How Many Watches Should a Man Own? [Let’s BUILD Your Collection!]

People wear watches to quickly tell the time or date and ensure they aren’t late for important meetings, appointments, meet friends, or call it a night. Watches are also a fashionable and functional staple in any jewelry collection, and a great timepiece serves many functions. It tells more than time and reflects a wearer’s style and interests, is part of specific milestones, tells an exciting story, and becomes a cherished heirloom.

The question remains, how many watches should a man own? With brands continuously pushing the pace for unique styles, finding the perfect watch to wear can be challenging and intimidating because of the variety of options available.

How many watches should a man own?

An average man needs at least three types of watches because not only does a watch tell time, but it is a valuable piece of accessories too. A man should have a dress, diving, and casual everyday watch. It is also good to have a tool watch for hobbyists, aside from the casual watch that is good for daily wear.

How many watches should you have in a collection?

An iconic watch can stop anyone in their tracks. Every collector is looking for the perfect companion, from classics to modern timekeeping marvels. Whether it’s a timeless design, fine craftsmanship, premium materials, or incredible technology there are many things to consider when purchasing a watch.

Whether you beginning a collection, investing in your second or third watch or adding to an already impressive collection, selecting the right luxury watch is a milestone in life. Although it tells time, it stands outside time and space to represent milestones in life forever. 

There is no ironclad golden rule to collecting watches. The beginning of a robust collection relies on passion! Each watch aficionado will vary from the next. With many designs, brands, and functions available, you should be open-minded! You could start by picking a general area, lifestyle, and interests. Other ideas include themes, eras, periods, and materials.

If you like collecting vintage things, you should consider starting with modern watches first. Many risks include finding Frankenwatches, which are primarily legit but have aftermarket hands. At some point over its lifespan, someone unknowingly replaced a piece with one that would have never gone on the original watch. 

Dress Watches

Everyman will eventually attend a formal gathering such as a party, business meeting, wedding, etc. However, dress watches are versatile and aren’t limited to formal events, upscale dinners, and theatre. Regardless of attire, it will complement it by adding a touch of class to it. Standard dress watches have a slim case and a slim dial.

Most are relatively thin, simplistic, and classy. The dial shouldn’t be too loud and has an appeal of its own. Typically paired with leather straps, but you may also wear a steel band occasionally. When selecting a dress watch, you must appropriately proportion it to your wrist. A leather-banded watch to match your outfit should have a band that is the same color as your belt or shoes. 

You’re looking for an elegant timepiece that isn’t gaudy but looks classy when those around you inevitably spot it. The detailing matters, including the choice of metal used in the case and fitted bracelet.

Here are a few hallmarks of the style:

• Stainless steel or precious metal case
• Diameter is typically smaller, from 34mm to 40mm max
• Simple dial with indices, hour, minute, and second hand
• Linear, fixed bezels
• Most have leather bands though a metal link bracelet works too
• Push-in crowns are more than sufficient
• Light usage or no luminous paste
• Hands are usually thin and elegant
• They are flat or ultra-thin and have 10mm limit.
• Smaller, sleeker, slimmer elongated lugs
• Sober and elegant design with few elements distributed on the dial

Our recommendations

The Longines Master Collection Black Dial 42mm – Approx $2,575.00

42mm stainless steel case with sapphire crystal covers the black “barleycorn” guilloche pattern dial with contrasting silver Roman numerals and handset. The moon phase display and date are at 6 o’clock. The exhibition case back displays the Caliber L899 that beats at 25’200 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of 72 hours.

• It comes with an alligator bracelet strap, a triple safety folding clasp, and a push-piece opening mechanism.
• It has 30m of water resistance.

Glashutte Original Senator Automatic 39-59-01-02-04 – Approx $6,300.00

40mm stainless steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal that covers a silver dial with contrasting blue handset and black Roman numerals. An exhibition case back displays the hand-crafted automatic 39-59 caliber beats at 28,800 vph and has a 40-hour power reserve.

