The watch I wear least is the one I spent longest researching

This happened to me with a hand-wound skeleton. Researching was the hobby, wearing it was almost secondary. I still think that's fine as long as you're honest about it.

Six months is a lot. Was there a specific thing you were trying to avoid, or did the research just keep expanding?

I have the opposite problem. My most-worn watch is the one I bought in ten minutes because it looked good in a store window. Makes no sense.

Do you think that's specific to skeleton watches? A lot of the appeal is visual, so once you've stared at it for a few weeks the novelty drops off.

I rotate mine on a winder and force myself to wear it at least one full day a week. Sounds dumb but it works. Otherwise it just becomes an object in a drawer.

A winder for a skeleton seems like a good compromise. I'd probably still forget to look at it though.

Honestly I think this is common across the whole hobby. The research phase is a lot of the enjoyment, and then ownership is quieter. Nothing wrong with that unless you bought something expensive expecting it to change your habits.

Did you ever consider flipping it and buying something you'd wear more, or does the research investment makee that harder?

That's the trap. The next purchase just restarts the research loop. I've made peace with treating some watches as things to study and handle rather than daily wear.