The Quest for the Perfect Watch...

[Jedi]

...is a question bound to raise hackles or elicit thoughtful responses, so I thought I'd ask it after being inspired by a post by fellow TRF'er, stevemulholland3...

"...it seems like every rolex I buy just doesnt fill the void I have for the "perfect watch".As soon as I get what I thought was it-I start seeing flaws and freaking out over stupid stuff-but I know I will find the one.
cheers..."

...and here goes, Are You Still Looking For Your Perfect Watch?

To kick things off, I started being conscious of watches when I received as a child, a Casio Game Watch, featuring a really cool F1 Grand Prix style game on it. I was 11 years old. The old Mickey Mouse watch was flung into the corner and forgotten until about 10 years ago. The Game Watch was the PERFECT WATCH.

Then I wanted a James Bond style Seiko digital, with the cool ticker tape print out and garroting wire. So I received a Seiko Divers Quartz for a birthday. It was less than PERFECT.

Being enamoured by NASA and space exploration, I saved my pennies and at the ripe old age of 16, with some help from grandma, I bought my Omega Speedmaster Automatic. It was PERFECT, until one day, inexplicably, my mother handed me a Limited Edition Breitling Navitimer with the Swiss Air Force logo on the dial. It was just too cool and I was doing work experience at a civilian operated airfield at the time. It was even more PERFECT. The pilots were really jealous, but it scored me a couple of flights in the cockpit of a Cessna Citation! Jet planes are even cooler than watches

Then I bought a few SWATCH's, traded them, and eventually sold them all.

At the age of 21, instead of a key or a car or vacation or party, I received the granddaddy of them all, a Rolex Submariner Date 16610 with lug holes and tritium dial. This lil' bastid became THE WATCH at the exclusion of all others. For almost 10 years it stayed on my wrist, enduring everything I threw at it.

As I progressed through life, and career and what not, there were times when I was moved to buy another watch, but the Rolex/Omega rotation became kind of standard on my wrist. I never tired of looking at them and talking about them. My research pretty much convinced me that the SubDate was IT. THE ONE. Bar none. Until I bought another Rolex, the Pepsi.

From then on it became a journey. The realisation that Perfection comes along in many forms as my own appreciation of horology began to develop. Since then, my tastes have diversified somewhat, with my horological focus being on timekeeping and expressions of that ideal. Rolex fulfills that no doubt, but like Steve, I'm often left questioning myself.

But this is a wonderful hobby and I was just wondering, how do you guys feel about this topic.

[gmtobsessed]

In my wildest dream, my perfect watch will be >> Yellow gold GMT (non ceramic) with black bezel and brown leather << but this have to be original
from Rolex, not frankenstein watch. Oh, and without cyclops.

[Art161]

We've got at least two things going here.

One--Nothing is perfect. If you think it is, get a loupe with more magnification.

Two--Your tastes are likely to change over time.

Seek excellence, but not perfection. Otherwise you will wind up .

[Jedi]

Good point Art.

By focusing on 'precision' and 'timekeeping', I've managed with a lot of luck and hard work to have assembled a collection of watches that I believe, embody those principles.

But Rolex has been my prefered 'do-it-all' watch brand for the last 10 years.

[mgm]

Originally Posted by Jedi

The realisation that Perfection comes along in many forms as my own appreciation of horology began to develop. Since then, my tastes have diversified somewhat, with my horological focus being on timekeeping and expressions of that ideal. Rolex fulfills that no doubt, but like Steve, I'm often left questioning myself.

Hi, Jedi. If you have come to the point of using terms like "appreciation of horology", you are clearly doomed.

I recommend resuscitating Mickey till you get your bearings.

[CPTL]

Great post, Lee. No single watch is ever going to be perfect. We appreciate so many different things about our watches, and each will fill a separate niche.

For those who just want a rugged tool, the Explorer, Sub, SeMP etc comes to mind.
For those who want a watch with a link to horological history, a Speedy Pro, GMT, or Sub might fill that need.
For those who yearn for an expression of expert craftmanship, a PP or maybe your Journe will bring enormous pride.

Bottom line is that for those of us who appreciate these watches for what they are, no single watch is going to be perfect.

[Trurolexer]

To me nothing is perfect.
But SUBMARINER very near to perfect to me.
I like simple and sporty watch models. I don't really like chrono, turbillon whatsoever, grande complication yadda-yadda.
I just like simple elegant watch.

[CKay]

iMHO there is no such thing as a watch for all occasions and a perfect watch. There is beauty in simplicity and sophistication in complexity. Chronos, non-chronos, tourbillons, repeaters and whatnot. The art of watch collection is something which I am still learning.

[f16570]

Perfection in a watch is many different things.
Not sure that I have or do not have it in my current watch, but at the moment it is perfect.

[Jedi]

CKay, you bring up a very subtle point, about the 'art of watch collection.' I believe it's up to each individual to figure out how their collection expresses themselves.

At one stage, after wearing my Omega Speedy Auto and Breitling Navitimer, I thought that chronos were just too busy for me, and superfluous. But they can be genuinely useful, and it became a bit of a challenge to find a chrono that worked, didn't effect timekeeping, but yet remained readable and functional on the dial-side. So since then, I've added two chronos to the collection, a Daytona (of course ) and a beautiful JLC Duometre (with a few 'firsts' in watchmaking associated with it).

[finance21]

that's simple, get a 5513 or if you like the date feature pick up a 1680.

[Quarks]

This is great discussion. We are all in pursue of the "perfect watch", and having been through a good few watches that has come and gone, I have pretty much gathered, like some of the folks here, that there is in fact, no "perfect watch". But perhaps, we are all striving to have a perfect collection? What is a pefect collection is how we perceive it to be, in our own unique way. Some collect specifically chronographs from different brands while others specifically aim to own one of each from each brand.

