Ideal one and done watches

I've been told that there are people out there that aren't watch enthusiasts apparently the vast majority of watch buyers just buy one watch as a watch Enthusiast this is total news to me and I'm shocked if you had any self-respect you should be spending all your available money on watches you should be cancelling vacations maxing out credit cards and your kids should be shoeless because that IWC Top Gun serot Anum chronograph is not going to buy itself all kidding aside Maybe you think watch nerds like me are insane you just don't want to spend all

your disposable income on a product that your phone can do more accurately maybe your partner has threatened to leave you if you ever start droning on about lever and coaxial escapements I get it you just want one good watch well this is the video I've spent far too much time on watches and I'm going to help out all you lucky Souls that haven't been sucked completely into this hobby this is the guide to getting a great oneandone watch but as usual with a Twist let's dive in the Rolex over onethird of all Swiss watch revenue

is Rolex odds are that a lot of people that want a oneandone luxury watch are going to look to Rolex simply because it's the brand they know and I'm not going to try and talk you out of it I think Rolex has five potential one andone watches it's the Explorer the Oyster Perpetual the Submarina the GMT and the dayjust the yach master is a little bit too Niche the Explorer 2 is is also on the edge of the catalog and won't appeal to a lot of people it's just not as versatile as the other ones

I've mentioned and a daytoner is likely not a realistic option for anybody that just wants one watch I mean if you can get a Daytona at retail then you're not a one watch kind of guy and if you're willing to buy it at secondary you're also likely not a one watch kind of guy because this is oneand done the Explorer Mount Everest yada yada yada story is irrelevant the Explorer is essentially a more expensive Oyster Perpetual with a rabic numerals at 36 and9 and a different bezel to me the Oyster Perpetual is a good option

but it's not necessarily a particularly exciting watch the datejust also an excellent option if you're going for the dressy style but for me the one andone is either the sub or the GMT the GMT is going to be significantly harder to get especially if it's the Pepsi but both watches largely do the same the sub is going to appeal to a lot of people because it's a little bit less flashy without the polished Center links so it likely will have more versatility but being a dive watch it has that bit more pop than an Oyster

Perpetual or an Explorer you're not going to be disappointed next up you have Rolex finances but you don't want a Rolex you've got an aversion to Rolex for whatever reason maybe you feel too many people have it in the office you think it's a bit too much you might have heard about the waiting lists for whatever reason you're just not on board with Rolex you still want something that makes you feel like you've arrived that you're in a good place in Life or you just want to mark that special occasion you know a marriage or

a firstborn something like that there are a lot of brands in this price range that cater to that kind of watch some are a little bit cheaper some are a little bit more expensive in no particular order are a couple of brands with looking at and why brightling they do slightly chunky watches that are more fleshy than a lot of other watches but they work well as statement pieces Kier these are more refined dressier watches Not all men gravitate towards them because they don't always conform to Modern definitions of masculine watches but for those that

do choose them they really rock JRA they are dressy and classy watches they're very refined and they're not particularly rugged in any way Omega they are probably the second most recognized watch brand or Swiss watch brand in the world they have an option that pretty much any Rolex the watches are also likely to be as recognizable as much as a Rolex would be as for the watches if it's brightling the chronomat 40 GMT steel bracelet blue dial this is a quintessentially brightling design it looks good it's solidly built it's wearable and versatile brightling is always

a little bit on the expensive side considering what's on the inside but like I said they're on the bit on the flashy side but they will do what you ask of it and a lot of people like the look I do too actually Kier Santos no question it's the most manly of all the Kier models realistically you're not going to be getting a tank or a Santos deont it's just not high on the statistical odds the Santos is The Versatile sporty slightly dressy lean watch it's shiny it's a bit of a scratch magnet but it

looks good wears well and stands out from the crowd of the sort of ubiquitous aquat teras date justs and long jeine conquests it just looks so much like its own thing and that's the key selling point jlc you have to get the Polaris the reverso is cool but it's not a go anywhere do anything kind of watch and it's an Enthusiast watch for most people the Polaris is a gorgeous watch it's pricey it's pricier than most comparable Rolexes and what you're getting for your money can be a bit obscure when you're a one watch buyer

it's something about finishing and guos and peas and onage and other terms that non-at nerds just don't care about if you can Splurge get the chronograph on a steel bracelet but you are way above even Rolex money territory as for Omega it's probably the most likely place to go for a lot of people if you're not going Rolex a lot of people would suggest a speed master moonwatch but non- nerds don't always gel with that watch the extra Crown the helium Escape valve on the 300M is also a bit of an acquired taste if you

like it you'll likely love it forever if not not you're probably never going to warm to it I would suggest you go aquatera pick the size you want and the D color you want and you'll have a watch that works under pretty much any conditions I might also suggest the newly released first Omega in space I haven't seen it in the metal yet but I think it just might be a nicer option than the standard Moon watch the next option is the are you insane that's too much money for a watch watch you're thinking these

options are way too expensive maybe you can afford it or maybe just think it's wasteful and that's cool you want something good that will last you a lifetime but is in a lower price point well got you covered you can always go chuda they're usually about half the price or less of Rolex their ultimate one andone watches are the 41 and 39 mm black Bay models they look good they fit well and are usually priced around3 to $45,000 they are solid as a rock and will last your lifetime but maybe that's too expensive for you

as well well there's still a million options from one ,000 to $2,500 there are a lot of Brands to choose from unfortunately in this price range you do need to be able to understand a teeny tiny bit about specs to not get cheated if it's a non-japanese watch make sure there's a celita or an ETA or a leup movement inside you don't have to know what that is right now just know that it's a good starting point if the watch is closer to $2,500 you should ask and check if it's cost certified if it's a

