The One Watch Challenge: Why are you in or out?

As you know I opted out.  My reason for the opt out is simple, I change my watch every day and I rarely wear the same watch for more than one day.  This has been my custom for many years, and it works well for me.

I started & knew I was out after 9 days because a watch that I had purchased & had in my house for two months was finally able to be worn. 

Since that date, 16 opportunities have come & gone. 12 of those days, I wore the new watch while also wearing my fitness tracker on the opposite. 

Kinda makes me wonder what would have happened if I didn't have that watch on point...

I started on a whim.  I didn't decide to join until the day of the challenge. 

I said I would be in for 30 days.  I think I can make that.  I have no illusions about "winning" anything.  That would just be losing but it takes a lot longer.  

I am not suffering in any way.  Let's face it.  It's not hard to wear a Rolex every day.  That's what they are built for, not for sitting in a safe.  It looks good, it's comfortable and green goes with every wardrobe.

I am thinking about the other watches in my collection.  There are good reasons I bought them and I am happy with the state of my collection.  I have a solid internal debate about which watch to wear when the challenge ends for me.

I am developing thoughts on the future direction of my collection based on this experience.

Que sera,sera. 

For all of my carping about water resistance and some such, I've discovered some fascinating truths about myself and about collecting.

The first, of course, is that this is all quite a bit easier than it originally looked.  I was a one watch guy for a very long time and this felt like a refreshing visit back to those days rather than some horrible restriction.

Second, I think perhaps my concerns about durability and water resistance have been overblown.  This dress watch has served admirably as a sports watch and I will henceforth be more willing to treat it as such.

Third, I feel, now more than ever, the overlaps of my watch collection, in look and feel and utility.  I'm learning the difference between things I like and things I can't part with.  It's pushing me to be a more thoughtful collector and I'm wondering if I should try doing this on an annual basis.

So why am I in?  Constitutional stubbornness I suppose and a love of low stakes challenges.  I imagine I will quit after I finish my charitable watch auctions or some such, thereby disqualifying myself by dropping below the 7 watch threshold.  

I doubt I'll stop buying and owning many watches but an additional behavioral speedbump or two before purchase isn't unwelcome.

I wanted to opt in, but couldn’t.  I took a cruise during the time that the contest ran, and was without internet for several days, which meant that I couldn’t post on WRUW.

I chose not to participate. I tend to avoid arbitrary limitations except when engaging in creative endeavors. That’s the time to invoke the sweet, consistent song of the muse of arbitrary limitations.

I'm still in.  I was due to receive a new watch on the day the challenge started and I thought what a great way to find out how much you really like it.  I changed the bracelet to a strap and just love the way it looks.  I really love the watch and I am so glad I bought it.  It's really hard for me to pass on a challenge but it would not be heartbreaking for me if for some reason I come up short.

Why am I putting on the same watch day after day?  Because it's awesome, I'm a badass, and 30 days is a small price to pay to make sure strangers on the internet understand these things.

So where to start.

1.  I love a challenge regardless of the prize, even if there is no prize I'm generally in. Challenging myself was the biggest draw card for me.
2.  With possibly over 1000 or more watches passing through my hands and onto my wrist over 20 odd years it was a great chance to sit back and reflect on where I want to go heading into the future and with retirement looming, where I want to be when that time does arrive. I'm seriously thinking a 3 to 4 watch collection is where I want to be and this challenge has shown me that is possible.
3. The watch chosen for me, the Direnzo, while a very well made micro watch that so far seems to run at +2 seconds a day, great size at 39mm, the possibility of endless straps with 20mm lug widths and the joys of wearing a no date watch suits me and my lifestyle. I don't need to be reminded every day what the date is, it's plastered in your face at every which way you turn, I enjoy the simplicity of the watch. But and here's the BUT, I find I don't need the added complication of the internal rotating bezel, I just simply do not use it. So if there is a next time a buy a Direnzo it will be a simple 3 hander with a no-date complication.
4.  I've found this challenge a great way to reflect upon my current collection and what watches I could actually let go, what I liked about a watch in the past and as a consequence added it to my collection now doesn't appeal to me as much. I've always loved simple case designs and simple dial layouts, no power reserves on the dial, not even sub-dials on chronographs do anything for me if I'm honest. After all a watch is designed to tell the time and nothing more, so why overcomplicate something so simple. My opinion of course, so sorry to all the chronograph lovers out there, no offence intended. If I want to time something a dive watch with it's rotating bezel would suffice and even the humble 3 hander could do the same.
5. Basically I'm just a stubborn old pr#ck, pigheaded old bastard who has nothing to prove to anyone else except himself and let's face it, I'm my own worst enemy.