I must confess here that I do not have a Rolex in my collection. Yet. I am considering to get a Rolex in the near future. And my collection would definitely would not be complete without one. But which one? I am still finding out for myself.

I, in fact, am in admiration of watchmakers who strive to make a watch somewhat perfect, namely independent watchmakers like Vianney Halter, Kari Voutilainen, Philippe Dufour... but I have yet to own one form them as well.

The one that does for me at this present moment is FP Journe. In my humble opinion, Mons. Journe is one of the most enthusiastic, talented, passionate watchmaker I have ever come across. I was ignorant in the past about his timepieces but now I have awaken to his philosophy and his passion. His watches has brought LIFE to my collection.

Perhaps, there is not so much of a perfect watch, as to a perfect collection... My tastes has always been changing and perhaps now, I would like to think I have reached a stage where I strive to collect watches that have 'soul' in them, watches that has horological significance... and independent watchmakers foot the bill for me now at this moment.

[TheVTCGuy]

Outstanding Post Lee! And I know exaclty how you feel... I think we all do. Let's face it.. we're all pretty much insane. Normal people look at us with very quizical faces when we try to explain how we can get so excited by a watch. But I've learned over the years, if you have to explain it to somone.. you can't. And I think this "Perfect" Watch grail is part of the sickness, no matter how great the watch you have is, you are always noticing something about another one that is a little bit better.

[cody p]

sometimes i think i'd be a lot happier if i got rid of everything and just kept to my walmart casio. i'd waste a lot less time and energy fueling my desire for things (watches) that ultimately do not satisfy.

[Tools]

I think that we are all wired differently..

Some just don't "get" a watch collector...or gatherer. They see a watch as just something to tell them when to eat, go to work, and make an appointment on time. Others, like me, see a watch as an engineering miracle..designed to run practically forever...almost like the elusive perpetual motion machine.

But we can see something different in each one we handle; so one just isn't going to do it for me.

But I don't seek the perfect watch...or even "a watch". I could never get one, become dissatisfied with it, get rid of it, and then get another... that's like taking a giant step backward each time..

Each different one I get is another step closer to having the perfect, for me, collection that makes the statement I want to make.

Now, I just have to understand what that "perfect statement" is.. another watch will help.

[K-R]

Nothing is perfect in my opinion. Just like us, human, nobody is perfect (I only heard few times that the damn rich guy I know claimed hisself as a perfect human, and often called hisself as "GOD above every human. That's a big insult IMO, for me GOD is the highest, and no I mean really NO human should ever claim his or herself as God)

[rolex5]

My TOG (black dial, tt, rose & jubi) is a PERFECT watch for me.

[wantonebad]

Nice posts guys!!

Quarks I agree with you, the independents are to be revered!! I would cut off an appendage for a Dufour "Simplicity"!!!

That said I knew what was perfect for me in 1986, As soon as I saw it I knew, it was a TT 16613 bluesy, and I worshiped it from afar for 20 years, finally buying one last year. I still adore it and though it’s pedestrian these days it’s still my epiphany watch.

But between 1986 and now I've owned a lot of lower end pieces and I've even flipped a few Rolexes since last year. For me it hasn't really been the pursuit of perfection but rather the pursuit itself. The more watches I buy, the more I put on my wrist the more in tune I feel to precision, to craftsmanship, to mastery. I can't build a precision movement, but I can put it on my wrist and appreciate the maker’s pursuit of perfection.

Since I have my grail watch, and my super dream grail watch is beyond my means I get pleasure from my beaters, and I think all of us should have quality beaters. That term maybe a misnomer but you know what I mean, our every day watches should give us pleasure that's what's currently important to me

[wantonebad]

Brain-fart Dup post, sorry

[Brushpup]

Perfection to me is a 6062 Star index MP, black dial. Rolex never made a more perfect watch and no one else made one more beautiful.

[Jedi]

The quest continues I see, not only for the watch, but for the expression and definition of the very term 'perfect'. Cool!

Keep it coming guys.

[GradyPhilpott]

The cell phone.

[lorsban]

I don't think there is such a thing as the perfect watch. I mean, it's more like an accessory. Our computers/phones/digital watches can give us perfect time but we want something that does so in style. And when it comes to aesthetic tastes, it changes depending on the things we're going through.

However, the closest thing I've got to a do-it-all watch that suits practically any situation is my AK. It's small enough so it's unobtrusive for sports, it's classically styled with a silver dial so it goes with shorts, jeans, a suit, or shirts with any color (silver simply doesn't clash with anything).

But, is it "perfect?" I don't think so. It doesn't have a date feature and that cyclops date-bubble on datejusts kind of puts them into dressier territory, in my eyes.

[Andad]

:>)

[Singslinger]

The quest for the perfect watch is very similar to the quest for the perfect partner - it doesn't exist!

[Andad]

Originally Posted by Singslinger

The quest for the perfect watch is very similar to the quest for the perfect partner - it doesn't exist!

Wrong..... I have one.



Sorry, correction, I've had three.

[DanP]

Milgauss GV with date would Supoib :)
Nuff said!

[Widows Son]

Great post, very thought provokeing (sp?). The reason we collect watches is because no one watch does everything well. As beautiful and finctional as my vintage Speedmaster Pro is, it won't do with a Tux. My TT Date won't work when mountainbiking, and one of my vintage gold Hamilton's shouldn't be worn while painting the shed. When we try to make one watch do it all, it ends up comprimising somewhere else. Besides, it always gives is an excuse to buy another!!

[airhkg]

My 8 month old thinks my SubDate is perfect. Any time he sees it he tries to tug it off my wrist!