If you could only keep three watches, which three would they be, and why? We’re posing this question to some of the world’s most noted watch collectors. In this month’s entry of Three-Watch Collection: Matt Scannell (@officialverticalhorizon), songwriter, guitarist, and founder of Vertical Horizon.
“My first watch was a manual-wind Hamilton field watch that my father purchased from the L.L. Bean catalog in the late 1970’s. I bought my first “proper” watch in 1996 — an Omega Seamaster 300M 2531.80 — when I signed my first music publishing deal. I wore it always and everywhere. I was obsessed with it.
With each passing year, I’ve gone deeper and deeper down the watch-lover’s wormhole. Modern watches are great in that they have modern tolerances, which can mean that they are more durable and stand up better to the abuses of daily life, but ultimately vintage watches call to me more. I love how two examples of the same model from the same year can develop completely different personalities over time. There’s a romance there for me, something that ties me into the passage of time, and ultimately helps me to be grateful for the time I’m being given. These watches have been part of peoples’ lives before me, and they will be part of other peoples’ lives when I’m gone.
If I could only keep three of my watches, they’d obviously need to be watches that give me that “buzz” every time I put them on. They’d need to be no-brainer watches — watches that don’t have any quirks that are “charming” when worn occasionally, but could become maddening if I only had three to choose from. I’d rather they not have a date function, because A) I can’t be bothered to set the date on my watch, B) my phone knows what the date is, and, most importantly, C) I think most watch designs look better without a date window throwing the symmetry of the dial in the dumpster.
I don’t want to keep only three of my watches. You’re cruel, Gear Patrol. But okay, let’s do this…”