So to DeeperBlue who initiated this challenge I thank you for giving me this opportunity to spend some honest time reflecting my watch addiction and for possibly saving me thousands in the process 🙏

To those who have participated and opted out with grace and their integrity still in tact, I thank you for your courage to last as long as you did and I promise you this, a Swiss watch will win this challenge even if it's a micro brand Swiss watch 🤣

And to those who remain, may the hands of time serve you well and bring you nothing but good fortune, good health and you're insanity in this challenge doesn't lead you astray into wearing another watch 🙏

See you all at the end 💯   

I was never in it to win it. I had a fairly new watch lying around that I hardly wore at all, and the challenge was an excuse to give this thing some proper wrist time. But it had a face only a mother could love, and a week in, when another new watch arrived... At this point it was also becoming clear that the challenge would last till the 2028 presidential election...

before 2019 the notion of changinf watches would not have even occurred to me. As I’ve said before I  have been doing this challenge since November. My girlfriend at the time made the argument why not buy one watch to rule them all (I pointed out there there like 16 rings of power) but asked her why not own one pair of shoes for every occasion. She checks the time with her phone she doesn’t wear a watch. Anyway when the challenge came up I wondered if I could push it further but then it went from want to, to to have to. I know I can wear the same watch for years. I have done. This was an experiment in whether I would again. The answer is probably no 2-3 watches definitely. My 1 watch has tripled in price since purchase and replacing it would not be something that would make financial sense. This weekend I’m off to wales to camp in a forest with A friend he’ll be wearing the g shock square I made him buy. I’m that friend who ropes other friends into his hobbies. I test the waters and give them the advice. in this forest sure I will like have my Alpinist and take a g shock just in case but I will not be wearing the Alpinist for all activities. I was about to make a post about this to be transparent. I’m going out there to get from tech so I won’t have internet.  I won’t be posting on watch crunch but I will be taking pictures. I have not bonded with my mudmaster in any way and have considered selling it for 2 years but I loved the Alpinist while climbing snowdon and wore this last time in wales with my g shock square in my backpack as a backup. This might be a great opportunity to use the mudmaster and I wonder if I wouldnt have given it a second thought if not for the contest. 
 

i really do want a hat 🧢 and I was going to bribe everyone else to drop out by offering to create art work of the 1 watch they chose 1 because I want to get into drawing watches anyway and 2 So we could all be winners. Whatever happens I’ll be disqualified I imagine I already am because I missed the first day it wasn’t about that though it was about doing something to with this community, I’m a wall flower. I’m very confident as a person but I usually prefer to observe than interact and I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring for once. 

At least after this weekend I’ll know if I’m going to get rid of the mudmaster and stick to my square for all rugged activities, I’d like to prune the collection and I know the Alpinist will be saying. 
 

p.s this competition has delayed my review of the Seiko 5 gmt that I somehow got before everyone else on the planet it seems 😂 

Talking about Tom Waits. Is there a better debut album made, than Closing Time? Not to me.

I throw in the towel after day 21. I was not in it to win to begin with. I know that I can manage with one watch, I done it before. For me it was a fun thing to take part in. The challenge brought part of the community together and I enjoyed being part of the tribe. I did put some effort in to choose the ”right” watch. What watch would I pick if this was for real? My choise came naturally since I already ordered the CW C63. Not the watch I would have chosen in a real 1 watch collection but a good representative for the type and look that I probably choose. So why quit? Simple because I don’t have to wear the same watch every day. I was really longing to wear my other watches including newcomers.

To my defence lasting ”only” 21 days this was the only watch I whore during this period. Besides 1 or 2 photoshoots the C63 was my only watch.

