I’ve been interested in watches for a long time, but only recently had the disposable income to purchase high-quality timepieces. With this freedom, I’ve (d)evolved into a watch nerd.
My first ever watch was the classic Timex Expedition that my parents agreed to buy for me when I found it in a department store. I specifically remember wearing this constantly throughout elementary school and using the Indiglo feature when they would take me along on their date-night to the theatre. I loved this watch, but I don’t know where it is; it was likely thrown out or given away many years ago.
In undergrad, I purchased a few quartz watches, most memorably, a Timex Weekender Chornograph that I would use to time steps of experiments in lab. Also at this time, my girlfriend bought me a Casio A168W that I cherish to this day.
Early in graduate school, I switched to an Apple Watch, namely for tracking my runs and exercise. I’m now on my second, and while they are great devices (I would have considered them magic at the time I was wearing my Expedition), I eventually felt it was time to wear a proper watch1.
My first mechanical watch purchase was a Seiko SRPE93, a.k.a. the modern “Turtle.” I remember learning about this watch on a podcast in undergrad and still loved this model’s style and history when I went searching for my second “first watch.” And I’m happy to say that I still adore my Turtle and find it such a character-filled piece. A couple of months later, I was able to acquire a good example of the original Turtle, the Seiko 6309. The classic shape and patina were delightful, and I knew I would always have a 6309 in my collection. Therefore, when an even better example came up for sale from a trusted seller, I jumped on the opportunity2. While I likely overpaid a bit, it has a beautiful ghosted bezel and the Suwa insignia on the dial. I love this watch and wear it all the time.
Some other pieces I’ve acquired include a Marathon 36 mm SSGPM (that my Dad has since retained for himself) and a Seiko Alpinist SPB121. Both are oddly-shaped watches with plenty of character that I was happy to find at good prices second-hand.
I bought my dad a watch for Christmas, too. This was a fun project as I tried to find one that would match his personality. I finally decided to go with the Hamilton Khaki Field King Auto. It’s a well made Swiss watch, from a historic American brand. The final cherry on top was this was the watch worn by Hugh Laurie in House M.D.
In 2025, I was promoted to a Senior Scientist at work, so I gave myself a budget for a celebratory watch. I was patient and eventually found a great price for a Tudor Black Bay 58 Navy Blue (affectionately nicknamed “Bluey”). It’s a beautiful modern take on a classic diver style – the name “58” refers to styling cues from the diver Tudor was producing in 1958. The high quality is immediately evident, and I love its ability to easily dress up and down without any concern of its ability to take a beating. The watch also came with the Oyster-style bracelet from the current Ranger model which lacks the faux-rivets and includes tool-less micro-adjust in the clasp, allowing me to easily refine the size of the bracelet as my wrist slightly changes throughout the day.
For my 30th birthday in 2025, I knew I wanted to get myself a special watch. I never considered getting a Rolex, but when I tried on an Explorer I at the Tourneau in Boston, I was hooked. While it was considerably more expensive than I had originally budgeted for this present, I did some research and knew that if I started saving early enough, I could fund it. I found the watch for me and received it in August, yet I waited until my birthday to begin wearing it. I have absolutely adored my Explorer, specifically a 114270 from 2005. I immediately took it on some adventures including fishing the Swift River in Massachusetts, hiking through Joshua Tree National Forest, fishing for gila trout in the high country of Arizona, and moving across the country to California. Unfortunately, one day in mid-October it just stopped3. From what I could tell, it felt like the mainspring had broken, and that was confirmed by the servicing center at the Rolex Boutique in Orange County (where it remains at the time of writing). I look forward to getting my Explorer back, it truly is a great watch.
My most recent acquisition has been a Hamilton Endicott from the 1940’s. As mentioned above, Hamilton used to be headquartered and manufactured in the USA, and this watch is from that era. This tiny 29-mm, manual-wound treasure has wonderful dial patina and is in great running shape. It is as light as a feather, but has as much luminescent material on the hands and hour markers as it does water resistance – that is to say, none. This watch has a ton of character and I love wearing it. If nothing else, it is a delightful piece of American history.
Header and thumbnail image credit to Worn & Wound in their Deep Dive on the Turtle model line.
I want to mention that, as this passion is more consumptive than productive, I am careful to spend too much time and money and, I more precisely think of this as an interest rather than a hobby. ↩︎
I have since sold my original 6309 to a friend who has since enjoyed it very much. ↩︎
While initially painful, I figured it was probably wise to get it serviced soon regardless as the watch came without a service history. My guess is that it didn’t get much wear for a long time and putting some strain on it with regular use caused the spring to give out (which is not unusual). In the end, it required a standard service and everything else was fine. It will be good to know that it is now in great shape and can take anything I throw at it. ↩︎