I thought it might be interesting to hear folks' thoughts about their favorite watch. Not your wishlist or grail watch, but the one you actually own and wear more often than the rest of your collection.

In my case, it's my Seamaster Pro 300M Co-Axial. My collection is fairly small - under a dozen watches in all - and I enjoy wearing each and every one of them from time to time, but it's always only a few days before I keep coming back to this guy. I've been trying to quantify what it is that keeps drawing me back to this watch, and I think it comes down to these points - in no particular order save the last:

* The case size. Obviously it's personal preference, but I find 41mm to be the sweet spot for my wrist.
* The dial size. I like that the bezel is relatively thin, allowing a the dial to fill most of those 41 millimeters.
* The understated blue dial. Under most lighting conditions it's almost black, but under the right light it reveals its secret identity.
* The lume. Only my Seikos outshine this guy.
* The date. I didn't realize how often I check the date on my watch until I started wearing others that lack that complication.
* The bracelet. I find it comfortable under pretty much all conditions, it has a nice heft, and feels sturdy and reassuring. I switch out bands on many of my other watches from time to time, but I've never felt the need to try this guy on anything but the factory bracelet.
* The movement. After years of owning nothing but quartz watches, this was my return to mechanical watches, and while the Co-Axial Caliber 2500 isn't a classic, it's a solid workhorse with decent accuracy. Mine gains 2.8spd, so I only bother resetting it once a month or so.
* The sheer readability. This is perhaps the single biggest reason why this guy keeps coming back to my wrist. The combination of dial size, marker design, hand design, and the lack of other embellishments result in a watch that I can read with just a glance. Others take a second or so to register, while my Tintin - much as I love it for other reasons - has so many white lines and hands that it just feels cluttered and can take me a couple of seconds to "decipher".

So, what about you? Do you have a favorite, and if so, have you ever really thought about why it's your favorite?

 

Like you I have about a dozen nice watches. Mostly Omega but a Seiko, Citizen and a couple of Rolexes.
Also like you the Seamaster Pro is my go to watch, certainly gets the most wrist time

 

Although I immensely cherish my dad’s watches [that I inherited] as well as my modern standard issue Moonwatch [which is my grail watch]...the Seiko 6309-7049 automatic is my favorite watch. It’s my favorite watch because it’s been with me the longest [by far] and has been a faithful companion through thick and thin. I purchased my 6309-7049 new in 1987 while in U.S. Navy pilot training...it has over 30 years of being flown both in the military and at the airlines. If I could only have one watch, my 6309-7049 would be it.

 

Nice thread idea and I'll play.

Most folk here will know this watch well enough and how much I love the thing, but nice to have the opportunity to wax lyrical about the things I love about it.

I've owned tons of watches over the years but this has been one of my very cheapest, picked it up for £50 as a non-runner with a completely knackered movement. I was chuffed with this as the case, dial and handset were perfect and already knew of a direct replacement movement for it. I fitted it with the well underrated ISA 1198, some people might frown on this, I don't care as this was bought for wearing and the dimensions are identical so it fits nice and snugly in the case. Also just like the ESA 936.121 the second hand hits the markers perfectly every time with no play or annoying occasional bounce. The beauty here is that if ever it plays up in the future I have not one but two spare movements bought just incase(overkill? or just shows how much I love this thing!) It does mean the case back goes on upside down but with that the battery hatch lines up perfectly too.

Amoung the things I love about this watch are the size. At 36mm without crown It's very wearable, especially the fatboy which is 13mm thick! I have owned the more recent G10's but much less keen on those so they're gone now, they just don't wear as well for my taste and the second hand never hits all the markers.
Acrylic crystal which I always prefer due to soft look and easy polishing in event of scratches, also less likely to crack with knocks. I wear this watch for everything, from smart to casual and I never have to worry about it(only thing I obviously wouldn't do is swim with it). I've bashed and battered it but the case still shows very little in the way of marks and what it does have doesn't look out of place, if it was good enough for the military then it's good enough for me.
Style, I don't know what it is but I just love the case design of these G10's, again especially the fatboys which are just perfect to my eyes.
I've owned several other far more valuable military watches(still do own a couple) but I can never feel as relaxed about wearing them and I know they could give me some nasty surprises in service costs etc. at any time.

If you'd have said to me a few years ago that my favourite watch would be a cheap quartz(I remember a time I hated anything quartz) I'd have told you to get the hell out of my office! but here I am. If I had to go down to just one watch it would be this no contest, funny how things go sometimes isn't it.

Anyway a few pics....