While an effective team of watches must tick certain boxes, the perfect watch collection truly varies from person to person. Here’s what I mean. Take a look at my timepieces.
Some say that done is better than perfect. My father, who refuses to believe one should ever choose between the two (even on a deadline), would disagree.
When it comes to creating the perfect watch collection, however, the concept of “done” may not even apply.
Sure, some of you may have a clear idea of what you want. You create a game plan, execute it, and call it a day. For some people, it’s a journey. One involves constant upgrades, accommodating changing interests, and perhaps even buying and selling.
Let me tell you what I think a perfect, flawless, and useful watch collection should look like — from all perspectives, including my own.
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The Perfect Watch Collection: From a Practical Perspective
The tried-and-true rule of thumb is to have a dress watch, a sporty watch, and an everyday watch. Here’s a quick review of the matter.
A Dress Watch
A dress watch is simple, usually on a leather strap, and is traditionally made from precious metal. For your perfect collection, though, you could go for something classically understated or not.
A lot of retro and retro-inspired watches incorporate interesting design cues. The Timex Marlin Reissue features mid-century-style indices.
And while dress watches shouldn’t be outrageously loud, exotic leather straps, pie-pan bezels, and set gems can add desired expressiveness. Remember, you dress up for celebrations. So there’s no reason a dress watch can’t be celebratory.
A Sports Watch
Next, sports watches come in all shapes and sizes. As I mentioned in my guide on how to start a watch collection, you might go for one that suits your personality. If you love the sea, go for a dive watch. If you love cars, perhaps you’ll like a racing watch.
Moreover, you can go as high-luxury as a Rolex Submariner or as matte and practical as a G-Shock.
An Everyday Watch
And finally, you’ll want a pretty neutral everyday watch. A good option is a straightforward field watch. However, if you’re a true minimalist, there’s nothing wrong with wearing your dress watch or your sports watch as your everyday timepiece. This would effectively keep your collection down to two pieces.
I wear a dive watch as my everyday watch, even with the full suits I have to wear to the office.
I also know loads of people who’ve opted for minimalist dress watches. They go well in formal situations but are simple enough that they don’t look out of place in casual scenarios.
If the point of your collection is to buy, sell, and upgrade, check out my guide on selling luxury watches. Though it focuses on high-end selling, a lot of the points apply to selling in general.
Just make sure you always have at least a casual watch and a dress watch. Of course, everyone has a different lifestyle.
Perhaps you don’t often attend highly formal engagements. In that case, you may be okay to sell your sole dress watch, leaving that spot vacant until you’ve found the perfect replacement or upgrade.
Now, here’s the fun part.
I think the perfect collection always has something meaningful and personal about it. Let me elaborate.
The Perfect Watch Collection Is Personal
Here are two truths about wearing watches that I’ve said a thousand times and will continue to reiterate.
First, most people don’t need watches to tell time. They are, for all intents and purposes, vestigial.
Second, and also, however, we love them for several reasons, my favorite being that they can represent something meaningful. They can tell the world who you are or, maybe more importantly, who you want to be.
It’s a more fun version of “dress for the job you want, not the job you have”. Even more, it’s a way to satisfy your kid self in a manner that looks grown up and well-adjusted. This is the case with my collection.
My Perfect Watch Collection
I’m fortunate enough to have my ideal collection.
It took me a long time to get here, but I’ve landed on a small, colorful collection that hasn’t changed in over two years. I think it’s because this collection checks all of the boxes that make it meaningful to me personally. At the same time, it also projects a version of myself I want the world to know.
My Omega Seamasters
My everyday watch is a 36-millimeter Omega Seamaster from the ‘90s. I fell in love with it as a kid because I loved the GoldenEye N64 game.
And since I’m not a dress watch guy, my evening wear timepiece is a ladies’ 28-millimeter version of that very same watch. Not only is it smaller than the mid-size Seamaster, but it has a decorative clasp and indices that shine like gems.
As iconic as these Omegas are, I’ve heard all of the snob-based criticisms.
The strap is to the ‘90s. It’s too obvious.
Not only that, it’s quartz. Despite what others may see as flaws, I love this watch.
I love it because of the childhood connection. I also love that these two watches are from a relatively fancy brand — but they aren’t too fancy themselves.
