The One Watch Collection: Our Contributors Weigh In

The “One Watch Collection” is one of our favorite thought experiments. Thinking through whether we could scale back, or if we started over, if we’d do things differently, helps many of us hone in on what makes the watches we love special in the first place. Today, our contributors wrestle with the idea of a one watch collection, making their choices for the watch they’d wear forever, and explaining their thought process. 

As always, we want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments if a one watch collection is even feasible, and what your one watch choice would be.

Alec Dent – Rolex Datejust “Wimbledon”

I have what you might call a theoretical fondness for the one-watch collection. I love the idea, but I also have more than one watch and can’t imagine selling most of the watches in my collection. If I could go back to the beginning of my watch collecting journey, though, there’s no doubt in my mind that I’d be a one-watch guy and that that watch would be a Rolex Datejust.

It’s water resistant to 100m, it’s durable, it can be dressed up or dressed down, and it epitomizes classic design. What more could you need from a watch? I’m particularly partial to the 36mm two-tone “Wimbledon” dial with a fluted bezel and a jubilee bracelet, but the Datejust has been around for so long — 80 years this year! — there are countless variations from which to choose. (If I wasn’t here advocating for the Datejust as a one-watch collection, I might advance the argument that you could devote yourself to collecting exclusively Datejusts and have an impressive and varied collection.)

I’m always taken by stories of people passing down watches and the memories that the current wearer of the watch has of, say, their grandfather or their mother or their mentor wearing the watch. Can there be as strong an association to a watch that’s just one of many in a loved one’s collection? I don’t know, but I occasionally suspect I have too many watches for any of them to be terribly meaningful to the loved ones to whom I hope to pass down my watches. My hope for the future is this: I have lots of children to whom I can immediately start giving my watches that are too meaningful to sell. Birthdays, confirmations, graduations. You get a watch, you get a watch, you get a watch! Eventually, I’ll get down to just one — that Wimbledon Datejust that I’ll eventually buy, God willing — and still have another 30 or 40 years with which to make memories with my loved ones and my one, solitary watch.

Nathan Schultz – Louis Erard Heritage 

As an avid podcast listener, I’ve learned the secret to a good episode (in addition to the people, of course) is a topic that makes you wish you could interrupt the conversation to share your thoughts. As I listened to the “one watch collection” episode of the Worn & Wound podcast, my mind was racing with interjections. Without the luxury of an hour to hash things out, I won’t bury the lead on my stance: I would absolutely embrace a one watch collection (and sort of already have) and I think you should too, if only as a temporary real life experience rather than a fleeting thought experiment.

Without a clear long term plan, in 2024 I sold off most of my collection, and I’ve (happily) spent 2025 rotating between two watches: my Louis Erard Heritage and my Seiko SSK025. On most days, I rock the Heritage. In fact, I think it’s only died once since I first put it on. On the rare occasion that I find myself hiking in the rain and the even rarer occasion I find myself submerged in water, my Seiko gets called off the bench. Is it nice to have a GADA piece on standby when life calls for more than 50 meters of water resistance? Yeah, sure. But let’s be honest, I’m not swimming with a watch on at the Holiday Inn out of necessity- I’m doing it out of sheer stubbornness. Likewise, everytime I fantasize about adding a quartz watch to my lineup to wear during household chores that may not be friendly for a fragile mechanical movement, it’s grounding to remind myself that I don’t need to buy another watch just to mow the lawn.

Even if you’re not ready to part ways with that obscure tool watch you bought specifically for playing pickle ball in a different time zone (which is no less crazy than the lawn mowing watch I’ve almost bought on multiple occasions), I think there is something to be gained from experimenting with some timepiece monogamy. At the very least, you’ll get the satisfaction and bragging rights of conquering #NoChangeNovember. But if you persevere, I’ve learned that reaching for the same watch every day has the power to eliminate the noise that can stand between being a watch nerd and spending enough time with a single watch to really nerd out about every millimeter of it. If I were still constantly on the hunt for the next NWA to post on Instagram, I probably wouldn’t have developed the deep appreciation I have for the almost impossibly thin strip of textured dial that sits between a polished minute track and the rehaut of my daily driver. It’s a minor detail, but appreciating minor details is one of the best things about this hobby. 

Don’t get me wrong, experiencing lots of watches and keeping tabs on new releases are rewarding ways to enjoy this hobby, but I’d argue that neither requires owning a bunch of watches. There is no shortage of events to physically experience watches, and even though I haven’t purchased a watch for 10 months and am chasing nothing, I still find joy in geeking out over press releases. For me, embracing a (nearly) one watch collection has been an unintentional experience that has proved enthusiasm can still exist with, and maybe even be enhanced by, a sparsely populated watchbox.