Life's too short

I needed a good excuse to get a jubilee bracelet for my SARB033!

In all honesty, I am curious how long I would be able to go and see what would motivate me to continue. I originally bought my SARB033 in September 2018 and it was one of my first well-educated purchases. I bought it with the thought process "if this was my last watch purchase what would I pick" and I had to pick a GADA watch that matched my lifestyle. At the time I essentially wore this watch every day. 

As time went on I got some other watches so I started wearing them less and less, but I could not come around to selling the watch because

1.  I am sentimental and have worn it for a long portion of my life
2.  It still had its purpose (I wear it when traveling or drinking with friends)
3.  My girlfriend can also wear it!

So it has just been collecting dust in my watch winder the past few months (especially with no traveling during COVID). This challenge gave me a good reason to wear it again for a long time. I did try to make the challenge harder for myself by making it the only watch I could wear (no more sleeping/working out with a G-Shock). I did break this rule I created myself twice so far (one late evening I had a networking event and another was at a festival type of event at night), but still fall in line with the 1WC rules! 

So that's it. I felt bad for my SARB033 and this gave me a good reason to wear it. I made wearing it daily easier by getting something new just for it. Now I just shake my left wrist to hear it "jubileein'" (a word my girlfriend and I created )

Great summary of realizations, good sir. Many of those who participated already shared above their reasons and realizations too. So, to answer your query: "Why do you do it? What are you trying to prove, and to whom?"
1. All my life, I've been a 1-2 watch guy. Either I was gifted a time piece, or I bought cheap quartz pieces. So long as they told time, looked nice, and were versatile and adaptable enough for varied situations and occasions, I used them and was content. 
But, when I finally got into watch collecting about 3 years ago, albeit very slowly, I was easily mesmerized by the many beautiful options. You were right, the temptation to "grow" my collection (a.k.a. buy the next captivating piece) was, and is so real. So, the 1WC was a personal test to see if I could continue to be content. 

2. As I mentioned in a past post, watch collecting is a personal thing. We each decide what watch we get, which stay, and which go, based on our own set of criteria and preferences. Many will give their own heavy-handed, biased opinions, on which watch is good, and which is crap. Some will even diss at your preference. In the early days, I was so easily swayed by these biased opinions. Over time though, I've learned to sharpen my criteria, and appreciate what I truly enjoy and find valuable. Today, I couldn't care less what others say about each piece in my humble collection. End of the day, to each his own. So, the 1WC was an opportunity for me to continue celebrating my time pieces, and to celebrate as well, the time pieces that others chose for 1WC. 

I think on both points, I have succeeded. Cheers to you all! 🍻 

I have woken up to many long and thoughtful responses to this post. Even the short and to the point responses are revealing (in a good way). One of the reasons that I always appreciate @roberto 's posts and comments are that they always make me think, even if they are sometimes only tangentially related to watches or collecting. More thought is always better in a space like this.  I could post a this or that poll, but the thoughtful comment is much more illuminating. (As an aside, I am coming to loathe polls as a substitute for content.)

One of the things that I believe the 1WC has done for me is break to the fever of the "see watch, buy watch" manic phase of collecting. Vintage collecting is a sneaky way of acquiring too many watches and watch knowledge at a bargain price. You have to be willing to balance imperfections with the volume.  It is a good trade usually. However, getting a watch box allowed me the overhead view of mid-century moderately priced Swiss and American watches that had the sameness that I complain of when I see a box of dark dialed divers.

I don't know if I will massively reduce my total, but I don't need half of what I have to enjoy this. I started feeling "watch sick" twenty watches ago. I think that the 1WC will make most of us rethink this in some way (@TonyXXX  and @chronotriggered make this point). I think that it will make us concentrate on the characteristics that we value (@hakki501 , @Davemcc , @Velomax and @Edge168n touch on this). There is also sentimentality at play (@unseenhero ) and the genuine desire for swag (@Robair ) which I share.

Maybe with more focus and thought I can have a collection like @WatchYourIntruder. That is the new goal, a more curated and thoughtful collection, rather than a box of impulse buys.

