Building the perfect 3-watch collection for under $5000 is such a great topic. And the question of how to build that watch collection is one that has so many different answers. For me, the best and most ideal 3-watch collection is one that gives you incredible range and versatility throughout a variety situations, which is why my criteria included having an "everyday" watch, a sport watch, and a dress watch. I didn't want to give you just one option, however, so I put together two different 3-watch collections--both for under $5000. Enjoy!
What would you do if you were given $5,000
and the only strings attached to it
were that you had to build
the perfect three-watch collection?
How would you decide which watches to choose?
But more importantly, which watches would you choose?
It's an interesting question, isn't it?
Well, I've got a few ideas myself
and you're gonna find out what they are right after this.
I'm Brian Sacawa and you're watching He Spoke Style
where we've got all the tips, knowledge,
and inspiration you need to dress well,
have more confidence, and unlock your potential.
This video is sponsored by Chrono24
and very excited to partner with them
as it's a website and app
that I have used for a very long time.
In fact, you may remember that I mentioned
their market tracking capability in the video
where I told the story of how and why
I sold my Patek Philippe 5711.
What you need to know is that Chrono24
is a luxury watches only marketplace
with both new, pre-owned, and rare vintage finds.
Over 500,000 watches listed by trusted dealers
and private sellers from all over the world
with 120,000 of those listed
from within the United States alone.
They have what they call a trusted checkout service
which gives you peace of mind
and a secure way to shop brands like Rolex,
Omega, Tudor, Cartier, you name it,
you're gonna find it on Chrono24.
One of the best things that they have though
is an extremely comprehensive filtering feature.
A lot of times you may be looking
for something very specific
and it's super nice to be able to really zero in like that
because it makes it so much easier and less time consuming.
I've got links down below for you to check out Chrono24
as well as links to all of the watches
I'm gonna be mentioning in this video.
So as I was thinking about which watches to pick,
I came up with some criteria
that really guided the choices that I made.
With three watches, you have an opportunity
to build an incredibly versatile collection
and basically to have a watch for any type of situation
you would find yourself in.
So I decided to break the watches down into three categories.
There had to be a dress watch,
there had to be a sport watch,
and then there had to be what I would call
an everyday kind of watch.
So dress, sport, and everyday.
Also, instead of including any new watches,
all the choices that I made were pre-owned.
A lot of the brands I chose
would be considered luxury brands.
And as you know, with a carefully selected pre-owned watch,
you're getting a much bigger bang for your buck.
Because of that, prices are variable.
And as I chose these watches,
I did my best to kind of survey the price range
and make my choices based on the average price
that you could expect to pay for the watch
in the pre-owned market.
Now, there are lots of ways that you could allocate $5,000
to build that perfect three-watch collection.
You could have one watch
that you spend most of your budget on.
You could try to spread it evenly across the three.
There are endless possibilities,
and I would encourage you to leave
your perfect under-5k three-watch collection
down in the comments.
As for me, I didn't wanna give you just one option,
so I actually put together two collections,
both of which check all of my boxes.
So without further ado, let's get into them.
Starting off the first collection with the Seiko SARB033.
This is my everyday watch here for this collection,
only available as pre-owned now
because it is a discontinued model
with an average price of around $800.
Seiko, of course, great brand history.
The design is very simple, great value for the price.
And I specifically chose this one as my everyday watch
because it is so incredibly versatile.
At 38 millimeters, it's a great size
for just about any wrist.
It's an automatic movement.
It's got a see-through case back
and an absolutely gorgeous dial.
Date window, very practical.
Stainless steel bracelet.
I love the mix of the polished and brushed steel throughout.
It's a beautiful watch that I think looks much richer
than its price tag.
For our sport watch,
I'm going with the Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79230N,
coming in at around $3,500.
This is a much-loved and very highly regarded watch.
41-millimeter stainless steel case, screw-down crown,
200 meters of water resistance,
beautiful matte black dial
with rose gold-plated indices and hands.
It's got a unidirectional diving bezel
with the 60-minute track printed on the aluminum insert.
The automatic movement is the in-house caliber MT5602.
Variety of bracelet options,
including a steel riveted bracelet,
a leather strap with a folding clasp, or a NATO strap.
And that really is one of the best parts
about a dive watch like this,
in that you can really increase its versatility
and give it an entirely new look
just by changing the bracelet.
For our dress watch in this collection,
I decided to go vintage,
and I chose a vintage Omega Seamaster,
which comes in at around $700,
though they can definitely be found for less than that.
I like this one as a dress watch because of its elegance,
because of its simplicity, and because of its size.
In the realm of vintage Seamasters,
you're looking at about a 35 or 36-millimeter case.
I love a smaller case size for a dressier watch.
I think it gives it a real sense
of old-school understatement and elegance.
And I think a vintage piece,
when we're talking about dressed-up looks
or even a formal look, is a perfect match.
So rounding up and recapping our first collection here,
at $800, we have the Seiko Sarb 033.
At $3,500, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay.
And at $700, a vintage Omega Seamaster.
Now let's take a look at our second collection.
Starting off with the everyday watch,
and for this one,
I'm choosing the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical.
This is the H69439931,
coming in at $500.
A little bit more rugged of an everyday pick
compared to the Seiko Sarb,
but this collection,
I've kind of geared more towards an overall casual feel.
Though we do have a very classic dress watch pick
that you'll wanna stick around for.
This watch, though, is 38 millimeters.
Again, a very versatile size.
It's got that great military look.
You'll see it mostly on a fabric strap,
though you can definitely add a leather strap if you like.
One thing to know about this one
is that it's not an automatic movement,
which means you're gonna have to wind it.
But for me, I love the connection
that actually winding the watch
creates between you and the watch itself.
For our sport watch here,
I'm going with the Omega Speedmaster Reduced 351050,
coming in at $2,500,
though you can find them for less.
Great classic chronograph,
unmistakable looks,
and extremely versatile as it just looks amazing
on so many different types of straps.
It's called reduced because of the size.
Typical Speedmaster Professional is gonna be 42 millimeters.
Mine, the first Omega in space,
is just under 40 millimeters.
And the Speedmaster Reduced is 38.5 millimeters.
Just something to be aware of.
But if your wrist is on the smaller side
and you do love the Speedmaster,
this is a great choice at an excellent price point.
And to round out the second collection for our dress watch,
I'm choosing the Cartier Tank Solo.
Now, a little bit of a caveat here
in that if you've been keeping score,
we're already at $3,000,
so we've gotta find this watch for around 2,000,
which I will admit can be a little difficult.
Now, one thing to keep in mind, though,
when you are dealing with pre-owned watches
is that you do have a little wiggle room,
especially if you're able to speak directly with a seller.
So basically what I'm saying is it never hurts to ask.
This watch, though, what can you say about a Cartier Tank?
It's the epitome of elegance.
At this price point,
you're gonna be dealing with smaller case sizes,
which, again, contribute to what I would call
the elegance factor.
It's one of the small handful of watches
that I would consider to be a perfect tuxedo watch.
And I know that whether or not to wear a watch
with a tuxedo is really one of those questions
that really divides people.
I would even say that it ranks
among the top three most decisive menswear issues.
I have a few opinions on it,
and I lay them all out in that video right over there.
Definitely check that out
and add your voice to the very lively discussion
in the comments on that one.
