If You Could Only Choose One Watch...

While I haven’t been collecting watches for too long, I have had the pleasure of wearing a nice variety of watches. That being said, while I rotate the watches in my collection, I tend to stick with what I’m wearing no matter the occasion which takes the idea of an everyday watch to a whole new level. For example, if I am wearing a diver and I have an event to go to that requires formal attire, I won’t swap out my watch, I will wear the diver. Maybe it’s laziness or maybe I just think I am as cool and confident to wear a diver with a suit like James Bond - definitely not! No matter, it got me thinking, is there one watch in my collection that is a jack-of-all-trades watch? A watch that fits with every occasion and outfit. A watch so versatile that it could get complimented when worn with jeans and a tuxedo. Naturally, this will vary from person to person because everyone has their own preference on style, functionality, fit/finish and maybe even brands. No matter, I thought I would share what watch this is for me and also hear from community to see what yours is.

Lately, I have been on the hunt for a Panda Hamilton Intra-Matic automatic chronograph. I have been slowly getting into chronographs, currently sporting a limited-edition Hamilton X-Wind and a Timex Q-Chronograph.

I love these watches, but got allured by the classic bicompax style and its rich racing history and vintage roots. While my search is still ongoing, I wanted to temporarily scratch this itch with something a little more affordable. Having also been doing research on the Seagull ST1901 movement and came across a fantastic deal on AliExpress for the brand Hemudu also utilizing the ST1901 movement. I decided to pull the trigger on it over a Seagull branded watch or even a Sugess simply because the deal that was running was just too good to pass up. If you have this watch or any watch with the ST1901 movement, let me know how you like it and how dependable you found the movement. So far, I couldn’t be happier with mine, especially on the beads-of-rice style bracelet it came with. Upon receiving the watch, wearing it, and gawking over the movement, I came to the conclusion that this style of watch may be everything I have been looking for in a do-it-all, jack-of-all-trades watch.

The divers I have are quite bulky and tool-ish. They are rugged and tough and unsurprisingly, this is reflected in their wrist presence. Their bulk and stature on my wrist make them impossible to miss and at times, a little uncomfortable, especially when paired with a solid metal bracelet. Their basic dials and large bezels lack a certain level of elegance and therefore not quite fitting with formal attire. My basic three-hander watches are quite slim and small. They are simple, elegant and extremely strap friendly. However, are on the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to my divers. They are almost too refined and too elegant making them more suitable for formal occasions with dressier attire. My Hamilton and Timex are great but quite complicated. Their busier dials, small number print and bezels lend them to adopting sportier undertones. Further, these types of chronographs always lacked a bit of balance and symmetry to me. Whether the sub dials are at the 3,6,9 position of 12,9,6 position, they always looked a little off proportion to me that even a date wheel couldn’t fix thus adding to their sportier nuance.

In contrast, the bicompax design for me is the perfect balance that takes the best parts of the above-mentioned watches and combines them all into one watch. Its vintage/racing roots gives it that sporty feel especially with the stopwatch-style pushers flanking the crown and hint of red on the tip of the chronograph hand. Further, its balanced and symmetric thanks to the placement of the sub dials and lack of date wheel, adding to the refinement of the piece. I believe the sub dial placement enhances and almost stretches the contemporary 40mm diameter size so it does not get lost on your wrist. However, it is thin enough to be tucked under a cuff yet, thick enough and light enough (thanks to the hand-wound movement) to be placed on anything ranging from a solid metal bracelet to leather strap. Its versatility allows this style to thrive in any situation and outfit you may wear. Finally, it is not boring. The sub dials add a little character, it is fun and a little playful while maintaining its elegance and class.

All this being said, we are all watch collectors and can likely agree that we cannot live with just one watch in our collection. There are so many brands and styles and complications and modifications out there that makes the task of owning just one, impossible and frankly, pointless. Watches are meant to express personal identity and that may mean pushing the boundaries and going outside the status quo. This was meant to be a fun post and to get the conversation started on IF you had to pick one watch to wear in any situation, what would you pick? Let me know below! Thanks for reading and hope everyone has a great weekend!