[SOTC 2022] - Mid Range Watch Collection (12 Pieces) - Full Thought Process

Hello All,

There is this famous saying in English "you can tell a lot about a person by his shoes", this innocuous piece of garment can tell not only the person's sense of style but also his background, priorities, and stage in his life among many other details about him. I believe that the same can be said about watches. 

I am one of these people that has almost a voyeuristic enjoyment in seeing someone else entire collection. It is easy to visualize who the owner is, or who he inspires to become in the future.

To contribute to the ever-growing pile of SOTCs here at WC, I am presenting my current collection.

But, before throwing here photos, dates, and reasons, let me first introduce myself so you can see if the collection matches the owner.

• Late 30's;
• Working in the tech industry;
• No kids;
• Living abroad in a big city;
• I am not comfortable wearing very expensive watches, I wrote the reasons here:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/thiago/posts/opinion-why-mid-range-watches-matter-most-the-illusion-of-watch-ladder-7612

Usually, watch collectors have a few principles and guidelines for their collection, mine are the following:

• Only new pieces, not used/pre-owned/vintage (My watches, my scratches!);
• 12 watches are enough (If I can't find happiness with 12 watches, I will not find it with 24 or 96).
• Do not cosplay (Buy watches that enhance the life I have, not try to buy a type of life that is not mine).

And finally, here is the collection:

Pieces in chronological order:

Grand Seiko SBGX261 - 2022

My most recent purchase, I was looking for a Grand Seiko for a long time and this model fits perfectly in my collection. IMO, it has a truly Japanese approach to design, based on a deep reverence for simplicity. It is one reflection of Japanese sensibility. It gives me the impression that they remove everything that is a "non-watch" element of this watch until remains only a watch in its purest form. It can be worn for the rest of someone's life. In that case, the date window should be there.

I also love the fact that it uses the 9F movement. Seiko was responsible for the quartz revolution and there is no better quartz movement in the market.

Cartier Tank - 2022

I bought this watch with my wife to celebrate our 19 years of relationship. It represents the fact we spend more than half of our lives together.

We meet when we were at University and we are together since then. These days, that is quite an achievement for any couple.

Tudor Black Bay 58 - 2021

Yeap, that one. IMO it is better than a 5-digit Submariner.

Apple Watch - 2021

The iPod Shuffle was the best device to listen to music while I was working out but it is incompatible with music streaming services. I "had" to upgrade it with this "Watch". Like many collectors, this is the watch that I use most days of the week.

Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600 - 2021

I was looking for one over-capable diver watch, preferably one that doesn't look like I am trying to cosplay as a marine rescue member. This CW is perfectly balanced, it has the same share of elegance and toughness.

Seiko Pressage Urushi SARW013 - 2021

By far, the most elegant watch I own. Every detail here is executed beyond what this price suggests. I was wearing this watch while I wrote this post and can't spend more than a few minutes without taking a quick look at this perfect dial. 

The watch's dial was made with ancient technique preserved by a few Japanese artisans, it predates 3 millennia. This craftsman transmitted this traditional technique to us, a foreign audience, and give us this item for contemporary living.

Review here:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/thiago/reviews/seiko-sarw013-review-796

Seiko Pressage Baby Snowflake SARX055 - 2021

As you can see, I have a particular soft spot for Japanese watchmaking, including the special Seiko JDMs. It is almost a separate branch of Seiko. It is arguably, one of the most famous Seiko JDMs.

Review here:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/thiago/reviews/seiko-sarx055-review-7213

Seiko Pressage Manhattan SRPB46J9 - 2021

There is a Danish word "Hygge" that describes a mood of coziness and warmth. This is my Hygge watch. It compels me to use an Aran sweater or a brown corduroy garment, then, have a cappuccino with a warm butter croissant.

Seiko Pressage Old Clock SRPE43J1 - 2020

There is something irresistible about Guilloché Dials, this engraving technique used to decorate surfaces with fine and intricate patterns makes any watch looks luxurious. I also upgraded the strap to this leather strap from Delugs.

I know that is not a Breguet and it has a CNC/pressed dial but I loved it still.

Christopher Ward C65 - 2020

That was an opportunistic purchase. I already had an eye on Christopher Ward watches when this watch was on sale on their website. Worth every penny. IMO, it is hard to get the correct blue on sports watches, they usually are too "metallic blue Beetle" for my taste, but this CW found the perfect shade of blue, and it pairs great with the light brown numerals and marks (yeah, yeah, yeah faux patina, but I like it anyway!).

Seiko 5 Sports Black SRPD55K1 - 2019

I was late for the SKXs party but I still had to try its successor. It was my second watch purchase after I decide to "collect" watches. With it, I was able to test how I can handle multiple mechanical watches on my daily use. The result is that I am still here lol. It is an honest watch that I keep as my "Artic Parka Watch":

https://www.watchcrunch.com/thiago/posts/suggestions-upgrading-my-arctic-parka-watch-15655

Seiko 5 Sports Pepsi SNZF15 - 2019

Sure I had to start collecting watches with a Seiko 5, it is my very first mechanical watch. After acquiring a few other watches I decided to make a very simple project with it. I put it on this sued strap expecting to it get some nice patina and start to look a bit like these Vintage Rolex GMT Masters we see on the IG:

Problem is that I have to wait years to get this type of patina (and I have to use the watch for these years, not sure if that will happen).

Borrowable watches.

These 2 watches belong to my wife and I can borrow them:

Seiko Dolce SACM150

Vintage dress watches have this beautiful aesthetic. I love the small gold case attached to a leather strap with a complex texture, but purchasing them is a minefield. One of the contemporary options is the Seiko Dolce SACM150. A bonus is its movement, the 8J high-accuracy quartz movement. I love to borrow it once in a while.

Review here:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/thiago/reviews/seiko-sacm150-review-8166

Seiko 5 SNK807

It also belongs to my wife and it has this nice small Flieger watch aesthetic. We upgraded the strap to this leather strap. I don't use it, but it is there to use.

I also have this unusual way to build my watch collection. To me, my watches not only need to make sense individually and be a coherent part of the whole collection, but I also like to rearrange them into sub-collections that also make sense by themselves. With that approach, I can mentally have several collections and all of them reflect me, my life, and my taste. In the future, I will publish a few of these sub-collections.

Thank you all for getting this far.