Avoiding Watch Buyer’s Remorse
When amassing your watch collection, buyer’s remorse is essentially inevitable, but there are a few watches out there that will never leave you disappointed.
I have always said that one of the hardest lessons when growing up is learning how to cope when your expectation of reality does not align with reality. This happens in myriad situations in life—sometimes it’s a first date, a meal, a vacation, or a simple conversation with your boss asking for a raise. Whatever it is, you go in thinking one thing will happen and are suddenly faced with the cool slap of reality, leaving you utterly disappointed.
But every once in a while, what you dreamed, imagined, and created in that beautiful head of yours is exactly how it turns out. And sometimes it’s even better than you ever conceived. That first date went late into the night, that steak juicier than ever, the opal blue of the ocean on your vacation was unlike any shade of blue known to man, or you actually got that raise which was desperately needed.
Anticipation and hope are beautifully dangerous feelings. They can leave you fulfilled or utterly drained. When it comes to purchasing watches, the same thing can happen.
Many enthusiasts and collectors honor the hunt, do the research, look long and far for the right watch, in the right condition, at the right price point, with the right movement, and the correct design, making sure the watch ticks every single box necessary. It is a meticulous process, one that requires dedication, time, and a sliver of good luck. And when you get it right, when your expectation of reality and reality align, there is no greater feeling in the world.
When it hits, it hits. When you buy the perfect watch that every time you look down, it just feels right. It sits right on your wrist, matches every outfit you need it to match, and performs exactly as you need it. The watch becomes an extension of you.
Obviously, trying to choose the watches that will leave you with no buyer’s remorse, the ones that are exactly as you imagine them, is a very subjective matter. I initially wanted to come up with a formula that could be used to avoid any form of buyer’s remorse, but even if a watch has an unmatched history, gives great value, great design, has no equal or comparative, or even signifies a personal milestone, it could still drive you to feel you had missed something.
However, I can say, with some certainty, there are a few watches out there that will check every box and fill every need a collector can possibly have.
No Buyer’s Remorse
Before I start to run through the watches that made my ‘No Buyer’s Remorse’ list, I must first state that many of these are not obscure, out of the blue, bespoke, or even truly independent watches. If you are here reading this, you have probably heard of every single one of them. But that shouldn’t diminish our love for these timepieces. I find too often in our world we reject what is popular for the pure sake that it is popular. The fact that I am yet to read a single Harry Potter book is testament to this idiosyncrasy I believe we all have, but that is a tale for another day.
The Omega Speedmaster Professional
The first no-buyer’s-remorse watch has to be the Omega Speedmaster Professional.
I will admit that this is a bit of a homer pick as I am an owner of a Speedy, but this watch truly has (almost) everything one could want. It is generally always under $6k, has history and provenance, a chronograph/tachymeter complication, looks good on a bracelet and any strap your heart could desire, is well-respected by the watch community, and has little hidden “pocket squares” like the Omega etching on the crystal.
I am going to save you from all the tech specs and historical references (It’s a Moon watch! And I do not care what you say, it doesn’t get much cooler than that), but regardless of the caliber or reference (excluding the hotly debated Snoopy models), this watch packs a Mike Tyson-sized value punch that will be sure to grace the wrists of the generations to follow.
There is never a social situation where a Speedy does not fit in, and that has and will continue to stand the test of time. Is it perfect? I hesitate to say that. But the Speedy is guaranteed to never disappoint and should essentially be a staple in any discerning collector’s lineup.
The Cartier Santos-Dumont
I would be remiss not to include the Cartier Santos-Dumont. Again, a wildly popular watch brand and model, especially as of late, but it is a timeless piece. A watch with history. A watch that is versatile and looks great on both the bracelet and any strap you can get your hands on.
Like the Speedy, the Santos also boasts an unmatched history. In 1904 Louis Cartier presented a time keeping device to famed pilot and friend Alberto Santos-Dumont. This timepiece was to be a pilot’s instrument, worn on the wrist, and not held in a pocket as was the norm in those days.
In a 2021 interview with Revolution Cartier’s Heritage, Image and Style Director Pierre Rainero said, “Let’s not forget that the Santos watch is the first modern wristwatch ever and the first watch designed to be worn on the wrist,” Rainero explains. “Behind that model, the values associated are about adversity, and there is also a good comprehension of the evolution of people’s way of life. There is a strong difference in that watch but also an idea of relevance. And I think, for instance, that the fact that we offered very quickly the possibility to wear it differently with a metal bracelet or leather strap shows that adaptation to the way of life.”
