SOTC - October 2023

Well, here it is. My shot(s) of the collection.

I’m a collector. Frankly, it’s a terrible habit; one excellently illustrated by @brunofrankelli in his “Exit Strategy” post. It would be appropriate to say I blasted through my “collection journey.” Although I’m quite happy with the watches I have, I couldn’t say that collecting them so quickly has been the best way to go about this experience. I acquired a fair numer of these watches this year alone. Since embracing this hobby 2-3 years ago, I’ve learned a lot about watches. From movements, to history, styles, straps/bracelets, and complications. It’s been a ton of fun. Here’s what I’ve got to show for it…

Seiko 5 - SNK803

The one that started it all. This was my first mechanical watch purchase, and boy what a way to start. Great, inherently versatile size/dimensions, wonderfully legible cream-colored dial, surprisingly flexible with different strap options, display case-back, relatively reasonably priced, day/date complication, Seiko shuffle. It’s a winner. I wore it almost daily for about a year, rotating 3 different straps. This is my field watch.

Rolex - Explorer (124270)

What can I say that hasn’t already been said before? I know it’s a bit of a hype/mainstream watch, but I absolutely love it. There are many other incredible watches out there, and some fantastic pieces that capture the Explorer aesthetic excellently (many of which still manage to tempt me at times), but the Rolex Explorer is hands down my favorite watch. There’s nothing else out there that I’ve seen that gives me the same feeling as the Explorer, except for other Explorer models and watches that are heavily inspired by it. I wore it daily, everywhere, for months after receiving it. The Explorer is easily the most compelling choice in the box every time I open it, even when competing against recent purchases. This is my go-anywhere-do-anything watch.

Tudor - Black Bay 54

Admittedly, it’s another hype watch. And honestly, as a 54 owner, I definitely think this watch is a little overhyped. My dad wore a blue Invicta pro diver constantly while I was growing up. Due to this, and the overall position of dive watches amongst watch enthusiasts, I consider a dive watch to be obligatory in any general collection. However, as a begrudging member of the itty bitty wrist committee (shoutout to Britt Pearce), finding a dive watch that fits my personal tastes and unfortunate size limitations has been quite a challenge. The second I heard about a 37mm Tudor Black Bay, I was all over it. Great dial, time-only, solid specs, and, as a bit of a Bond nerd, its similarities to the OG Tudor/Rolex Submariner were irresistible. The micro-adjustment system is a technical feature that I find to be awesome. It also happens to be another incredibly versatile piece. Bing bang bosh, I’m all over it. This is my dive watch.

Lorier - Gemini (RACER)

A little bit of fun does a lot of good. I first heard about Lorier during the lead-up to getting my Explorer, as their Falcon had obviously caught my attention. When I saw the yellow-dialed Racer a few months ago, it was practically a no-brainer. Now I’m generally not a fan of chronographs. In the fashion watch world, chronographs seem even more ubiquitous and unoriginal than divers. Many of the designs don’t speak to me, being too lazy or too cluttered. Although I consider the complication to be one of the coolest functions a mechanical watch can have, I also consider it to be one of the least practical to have on your wrist today (I’m sure some disagree). Additionally, most chronographs are rather large- a necessary consequence of their movements, which doesn’t really work for me. There are a few that I like quite a lot though, and the Gemini is one of them. The Dimensions are excellent, it has a mechanical chronograph movement, and doesn’t break the bank. Plus it comes from an overall awesome microbrand. The yellow dial paired with red and black minute track are an absolutely killer combo. This is my chronograph + casual watch.

Kurono Tokyo - GMT 1

On this piece I won’t be going into too much detail, as a review is in the works. Suffice it to say, it fits into the collection as a GMT (a complication that I’m a huge fan of) with a wholly unique design, from a company I’ve followed from the very beginning. This is my GMT + dress watch.

Casio - W-86

I’ll make this short and sweet. Who doesn’t love a Casio? It’s got Electro Luminescence, some awesome teal accents, a comfortable strap, and it’s a Casio! This Casio is my beater watch.

Casio - A500WA-1

Although I dig the “Casio Royale,” and might get one in the future, this is the World Time for me. It’s streamlined, functional, and has some elegance to it. I like the unobtrusive inclusion of blue, yellow, black, and grey. It’s packed with all the digital watch functions you could ask for. This is my Casio World Time.

Casio - A700W-1A

This is actually the first Casio I bought. I purchased the A500W alongside it a few months before getting the Explorer. It scored quite a lot of wrist time, but lately it has been getting beaten out by the A500W. I love the accent colors, geometric design elements, and damn this watch is thin. It has a retro vibe that works so well for me that I don’t even see it as retro. It’s a Casio. Another Casio!

So there it is. My 6-piece collection. As we all know, no matter how many Casios you have, they only count as 1. Those are the official rules. I have a couple of quartz watches as well, which were given to me, but I don’t consider it appropriate to count them as I did not choose them and have never worn them. If the collection grows, I will likely include those pieces in a future update. The box is the “main collection,” though I throw the Casios on more often than you might think. I’d be lying if I said I was done (and the Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer Dr. Pepper has been haunting my dreams since WindUp), but I’m done… for now.