I never want to look uptight, especially not sartorially.
My Seikos
I then round out the collection with two Seikos, which are collaborations with Rowing Blazers. I wear these around the house and when I’m working from home. They check three boxes for me.
First, I love Ivy style and a bit of neo-prep; I even have them on impractically colorful NATO straps. Second, they’re limited editions. And third, I have to have mechanicals in the collection, especially ones with exhibition case backs.
My Rolex Explorer II
I have a Rolex Explorer II, but that’s in storage. I’m 35 years old. Maybe in my ‘40s or ‘50s, the Explorer II will feel like less of a flex. I like everything in my active rotation to feel down to earth.
My Vintage Watches
And finally, I have two vintages. (Yes, I know the ‘90s Omegas are technically vintage, too, but my 30-something self has a hard time accepting that.)
One of my vintages is a gold Bulova. This checks the box of being a family heirloom.
Plus, this Bulova is a contingency plan if I find myself in the strictest formal situation, one where my 28-millimeter Seamaster won’t do.
The other is an old Benrus with radiation damage. I’ve always maintained radiation damage is so much cooler looking than sun damage (AKA tropical dials).
Your Perfect Watch Collection
How do you see yourself accommodating the practical prerequisites to your tastes? What’s your version of me using a 28-millimeter sports watch as a dress watch? Do you have family heirlooms?
My friend told me a funny story about one of his favorite watches. He and his father were digging through the attic and found an old Rolex, likely one that once belonged to a grandparent.
He asked his father if he could have it. His father agreed to give it to him as long as he didn’t tell his many siblings.
Now, he has a family heirloom, a Rolex he gets to flex, and a symbol of his relationship with his father.
Moreover, I know men who are millionaires many times over who still keep their old, beloved Casios in their collections. My best friend, a gent from old money who also made his independent fortune in banking, literally hangs his Casio A158W next to his Pateks and Rolexes.
It’s a great watch, though. I think it looks like a repurposed GameBoy.
There are so many ways to make your watch collection a personal one. And it doesn’t have to be obvious. Or maybe it does. Maybe all your watches are your favorite color.
Perhaps you wear your fanciest, most cherished watch on Mondays to add a little fun to the beginning of the week. Get corny. Or don’t.
The Ultimate Minimalist’s Perfect Collection: The One-Watch Assembly
It’s completely possible only to own one watch. And it can be the perfect watch for you.
If you want a grail-level timepiece, a lot of the Swiss hard-hitters have a sort of tentpole basic. For example, Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual is a no-frills model, arguably the blueprint on which all Rolexes are built.
Take away the Submariner’s bezel, its bubble indices, and its Mercedes hands, and you more or less have something that resembles an Oyster Perpetual. And it’s so straightforward that you can wear it as a dress watch or an everyday watch.
You can also do the same with the Datejust. Or the Patek Philippe Calatrava.
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, Scandinavian designs are a good way to go. They often sport a clean, classic design and can look casual or dressy with a change of strap.
The Seiko Presage line is a good place to turn for high-value mechanicals that are neutral yet elegant. Their SRPB77 is a dress watch with tons of character. And, of course, it can be worn anywhere.
Victorinox, meanwhile, builds spec-forward, military-grade timepieces that I’ve always described as “elegant beaters”.
If you’re confident that you can wear your one-watch anywhere, then you’ve got yourself the perfect one-watch collection.
What the Perfect Watch Collection Is and Isn’t
Again, the perfect assembly of timepieces is one that’s practical, consisting of pieces that can be worn casually and formally. Most importantly, it represents you in some way.
It can be as simple as you loving specific styles. Family heirlooms and grails are also great ways to inject your collection with meaning.
What you shouldn’t do is create a collection that feels like a burden.
I know a guy who, after years of saving and being waitlisted, finally acquired his grail — a Patek. The problem? He was too terrified to ever wear it out of the house. He eventually decided to sell it.
Also, don’t skip bill payments to assemble your perfect collection. You want your watch to represent different aspects of who you are. You don’t want it to represent your dwindling credit score.
What does your perfect watch collection look like? Or, if money were no object, what would you go for? Let us know in the comments!
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