The Santos is recognizable by those in the know but can also fly under the radar as it is not necessarily a “loud” piece. And pending the version you get, will generally stay under 10K, which provides you a true value proposition.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin ref. 2000V/120G-B122
I included the reference number for this watch because this specific reference, the ref. 2000V/120G-B122 is a long forgotten, but historic model (I suppose a watch released in 2016 is now historic?) that will not leave any collector with buyers remorse.
The VC Overseas Ultra-Thin is my sleeper pick. When Patek announced they were discontinuing the ref. 5711, I told everyone I knew to try and get their hands on an Overseas. To me, they are frustratingly underrated as a sports watch. The bracelet design is the biggest hurdle when looking at this watch but once you put it on the wrist, I promise you it will all make sense. Jack reviewed this watch when it was released and dove into how incredible this bracelet is once you handle it in the wild.
“The bracelet on the Overseas Ultra-Thin is absolutely phenomenal. The combination of brushed and polished surfaces catch the light in a really mesmerizing way, and the wonderful level of finish on the white gold links and clasp, combined with the mass of the watch, give it a feeling in the hand and on the wrist I really can’t recall getting from any other watch bracelet I’ve ever handled. It’s not just the just-right mass or the beautiful metalwork, it’s the combination of the two, and the bracelet is so comfortable that it feels almost alive.”
The VC Overseas Ultra-Thin was released in 2016 at SIHH and initially had mixed reviews as it is a white gold sports watch with an integrated bracelet, but it was what was under the hood that had people talking.
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Ultra-Thin presents a remarkably slim profile, boasting a case thickness of merely 7.5 mm and a diameter of 40 mm. Powering this timepiece is the Vacheron caliber 1120, a movement with a rich history. Originating in 1967 from a collaborative effort involving Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe, this movement marked a significant milestone. At the time of its launch it was the thinnest full rotor self-winding movement, with different caliber designations adopted by AP, VC, and Patek, Jaeger-LeCoultre produced it as the JLC caliber 920. Notably, JLC never utilized the movement in their own watches.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 920 stands out as potentially the most noteworthy automatic and ultra-thin movements ever crafted, and this distinction arises for several compelling reasons. Primarily, its significance lies in the fact that the existence of this caliber paved the way for the creation of two of the world’s most pivotal watches. Notably, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 5402ST, introduced in 1972, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 3700/1A, launched in 1976, both owe their existence to the innovative capabilities of the Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 920.
Offering versatility, the watch is equipped with a clasp and a system of three effortlessly interchangeable straps – steel, leather, and rubber – allowing for personalized customization.
You want a sports watch with an integrated bracelet that isn’t a Nautilus or Royal Oak with unmatched history and a bad-ass movement, then look no further.
Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 5196
Patek Philippe is a company that needs no introduction. When compiling this list, it would be easy to have put three different models down as a watch that would never give you buyer’s remorse. However, the Calatrava takes my top spot. Yes, it is an entry-level Patek. No, it’s not the famed (and sometimes overdone) Nautilus. But, the Calatrava to me is what Patek is all about. It is a clean, elegant dress watch that should signify a serious personal milestone. But it is also a watch you will hold onto and cherish forever.
When the Stern brothers bought controlling interest in Patek Philippe in 1932, “they knew that to steady the ship they would need to introduce a simplified, mainstream model that would broaden the appeal of Patek Philippe timepieces beyond high-end collectors, whilst still maintaining the brand’s exceptional reputation for quality and excellence in design and manufacturing. Their solution was the Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 96.” Then in 1953 the Calatrava ref. 2526 was released and took the (although debated with the ref. 2552) crown as Patek’s first automatic wrist watch.
Buying a Calatrava is essentially buying the history of the most prestigious watch house in history.
There has been a major trend today for “stealth wealth,” “low-key luxury,” “understated elegance.” And if this is your mantra and ethos, then look no further than a Calatrava.
However, like the Overseas, not all references are made the same.
According to the official Patek Philippe website, there are currently 21 distinct Calatrava models taking into account various metals and excluding intricate designs. Notably, the “Calatrava” section on the PP website predominantly highlights time-only models, despite the collection including timepieces like the Regulator Annual Calendar Calatrava (5535G) or the Pilot Calatrava (5524G).
But if you ask any true purist and collector, the only Calatrava’s that are actually Calatrava’s are the time-only versions. Despite there being a litany of vintage pieces I would recommend, if a gun was put to my head to recommend the best modern rendition that harkens back to the original and also looks to the future, it is the ref. 5196. In 37mm, the dial is almost identical to the original ref. 96 and is the epitome of what a dress watch can be and should be.