It’s no secret that I really enjoy this sub-forum. While I belong to other watch related sites, there is something nice about sharing my watch obsessions with other “like-minded” (by that I mean firearms loving) members here on ARF.COM. It’s just not the same with the skinny jeans crowd elsewhere. The “What watch are you wearing today” threat is one of the best on this site. I think the beauty of that thread is seeing the variety in all your collections. On that note I thought it would be a cool idea to start a “Your favorite watch” thread, in hopes that others will share views on their favorite piece. Not objective reviews but the subject “why” behind your choice – with pics of course. We get all types here … some with 100 watches and some with just one or two. My thought was it would be nice to share more about our collective watch-loving/collecting experience, and for me at least, the why behind that piece that has emerged as a current favorite.
It is really hard to settle on a favorite watch, but for me it is the Tudor Black Bay 58 in black w/gold glint. For most of my life I was a Seiko diver guy. I loved them (and still do). But I always wanted a Rolex Sub. For many, many years I said “someday I’ll get a Sub” but things always got in the way – marriage, a house payment, kids, $ spent on guns, more guns, etc. Little did I know back then how I was missing out: no shit a Sub back in ’95 was $2K at the PX. I thought that was crazy $! When I finally retired from the Army I decided I was going to finally get that Sub. The only problem was this timing coincided with the much-lamented great spike in Rolex prices and ridiculous AD games that make acquiring a Rolex a total PINTA. I settled. I picked up a 2nd gen 41mm red bezel Tudor Black Bay Heritage. I actually loved that watch … it was really sharp looking, high quality (up to this point my main reference had been Seiko divers) and something about the red bezel was just very, very cool.
However, it was thick, a bit too thick for me. So, when I found out about the 39mm BB58, I flipped the red heritage jumped on the Tudor BB58 train. The BB58 was amazing. Same high-quality feel, no-date (which I prefer), super accurate (less than +/-1-2 SPD), 70 hrs of power reserve and what I would call the “old-school Sub” vibe. Personally, I think the black with subtle gold glint is retro cool and beautiful. I would describe the 58’s style as a blend of pre-1959 vintage Sub with Tudor accents, mainly the cross shaped hands made famous by the Tudor Subs. Aluminum bezel insert instead of that modern Rolex glossy ceramic. On the negative side, I was not crazy about the faux rivets on the bracelet or the lack of adjustment in the 58’s bracelet. The hands are without question divisive. I have a good friend that I know can’t stand Tudor cross hands, but I like them. In fact, long before the Black Bays appeared I once had a SKX modified to look like a “Tudor Sub” – so the hands are perfect for me. All of this was great. YET – I still lusted after that Rolex Sub.
Finally, last Spring I got “The Call”. The local AD had a no-date Sub for me which I happily snapped up. In rookie mistake I flipped my BB58 as being “redundant”. But here is the thing, the more I wore the long-anticipated Sub, the more I realized, I actually preferred the BB58! For a couple of reasons.  First, the 58’s 39mm size was much better for daily wear. Second, in retrospect the quality of the 58 really felt “on par” with the much more expensive Sub. OK, so not with the lack of adjustment in the bracelet, but besides that, pretty damn close. Also, and this is hard to explain, I just felt more comfortable wearing the smaller BB58. The modern maxi-case 41mm Sub has come to represent something else these days, and I just sort of got turned off by it all. It’s a flex watch so to speak. All that to say finally getting that Sub was anticlimactic to say the least. I’ve since come to realize in an ideal world I’d probably love the size and feel of a vintage Sub, but the prices on those are still stupid high and oh by the way vintage Rolex is not even close to the specs (accuracy/power reserve/anti-magnetic resistance etc) that the BB58 is! Here is the shocker: I flipped the Sub. Nowadays, my only Rolex is a very low-key Explorer I, which I much prefer, and I think it will likely stay that way.
In the end, I went back to the BB58. I sourced a second one NIB one off Watchrecon (this is a great site BTW if you are a watch guy). I also figured out the bracelet fix: I found a new 39mm Ranger bracelet on Ebay and it fits the 58 perfectly. Now I have no rivets and an excellent adjustable clasp. I hope Tudor puts this clasp on all their watches soon, it’s a game changer. This set-up is my summer daily and my current favorite watch. Sure, I still wear my Willard, Speedmaster, and I love the low-key Explorer. But if it came right down to it, the BB58 could be my “one watch”.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and if you have time, post a few pics and the “why” behind your favorite watch. I’d really like to see what some of you narrow down as “The One” …or at least the current one! Regards - 5L  
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I liked my suunto observer enough to write this about it

https://loadoutroom.com/46919/the-story-of-my-suunto-observer-to-hell-and-back/

I suppose my favorite (and only) watch is the '70's era SeaDweller that I bought in '85 and have worn pretty much every day since. I still enjoy it every time I look at it. Let's see, checking it 10 times a day for 38 years is 138,700 times that I've gotten enjoyment from that $750 investment I made at 21. I'd call that a pretty decent ROI.

