Sure! Right here’s a problem that’s proper up my alley! You see, in our final budget-related collection, the rule was that we may solely spotlight one pre-owned watch. Man, what a bummer… I don’t find out about you, however as a diehard secondhand shopper, I hardly ever really feel captivated with new watches between €3K and €5K today. Sadly, the few that do set my coronary heart ablaze acquired snapped up by colleagues very quickly, so I stayed out of the sport. This time, although, the one actual requirement is staying inside the €25,000 complete finances. We will choose any variety of pre-owned watches we wish so long as we reference gross sales listings or common costs on Chrono24. With that in thoughts, I can actually put collectively a beautiful little watch assortment for €25,000.
To maintain issues attention-grabbing, as Thomas did, I’ll restrict myself to watches that I’ve by no means owned. Sure, I really like my present assortment, and I’ve devoted years to planning it and following by means of. Nevertheless, if I have been going to begin throughout, I wouldn’t need to squander the expertise with rebuys. That’s why there’s just one “variation” of a watch I presently personal in in the present day’s six-piece lineup. The opposite 5 are all from manufacturers that I’ve wished to expertise, and this train offers the right hypothetical likelihood. As well as, every watch ticks a particular field or two, with the general assortment reflecting my different horological needs. Lastly, though I reside in Japan, I’m going to fake I reside in Europe like my Fratello teammates to maintain pricing easy. Now that my pointers, let’s leap in!
The on a regular basis/journey watch: Tudor Black Bay GMT ref. M79830RB-0010 — €4,360
How applicable to begin my new assortment with a watch from Tudor! In spite of everything, my present assortment started with one as nicely. If you happen to’ve adopted my writing, you could know that the Black Bay 79220R was my first “big-boy watch.” I nonetheless like it and put on it typically, and I’ll by no means promote it. Nevertheless, if did have to begin my assortment over, the opaline-dial Black Bay GMT could be a should. I’ve had a comfortable spot for “Pepsi” bezels with white dials for years. As you would possibly count on, then, when Tudor launched this watch again in March, I sat straight up in my chair. I lastly acquired an opportunity to test it out at a Tudor occasion again in August, and in individual, it was all the pieces I’d dreamed of and extra.
The bezel insert’s metallic end is putting, with wealthy colours that no ceramic can match. Not solely that, however the dial additionally has the same end that glistens silvery-white like freshly fallen morning snow. Although I attempted on a lot of the current Tudor novelties at that occasion, this Black Bay GMT left the most important impression on me. Crucially, though many complain that it’s beefy, I didn’t discover the 15mm thickness extreme on my wrist in any respect. I’m already used to the 41mm diameter and 50mm lug-to-lug, so I’d choose this as my new every day wearer in a flash. The MT5652 caliber could be helpful for monitoring the time again house, and the flyer GMT operate could be excellent for after I journey there too. With its €4,360 value, this Black Bay GMT is likely one of the few new watches on this phase that I actually love. Signal me up!
Picture: Jewellery & Watch Provide
The chronograph: Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute ref. D12022 — €4,896
Any well-rounded watch assortment wants a chronograph, proper? I’d take this opportunity to get one I’ve wished for years, the Navitimer Cosmonaute. One of many first chronographs that I ever fell for again in highschool was the Breitling Navitimer. Its busy design spoke to me then, and it does to today. Now, although, I additionally adore the historical past behind it. Essentially the most characterful model, I really feel, is the 24-hour-dial Cosmonaute. I’m a sucker for the mid-’90s D12022 with its 41mm case, hand-wound motion, yellow gold bezel, gold palms, and tritium lume. Oh, and the blued palms within the white sub-dials are the scrumptious icing on the cake! Now, in actual life, I’m looking for a blue-dial model since I’ve reached my self-imposed restrict of two black-dial watches. On this situation, nevertheless, I’d go for the equally enticing and much more classic-looking black-dial model.
Picture: Jewellery & Watch Provide
Picture: Jewellery & Watch Provide
Picture: Jewellery & Watch Provide
I’d select this particular instance and import it from Japan (bear in mind, for this train, I reside within the Netherlands). The reason being that it nonetheless has its tritium-lumed palms, which are sometimes the primary issues to go bye-bye when these neo-vintage items get serviced. Particularly with such fantastically aged tritium on the dial, I’d hate to minimize the influence with vibrant Tremendous-LumiNova on the palms. Moreover, this specific piece appears to be in good form, exhibiting nice definition on the beveled lugs and notched bezel. The Lemania 1877 caliber inside must be easy to keep up, and this instance even comes with its field and papers! On the time of writing, it’ll price me €3,777 plus €95 for transport. With the 4.5% Dutch import tax and 21% VAT, that ought to carry the full to simply about €4,896. I’ve spent €9,256 to this point, so I’ve acquired over €15K left!
