When I looking to spend some serious dinero on a
watch three questions come up:

1. Is the dial compelling enough to keep my interest e.g., I know it's going to tell time, so what else can this baby do? Is the dial/hands layout well designed and unique or possibly, classically elegant?

2. Is it designed well enough to look good on my wrist and feel good. I once had a 44mm Panerai Submersible in SS that fit me like a glove due to great lug design and a superb (wide) strap that held it in place. Blancpain's X71 bracelet is so well designed and hefty, it makes me feel like a millionaire when I wear it. The dial on my Zenith Chronomaster was a work of art incorporating many complications (tachymetre, moonphases, triple date, flyback chronograph, and subseconds) with applied Roman numerals. However, when I wore it, it was uncomfortable, so it had to go!

My Dubey & Schaldenbrand Aerodyn Duo draws more compliments than any watch in my collection possibly due to the art deco numerals with cathedral hands. The pride of my collection, a military dial (tritium Arabics) IWC Ingenieur 8541B has a little of everything. Depending on who you believe it is one of 10 or 25 ever made. However, outside of gatherings of watch aficionados, it draws absolutely zero attention in public (which is my personal preference).

Another of my favorites is the Blancpain red gold perpetual calendar flyback chronograph. It is one of only 50 made and it shows the day, date, month, year, moonphase as well as perform the chronograph function of recording time's passing. Additionally, it has a beautiful display back that shows the beautifully finished movement. This watch is made out of 395 parts, every one of them polished and angled to remove as much friction as humanly possible

3. Is the movement visible and sufficiently finished to tempt me to take the watch off my wrist at least once a day to peer inside. Obviously display backs are practically essential for watch collectors. If a company designs and manufactures their own movements, that is a plus, but not a necessity in my book.

You do not have to spend alot of money to find a beautiful watch. Some in my collection cost as little as $100.

Larry Seiden