Swiss watch this is an accuracy thing if you don't get cost at $2,500 you're likely overpay if you're getting a dive watch ideally look for 200 M of water resistance or preferably 300 if it's a Chrono or some other non- dressy watch 100 m is your goal I know you won't be diving to 100 or 300 M but odds are that the better watches the more solid watches are going to have better specs then there's the bracelet you want easy adjust and quick release especially at 2,500 you might not get it at 1,000 but 2,

500 it's becoming the standard there's a lot more you can dive into and you can check out some of my old videos there're also some good resources online where you can get sort of nerd out on more on sort of the quality of what you're buying do your research as always but these are some general guides at least watches I consider as good options are the long jeene Spirit zudu time if you're into traveling or the hydro Conquest for the divers long jeene typically have some pretty good offerings and they are a good conglomerate that

have some really value options with high quality nmos have something like the Club sport they're available in different sizes uh just remember to check and wear them they have long lugs that doesn't work with everybody Monta as an example well they have the ocean King it looks a lot like the Submarina and it feels largely the same go anywhere do anything wrong if you're on the dressier side of things R and wild has the M Sim I don't think you'll be disappointed if we go for Japanese brands Seiko I would say get a watch that

has spb or SJ in the model number SJ 10 to be a bit more solid and high aspect seyo cell watches in a lot of price ranges and quality so it can be a bit of a jungle my favorite would be something like the spb 453 you've probably noticed that I lean a lot towards divers and that's because they're the most likely choice for a oneandone kind of watch secondly if it's not a diver I lean into the sports watch category it's also because for both divers and sports watches steel bracelets usually work well in

a lot of situations and make for straightforward go anywhere where do anything kind of purchases then we've got the category of I'm not spending more than $1,000 that's cool there are a lot of good options below $1,000 your watch might not be built with longevity in mind and this is important it could last forever but below this price point manufacturers are not necessarily building them with longevity in mind call it plan redundancy or whatever you like bracelets are going to become looser faster movements might not be the most solid and they're not likely intended for

easy repair cases might scratch a little bit easier and the repair and service costs can potentially end up being close to the purchase price of the watch and you're just going to think I might as well buy a new watch instead in this price range there is money to be saved in sticking with quartz models mechanical can be overrated in some cases below $1,000 seur got a ton of beus style watches that I would be comfortable recommending to you they're not necessarily super stylable because of their rugged look weirdly though it's I actually feel the

sub 1000k prage seikos are better offers than some of the more expensive Seiko dress watches they're super versatile C and also has the soosa that also has a look that switches well between casual sporty and smart timx also have a couple of cool sub $500 watches in watches like the Expedition there's the James Brand generally timx have a lot of sort of street cred or watch nerd cool watches at really affordable prices if you're a flight or plain Enthusiast then it Narrows your options down to bre or blon pan in the high end Zenith or

IWC in the mid-range or Leo and Stova in the entry level I generally wouldn't suggest brega or Blan ban the type 20 and the Air Commands just to me aren't that compelling if you want luxury I'd still go IWC especially with the mark 20 I know I'm totally partial and bias toward that watch it's a 40 mm sports watch with either a black or blue I think there's also a white dial it's got 80 or is it 120 hours of power Reserve I forget it's it's definitely a long power reserve it looks good it's got

that pilot look with the highly legible dial it's got the big Neals and a case and a bracelet that still come across this luxury if that's overpriced to you for a tool watch well I think that would be entirely fair then I'd go Stover Legos are good watches but they are really rough in their aesthetic where the Stovers are ever so slightly more refined in middle of the road so I think that would probably be the most likely watch for a one and done kind of guy Outdoors Outdoors Outdoors go anywhere and do anything really

depends on where anywhere is to you some people are real bare grills devotees where others like myself are more of a how far do I need to walk to get to the nearest supermarket where I can get a Coca-Cola if you're heavily outdoors and not too concerned about what the looks like under a shirt cuff then you're in the field and outdoor watch territory Cassio gshock is an option the classic would be the 5610 if you're wanting something more like a real mechanical watch I'd offer some different options at the entry level there's vea with

their dirty dozen watch there's the ubiquitous Hamilton cocky field the timx Expedition if you go more premium I'd say Christ of for June really premium tudo Ranger for a field watch I generally wouldn't go higher than a Tudor Ranger I also have a guilty pleasure in the Victorinox Inox it doesn't get any watch nerd Street GD but I think there are a lot of options that look cool they're solid and they look the part maybe you just want a quirky watch this is where we're stretching the definition of one and done and go anywhere do

anything definitions a bit we're away from classic boring divers and plain sports watches this is where you want something that really expresses something different under $1,000 I would go in a couple of different directions there's Swatch there's trendy Swatch and there's unknown Swatch now stick with me Swatch is Swatch you've seen the stores they do the moon watch but they also have all manner of Simpsons and mcit and peanut swatches that are fun and playful and as stated quirky trendy Swatch is and this is going to hurt a whole lot of people's feelings is Studio

