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I’m not going to change the oil in my car or scrub the railings on the patio (yes, I still do both of those) wearing any of these, but for tooling around town on errands and meeting up with friends, each provides a jolt of pleasure when seen peeking out from under the cuff while not attracting undue attention.
Definitely not daily wearers – at least for me, not right now
If all of these various types, sizes, and brands of watches can be worn on a daily basis, what’s left out?
For me, special-occasion watches include the tourbillons in my collection as well as some of the flashier pieces – which makes the A. Lange & Söhne Pour le Mérite Tourbillon on its fitted gold bracelet a double qualifier.
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Strictly for special occasions: A. Lange & Söhne Pour le Mérite Tourbillon on gold Lange bracelet
And while I have a real love for dress chronographs, the formality of pieces like the Patek Philippe Reference 5370P and Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II, as well as the striking pink gold case of the latter, make them dress-up watches rather than knocking-around pieces as my lifestyle becomes less structured and increasingly outdoor.
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Can’t run the stopwatch if you aren’t wearing it: Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II
My Philippe Dufour Simplicity? In many ways it’s an almost ideal watch for daily wear with its white metal case, 37 mm diameter, and simple lacquered dial adding up to a physical presence that’s unlikely to stand out enough to cause a ruckus. Unless you’re at a watch enthusiasts’ gathering, that is!
That said, the run-up in value of that piece makes me just a bit nervous about wearing it quite as frequently as I used to, which is a shame.
So, what does make a daily wearer?
Looking over the lists of yeses and nos above, I’m seeing a few decision rules for classifying a watch as a piece for routine wear.
Comfort: I do like wearing heavy watches, but on a day-in, day-out basis I find it nice to have pieces that have somewhat lower heft on my wrist. Comfort also includes the absence of nagging details: I owned and wore an Omega Speedmaster for a while, but the jagged edge of the deployant clasp closure eventually drove me nuts, and the watch had to go.
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Comfortable and distinctive: vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic Jumbo in steel
Robustness: No matter how careful you are, if you wear a watch a lot you are going to bang it from time to time. Robust movement construction, hardy case materials, and a profile low enough on the wrist that you’re not going to knock your watch into every doorknob you pass are all positive features in a world of bumps and bruises. And when those knocks do occur, the piece has to be one for which you are content to consider dings as signs of personality rather than horrifying scars.
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