• It has a 50m water resistance
• It comes with an alligator strap with a logo-engraved pin buckle

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Fume Dial – Approx $21,900.00

40mm 18k red gold case with sapphire crystal that covers a fume dial with sunburst pattern with gradient color effect with contrasting silver hands. An exhibition case back displays in-house automatic hmc 200 caliber beats at 21,600 vph and has a 72-hour power reserve. 

• It has a 30m water resistance. 
• It comes with a hand-stitched alligator strap with an 18k red gold pin buckle

Nomos Glashutte Orion Anthrazit – Approx $2,360.00

35mm stainless steel case with sapphire crystal that covers a galvanized almost black dial with polished, rhodium-plated silver-tone hands, small seconds sub-dial, and diamond-polished white galvanized anthracite stamped indexes. An exhibition tripartite domed sapphire case back displays the manual 945 Alpha NOMOs caliber that beats 21,600 vph and has a 43-hour power reserve. 

• It has a 30m water resistance
• It comes with an Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan black lug with a tang buckle

Diving watches

A popular style for men’s watches because they are exceptionally well made, rugged, masculine, and have utility. They are versatile, sporty, comfortable, and a statement piece that commands compliments and respect. Dive watches with a steel link bracelet; it’s the right balance between a dress watch and casual. It’s an excellent match for a more relaxed office dress code.

ISO 6425 Standard Characteristics include:

• Legibility at a distance of 25cm in the dark
• The hour and minute hands are distinguishable
• Magnetic resistance
• Shock resistance
• Resistance to salt water
• Strong strap or bracelet
• Condensation test
• Marked specifically for diving

Common features include:

• High durability
• Luminescent hands and indices
• Rotating decent bezel
• Stainless steel or titanium
• 40-46mm
• Nylon, silicone, or stainless link bracelet
• Pronounced hands and chapter ring markers
• Screw-in crown

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Blue 215.30.44.21.03.001 – approx. $6,550.00

43.5mm stainless steel case with domed anti-reflective treatment sapphire crystal covers the blue dial, contrasting luminous indexes, and silver hands. On top is a blue ceramic unidirectional bezel with an OMEGA Liquidmetal diving scale. The screw-in exhibition case back displays the Omega Master Chronometer self-winding 8900 caliber, which is resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gausses, beats 25,200 vph, and has 60 hours of power reserve. 

• It has 600m water resistance and a helium escape valve
• It comes with a steel bracelet strap with a folding clasp

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 6000m Ultra Deep Blue Dial 45.5mm on bracelet – Approx. $11,600.00

45mm O-MEGASTEEL case with protuberant and domed anti-reflective treated sapphire crystal covers a lacquered blue gradient dial and contrasting 18k white gold hands and hour markers coated with white super-luminova. A black ceramic bezel with a liquid metal diving scale sits on top. The alveol screw-in exhibition case back displays the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer automatic Caliber 8912 that beats at 25,200 vph, resistant to 15,000 gausses, and has 60 hours of power reserve.

• It meets ISO 6425:2018 standards
• It has 600m water resistance
• It comes with an O-MEGASTEEL bracelet with Omega’s patented extendable fold-over rack-and-pusher with complementary length adjustment and an extra diver extension folding clasp

Seiko Prospex SLA041 The 1975 Professional Diver’s 600M Re-creation – Approx. $4,500.00

52.4mm titanium with an ever-brilliant steel case, solid case back, screw-down crown, and sapphire crystal that covers the blue-grey dial lumibrite hands and dial markers and date aperture at 3 o’clock. The unidirectional bezel is made from Ever-Brilliant Steel and has a white hue. The solid case back houses the automatic 10-beat 8L35 caliber that beats at 28,800 vph and has 50 hours of power reserve.

• It meets ISO 6425:2018 standards
• It has a 1,000m water resistance
• It comes with an accordion-style strap Blue silicone strap

Ball Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer Classic Blue Rainbow on Bracelet – Approx. $2,599.00

42mm stainless steel case with sapphire crystal that covers a blue dial with contrasting hand, dial markers, and bi-directional rotating internal diving bezel with 36 micro-gas tubes for night readability and a magnified date aperture at 3 o’clock. It has an automatic caliber Ball RR1101-C that beats at 28,800 vph and has a power reserve of 42 hours.

