who can’t wait to share those memories with us…ironically, that device also tells us the time. Heh.
In the past, I’ve often felt lonely in various aspects of my life, having lived most of it without being aware of my ADHD. Understanding the reasons behind who you are makes life easier, as it allows you to improve yourself by leveraging your strengths and seeking help in the areas you need it most. This knowledge, combined with my understanding of the watch-collecting hobby, means that I’ve found a passion I can commit to in a community where I and many others feel we truly belong.
That said, I offer my sincerest “thank you” to all the community members who answered my call to donate photos from their experiences with the watch community to accompany this piece.
