This was my 40th birthday present from my wife (that I chose!). It rekindled my love of watches.

I have always wanted a Panerai since I was a young professional in the early 2000s. For many they have lost their shine since then but this watch was chosen carefully to have all the essentials; 44mm steel case, sandwich dial, manual wind (8 day in house) movement and of course quick strap changes. I also was lucky enough to pick up one of the first run of this model that came with a display back (controversial I know!). Subsequent versions all have a solid case back. Smiles guaranteed.

This was a gift to myself after a really hard year. I bought it just before our AD here in Scotland was closed down due to new restrictions. I had plenty of big watches and needed a smaller more refined piece. It doesn’t get much more refined than a DJ 36 in steel with white gold, fluted bezel on Jubilee. So comfortable and beautiful. It made The horrible end to 2020 seem more bearable.

My friend from school who sells Omegas was getting seriously annoyed that I hadn’t bought a watch from him. He offered me this beauty for a ridiculous price and I couldn’t say no. I had done my research and this was the model I wanted anyway so it worked out great. This is a stunner of a watch and it gets a lot of wrist time. My 16 year old son has demanded it for his 18th birthday and says “it’s way cooler than any other watch you have!”

Another offer from my Omega dealer friend that was too good to pass up. I fancied the white dial Seamaster Diver and asked him for his best price - he obliged, but offered an insane price on this piece. When I did my research (and read the glowing Fratello review from the archives) I jumped on it. I have it on an Everest gray rubber strap sometimes and it looks phenomenal.

I love this piece - like my Milgauss it is not the obvious choice from the Professional line and you don’t see many in the wild. Unlike the Milgauss however it is understated and slim. I actually was buying a second Milgauss but my AD called me the day before delivery to give me the option. I did my research and then jumped on this. Very glad I did.