The diver/summer season watch: Doxa Sub 300T Aquamarine — €1,990
Right here’s one other piece that simply received’t let me go. The truth is, I ought to name it my “Kylie Minogue watch” as a result of “I simply can’t get [it] out of my head.” Again in June, I wrote concerning the Doxa Sub 300T Aquamarine and labeled it among the best summer season watches on the market. Even now, as winter inches nearer every day, my want for this turquoise-dial diver burns sturdy. In a world the place I didn’t have my Submariner 114060, I would definitely desire a worry-free water-going watch. Plus, the Doxa Sub 300T is so completely different from the Submariner that it makes the thought of proudly owning one much more enticing to me. I’ve by no means owned a bit from Doxa, a beads-of-rice bracelet, a C-shaped case, or a 1,200m-rated dive watch. I’ve certainly owned a couple of blue dials in my time, however I’ve by no means had one this gentle, and it’s calling my title!
Is the Doxa Sub 300T as versatile because the Submariner? Most undoubtedly not. However I feel I’ve acquired some fairly versatile items in my new watch assortment already between the white-dial Tudor and the black-dial Breitling. From right here on out, as a lover of coloration, I need eye-catching dials, and this one suits the temporary. I additionally discover the 42.5 × 44.5mm case fairly intriguing, and the beads-of-rice bracelet is attractive to me. The 1,200m depth ranking is excess of I’ll ever want, however it ought to hold the SW200 motion inside good and dry for summers on finish. To not point out, the Doxa Sub 300T is a veritable cult basic, and I’d fortunately drop €1,990 to carry one into my new watch assortment. That places my complete outlay at €11,246 to this point… I’m considering it’s time for some high-end watchmaking!
Picture: Espadim 1985
The Haute Horlogerie/purple-dial watch: Parmigiani Kalpa Forma Grande ref. PF009260 — €5,589
The Tonda PF is actually Parmigiani Fleurier’s sweetheart today. Sadly, at over €16.5K on Chrono24, the worth isn’t there for me. As a substitute, I’d like to have a mannequin from the sadly discontinued Kalpa line. It was a pillar of Parmigiani’s catalog for 20 years, and I nonetheless love its sensible tonneau-shaped kind. Fortunately, with my remaining finances, I may simply afford one, and this purple-dial magnificence has my title throughout it!
Picture: Espadim 1985
Picture: Espadim 1985
Picture: Espadim 1985
Purple and inexperienced are my two favourite colours, so my excellent watch assortment wants to incorporate dials in these hues. I discover the lavender shade of this dial fairly putting and an ideal canvas for the Grain d’Orge guilloché within the middle. The radial brushing round it really works completely with the angled indices, and the individualistic font for the numerals is unmistakably Parmigiani. I really feel that the luminous palms and hour markers give it a sporty contact, which the bracelet’s large, brushed middle hyperlinks solely hammer house. A bracelet additionally means year-round wearability, which is a big plus.
Picture: Espadim 1985
Picture: Espadim 1985
Can we take a second to understand these signature teardrop lugs? Simply admiring their lovely, drooping form practically brings a tear to my eye… They may make sure that the 34mm × 46mm case dreamily wraps round my wrist. However that, my buddies, just isn’t the place the magic ends.
Picture: Espadim 1985
Picture: Housekihiroba
No, this watch is a correct piece of excessive horology, and it homes the 4Hz manufacture caliber PF311. It debuted in 2001 as Parmigiani’s first computerized motion. As you may see, the gorgeous gold rotor bears the identical Grain d’Orge guilloché because the dial. Under it, we discover bridges with Côtes de Genève and hand-polished bevels and, beneath these, a perlage-laden mainplate. Even the holes for the screws and jewels have beveled edges, exhibiting Parmigiani’s nice consideration to element. This motion additionally has a 55-hour energy reserve and two mainspring barrels in collection for constant torque all through. All issues thought-about, €5,589 looks like a unbelievable deal for this restricted version of 100 items! After including it to my assortment, I’d nonetheless have €8,165 left. You understand what? I feel it’s time to go for the gold!