BALL’s patented Amortiser system absorbs energy created by external shocks and ensures every component stays intact in case of harsh impact.

• It has 300m water resistance, 1,000 gauss anti-magnetic protection, and 5,000Gs of shock resistance
• It comes with a stainless steel bracelet with a folding buckle or rubber strap with a pin buckle
• Limited edition 1,000 pieces

Everyday watches

An everyday watch should reflect your lifestyle, career, and personal style. It also can be dressed up or down by swapping a perfect bracelet for a good strap and vice versa. Men’s everyday watches are for jeans, a t-shirt, or meeting with clients. They are stylish and pose but aren’t attention-grabbing. 

1. Versatility – looks excellent with various clothing options and other bracelets and straps. Stylish in all situations
2. Durable case material
3. Robustness and reliability are integral factors. A case material that withstands external challenges and is resistant to the elements and corrosion is crucial

Easy to wear a timepiece that’ll match almost all your outfits and be suitable for all your daily activities. It’s not over the top, never outrageous or sloppy. With the right blend of style, versatility, and quality, it’s not trendy and has a timeless design. Mostly subjective because it depends on one’s lifestyle, taste, wrist size, and budget. 

Junghans Meister Mega 058/7800.00 – approx. $1,200.00

38.4mm rose gold pvd coated stainless steel with hard convex plexiglass coating for enhanced scratch resistance crystal covers a clean matt silver dial, contrasting rose gold indices and hands, and date aperture at 3 o’clock. The hands are luminous for increased visibility. It has an in-house J101.65 with a 32.768 Hz frequency and two years power reserve. 

This radio-controlled movement receives signals only in specific geographic locations. The movement automatically searches for transmissions with a “patented auto-scan” feature. A wearer can use their smartphone and Junghans app to synchronize with atomic time.

“Intelligent time correction” checks the position of the second hand 1,440 times per day, about once per minute. It also connects to atomic clocks, which ensures the watch remains as accurate as possible. It is helpful when clocks change or when traveling to different time zones.

• It has a 50m water resistance
• It has a horeskin strap with stainless steel buckle PVD coated with a buckle

Zodiac Olympos Automatic ZO9700 – approx. $895.00

37.5m manta ray-shaped stainless steel case with domed sapphire crystal that covers a black quarter dial finish with contrasting silver-tone indices and hands and date aperture at 3 o’clock. It has a Swiss-made STP 3-13 automatic movement with a 28,800 bph frequency and 44-hour power reserve.

• It has a 50m water resistance
• It has a leather strap with a tang clasp

Longines 1832 – approx. $1,925.00

40mm stainless steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal that covers a beige dial with contrasting silver indices and silver polished, luminous hands, 3 o’clock date aperture. The exhibition case back displays the self-winding mechanical caliber 1619/888 that beats at 25’200 vph and has a power reserve of 72 hours.

• It has an alligator leather strap with a pin buckle
• It has a 30m water resistance

Seiko Prospex SBDC059 Limited Edition – approx. $1,100.00

42.6mm stainless steel case with dia shield coating, curved sapphire crystal protects a sunray green dial with contrasting lumibrite hands and indexes, and date aperture at 3 o’clock. It has a black rotating bezel on top. Powered by a 6R15 mechanical automatic caliber that beats at 26,000 vph and has a 50-hour power reserve.

• It has a 200m water resistance
• It has a stainless steel bracelet with a double-lock clasp with a push-button release

GMT – Tool Watch

They were initially developed for aviation to allow pilots to read two time zones from the dial of their watch with a single glance. Presently, GMTs are popular as travel watches, as they enable the wearer to simultaneously see what time it is at home and its current location with a glance at the wrist. A valuable complication for traveling, international business, and visiting family abroad, GMT is a prevalent complication.

A GMT is different from having a second timezone because it features a 24-hour scale, references the 24 hours a day, and completes one rotation. Often confused for a GMT, a second timezone features a regular 12-hour scale and completes two rotations. The GMT makes it easier to remember day versus night hours.