Underdog their watches are better in pretty much every way compared to swatch but their claim to fame is color and fun and creativity they're a bit hard to get a hold of because they're so popular but they do tick some of the same boxes that creative colorful swatches do finally there's unknown Swatch which is Mr Jones same principle more playful than Studio Underdog they're more out there but they're fun above $11,000 it's actually a little bit harder to do this quirky style the reason is simple paying a lot of money for something that might not

not have aesthetic longevity is going to be rare people pay 4K for a watch and don't want to get bored with it there are some really freaky watches out there of course you know we've got the Constantine checkins of the world but something that's got a little bit more longevity to it and is more sort of for the one watch buyer Cartier Santos deont might not be quirky but it's likely A Road Less Traveled for the one anddone watch buyer when you get into the highend these quirky watches start to make a reappearance mosa is

a brand you should check out they did this recent collab with Studio Underdog for a reason a personal favorite of mine is a brand called trilobe they've got some watches I've spent quite a bit of time with Brands like them resence do something with dial interpretations that are quite different while still making them wearable I'm never going to suggest Jacob and Co and little Casino watches and godfa watches I think they're God awful do you just want to have a flashy watch that is your one and done you'd think ublo would be the obvious choice

but no it would be too obvious and if you like you like cool but it is a brand that has got a lot of baggage that you might prefer to avoid so where to go honestly I think you got three options panor they are maybe not flashy but they're definitely distinctive they've fallen out of favor in the last 105 years but today they make 42 40 and 38 mm watches that are pretty good especially the luminor and the submersibles look good but they stand out in a way that no or very few Rolexes and omegas

do buying a penai today signals a very conscious decision regarding your watch choice but the watches still retain a wearing versatility that one andone watches need to have instead of abl I would get a defy extreme from Zenith you get a better watch for your money and something that has the same level of eye-catching appeal go for the extremes if you have large wrists and the regular defies if you have more regular sized wrists if you want the ultimate flesh AP is still the way to go I'm assuming you have the money so go secondary

and get yourself a Royal Oak preferably a Chrono or if you're all in get a perpetual calendar model the final category is the watch that you want as a one andone but for some odd reason you want watch nerds to think you know something about watches below $11,000 Studio Underdog is a good choice at the moment because it's a niche product but hugely popular in the community alternative Casio f91 because it sends a bit of a signal that says I am a watch nerd going from 1,000 to $34,000 a watch from the German brand Zin

is likely going to send that signal they're a relatively small manufacturer and they have a loyal Community the true nerd options are either the 903 stbe which is their pilot navitimer or it could be something like the u50 hydro if it's the 9003 you need to be able to tell the story how Zin legally bought the rights to the design from brightling back in the 80s because brightling had financial troubles it's not a homage it's their design they own the rights to it if you're more of a dive watch kind of guy the u50 hydro

is also very much an enthusiasts watch it's filled with oil which in itself is just a cool story regular non-at nerds are not likely to own that specific watch if you insist on owning an Omega or a Rolex the odds of people assuming you're a watch Enthusiast are much lower but it can be done a watch nerd is more likely to have a discontinued Milas or an air king or a vintage GMT with a bakerite bezel than an modern Oyster Perpetual or an Explorer for Omega the real watch nerd gets the first Omega in space

not the moonat in the high end ptic don't really signal watch nde neither do automap they signal money much more than a watch nerd in the highend popular typically means not good for watch nerds so the moment fpj is seen on the wrist of Zuckerberg the it's going to raise the prices of fpj but it's not going to make your watch nerd anymore because suddenly sort of regular people have sort of discovered the watch that's the problem with ap it doesn't get a lot of cred necessarily with watch nerds they make fantastic watches but because

they're sort of very pop culture watches these days and you know owned by rich people and rappers and musicians and celebrities they just lose some of that watch nerd credibility same goes for patch mosa have for the longest time been more of a watch nerd brand I think give it a year or two they're probably going to be mainstream with the trajectory that they're on but right now mosa definitely a brand that you can wear on your wrist and people are going to say oh you probably know something about watches whether or not you actually

do is irrelevant did I cover every kind of watch I hope so those are at least my bulletproof options for one andone watches in a host of categories if you feel there's a category I didn't cover ask in the comments comments and I'll see if I have a good oneandone suggestion or maybe somebody else will keep the conversation going and as always like subscribe cheers