[Table 5]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

My thoughts are if I were to get any watch as a decade marker, I would heavily avoid the idea of swapping the watch for something else. IMO it's a milestone marker for a reason. Having that in the back of my mind IMO would just make me constantly question my decision.

I'm of the same mindset. There are watches that come and go, and then there are watches for life. For me, the Speedmaster holds special meaning to me, and it's the watch that my kids will probably associate with me when they think of their dad. Regardless of value, it's not going anywhere unless there are very special circumstances.

Hopefully I am not misunderstanding your comments, but I feel like you have an idea which of those watches is the one that excites you the most. The Tudor is the only one that you kinda describe in an excited manner. As such, I think the Tudor 58 and 36 sounds like the watch that might be the one that best reflects you.

Forgive me if my guess is off the mark, but I feel like to you, Rolex in general is nice, but someone else's nice. The Omega is nice, but you already have an Omega. I wonder if the Tudor to you is a combination of the classic (safe) with the modern (more you) rolled together with a little bit of uncommon and you perhaps like that?

It's kind of a similar vibe I get from your comments on the Nomos. The styles are wildly different of the Tudor vs the Nomos. The Tudor will turn heads and it will be appreciated by those who know and those who do not know watches. The Nomos on the other hand feels a little polarizing. It's a really cool watch, but I don't know if it would be the one I'd personally select as a decade milestone watch. Maybe as an alternate milestone in between the decades?

I get the allure of the Nomos though. As much as I love the divers, there was just something about the German "good design" style that pulls you in. I nabbed a few Braun (China made, not German ones unfortunately) to satisfy that "good design" itch. Sometimes I just really want to wear the Braun, but I don't ever feel like they truly replace the classic divers and dress watches I own. The Nomos has more Bauhaus artsy options than the Braun though which is also neat.

Thanks for your thoughts, they are much appreciated.

You're right about the Nomos...it's not a milestone watch. Personally I love the Bauhaus influence, and being a graphic designer, it fits my aesthetic sensibilities (almost to the point where it's a bit of a designer cliche). But I see it more like a good office watch, as opposed to something special. A Junghans Max Bill may do the similar trick for a 1/3rd of the cost.

You’re also right about the Omega. I like it, but I already have one. The Railmaster is more of a watch that you add to the collection, as opposed to something truly special.

The Tudor 58 is an interesting one. I feel it’s a versatile watch that would be an excellent daily-driver. It's not a Rolex, so it doesn't carry that baggage (good or bad), but it has near-Rolex quality. I also really like the energy of the brand, and feel like it’s building good momentum where something like the 58 may be a collectible one day.
However, there are a few issues. 1) As much as I like it, I’m not sure it says milestone to me. 2) In my limited collection, it would occupy a similar role as the Speedmaster as an all-around sports watch. 3) In my head I would like this watch to lean more towards the dressier side of things (The Speedy works ok with a suit, but it would be nice to have something that really pops on special occasions).

While they may not be particularly original, I do quite like the Explorer and OP, as they would occupy a different role than the Speedmaster in being more of an “occasion” watch. Maybe it's the age thing, but I'm ok with something being a bit more elegant and understated. An alternative to this could also be the IWC Portugieser…but that feels like an older man watch (maybe for the 50th? ha).

If money was no object, the VC Overseas hits all the points for me. It has great range but leans towards elegance, has a sense of retro timelessness, and most definitely feels like a milestone watch (although a milestone I perhaps don't yet deserve). The problem is of course that money is an object.