Just One Watch - Can I survive?

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Noush
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Noush »

WileyECoyote wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 5:14 am If I really need to get by with just one watch, this Sealander would be it!
Yep. My Sealander GMT (white dial) is the watch I chose to solo with for 2 weeks in Tasmania just recently. Beaches, hiking, dinners out with friends etc and it was never the 'wrong watch'. I am rather big on variety so back into rotation.

At the very least, it is clear from different folks' threads and comments in these pages that it is an absolutely ideal holiday watch. For the less mentally-disturbed, a whole lot more than that!

I observe this thread with interest but I have retired from the experiment :)
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

This thread, and the holiday experiences of @WileyECoyote and @Noush highlight the fact that you CAN (survive with one watch). Not everyone would choose to do it, but I suspect there were long periods when most of us only HAD one anyway…
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Greatpotfarm »

Hello... My name is Dan,... and I am a watchaholic...
I have not always been one... Most of my life, I've only had one watch... sometimes I had NONE!
But then my mother in law pushed me a Seiko...

Good luck! I hope you can escape from the asylum.

.... come back to visit us if things get to hairy 😬
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Jcalder68 »

So. One full month in, and this has still been my only watch.
I do confess that I have occasionally done a “ Schwarzkopf” and worn my Garmin Fenix on my other wrist, but this has only been when I have been specifically tracking a bike ride or a run. My darling Dartmouth has been my only time keeper.
60E8C264-F15B-4C47-AEE4-27BF064F506A.jpeg
I’ve been over her with my loupe and there are no signs of use or damage, wear or use.
Timekeeping is good with a net gain of +21sec over the month. Many days have shown zero gain or los, some have been off by upto +4sec, but I’ve found that how I rest her over night can help adjust timekeeping - dial up gives me a slight loss, crown up gives me a slight gain. It’s not a lot, but it helps me keep timekeeping as accurate as I can. Overall, it is well under one second a day, so I’m very happy with that. I will reset her when the clocks change next weekend and see how she does next month.



Straps have been fun, these are the ones I tend to gravitate towards. I have bought some half-links for her bracelet and that really helps with overall fit and comfort. More often than not though, I tend towards my own, handmade leather straps and these three have seen most wrist time. They have all broken in well and are now developing their own, individual patina. Long may this continue.
I do miss wearing some of my other watches, but that is just because they look longingly at me each morning. Several have been sold on, so the yearning is less.
I will stay strong. The hoard will be reduced further. Next update at 100days?
Keep well,
C
D3780ACD-841E-4FA4-ADE0-B9511F47EC5A.jpeg
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Greatpotfarm »

:clap: :clap: Well... I am impressed! :clap: :clap:

With your will power, the time gage you chose, it's performance, and the fact that you are getting so intimately familiar with it.

The straps you are making also look pro! Solid leather, nice edges, straight and even stitching...
perfect for any tool watch. I would want a couple, but like you, I like making my own.

I don't know if you are familiar with this style retention loops, but I find it is much cleaner for bespoke straps. No chance of the second loop sliding loose... (pardon the appearance of the ancient strap in the photo; it has been on my work watch for a couple of years...) 😬
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Jcalder68 »

Day 63 (I intended to post this at 60 days in, but I was tied up cycling and camping in the back of beyond and with no reliable mobile signal).
I still love the watch, nothing has changed there. I love its versatility most of all; the fact that it can be dressed up for smarter times, but easily copes with a simple strap change for more rugged use. It has acquired a couple of tiny dings on the case (one from fixing a bike puncture, one from knocking against a cattle gate) but I have to know where to look to be able to find them. Bezel, bezel insert and crystal are utterly perfect.
Timekeeping has shown signs of wandering though. Mostly it keeps to within +1sec a day, but there have been a handful of days when it has either randomly lost up to -5sec a day, or gained up to +6sec a day. I have no idea why, but it does bother me slightly. Overall though it tends to even itself out.
Next update at 100 days….
Keep well,
C
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by MiniMpi »

Great updates ! :clap:
I always found my Dartmouths to be very good timekeepers generally and more so, like any watch I guess, the more days in a row you wear it.
Glad you are enjoying the 'adventure' with it through all parts of general life 8)
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Legore »

I feel like I have a 1 watch collection. Since I got my c60 300 my seikos feel cheap and crappy and I literally don't wear them anymore.

My omega smp is too nice to wear. I know some people wear it anyways but i keep it in the case and only wear it on really special occasions.

my c60 300 is what i been wearing exclusively since i got it. I don't really do dress watches because i prefer the no watch look in black tie events. And i don't like the proportions of field watches and i refuse to wear a battery powered watch so i just go watchess during hikes too. otherwise im rocking my c60 300
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Jcalder68 »

