Collection

[RolexDan82]

I am always interested in how people build their watch collections. I’ve personally tried to spread out to a few different Swiss watch brands. While I own quite a few watches, my “luxury” watch collection is:

Tag Hauer Monaco
Breitling Navitimer
Omega Seamaster Blue Wave
Rolex Submariner

I am hoping to add two watches that I am hoping to add two watches this year. My omega dealer said that the rumors are true and a white dial speedy will hit boutiques this year. I love the moonwatch and I think it is going to look great with a white dial. I have also been on a quest for a Rolex Air King. I feel good that it will happen this year if I bug my AD enough.

That being said, I have one last watch I want to add and I am interested what you guys think. I am a natural contrarian. For as many times as I have tried on a Daytona or Pepsi, they just never spoke to me. I know most people would try and cap their collection with a holy trinity watch. I could talk myself into a VC, I think their watches are really different compared to AP or Patek. But I have really fallen in love with the story of JLC and why it is known as the watchmakers watch. The Reverso has been something that I have had my eye on for a few years. I am a bit of a traditionalist, so the question I pose to you, is should I go with a reverse monoface, since that was the original intent of the watch, to turn the watch over for protection. Or do I pursue the duo face, which can come with a date and moon complication. It would be really cool to have those complications from a watchmaker as respected as JLC.

Of course, there is another option, I spend too much time thinking about watches. If anyone else owns a JLC, I am interested if it has been a positive experience. There would have been a time that I would have pursued a Chopard Alpine Eagle and a BP Fifty Fathoms, but I have been dissuaded when I read about some maintenance issues.

[jjnd08]

I just went through this debate for my reverso as well. I ultimately ended up purchasing the monoface after getting feedback from owners I know, and reading past posts on this forum:

- monoface is thinner and more wearable (especially if you wear long sleeves regularly)
- those that have a duo often times have a favorite side and just wear that side only; relegating the duo to merely just a party trick
- I have a friend that has the new tribute calendar, and since it's a manual wind, he said it's kind of a pain to reset all the complications for each use. When I tried this one on, my wife thought it was too thick and looked like I was "wearing a remote control on my wrist."

I picked the red dial tribute, and couldn't be happier with my choice.

[RolexDan82]

That is an excellent point on resetting the complications! Thank you for the feedback.

[John Doyle]

I would get a monoface if it has to be a reverso. Or go all in and get one of the hybrid mechanica watches.

[njlam]

I have the same decision to make regarding a Reverso. At first I wanted one with a calendar/moon phase with the movement on the reverse side, but after trying it on, it looked silly big.

Based on that, I only looked for medium sized Reversos and found a Duo I liked. As I travel across time zones a lot, I use the Duo as sort of a clumsy GMT. Works for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Easy E]

Have you considered the Cartier Santos?

[Calatrava r]

I can say it is easy to think too much about watches. But I guess it beats a lot of other things to think about. Good luck in adding two good ones this year.

[Justindo]

I think that building a watch collection slowly and thoughtfully is a recipe for success. Try to envision your eventual complete collection and try not to have too much overlap. Also, only buy watches you really want, not cheaper ones that you think will suffice, because they won't in the long run. I personally like a balance between quality and quantity, meaning I wouldn't want to live with three expensive watches but my current collection of thirty watches gives me a little anxiety; you don't want to get bored with the same few watches but you also don't want to open a huge watch box and spend a lot of time thinking about what you want to wear that day. The six to eight pieces you're considering is a good number, in my opinion. Personally, eight to sixteen would be my personal sweet spot.

Icons are icons for a reason and you have a nice collection of them so far. Some might cry "boring" or "safe" but they were great in the past and will be great in the future, long after a lot of watches that are hot today look dated in a few years. The upcoming white dialed Speedmaster would be a great addition, as would a Reverso, but I'd probably table the idea of the Air King for a bit, although it could be a nice quirky addition later, and a VC might be the capstone to your collection at a later date.

As for which Reverso, others bring up some good points about the large size and difficulty in setting the complicated Reversos if they wind down. While I love the look and idea of the calendar moonphase Reverso, it's a big watch that requires a big wrist, as Reversos wear larger than their round counterparts. It's also a pain to set. The advantages of the monoface Reversos are that they are thinner, less expensive, and perfect for a nice engraving or enamel on the back. However, if I weren't going to do the latter, I'd personally go for the duoface, even if I wouldn't wear the other face much, because to do otherwise would seem a wasted opportunity to me. I'm a big fan of the time only medium size for my 6.7" wrist.

[buddenfan]

My collection goes from luxury to gold watches to vintage to indy and microbrands. Lots of unique pieces in it that you wont often see in the wild

[Yoda_Eating_Pizza]

Definitely try on Reversos in different styles and sizes. I initially wanted a Tribute Duoface, but it didn't fit well with my small wrist. I wasn't too interested in a Monoface, although the Mono did fit better.

I was also deciding between the blue or silver dial Master Ultra Thin Moon. After trying both on, I got the silver dial. I have been happy with it, and it flies well under the radar. I haven't had it long enough to require service yet, so that remains to be seen. FWIW this is my first Richemont watch.

[Dino944]

Building a collection is a very personal thing. I know guys who only buy diving watches, or chronographs, or specifically pieces from just one brand.

When I was younger, my goal was to own 1 piece from each brand that I really liked. However, that never really happened. I was always a big Rolex fan, so those have been the bulk of my purchases. Sometimes when I was thinking about getting something else, I got a call or a text about a piece I really wanted so that some how pushed other watches to the back of my mind. However, from time to time I have branched out into to other brands such as VC, Cartier, and AP.

I have looked at the Reverso many times. The only model I would get new is the Mono Tribute. It's a classic. The Duo, adds unnecessary thickness, and I have GMTS and Explorer 2s for additional time zones. Also, generally with the Duos I find one face is always really attractive, and the other is just meh. I don't want a duo with one dial I don't love. One issue I question these days (and I'm hearing it from fellow collectors) is pricing seems to be getting ridiculous for JLC without any improvements to the watches or their finish. The finish on them was fine when a Mono face was $7,750 but at $10K plus some friends are questioning if they are still with it. Personally, I still like the Reverso mono and may still add one at some point.