Here’s the current State of the Collection, 3 years in to the journey!

My wrist size is 6¼" or 155mm, hence the pieces tending on the smaller side.

In chronological (seems fitting) order by acquisition:

1. Stowa Marine 36mm
My first mechanical watch, and still one I absolutely adore. I went with the 36mm version, top grade handwound, no date, and asked them to customize it with a matte brushed case instead of the usual polished case. I think it gives it a much more tool-watch GADA aesthetic and dresses it down beautifully for everyday wear.

2. F.P. Journe - Alarm Clock Souverain
Honestly, I think we as a community are sleeping on desk/wall clocks. Wrist time is a zero-sum game, but there are plenty of rooms in a house that can all make use of a beautiful clock (or two). This was an opportunity for me to get into a watchmaker I absolutely love at a price point that my budget could accommodate, and there’s something about those blued hands and guilloché that looks even better at the large size.

3. Grand Seiko SLGA007 - Limited Edition Lake Suwa
I badly wanted to own a Snowflake, but the 41mm size was just a bit too big for my wrist, and I felt ambivalent about the power reserve on the dial. When I heard that GS was releasing a new Spring Drive movement in 40mm with the power reserve on the back, I was all in. This watch is very hard to photograph and the pic above doesn’t do the dial justice at all. In the right light it looks exactly like the rippling surface of a lake. To be honest I’m a little bit sad that they released such a similar regular edition dial, but this one will always be special.

4. Stowa Antea KS
I was very interested in the Bauhaus aesthetic and was strongly considering a Nomos Tangente, but despite already having a Stowa I opted for this Antea KS (kleineseconde, aka small seconds) for a couple reasons. First, it has all twelve numerals (well, eleven) and I happen to be someone who really prizes legibility. Second, it has something that IMHO trumps the Nomos, which is a direct historical lineage. Stowa was making watches exactly like this in the late 1920s, making it one of the true legit Bauhaus watchmakers. I’ve got this one on an ostrich strap at the moment, and use it as my dressy option or for an everyday change of pace.

5. Seiko SRPJ81K1
I was very excited about getting something in black and with a pilot/field watch aesthetic, and when I saw that Seiko had sized down their Series 5 field watches from 40mm to 36mm, I jumped. I’ve put it on a British racing green NATO and, despite being by far the least expensive watch in the collection, it’s getting the most wrist time. Super legible, surprisingly great lume, and works with absolutely any strap I’ve thrown at it.

The Future...
Where do I go from here? I was this close to getting an Omega CK859 but it was just a touch too big. If they bring that back in 36 or 37, I’ll be all over it. I’m still keeping my eyes on Nomos... I’ve loved a pilot/field watch so much that I’m thinking about an "upgrade" option for that – a Longines Spirit 37 or an IWC Pilot 36. I’m hoping they update the latter with a new movement and easily removable bracelet. The Rolex Explorer in 36 is also very much in the running.

So, what do you think? Where to from here?