Let me address something that @chronotriggered touched on.  Some of us have been put in "time out" for expressing, perhaps too vociferously, opinions that offended some of the folks here. This has changed what I say and when I say it.  That has made this a less interesting place. There are certain posts, certain Crunchers, that get no interaction from me whatsoever. Words aren't violence.  Opinions aren't aggressions. We need more room for snark and sharp elbows. Be prepared to defend your stupid opinion.  I know that I am preaching to the choir to most of you. Those who complained have mostly withdrawn.  They are too sensitive for any robust discussion. We remain and censor ourselves for their benefit. Come on, it's just watches.

I'm in it to push myself to see how I can fight my impulses, I want to wear something else every damn day that I wake up, but I still pick up the same watch. I would say overall it's quite good since I took a while to carefully choose my next buys instead of just rushing into the "me likey" mindset that I used to have before. I still make terrible financial decisions but a little less terrible than before. 

Don’t have enough watches to be “in”.

😞

I'd like to think that a good life is composed primarily of making marginally less terrible decisions today than you did yesterday.

I have ADHD so making it 8 days was pretty good for me, especially considering I wasn't wearing my shiny watch.  There is no rhyme or reason to what I wear daily.  I look at my collection and grab the one that speaks to me on that particular day.  

I do like a challenge, but:

1. I am a large human being (6'7", and not what you would call svelte) so the any swag offered I knew wouldn't fit.  So that carrot did nothing for me.
2. I prefer poking the bear instead of being the bear.  Although, in some circles I think I am now considered a bear, but that is content for a very different social media platform.  Basically, I had more fun proposing additions to the rules that would make people think twice about joining the challenge.  
3. I recently bought an extremely expensive watch (for me at least) that was not the one I selected for the challenge, so I knew my participation would be short lived.

I also like to  people watch.  As challenges like these unfold, it tells you so much about the people participating.  

Thought it might be fun to play along.

Sort of initiated a spending freeze on the collection anyway.

Used to be a one watch guy for decades.

Now I keep going for the fun of the personal challenge of consistency, i dunno. Posting everyday is the crux. Wearing it everyday isn’t challenging.

I have 1 good reason for why I didn't participate

My collection contains only 2 watches: Vostok Amphibia 420280 and a Casio AE-1200

I wear different watches for different tasks like work, sleep, gardening, bath time, taking the kids to the park, use of power tools, walking the dog and after hours, etc. Some times the daily just isn't suitable for everything that needs doing. For instance a steel bracelet clasp and a baby don't always mix peacefully. Water resistance is a big part of just being outside in Oregon. 

I'm just too deep to commit to wearing just one like a normal person. Plus when it comes to this competition you know there's a couple crazy bastards that'll just wear one watch for ever. And then there's the liar's, which sadly is an unavoidable part of an "honor" system with humans.

I dropped out because I didn't see any point in depriving myself of the pleasure of wearing my other watches.  I bought them to enjoy them.  No one cares that I wear one watch or four, and why would or should they?  It was a bit of silly fun for the time that I was willing to do it. But I'm having much more fun now that I'm out.

As for the lot of you still in it...

I'm still in because while I joined in by accident, I wanted to see if I could still bond with my first watch and make it relevant to my every day life. That, and I am incredibly stubborn. 

Bravo Greg, you raised some very valid points and two in particular that has almost put my WC account on delete mode.

I thought this was a place where we could voice our opinions and of course be prepared to defend those opinions, say something stupid and of course people are going to jump all over it. I don't want members to be censoring themselves in the process to stay all PC, if I'm offended I will just say so or ignore the comment and move on. If members are that easily offended I wonder how they get along in life. 

Also the influx of Polls, it takes away the any need for thoughtful or even lighthearted comments from members, just tick a box and move on to the next question. The communication and intelligent conversation between members is sadly lost, in essence turning WC into a questionnaire not a forum. 

only wear one watch per month reason being its too big a pain in the butt to change every day. maybe i can start changing avery week like on a sunday? who knows.....

Polls, even well intentioned ones, are killing me. I usually skip them.

...but maybe tomorrow. 😜

Just live to change watches