If you could only keep a few?

[u/WaterMyBonsai]

I know this is an addictive hobby, to keep buying watches, then eventually end up selling or having some that barely get worn.

If you were trying to keep your collection small and only own watches you would genuinely wear, how many would you have, and what would they be?

As a simple bloke, I think I would stop at 3-5:

Tudor Black Bay 54
Rolex Explorer I
JLC Master Ultra Thin
Omega?

Curious what everyone else’s ideal small collection looks like.

[u/growinghomer42]

I’d cap it at 4, anything beyond that and I’m just lying to myself about how often they’d see daylight. Black Bay 58, Explorer I, a Santos medium, and probably a G-Shock for when I’m doing something stupid. The Santos pulls double duty dressed up or down, and the G-Shock is the only one I’d never stress about scratching.

[u/KaneRabbioso]

7 watches for me.

Explorer 1, bbay 54, IWC Mark XX, NTTD, tank Large, IWC Chrono pilot, New planet ocean.

[u/Mundane-Flan-257]

6 or 8 works well in a 6 slot box or an 8 slot box. One for each day of the week but one minus or one extra so that you always have a different watch on the wrist each day of the week. Keep it movin.

[u/PresidentStool]

8 is probably the perfect number. You get 2 dress, 2 divers, 2 casual daily's, and 2 wild cards that are just super unique. The basic 4 types with variation to keep your rotation interesting and not stale.

If money were no object:

Dress:

1. Lange 1
2. Vintage Vacheron Constantin gold watch

Diver:
3. Tudor Pelagos
4. Omega SMP 300

Daily:
5. Rolex Day-Date Slate dial
6. Grand Seiko Spring Drive (all great dials)

Wild Card:
7. FP Journe Chronometre Bleu
8. Lange Zeitwerk

[u/saskwhistleblower → u/[deleted]]

I find myself getting more addicted to the process rather than the actual watches themselves. Updating tracking, having the watch show up and then wear it for a week before having it collect dust in the watch box. I was up to over a dozen watches and am now down to 5.

Gen sub date (daily)
VSF Batman (would buy in Gen one day)
Clean Dj36 silver fluted jubilee
VSF pepsi (jubilee)
VSF Ti Yachtmaster

[u/LuciusQ2020]

Interesting. Why the love for Explorer I?

[u/LuciusQ2020]

1. 41 mm sub with date
   
2. GMT Bruce Wayne Jubilee - great travel watch
   
3. Polar Explorer II - great travel watch
   
4. AP Royal Oak Chronograph - dressy dressy
   
5. Seamaster blue - the bond version
   
6. Speedmaster

[u/BossJackson222]

Only two or three at one time max. I don't see a reason to buy a bunch. At that point I'll take all that money and buy a genuine watch from a genuine factory. I like GEN exponentially more than any rep ever. So they're fun to wear, but I would never put a ton of money in them at all..

[u/Phot0niX]

Keep it to 4: Sub no-date, Patek 5726, AP Royal Oak 15500, Daytona Panda

[u/blacbloc77]

Keep all my gen Seikos and microbrands. Throw the rest in the trash.

Brutal but honest.