Picture: Renzu
The funky complication/gold watch: Chronoswiss Digiteur MSA ref. CH 1371 Rrg — €5,900
Sure, I do know; for this value, I may get a 34mm classic Vacheron or Patek. Some would possibly name me loopy for choosing a watch from Chronoswiss as an alternative, however this one merely displays my needs rather more. I have already got a three-hand Haute Horlogerie piece with the Parmigiani Kalpa. I desire a gold watch that lets me say, “Look, Ma, no palms!” And that’s precisely what this Digiteur MSA is. “MSA” stands for montre sans aiguilles, which means “watch with out palms.” And if I do say so myself, this one in full rose gold is a beaut’! I like the sides round all three digital shows, however that sloping window across the leaping hour is a sight to behold! That is considered one of my favourite “funky” issues, and housed on this curving rectangular case, it’s a recipe for real love. Take a look at the flaring of these lugs — hubba hubba!
Picture: Renzu
Picture: Renzu
Picture: Renzu
OK, I do know this watch isn’t for everybody, however looks-wise, I like it. It solely will get higher when testing the curving lugs from the aspect. Plus, at 27.7mm large, 45.5mm lengthy, and 11mm thick, this case ought to match completely. I even have the identical wrist measurement because the model within the image.
Picture: Large Moon
Inside this watch is an FEF 130 motion with an in-house Chronoswiss digital module on prime. The bottom caliber hails from someday between 1933 and 1963. Gerd-Rüdiger Lang, the model’s founder, reworked it and dressed it as much as the nines! Vertical Côtes de Genève, perlage on the mainplate, and even gold chatons are current right here, and so they look unbelievable.
Picture: Renzu
In complete, simply 990 Digiteur MSA watches have been produced, and this all-rose-gold variant was a part of a run of 99 items. The examples pictured above are bought out, however I discovered this one in Germany for €5,900. I’d snag it, and with the €2,265 I’ve left, there’s yet another field that I want to tick…
The green-dial/integrated-bracelet watch: Straum Jan Mayen Inexperienced — €2,023
The ultimate piece in my new watch assortment would most undoubtedly have to have a inexperienced dial. I put on numerous inexperienced, and it has been my favourite coloration since kindergarten, so not having a green-dial watch is a no-go for me. In actual life, I personal a Campanola with metallic inexperienced lacquer and a Zelos Mako GMT with a malachite dial. These are pretty, however I’d need one thing that feels contemporary, so I’d choose the brand new Straum Jan Mayen Inexperienced.
The feel on this dial is nothing in need of spectacular. It’s achieved by means of a multistep stamping course of, giving it a lot element and depth. Not solely that, however the shade of inexperienced right here can be exactly the deep, forest-like hue that I’ve liked since I used to be little. Housed on this 39mm × 45.82mm × 11.3mm case, I’ve a sense that it might feel and appear terrific on my wrist. My Fratello colleagues, a lot of whom have worn our collaborative version, have raved concerning the excessive degree of ending on this case and bracelet. Judging simply from the brushing on the bezel within the image above, it seems to be a number of steps above most watches on the sub-€3K value level.
I’ve additionally by no means owned a watch with an built-in bracelet, so I’d prefer to expertise firsthand why folks love them a lot. And eventually, I need to check out the La Joux-Perret G101 motion. With its 68-hour energy reserve, I’m excited to see the way it fares in every day life in comparison with ubiquitous ETA or Sellita calibers. This watch prices €1,600 earlier than import taxes and VAT, which, calculated for the Netherlands, ought to carry it to €2,023 complete. It could be an effective way to spherical off my new six-piece watch assortment, which, all assembled, would appear like this…
Whole price of my new watch assortment: €24,758
Woo, there we go! That’s a properly balanced assortment if I do say so myself! Not a single watch has the identical fundamental dial coloration as one other, and I’ve even caught to my real-life rule of 1 watch per model. Not solely that, however I even have a pleasant mixture of shapes, issues, and genres represented in these six items. As you may see, my style in watches is all around the board, however having selection (and plenty of coloration) makes issues thrilling for me.
Ultimately, I do love my real-life watch assortment too. I’m grateful to have my favourite Rolex, Zenith, and Cartier fashions, a purple-dial distinctive piece, a stunning Hanhart “Copperhead,” and extra. I even not too long ago added considered one of my favourite Speedmasters ever, which is ready for me at Fratello HQ. I’ve put numerous thought and energy into assembling these items, and I’m glad that I don’t have to provide them up. Nonetheless, constructing one other hypothetical assortment from scratch with €25K has been a brilliant enjoyable time! I’m fairly assured that I’d be thrilled to personal these watches. I don’t even really feel like I’d “want” to purchase one other Rolex or a Holy Trinity piece. Whereas my tastes might not mirror yours, I hope you appreciated my method. Let me know what you assume within the feedback under!
