3 Watch Collecting Philosophy?

I would choose all from the same brand. It shows brand loyalty and consistency of taste.

My pick would be: JLC Polaris, Reverso, and Moonphase

I would do: dress, daily, sports. And all of them will be from different brands.

The dress watch will be luxury level. Wear it for important occasions. Ceremony, meeting big shots, etc.

The daily watch will be something good and reasonably priced, keep a shiny and low profile.

The sports watch will be something robust and resilient, something that won’t break my heart if I crash it or break it.

The different brand is so that it serves my curiosity. They are accessory items after all.

The one that always stings here for me is that I love big g shocks but fully admit that sometimes I need something tough while small. It would be rough for me to give up two of my three slots to g shocks.

If I have to go off watches I own, I'm taking GSAR as my daily, 5610U as my serious beater, and my Khaki Auto as a slimmer, less stylistically obtrusive mechanical that can be pretty versatile if I need.

If I am picking any watches, I can get the diver daily and versatile piece in one with a SMP300m, then the 5000U, and I'm torn between the most recent mudmaster and the GSAR, both of which I do own, as a fun third option that can take a beating still.

All my watches are liable to be around farm and construction work, but mechanicals just won't appreciate some of the tools that get used sometimes.

On a lower budget, the SMP300m slot might be filled by something like a sinn 556A rs, their U50 if they ever put sword hands on the regular model, some damasko that doesn't exist yet, a Tudor diver if they got rid of the snowflake hand, a hydroconquest, or monta's new oceanking.

Something dressy for formal stuff

Something sporty but nice for everyday

And something that can take a beating

I’ve given way too much thought to a three watch collection. I’ve found no way to rationalize reducing my current collection to only three. No matter which three stay, something amazing has to be dropped.

I couldn't do three I don't think - I could do 3 + 1 vintage piece as a dress watch though.

I 'd go with a GADA, a chronograph and a diver (+ 1).

In fact up until a few weeks ago that's basically what I've been doing. I've got about 2 dozen watches but for the last 4 or 5 months I've only really been wearing 3 of them consistently.

I'm having a massive cull this year and making sure that I can live with what I'm keeping and not parting with anything I'll miss.

But if I had to live with 3 (+1), I wouldn't need to buy anything - I'd happily live with these:

1 - Longines Spirit.

2 - Longines Avigation Big-Eye.

3 - Certina DS PH200-m.

+ 1 - Certina DS 1st Edition.

Versatility, versatility, versatility. It's just what go for and I want a watch that fits in most situations and won't look out of place in any setting.

Simple. These three cause of the sentimental value.

Im sorry but that traska looks sick! What model is it?

GMT on bracelet for daily. Diver on rubber. GShock to beat around.

I like having a bit of variety so I’d go for three different watches from different brands in different colours. I’d start off with a daily wear, something comfortable and small and discrete enough so it could be worn with anything, like my Formex Essence but maybe with a black or white dial (by the way how comfortable are these Essence watches?).

The reason I’m not going green for number one is I’d want my Raymond Weil Freelancer gmt Worldtimer as my number 2.

I’d want a gmt and I prefer caller types and I haven’t come across anything I’d take Ove my RW.

I’m a big Chronograph fan, and so would like and if we’re talking dreams I’d go with a Zenith El Primero Chronomaster.

Love the size. Love the 100m of water resistance making this something I could always wear, and I’ve just always loved the look of this.

My bonus watch is something I’m okay beating up. We like to make little home improvements in my house and I’m a little clumsy so something like my G-Shock would be great.

Also with it’s bluetooth connection to my phone, I could always use this to set my other watches as and when needed.

A diver, a daily and a GMT if I had to do three.

For me, if I had to keep it at three:

• Dressy GADA (specs are there but it’s got some shine) Grand Seiko Shunbun

• Watch with history that is versatile for travel and can be dressed up/down but can also be my super formal watch with the right strap: Classic Reverso Duoface

• Speedmaster/tool (but not a typical one bc I don’t want the same damn one as everyone else and I want the hunt) . . . Likely a moonphase pro from the early 2000s.

Realistically? I COULD prob get it down to those, but this doesn't take into account watches I can't let go for sentimental value (or my wife's attachment to certain of my watches b/c she was involved) or the fact that I'm currently on an AnOrdain waitlist or watches that would be very difficult to replace if I did get rid of them (like special editions). Like my daily driver is a Nomos Watch Club special edition ("the olive") and those aren't exactly popping up on the secondary . . . there aren't many of them period. I'd regret getting rid of that hard.

Interesting to think of a three watch collection that is brand specific also. The first 4 that come to mind for me.

Rolex = Sub, Explorer & Explorer II

Omega = SMP300m, Speedy & Aqua Terra

Sinn = U50, 103 & 556

Tudor = FXD, BB58 & GMT

Would get a dress, a daily/ sport watch and a diver/beater type

For a bonus I’ll get something keft field different or humoristic

As a bonus I would choose

I would need a Daily, a Dress watch and a Beater. Maybe Daily and Beater could actually be the same, like a robust Diver or something. Tha would make room for a "Bonus", for which I would pick a Chronograph.

