Rounding out a watch collection can be fun, rewarding and sometimes, a bit expensive. Let’s be honest though, we all envy that one friend who gets away with only having a single watch in their collection (if you can call that a collection), and can confidently rock it across their entire wardrobe. Whether it’s a Rolex or a Nomos, a single watch means owning the look, and feeling comfortable wearing it to any event that comes across your social calendar. If you’re ready to commit but aren’t sure where to start, these five watches will get you pointing in the right direction.
Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41
The Black Bay 41 from Tudor is a sports watch that eschews most of the typical sports features, instead focusing on legibility and wearability. There’s no chunky bezel in sight, no complications to get in the way, just huge luminous hour markers and hands. At 41 mm in diameter, this Black Bay is effortless to wear, and while it comes on a steel bracelet, this watch will look good on pretty much any strap you can find. Best of all, the Black Bay 41 is priced under $3,000 retail. Make a Bid on one right here.
Cartier Santos
When it comes to discussing important and historic wristwatches, the Cartier Santos has a seat at the table, being amongst the first ever produced. Equal parts sports watch and art-deco fashion icon, the Santos will stand out in any crowd, and demand respect from even the snobbiest watch guy in the room. Offered on a steel bracelet or leather strap, and with a case just 8.5 mm thick, the Santos wears effortlessly across a broad range of fashion choices. Browse the Santos collection right here.
Omega Speedmaster Professional
The Omega Speedmaster available on the market today remains almost unchanged from the version that traveled to the moon in 1969 on the wrists of Apollo astronauts. Take that as a testament to the timelessness and practicality of its design. The Speedmaster Professional is a tool watch through and through, but doesn’t go overboard in its purpose. The bezel is slim and unassuming, the case wears small for being 42 mm in diameter, and the sub-dials balance out the dial symmetrically. The whole watch is an exercise in restraint. The rich history the Speedmaster Professional brings to the table, along with effortless good looks on any manner of strap, make it a prime candidate for being your one and only watch. Make your Bid on the Omega Speedmaster right here.
Rolex Submariner
The word “iconic” is thrown around a lot these days, but few things can make a better claim at being so than the Rolex Submariner. It’s a tool watch that’s been there and done that, and as deep as its credentials go as a true diver’s watch, the Submariner has nearly equal exploits as a fashion accessory. The Sub famously looks good on the wrist paired with anything from a t-shirt and jeans to a full black tie outfit. This coupled with legendary quality, make the Sub a perfect pick for a one watch collection. And many people have done just that. Bonus, they hold their value remarkably well. Check out our Rolex Submariner listings right here.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711
The Patek Philippe Nautilus is the quintessential steel sports watch. Revealed to the world in 1976 with a toned down “porthole” design by the legendary Gerald Genta (which he famously sketched out in just 5 minutes over dinner), the Nautilus featured a large (for the time) case and integrated bracelet. In over 40 years the Nautilus hasn’t changed much, it’s settled into a 40 mm wide, and 8 mm thick case, and gained a date window at 3 o’clock on the dial. It is imminently wearable and legible, is subtle enough to fly under the radar, or can serve as the centerpiece of your outfit in the right crowd. It is truly an endgame watch for collectors of any stature, and is a single-watch collection worth passing down through generations. See what Sellers are Asking for the Patek Philippe Nautilus right here.
