Article: The 4 Watches I'd Buy If I Were Starting My Collection From Scratch
The 4 Watches I'd Buy If I Were Starting My Collection From Scratch
If I had to start my watch collection from scratch, I'd approach it very differently today.
After seeing many watches, trying different styles, and making a few mistakes, one thing is clear to me: a great collection doesn't need to be full of repetitive pieces. It needs to make sense.
In this guide, I'll show you the 4 watches I'd buy if I were starting my collection from scratch: a refined daily automatic, a serious diver, a chronograph with history, and a practical watch you can wear without a second thought. Among them is also a new, independent piece that's entering the market right now — one that changes the way you think about building a collection.
This is for you if you're just getting into watchmaking, if you want to buy your first automatic watch, if you have too many similar watches, or if you simply want to build a smaller, more useful, and more intentional collection.
Why You Don't Need Many Watches to Have a Great Collection
The most common mistake when starting out is buying on impulse. You buy a watch you like, then another similar one, then another… and one day you open the drawer and realize you have five watches that serve exactly the same purpose. All black, all the same size, all for "the same thing."
A smart collection isn't measured by quantity. It's measured by coverage: each watch occupying a role that no other watch fills. When you think this way, you don't need twenty watches. You need four, well chosen, that together cover your real life: work, weekends, sports, travel, and special occasions.
The right question isn't "Do I like this watch?" It's "What role does this watch play that the others don't?"
1. The Refined Automatic — New to the Market: CHRYS by MAESLUX
Every collection starts with a watch you can put on 80% of the time without thinking about it. That's the foundation. And this is where a new proposal breaks from the usual: the CHRYS by MAESLUX, an independent piece entering the market right now that offers serious watchmaking without the inflated names of the past.
The CHRYS wasn't born as "just another watch." It was born as a symbol of legacy. The name comes from Christopher — a personal name tied to family, time, and the continuity between generations — and the sequence engraved on the caseback makes each piece something more intimate than any ordinary luxury watch. It's not just about telling time; it's about preserving meaning through it.
Inside, it's real watchmaking: an automatic Swiss Made Sellita SW200 movement, assembled in Switzerland and recognized for its long-term reliability. On the outside, every detail is considered: sapphire crystal, stainless steel case, exhibition caseback to see the movement in action, and 10 ATM water resistance. All backed by a 5-year international warranty, limited production, and a premium wooden presentation box.
Its sober, elegant design works equally well with a dress shirt or a t-shirt: refined without being formal, mechanical without being pretentious. That balance is exactly what you need in the base watch of your collection.
Its role in the collection: the default automatic — the one you reach for when you don't know which to wear… and, on top of that, the one that tells a story.
Discover the full story of the CHRYS here: maeslux.com/chrys-the-story
2. The Serious Diver: Certina DS Action Diver
Every collector eventually wants a good dive watch. Not because we're diving every day, but because the diver is one of the most noble and robust formats in watchmaking: real water resistance, rotating bezel, total legibility.
The Certina DS Action Diver delivers all of that with a seriousness that's rare at its price point. Solid water resistance, robust construction, a reliable automatic movement, and that tool-watch character you feel the moment you put it on. It's the watch that handles summer, the beach, travel, and daily life without asking for special care.
Its role in the collection: the watch you don't have to be careful with. The companion for adventures.
3. The Chronograph With History: Bulova Lunar Pilot
A collection with real taste needs at least one piece with soul. A watch that doesn't just tell the time, but tells a story.
The Bulova Lunar Pilot is exactly that. Heir to Bulova's history tied to space exploration, it's a chronograph with an ultra-high-frequency movement that gives it a precision and sweep-seconds feel unlike anything else. It has presence, it has narrative, and it has that iconic quality that elevates any collection.
It's not just a chronograph: it's the watch you talk about when someone asks about your wrist.
Its role in the collection: the piece with history. The watch that adds character and conversation.
4. The Indestructible Watch: Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U
This is where many collectors get it wrong: they think a Casio "doesn't count." And it's exactly the opposite. The Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U may end up being one of the most-worn watches in your entire collection.
Solar-powered, radio-controlled so it always shows the exact time, practically indestructible, and zero maintenance. It's the watch you put on for workouts, home projects, light travel, or any day when you don't want to risk a more delicate piece. It costs little, lasts years, and frees your other watches from the tough situations.
Its role in the collection: the beater watch. The one that protects all the others.
How to Avoid Buying Repetitive Watches You'll Never Wear
The rule is simple: before buying, define what role the watch will play and confirm that no other watch already fills it.
If you already have a diver, you don't need another nearly identical diver — you need something that covers a different role. Always ask yourself three things before paying:
- What function does it cover that my other watches don't?
- In what real moments of my life will I actually wear it?
- Am I buying it because the collection needs it, or just out of impulse?
If a watch doesn't pass these three questions, it'll probably end up in the drawer.
How to Build a Men's Watch Collection With More Intention
A well-thought-out collection isn't the most expensive or the largest. It's the one that makes sense:
- CHRYS by MAESLUX → the refined daily automatic, the new proposal with legacy.
- Certina DS Action Diver → the serious diver for adventures.
- Bulova Lunar Pilot → the chronograph with history.
- Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U → the indestructible beater.
Four watches. Four distinct functions. Zero repetition. That's a collection built with intention.
If you're just starting out, don't try to have it all at once. Start with the base automatic and add pieces according to your real life. Because in the end, time is more than a function: it's identity, discipline, and legacy.
Time is luxury. Build your collection with intention.
Ready to start your collection with the piece that's marking a new chapter? Discover the CHRYS Swiss Made Automatic by MAESLUX: maeslux.com/chrys-the-story