Great write-up, thanks for sharing that. Suunto makes a great watch. I was lucky enough to be issued one in 2001. Wore it on OIF I&II. Funny story- we actually had a big crack down on team issued gear in 2005 in the groups - It was called “Total Recall”. Long story short we had to put a bunch of OPFUND purchased items like Suuntos, holsters, concealable BA, etc on the team property book. So I gave mine back to the team when I left in 2006 for school. WTF right? I bought a g-shock to replace it when I returned to Group.

My SKX007 is by far my favorite. I keep buying nicer watches and the SKX keeps finding its way bock on my wrist.

When I was 19 or 20 I received the SKX as both a birthday gift from my mother and as a gift to celebrate receiving my first white collar job in my career field.

My SKX has since been with me to every job interview, every vacation, it has seen more 5.56 and 9mm than any of my individual guns, its been in two oceans, a dozen lakes, a half dozen rivers, worn on an absolutely ridiculous number of miles trail hiking, and has been run into an irresponsible number of door frames.

Its still my everyday watch, but due to my emotional attachment to the SKX now my g shock 5610 gets the worst of it in the gym, hiking, at the range, and dog training/exercise, etc.

Last year my SKX became unacceptably fast and the dive bezel was frozen so with the guidance of some wonderful people on this forum it made the trip to be serviced for the first time and has run perfectly since.

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my parents wanted to get me a graduation gift from med school a bunch of years ago. I got to shop for anything that was within the budget provided, and always liked the classic dive watch look. Had owned a bunch of random low end stuff and wore fossils, swatches, timex, etc since as long as I can remember.

I picked an Omega Seamaster because i didn't want to come out of pocket the extra $400 or something to get a rolex. Welp the values are disproportionate these days but it doesn't matter. the Omega has been on my wrist almost every day of my life since then. Dating who would become my wife, timing the contractions as my sons were born, through work struggles and successes, funerals, parties, afternoons in the back yard, you name it, it's been at this point my ~5th longest owned physical objects I still have (pocket knife, Oldsmobile convertible, first gun, other watch I still have).

It was a good choice since it still looks good with gym clothing or going out in a blazer. I'm happy I did it and I am actually waffling on a new watch purchase. I am hitting a new financial milestone I always said I'd reward myself for, and after going through a rough year (watching a double homicide and wife in the hospital and almost dying) I think it's time to enjoy some of pennies I've been pinching for the better part of 20 years now.

I have several favorites.
Most are Seiko's, and a Citizen, or Steeldive, or 2 to boot.
Now, I'm starting to assemble my own !
Black mop dial.


This has a serial number of 970425. We were married on 04/25/1997 !

Steeldive SD1953.

My birthday was just 19 days ago. Present from my wife.



And quite a few more !

This is a super hard decision. On one hand I love my Tudor Black Bay, it's the watch I wore when my son was born and it really was my first 'nice' watch. However, I've traveled all over the US with my Sangin. Neither watch will leave my collection and I enjoy wearing both. I think if you made me choose, it would be the Sangin, just because I've owned it longer and have made more memories, but I the Tudor is right on par.

Training with Clint Smith at Thunder Ranch





Mountain Biking the Whole Enchilada in Utah





Motorcycle Riding in Colorado



Training with James Yeager at Tactical Response



Mountain Biking Bentonville, Arkansas



And lots and lots of matches

Omega Geneve Reference 1620491



It was a gift from my first girlfriend’s grandfather.

I totally enjoyed reading the OP and other posts/links.

Tough question.

My favorite model watch?

The Seiko 6309.
It was my first “real” watch.
It was an icon.
Over a decade and THE respected bang for the buck, “poor man’s Rolex”, etc.
And it did so at a time that can’t be replicated.
Before quartz was more cost effective, digital took over, etc.
I have at least one of every dial, nomenclature, movement variant.
But-
I don’t have my first one.  It was ripped from wrist and sank off the coast.
Maybe if I did…




So, what watches mean a lot to me?
Well, the wife scrimping and saving to replace my 6309-
And getting me a 7002 because the 6309 was no longer in production.
But….
Compared to the 6309 it lost the day complication.  The promethium Lume compared to the old tritium was worse,  and got weaker each year way more than a 6309.  Plus… the case shape was just not the icon of the turtle.  It means a lot to me and I will always have it, but it was a poor substitute for a 6309.