And for all three I would pick one that potentially lasts forever.

I would likely have a diver, a field, and a dress watch that could be worn casually too. It’s my style.

Bonus watch would be a Speedy!

These three. Why:

SBGA221: Titanium ✅ Spring drive ✅ Accurate ✅ Sporty ✅

SBGN003: GMT ✅ Quartz ✅ Accurate ✅ Sporty/Dressy✅

SBGW231: Mechanical ✅ Accurate ✅ Dressy ✅

Bonus: a GWM5610 GShock. Why?

Multifunctional (multiple time zones, alarms, annual calendar, chimes, chronograph, power indicator) ✅✅✅✅✅😆

Solar ✅ Atomic time/Accurate ✅ Beater ✅ 200m water resistance ✅

I’ve got a Seiko that would stay for sentimental value, a GShock as a beater and my 2254.50 for everything else.

I think I would try to stay away from the usual dress, casual and sport monolithic categories and try to get three watches that could do multiple situations. I have a medium Cartier tank must that looks great as a dress or casual watch and everywhere in between. Not for water or sports but that would definitely be one of my three since I could change straps and wear it in all sorts of environments.

I’d go with 2 versatile watches (those that can be dressed up or down), but one of them should be in cold tones and the other in warm tones (blue-ish and green-ish dials as an option). Both with at least 100 m water resistance.

Third watch could be something more casual and perhaps even quirky. A compressor style diver watch or an interesting flight/field watch.

As a bonus - something vintage, but not expensive. Maybe a vintage looking Casio.

With the limited number of watches I think I would want to make sure that all of them would be from different countries (Switzerland, Japan, France for example).

Which is the extreme left square watch? It's lovely

My list of three with a bonus

I would probably pick three types from the same genre but different dial colors. A Rolex OP, Omega AT and GS something from their quartz line just being different. You can chose the colors :)

I went through this exercise for real last year and while I love these three I regret selling off the bulk of my collection to get to these three

I chose the sinn because it’s almost indestructible it’s fully tegamented and is a great size for me. This was to be my every day watch. The speedmaster has a special place in my heart and I’ve had one for almost 25 years and I always will. I got the grand seiko because it fitted a few things I wanted. Something that would always be set at the right time something I could wear for any occasion, something Japanese as I’m a fan of Japanese craftsmanship in general and watches in particular. Its robust highly water resistant and I find it beautiful. Failed at a three watch collection badly as I’ve ended up collecting seiko divers as well 🫣 now on a mission to eventually rebuy some of the watches I sold to get here like my aqua tera and seamaster

You hit an engagement goldmine with this post! Nailed it with a fun and provocative question.

I’d say, a 3-piece collection needs:

1. Your go anywhere do anything piece. This watch should be primarily designed around functionality and legibility (criteria that can be met through a surprising variety of styles). It could also pass by being simplistic/minimal, or on the “dressier” side of “tool.” This is a watch you have to love. As your most versatile piece, you need to be happy wearing it anywhere/anytime, so…

• This could also be substituted by your favorite watch. Doesn’t matter the style, doesn’t matter the brand. Your favorite watch is one you’ll probably wear happily in any situation. If you want, ignore the aforementioned “criteria” and fill the #1 slot with any piece that just gives you the fizz!

2. Unless you hate the category altogether, you have to have a sports watch. Take your pick between a Diver, Chronograph, GMT, or digital beater. We all know how popular sports watches are, and these styles each have avid fans. Realistically, every collection can fit at least one sports watch.

3. It’s got to be some sort of dress-oriented watch. Nowadays, people dress up all sorts of watches. I don’t think there necessarily need to be any strict criteria here, but your dress watch is probably going to be one that you feel inclined to baby. Maybe because it’s a bit dainty compared to your other pieces, is made of precious metal, or is really expensive. But you probably try to keep it nice because, whatever it is, it’s your dressy piece!

Thanks for posting this. I actually think about this a lot!

For me:

1. Work (Casual): Seiko SARB 035

2. Work (Formal): Vintage Tudor Air Tiger

3. Everything Else: Omega Planet Ocean 2500

Bonus: MoonSwatch (Earth) or G-Shock

For affordability (actually watches I own)

1)work : Seiko diver sne573 solar 200m 5 days a week. (I'm a chef...)

2)Sporty and weekends : Seiko baby alpinist. (could also look very dressy on a leather)

3)For more casual dressier occasions and also everyday other then work :Dresskx.

Versatile and never out of place in so many situations.

Budget no limit :

1. Rolex explorer 2

2. Omega aquaterra

3. Cartier santos

AND

since I could not see myself without my Gsquare solar multiband to have a real beater do anything yard watch I'll put it there as my extra!