Watches - My History, Perspective, and Collection

I have been working in the Jewelry industry going on 6 years now. To be honest, during the first 3 years, my job was just that. Since then I have grown to love watches and Jewelry, from both aesthetical and mechanical standpoints. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my former co-worker and mentor, Alan. Every morning during set-up time, we would discuss watches. We'd talk about who's who in the industry, what color and type straps go well with certain color dials, and anything else you could ever imagine being brought up between(now) two watch enthusiasts.

I purchased my first timepiece shortly after, an IWC Portofino. From the moment I purchased the watch, I loved it. I wore it on a daily basis, but after about 6 months something didn't feel right. I had been wearing the same watch for 6 months, without rotation. I began searching for my next timepiece with the thought that it would be purchased as a birthday present to myself. I felt I needed something a little more substantial, being a bigger guy and all. I began searching for a larger, sportier timepiece, eventually finding "the one", with the Chopard Millie Miglia GMT.

A few months after purchasing my Chopard, I felt the Off-White Dial wasn't quite right for me. For many of you who have never owned a light colored dial, they generally give the watch a much "larger" appearance. Going from a 39MM case to 42.5MM case was enough of a size increase for me, the last thing I wanted was a watch to look huge on my wrist. I called Chopard and asked if I could switch the dial, while still keeping the original, in case for some reason, I still was not satisfied. They agreed as long as I would pay for labor plus the cost of the black dial. The end result was this:

Within the next year, my knowledge of the industry had grown vastly, while at the same time, Alan had decided to retire. With my mentor now gone, I had to find other sources of watch information. My discussions with Alan, watch representatives, and skimming through past issues of WatchTime Magazine were my only sources of information, and with Alan gone, I had one less.


I began reading Ariel Adams' blog, Perpetuelle, JamesList, and the sadly extinct Luxist.com, as well as becoming a regular reader of WatchTime magazine, International Watch, and Revolution Magazine, all of which I highly recommend for the latest news on the watch industry. My love for timepieces continued to grow.


Why do I love watches? 


1. I feel like it makes an outfit complete. A dress watch with a suit or a sports watch with casual wear.


2. I love intricate details, I can appreciate the time and effort put into a timepiece.


3. As a car lover, I find the mechanics behind making a watch very interesting.


4. I like to show off....


June 2010: Another birthday, another watch purchase. I had not been wearing my Chopard as often as I had liked to, feeling it was too expensive of a watch to wear on a daily basis and at the same time I was not enjoying the IWC as much as I had in the past. I sold the IWC to raise some funds for my next purchase, which I discuss in detail here.

I am happy to say that both watches' retail prices have increased since then. Probably the biggest determining factor when searching for a new watch. During the last 15 months, I have worn both watches and enjoyed both equally. Constantly getting compliments on the timepieces has kept a smile on my face and wrist.

Though I skipped getting a watch for my 25th birthday in June, the unexpected happened during September. I found what I call the most versatile watch on the market right now... in my opinion, of course. The watch is the Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV, my most recent and probably last purchase for a very long time.

Here is a shot of my current collection:

My only regret to this day was selling my IWC Portofino. Though I didn't enjoy wearing it on a daily basis, it was a phenomenal watch. I actually almost purchased the IWC Pilots watch, a very similar watch, but at the end of the day, the TAG Heuer was the right one for me. The key is to find the best watch for you. Make sure to do enough research on the company and particular watch. Try on the watch and if you feel everything is right, buy it and enjoy it!