Griffin Bartsch – Rolex GMT-Master

Read enough of what I’ve written over the last few years, and you’re sure to have run into some version of this phrase: “If you’re in deep enough to have heard the term ‘one-watch-guy,’ then it’s too late for you ever to be one.” The thought may come off as slightly glib, but I stand by the sentiment. Getting down to one watch just isn’t that feasible for most of us. I know for my part, I’m too emotionally attached to too many watches I already own to consider paring down to just one, so even if I never bought another watch (unlikely), there’s no world in which I’d get down to one watch. Still, every so often, it’s nice to consider the idea, even if it is more of a romantic notion than a realistic approach. 

So what’s my one watch? For years, I’d have quickly jumped to a Polar-dialed ref. 16570 Rolex Explorer II — preferably from the short window when the watch was available with Super-LumiNova, drilled lugs, and solid end links. That was, and probably still is, my favorite vaguely modern Rolex, and it does check a lot of boxes. And if I were going purely with my heart on this one, it would 100 percent be my pick, but the 16570 is a watch I want to complement many of the others I already own, not in place of my entire watch drawer. So if not my long-coveted Explorer II, what’s my pick?

Well, it’s still a Rolex, and it’s still from right around the turn of the century, and the end of the 5-digit era of Rolex — it’s even still a GMT. And if you can’t figure out what watch I mean yet, then I’ll just say it, my search for the perfect one-watch collection starts and ends with the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 16710, preferably with an all-black bezel. The 16710 has a lot of the charm of the 16570, but, critically, has one thing the Explorer II just doesn’t: a rotating bezel. I’m not a diver (at least not yet), but I treasure my rotating bezels. I use them often, and if I had only one watch, what was once a nice-to-have quickly becomes an absolute imperative, bringing versatility and function to the table in a way a fixed, engraved bezel just doesn’t.

Christoph McNeill – Tudor Black Bay

A “one watch collection”? Setting aside the fact that the phrase alone is an oxymoron, I still find this topic to be a difficult one! As a collector of many things, (comics, toys, books, all things cool/vintage, watches, etc), I find the notion of having only one of something that I like does not compute. However, as a mental exercise I do find it intriguing! 

When I first think of having only one watch, after the cold sweats subside, I have to immediately consider one parameter that is paramount. Is a family heirloom watch counted in the “one”? If the answer is yes, then hands down my one watch would be my 1971 Rolex 1861 in 18k yellow gold with the original bracelet. Stylistically, this watch is simply not my jam, but as it originally belonged to my father, and his father before him, it is the watch that is nearest and dearest to my heart. If the choice is only one watch to keep in the whole world, this would be it, no further debate needed. However, for the sake of argument, let’s consider this watch NOT part of my collection, then I have much to think about.

As a “vintage guy”, my first thought when considering only one watch is of course, a vintage watch. My 1980 Omega Speedmaster? Classic, beautiful, functional, historically significant, and can definitely be worn in just about any situation. My 42mm 1961 Bulova Super Compressor? Easily my favorite vintage watch, large size, stunning design and condition. One of my vintage Seikos? The 1975 6138-0030 ‘Kakume’ chronograph, or the 1966 King Seiko 44-9990? Perhaps. Both are true vintage gems and worthy of a singular watch collection. But, as much as I love vintage pieces, if my collection consisted of only one watch I think I’d have to go…..modern! The horror!

So, which modern watch? There was a time when I actually seriously considered doing what we’re discussing here today. I came pretty close to selling off all my watches in an effort to purchase an A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk. This is their brilliant and incredible direct read watch that has one of the most unique designs in horology. To me it’s absolute perfection. The problem is they’re at least $50k used, and of course go up from there with some of the variations available. The Zeitwerk is truly an aesthetic and engineering marvel. As top-shelf as this watch is, I like to be able to wear a watch and not worry about it. If I wore this one, I’d be overly aware of its presence and price at all times!

So in the end, I believe I’d have to go with a modern diver for my choice. For me, that would be the Tudor Black Bay, and I’d stick with the one I already have, the original ETA movement release with the classic blue dial. This watch has it all. It is essentially a “heritage” model, a modern interpretation of the original vintage Tudor Submariner 94110 Snowflake. With that epic and timeless “snowflake” hour hand, and curved text on the dial, this watch is a modern classic. It’s waterproof of course, so easy to wear to the beach or swimming pool. The style is classy enough that you can easily wear this watch for a nice dressy evening out as well.

I chose this watch on my recent trip to Spain, where we travelled by plane, train and car, hit the pool, the beach, and even ate at the number one restaurant in the world, Disfrutar in Barcelona. The Black Bay felt right at home on my wrist the whole time. I usually wear it on the OEM bracelet, but it looks equally great on a leather strap or Isofrane silicone strap. One watch? It’s the Tudor Black Bay for me.