Day 100, time to reflect…
IMG_2182.jpeg
Above is the watch, along with some of the straps that I have worn most. I have rarely gone more than two or three days in a row on any single strap, sometimes changing straps/bracelet a couple of times a day. This watch just rocks all straps!
Its looks, style, aesthetics and general practicality/wearability are also perfect for me. Robust enough for wearing in the workshop and off-road cycling/camping, waterproof enough for dips in the pool / car washing, smart enough for nice dinners out and casual enough for daily wear at work, or to the pub. Over the 100 days I can not see any marks or scratches, save for some inside the lugs (strap changes) and on the bracelet clasp.
However, it seems that I can not live with just one watch and tomorrow I will be rocking something else. Actually, let me refine that - I can not live full time with just one mechanical watch; I miss quartz accuracy.
The only “weakness” of this watch was it’s occasionally very inconsistent timekeeping. Most of the time it was accurate to +/-2sec a day. Over a week or so, this would average out to nearly zero, but there have been a dozen days or so over the last three months where it has randomly started gaining or losing 6sec to 8sec a day. I have no idea why. I’ve taken it to a local jewellers to demagnetise it (no effect) and dipped in with a full manual wind every so often (again, no effect). A day or two after these “blips” it would revert to +/-2sec again, but would be significantly out of time by then.
I fully respect the fact that for most people this would not be an issue, but I found that it got into my head. I found myself checking the time accuracy several times a day and always trying to second guess what the watch would do next. I even generated an Excel spreadsheet to log accuracy, time deviation and my activities on any given days to see if I could work out what was going on. No pattern or effect.
My plan is to return it to CW Towers for an inspection/service. After that, it will be gifted to my nephew who will be graduating into the Royal Navy later this year, that seems perfect. My original, prototype Dartmouth should be returned from its own CW service in the next week or two, and I will continue to wear that in rotation with my (now significantly reduced) collection.
So, a summary. A near perfect everyday watch; just chuck in a thermo-compensated quartz movement and I’d happily have this as a real, full-time one watch collection.
Keep well,
C
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by JAFO »

When I was younger I had one watch for years and years, and never thought about once. Now, I have a few, and I am always thinking about which one. So of course I could manage with one, but why would I want to do that. At the start of the year I bought a Moonphase and I wore that only for a full 29 day moon cycle (actually a few days longer). By the end of a month I was ready for a different watch. :D
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by missF »

It’s been a brilliant experiment- kudos for doing it. I have to say I didn’t think it would be timekeeping that would end the experiment but that’s coming from someone who doesn’t bother about it.
The fact that the straps you’ve worn have been made by you is brilliant too - I’ve really enjoyed that aspect of this journey.
Well done and thanks for writing it all up for us :thumbup: :clap:
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Thanks for the write up C. I doubt severely that I would be able to do what you have done; these days.

To answer the question posed by the topic title succinctly, I guess it should be something like;-

Yes; just about and I'm sure your Nephew will be proud to receive the watch on entering Dartmouth.

Guy



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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by JAFO »

Jcalder68 wrote: Wed May 31, 2023 7:35 pm Day 100, time to reflect…

IMG_2182.jpeg

Above is the watch, along with some of the straps that I have worn most. I have rarely gone more than two or three days in a row on any single strap, sometimes changing straps/bracelet a couple of times a day. This watch just rocks all straps!
Its looks, style, aesthetics and general practicality/wearability are also perfect for me. Robust enough for wearing in the workshop and off-road cycling/camping, waterproof enough for dips in the pool / car washing, smart enough for nice dinners out and casual enough for daily wear at work, or to the pub. Over the 100 days I can not see any marks or scratches, save for some inside the lugs (strap changes) and on the bracelet clasp.
However, it seems that I can not live with just one watch and tomorrow I will be rocking something else. Actually, let me refine that - I can not live full time with just one mechanical watch; I miss quartz accuracy.
The only “weakness” of this watch was it’s occasionally very inconsistent timekeeping. Most of the time it was accurate to +/-2sec a day. Over a week or so, this would average out to nearly zero, but there have been a dozen days or so over the last three months where it has randomly started gaining or losing 6sec to 8sec a day. I have no idea why. I’ve taken it to a local jewellers to demagnetise it (no effect) and dipped in with a full manual wind every so often (again, no effect). A day or two after these “blips” it would revert to +/-2sec again, but would be significantly out of time by then.
I fully respect the fact that for most people this would not be an issue, but I found that it got into my head. I found myself checking the time accuracy several times a day and always trying to second guess what the watch would do next. I even generated an Excel spreadsheet to log accuracy, time deviation and my activities on any given days to see if I could work out what was going on. No pattern or effect.
My plan is to return it to CW Towers for an inspection/service. After that, it will be gifted to my nephew who will be graduating into the Royal Navy later this year, that seems perfect. My original, prototype Dartmouth should be returned from its own CW service in the next week or two, and I will continue to wear that in rotation with my (now significantly reduced) collection.
So, a summary. A near perfect everyday watch; just chuck in a thermo-compensated quartz movement and I’d happily have this as a real, full-time one watch collection.
Keep well,
C
I've re-read the whole thread now. I would love to see a comparison shot of both of your Dartmouth's to understand the difference.

I have to say that I'm quite surprised that you feel able to part with the second Dartmouth given that it's the one you chose as your one watch experiment, and that you were able to complete the test somewhat effortlessly, from the sound of it.

I'm always interested to see how accurately my watches do run, but although I set them to the second when I first wear them, I rarely reset them, and an error of up to 10spd hardly seems to matter now.

.
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I always enjoy these various experiments people undertake. Having become a one-watch habitué when I travel it’s like second nature now, but I’m always pleased to ring the changes when I get back.
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Re: Just One Watch - Can I survive?

Post by JamesH »

Great post, pleased (but slightly surprised!) that it's held up so well in regards to scratches etc given the activities it's seen
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