Oris Aquis GMT Date – approx. $2,850.00

43.50mm rugged stainless steel with anti-reflective sapphire crystal that covers a blue dial, luminous hands, dial markers, and GMT central hand, date aperture at 3 o’clock, and laser engraved 24-hour time scale. The Oris Aquis GMT Date can simultaneously display the time in three time zones. It has a bidirectional bezel for the third time zone.

• Its exhibition mineral glass case back displays the Oris 798 automatic caliber that beats 28,800 vph and has a 42-hour power reserve
• It has a 300m water resistance
• It has a multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet folding clasp with extension

Squale 30 Atmos Black GMT Ceramica – approx. $1,000.00

42mm stainless steel case with satin-brushed top and polished sides with a flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal covers a black dial with contrasting luminous hour markers, hands, and bezel, date aperture at 3 o’clock, and a red GMT hand gives the dial a slight pop of cool. The black ceramic is bi-directional with engraved 24-hour markers bezel.

• The solid case back protects the ETA 2893-2, which beats at 28,800 vph and has a 38-hour power reserve
• It has 300m of water resistance

Blancpain Leman GMT Alarm Date 2041-1130M-71 – approx. $23,600.00

40mm stainless steel case has a sapphire crystal that protects the rich lacquered black military dial, polished and skeletonized luminous hands, luminous Arabic numerals, seconds sub-dial, GMT and alarm functions, date aperture between 4 and 5 o’clock, sectors for the alarm power reserve and the on/off indication, 24 hours/2nd-time zone sub-dial.

The sapphire exhibition case back displays the 1241 caliber automatic that beats at 21,600 vph and has a power reserve of 45 hours.

• It has a stainless steel bracelet with a steel deployment clasp
• It has 100m of water resistance

Bremont H-4 Hercules Steel Limited Edition – approx. $11,895.00

It is limited to only 300 pieces. The percentage of proceeds go towards the preservation of the aircraft at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. It salutes the iconic flying boat of the 1940s and contains original birchwood from the fuselage of the iconic silver flying boat.

43mm stainless steel Bremont Tri-Tick case sapphire crystal covers the matt black metal dial with polished applied indexes and nickel/rose gold hands with super-lumninova. There is a 24-hour marked dial ring, brushed nickel calendar disc at 6 o’clock, 24-hour hand, and sub-seconds at 9 o’clock. The flat crystal exhibition case back displays the Bremont BWC/02 automatic caliber with 28,800bph and a 50-hour power reserve.

• It has a 100m water resistance
• It has a vintage leather strap with stainless steel pin buckle and an additional grey vintage NATO strap

The Racing Watch

Designed for race cars and made to be as eye-catching as the cars they were driving. These tend to be flashier and bolder than any other category of watches. Hallmarks of a race watch are a tachymeter on the outer bezel and a chronograph stopwatch. These mimic the dashboard of a sports car, but can also be used to calculate time and distance.

Oris Martini Racing Limited Edition – Approx. $3,100.00

50^th anniversary of the Martini Racing team. Features iconic dark blue, light blue and red stripes of Martini race cars on the dial case back carried Martini Racing’s 50^th anniversary logo. Only 500 pieces available. Tachymeter scale top ring.

44mm stainless steel case with flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal covering a black dial, contrasted with blue hands and indices that are filled with white super-luminova, and arabic numerals. It also has 3 subsidiary dials for continuous seconds, 30 minutes, and 12 hours counter and a date window at 6 o’clock. The exhibition case back displays the Oris 774 caliber that beats at 28,800 vph and has 48 hours power reserve.

• It has 100m water resistance
• It has a black rubber strap or a stainless steel with folding clasp

Conclusion

Whether you are starting a collection or want to get the basic necessities, any of the watches mentioned above are great and will elevate your style. Few watches will work with every outfit, and having three pieces will work in any situation. The watches in the article have unique characteristics to give you a versatile wardrobe and make you feel more confident! It’s essential to choose carefully.

No matter what type or brand of watch you select, it needs to complement your personal style because it will project a specific image.