Meg Tocci – Vertex M36

Among dedicated hobbyists, having a one watch collection is a phenomenon that exists far out in the ether and hovers like a spectre over the forums. It beckons minimalists. It strikes fear into the hearts of maximalists. It bonds us together in a thought experiment that transcends borders as we each inwardly wonder: could I do that?

When thinking about watches that would be contenders for someone’s one watch collection, I realized that I couldn’t zero in on a pick until I defined some parameters. Relying on just one watch would mean a few things. First, the watch has to be versatile. It needs to transition relatively seamlessly between different occasions and lifestyle choices. It has to weather the unpredictable nature of fashion trends. This made me limit the contenders to watches at or below 38mm. And ideally, the watch should look good on both a bracelet and a leather strap for the ultimate “dress up/dress down” scenario.

The second factor for me was high water resistance and robust build quality. If this hypothetical piece was someone’s everyday wearer, you would have to contend with the occasional pool or lake. I thought that 100m of water resistance seemed reasonable for those purposes. Finally, and this is just personal preference, I wanted the watch to be highly legible. This meant – hot take – Arabic numerals. I know there are very legible non-Arabic indices out there, and I can appreciate them. However, to me, Arabic numerals feel the most natural and least energy-consuming way to tell the time. If one was looking at the same dial for a lifetime, this might come in handy. 

The third and final factor was simple – the brand should have some heritage and some good stories behind it.

All of these points led me to the Vertex M36. This watch comes in traditional stainless steel and a bronze option. At 36mm, it’s well-positioned to remain en vogue throughout a lifetime of wear. The water resistance is 100m and the applied Arabic markers ensure that time-telling is simple (even at night thanks to the stellar X1 grade C3 Super-LumiNova). I think someone would be able to wear and enjoy the M36 as a one watch collection.

Is a one watch collection something I, personally, would choose to pursue? Nope. Overconsumption issues aside, I think part of the fun of watch enthusiasm is experiencing different timepieces throughout the different seasons of one’s life. Swapping various watch rolls at a meetup is part of the joy of the hobby to me. I have met One Watch people before and I’m happy for them. But personally? I hope that my watch box will forever runneth over.

Tommy DeMauro – Timex T2M509

Now, I already know what you’re thinking and yes, this is an incredibly unorthodox choice for a one watch collection. While it may be hard to initially justify making this somewhat odd and rare Timex model the sole watch in someone’s watch box, there’s a laundry list of design choices, specs, and features that, I feel, go a long way to support this model’s case for a one watch collection. While I personally could never imagine downsizing my 100+ watch collection to just one, I can at least formulate my own thought processes that I could/would potentially employ when starting a collection of this kind. To me, amassing a “collection”––if you can even call it that––of just one watch means that that specific piece must be usable in almost any situation it’s put in. This also means that it must have the proper specifications and aesthetics to be a universal fit with almost any outfit or activity the watch may encounter on wrist. 

Before I go in-depth on how the T2M509 checks off an impressive amount of these boxes, I first want to explain why many of you have most likely never heard of or seen this model before. This model was initially launched in the early 2010s alongside the rest of the Timex SL line. The T2M509 was marketed only towards women and rarely saw mainstay in department or brick and mortar stores. Looking at how the industry views watch dimensions today, this model’s 38mm case fits far more in with men’s watch design than women’s, and the rather rugged and bold black dial and design cues make it a watch that has unfortunately entered the No Man’s Land of unisex watches. While its strange marketing ideology helped make this model a commercial flop, thus helping to make its current going rate on the grey market under $100, it does mean that not a ton of examples are floating around nowadays. However, if you can nail one down, I highly suggest you do. Why?

Besides its perfect 38mm diameter, it boasts a tolerable height of 13mm and a welcome set of 18mm lugs. While there are aspects of high polished features throughout the case and dial, the bulk of the stainless-steel case is brushed, making it somewhat more resilient to the occasional scratch that a polished case would display clear as day. With a screw down crown and case back, the watch boasts a water resistance rating of 100m that will provide security in many outdoor and water-based situations. The star of the watch’s design is the open-heart dial configuration. This allows the wearer to peak under the hood at the Seagull ST6 movement powering the piece. It’s a watch that can be worn to the pool, under a suit jacket cuff, with athletic clothes at the gym, or with a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. It aesthetically achieves just the right amount of elegance and utility without stepping too far into dress watch or dive watch territory. The features and specs it boasts make it a fitting choice for almost any occasion, and because of its detailed yet simplistic design cues, it’s a piece that could truly be the centerpiece of a hobbyist’s one watch collection.