She also knew I was in love with the Arnie.  A Seiko diver that had a stopwatch and alarm!
But…
Those were like 2 to 3 times as much as the auto divers when they used to be in the PX.
A couple of years after the 7002, I was again surprised by here efforts and got this.



And I truly loved it.  It was a great watch. But…
It’s not the H588 Arnie.  And as the years have gone by the smaller dial, let alone the digital display are not really doing it for me.

And, when all is said and done, from around 1976 to 1990 when the Seiko turtle 6309 could be found in the PX or wherever- for all its iconic style/shape and the day/date instead of just date-
And as awesome a bang for the buck as it was-
Its real claim to fame was basically filling the role of a Rolex Submariner beginning at about 1/5 the price and more like 1/15th the price at the end of its run.

So, 20 to 25 years ago, when I had finished my education while in the reserves after my first active duty enlistment, and had been an officer for about five or six years- with a kid, another on the way-
The wife once again - while in the vicinity of a Rolex store - took me in and told me to get it.



Now, I have since went through a couple periods of serious watch collecting, and have a ton of watches.
But those three hold by far the most meaning.  With the Sub as my favorite watch.  The marketing of the brand and way the business has ran has been genius.  The iconic style has decades of lineage.  This era of sub had the drilled lugs, optimal size, touches of luxury like framed indices but not gaudy Rolex everywhere markings.  I think SD, Sub date, and Sub no date all has this perfect little few years of drilled lugs, SEL bracelet, perfect size, etc. all concentrated right then.

Gotta give the sentimental nod to my Orange Monster.

  I was a huge fan of the Cussler books since i discovered them in my 20's -- therefore always wanted a Doxa , which was Unobtainium in the mid 90's.    I was reasonably content with my ESQ Diver for years until 2004 when it disappeared from a Knight's Inn extended stay motel in Orlando i was staying at for hurricane duty after combined Charlie, Jean, Francis, Ivan.     A month later i saw a seiko store in St. Augustine and -------  i couldnt get my money out fast enough for the OM there.  
Orange Face - check,   Big purposeful looking diver - check,  On budget at $400 or so -- check !      

It was great until i had a motorhome fire at another Hurricane in 2009 (Gustav maybe? -- somewhere in Texas )  

I just wore a G-Shock or a HRM watch mostly afterwards for 8 or 9 years

Found a replacement for mine on ebay late last year and have been wearing it on a strap  -- its a heavy watch on the bracelet so i can dress it down with canvas or doll it up a bit with leather - but the strap transformed it from a "special occasion" watch to an EDC favorite







Was funny - a real Doxa came up for sale in the EE a week after i replaced my OM .   I had to bite - after all, i'd only been wanting one for 27 years.   Gotta admit, now that both are in the watch drawer, i wear the OM 5x more, and except for the Garmin, probably more than all my watches combined now.      Sigh - to my eyes that Doxa sure does look good , but the proof is in the wearing .  I cant really call it a "favorite" if i only wear it once a month

I just got an orange monster in today.
2nd birthday present to myself !
Love it so far.

Some great watches on here, especially the old Seikos. Have not seen an Orange Monster in a while!

@ramairthree your 5-digit Sub is awesome. The new ones just don't have that same charm. Also I think the new 32xx movements have some issues. I have been looking for a clean "neo-vintage" Sub at a reasonable $ ... no luck yet!

@teats , you seem to get yourself a lot of “ birthday presents“ For the past few months when it comes to the time pieces
,  but YOLO man

Unless it is the lighting, the orange on yours looks like it has a patina, like it has seen some action!   Since I’ve been participating in this thread the last year or two, I really come to greatly appreciate a nice time piece that looks like it has been there and done the deal.

Before this I would treat my old TAG Like it was a fine piece of Tiffany crystal And only broke it out when it was time to dress up and head to town

That is awesome.
And also makes the case that these multifunction hockey pucks are not going to be around and being used 50 - 100 years later like their mechanical, analog analogues have been and will be.

Nice.
That line spent about 20 years as the greatest bang for the buck auto diver available.

Yeah, five or ten years ago I wish I had snagged some ~ 1998-2004 or so 14060Ms, 16610s, and 16600s.
While not cheap, they were a bargain compared to new and did not have “vintage” premiums.

Something about that period-a shift to Lumi-Nova that lasts forever, luxury touches like framed hour indices, old school tool features like drilled lugs, improved touches like SEL instead of folded end links, the more classic sized case, the lack of extra Rolex engravings, etc. and that is my favorite model/type era.
Sure, they don’t have super extra feature bracelets or ceramic bezels, or quite the volume/size/intensity of Lume indices.
But kind of a great high point of the evolution of the classic before the shift to the modern.

My old Citizen Promaster. Thin, a good fit for my wrist and looks pretty good. I should wear it more

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Why?

It is my grail watch.  Saved for 2 years to purchase.  Purchased from an Authorized Dealer, who was a close friend.  Purchased on my 50th birthday.  AD friend was killed a few weeks later.  So, has unfortunate sentimental value as well.  Additionally, now discontinued.  

Too many outside factors.  It is definitely my favorite fir reasons other than the watch itself.  

Favorite for pure attributes…

Hands down.  

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It was made Febuary 2001.
It really isn't as dull as that pic shows.
I'm going to wear it tomorrow,  so I'll get a better pic out in the sunlight.
The Landshark was from my wife, and the Monster was from money I got in cards !
Today, I'm wearing a Mod I couldn't pass up because it's serial number is 970425. I got married today, 26 years ago !
The skx031j I just bought, I just had to have a set of skx0040's.
I'm still out from back surgery, bored, and buying stuff.

I’ve had a lot.

Got wild over the past 7 years or so with various Seikos, Citizens, Omega, Rolex, CWC, MKII, and half a dozen micro brands.

For now I can’t answer the “one” as I’m finishing a 30 day evaluation period with one at the moment.

So I’ll lump it in groups:

Non Diver:
- MKII Vantage - I prefer it over the two Explorer references I’ve had.

Diver:
- one of these, will circle back in 10 days

Citizen ecodrive.

I have 2. Never wind them, no batteries.
I prefer ease and function.

I would say my ‘89 GMT Master II just because it’s been halfway around the world and was worn through most of my major life events.  However, just to mix it up a bit, one of my favorites is this IWC 3536. It’s the successor to the IWC Porsche Design Ocean 2000 and they didn’t make very many of them. It’s a tad on the thick side but it is one of my favorites because it is very legible and the lightweight titanium case/bracelet make it extremely comfortable:

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This one right now

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Mine would be my issued CWC SBS. Has some nice patina on it from honest use, and keeps time within 10sec/yr. I've had a few of these over the years, but they either didn't keep time all that great, or the seconds hand hit between the indices most of the time, so I ended up flipping those. This one's a keeper, and is from one of the last runs that actually had a stamped NSN on the caseback rather than all lasered.

I have a few that are great to wear, but this is my favorite



It is 17 years old and still like new.

I’m going to have to go with the Turtle reissue.

Turtle Behind The Wheel by FredMan, on Flickr

My absolute favorite is the Sinn 556. The dial resembles vintage A-11 aircraft cockpit clocks and is a super-matte dark, dark black with great contrast. It's automatic, simple, has a stout bracelet with milled clasp and solid end links, and is a great balance between tool watch, field watch, and GADA.





I have a quartz chrono A13A that is a similar format and is also great, but the 50m (?) water resistance and extra complication make it seem more delicate. As I get older, I appreciate the deliberate readability.

So it’s official? ??

Book it.

My Marathon GSAR black dial 41mm.

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Why?

Well, first of all it’s the first Swiss watch I ever bought. I’ve wanted a higher end watch for years. Last year I got obsessed with these watches for a variety of reasons. The three main reasons are because they have a radiation symbol on them. (I’ve gotten very interested nuclear technologies) I have an image in my minds eye of one of my favorite fictional characters receiving one as a gift for saving someone life. (Although I’m pretty sure the one she got was a 36mm.) And finally the GSAR symbolizes perfectly how I’ve changed compared to the person I used to be. I got interested in watches when I was around 16 years old and teenage me would have hated this watch. Would have hated it’s brutal aesthetics, hated the radiation symbol. Hated the fact that Marathon is a Canadian company.

Then there’s the serendipities of this thing. I have this GSAR only because of an absurd sounding coincidence. I was dropping off my Vostok Amphibia for maintenance at a shop in Reno Nevada. I was trapped in Reno for years and I was really looking forward to getting the fuck out of that town. I asked the guy at the shop if he had any Marathon watches for sale and he said, “heard of them. But we haven’t seen one here in years.”

The day before I leave I get a call. “Hey, you know that very specific model of Marathon GSAR you were looking for? We just had a guy trade one in. You want to see it?”

As soon as I put my hands on it I realize that I have to have it. It’s been lucky for me. Even when I don’t wear it I’ve been using it as a bedside clock. The tritium makes it very legible in the dead of night. It has fulfilled exactly the purpose that I intended for it. Something to remind me where I am going as opposed to where and who I have been. I’ve taken it clear across this country. Down to the SpaceX site in Boca Chica, Dyess Air Force Base, all the way to Cape Canaveral.

Rolex Sea-Dweller ref 16600
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I’ve worn a watch since I was 5. Around the same time, my parents started a subscription to National Geographic Magazine.

Every month, I got a glimpse into the bigger world beyond my neighborhood. And every month, there was a full-page, color advertisement for a Rolex. The models varied from month to month, but I found myself drawn to the underwater photography that accompanied the Submariner and Sea-Dweller ads.

I had no concept of what a luxury watch was - it just looked really cool to a 10 year old.

It remains the most precise, yet easy to read dial anywhere.

Marathon GSAR

What exactly is that thing under the nice watch?

Ever see Blade Runner?

That’s what I was thinking. Awesome!

I had not thought about it but this is 100% also my experience. My grandparents had a subscription and for a middle class kid from VT it really sparked my imagination regarding what else was out there in the world. Most of my watches are themed on some type of adventure.

I have owned over 200 watches in my lifetime. I can’t say which one is my favorite, but I have a crush on this one right now.

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My favorite watch is my Omega Seamaster 300m with the Co-Axial movement. It's not in your face but it works extremely well, is tough, easy to read, and just well made while remaining classy. Can wear it out fishing and then in a suit and tie without issue.

I gotta go with the Turtle reissue.

The way it wears, the way it looks, the way it keeps time, everything.

Turtle Behind The Wheel by FredMan, on Flickr

I hover around tool/sports watches, so I have favorites for certain events or activities. I confess my Apple watch used most for hikes, workouts, etc. But, if I had to pick one (today) it would be my Explorer 114270. Not fancy, but all around versatile.

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My wife bought me a Seiko 7002 in '96, the year we got married. I rarely put it on anymore for fear of breaking it in my current job. (even though I wore it all over the place in the Army)

I missed a smoking deal on a Rolex Sub that was priced incorrectly at the PX earlier that same year. It was gone when I went back to get it. (That would have been a favorite for sure)

One day, I will have an Omega Seamaster.

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Seiko 6309 was my first real watch, purchased at a Coast Guard Exchange near my Army Reserve center. I wore it 24x7 for a long time and it still gets out of the box often. It currently has a domed 6105 crystal in it but I think I'm going to go back to a flat crystal.

My Steinhart Ocean One in black ceramic.  This thing gets the shit beat out of it and just keeps on keepin' on.

I am, however, working on the job that may get me the same watch style...but a bit more high end.  ( )

The phone interview went well....we'll see how everything else goes.

Update- wore my BB58 almost all summer. Only a few exceptions. It is a great piece. Yes, I would like drilled lugs and maybe crown guards (no biggie on the crown guards - it’s true to the “original”). Labor Day I plan to switch to the Exp 1. Honestly the BB58 and Exp I might be the perfect two watch combo. Hard to put into words but somehow I just feel like the 58 is just cooler than the modern Sub.
Now the only real competition in my view is the Pelagos 39mm. I am seriously considering one. I think I would still keep the 58 however, just out of nostalgia. To me the 58 falls into heirloom category- to be passed to one of my sons one day. This was your dad’s summer watch. There is a timeless quality to the piece, just like my Explorer. I like watches like that.

I have a BB58 but want to try the BB54. Also agree on the Explorer I.

After some years of not wearing a watch because of work, and my 6309-7040 died, I bought a Dragonshroudmod 6309 -7290.
Something struck me with the black, and gold, and black, mother of pearl dial. It's the watch that got me into being able to wear a different watch, every day, for 2 months, if I wanted.
Here's to my favorite......

I need the cold protection down here.  This one is becoming my go to travel watch, and I just swap straps whenever needed.

1937 Hamilton 992E in a Wadsworth model 10 case.  This watch is sporting a Montgomery dial.

Why?

America baby!

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Rolex explorer 1 36mm 124270. Best all around do everything watch I own.