Perfect 3 Watch Collection - Sports Watch Edition (Omega Seamaster, Tudor Black Bay Chrono, Breitling Avenger GMT)

Many watch collectors ask the question “what makes the perfect 3-watch collection?” Personally, I think there are so many factors to consider that it’s nearly impossible to pick just 3 watches. Are we talking about just my top 3 favorite watches to wear to dinner? Or my top 3 most expensive watches? It’s like asking someone to pick their favorite child: everyone has a different answer or no answer at all.

Because I rate watches for a hobby, I figured I would give it my best shot to build what I would consider my “perfect 3-watch collection”. Specifically, I looked through my collection for my favorite 3 sport watches that I think can stand in a collection on their own. After considering (and realizing I have many watches that fall into the “sport” category), I whittled down the choices to my perfect 3 sport watch collection: the Omega Seamaster Diver, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono and the Breitling Avenger GMT.

While you may not agree with me – and there are hundreds, if not thousands of watches out there that would fit into this category – just hear me out first. I like this particular 3-watch collection for a number of reasons. First, the cost of each watch is around the $5,000 point, which is a lot of money but it isn’t Rolex money. For the price of a Rolex GMT, you could have all 3 of these fantastic watches. Second, each watch fills a different “niche” of sports watches: a watch you can wear swimming or diving, a watch you can wear while driving or racing and a watch to accompany you while exploring or traveling. Lastly, each watch comes from a quality brand that has made each one of these watches one of their flagship offerings for a reason – each watch is built to the highest specs so that it can be worn during the day during your adventure and then transition seamlessly to when you decide to sit down for dinner to refuel and relax.

1.  Omega Seamaster Diver (Ref: 210.30.42.20.01.001) – I don’t think any “sport watch” collection is complete without a dive watch, and one of the most synonymous watches for a “dive” watch is the Omega Seamaster Diver. The Omega Seamaster is an absolute classic watch- it originally dates back to 1948 (5 years before Rolex debuted the Submariner) when Omega launched an all-around, military-grade watch to celebrate the brand’s centenary. The Seamaster has developed both a cult- and public-following as the perfect companion for a day at the beach, on a yacht, or heading to dinner. For me, if it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for me.

I actually picked this watch up while on a tropical vacation in the Caribbean and was instantly drawn to how rugged, yet sophisticate the watch felt. With its 42 mm case size (which I think is my sweet spot), polished ceramic bezel, satin-brushed case and wavy-patterned ceramic dial, the Seamaster can transition from the beach to a black-tie event seamlessly in a way that not many other watches can. Add on top of that the fact that this watch has some truly incredible specs: 300 meters of water resistance secured by Omega’s trusted O-ring system; a helium-escape valve (the “tumor” as many people call it) that can be used to alleviate helium pressure building up in the case after an extended dive; scratch-proof ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal; and an impressible co-axial movement with 55 hours of power reserve and proprietary anti-magnetic and anti-shock systems.

Just the movement’s specifications (and incredible decoration) alone make this watch a contender for the best bang-for-your-buck in the watch world. Omega’s co-axial movement is a stand-out in the watch industry and improves on the typical escapement by adding additional gears and pallets to ultimately reduce friction that the escapement experiences each beat (or over 25,400 times per hour). Omega also incorporates its own proprietary silicon free-sprung balance wheel and other unique features that make the Seamaster extremely accurate and resistant to external forces. Omega’s movement is built so well that each movement is METAS certified (which is a considerable step above the venerated COSC standard) and typically only deviates a few seconds per day. For less than $6,000 brand new (and often under $5,000 after discounts or on the secondary market), the Omega Seamaster Diver is an incredible timepiece that any serious collector should have in their collection. And, it certainly makes the list for my perfect 3 sport watch collection.

2. Tudor Black Bay Chrono (Ref: M79360N-0001) – I think any collection needs a respectable chronograph watch, and the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is a great option. With its clean bi-compax chronograph design and tool watch ethos, the Black Bay Chrono is equally comfortable as an everyday piece or working on a car covered in grease. The watch’s heft illustrates two core tenets of Tudor’s recent ethos: (1) building quality watches that feel more expensive than they cost and (2) returning to vintage designs with modern appeal. With a 41mm case that sits just under 15mm tall and a solidly-built steel bracelet, the watch feels bullet-proof.

Underneath the rugged exterior is a modified B-01 chronograph movement, which Tudor collaborated with Breitling to use Breitling’s flagship chronograph movement. The B-01 boasts 70 hours of power reserve, a vertical clutch and column wheel mechanism and custom modifications by Tudor including a silicon hairspring and free-sprung balance wheel. I talked a lot more about this movement in my prior review of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono, which you can check out at my website and my YouTube channel, but the Black Bay Chrono’s inside is equally, if not more impressive, than its outside.

Speaking of the external design elements of the watch, I actually enjoy the fact that the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is a bi-compax chronograph rather than the traditional triple-register chronograph design. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of chronographs with three registers, but sometimes the dials just feel a bit too busy for everyday wear or at a nice dinner out with friends. In comparison, the contrasting colored bi-compax design of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono looks timeless yet modern at the same time, which gives the watch great wearability in different situations.

What I truly love about the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is that for around $5,500, you get a really well-built watch that feels worth the price tag. Between the elegant case design, dynamic dial (and sub-dials) and an incredible movement beating inside the case, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is perhaps the best value of these three sports watches (and definitely one of my favorite pieces in my collection).

3. Breitling Avenger GMT (Ref: A32395101C1A1) – Every sports watch collection needs a GMT (I’m pretty sure that is written in stone somewhere), and the Breitling Avenger GMT is the perfect choice for a collector who takes their hobby seriously, but isn’t trying to take out a second mortgage to buy a Rolex. I particularly love the Breitling Avenger GMT with its dark blue face with a pop of color courtesy of the red GMT hour hand (and seconds tip). At 45mm, the Breitling Avenger is a sturdy watch, but it wears closer to a 42/43mm in my opinion and it doesn’t feel too bulky like some other large watch manufacturers (like Panerai).

Breitling has been producing versions of the Avenger since 2001, but Breitling’s storied history - especially in the aviation world - extends far earlier back to World War II with its classic Navitimer. While not as classic as the Navitimer, the Avenger’s simple design looks clean and timeless. The rotating bezel has classic design elements from Breitling including the notches at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock positions. The dial itself is extremely clean while still including a relatively unobtrusive date function and well-lumed, polished hour markers. Add to the fact that this watch comes from a well-respected brand, its movement is COSC certified and has 300m of water resistance (the same amount as the much more aquatic-based Omega Seamaster), and you start to see just how solid of a deal this watch is.

Beating within the solid stainless steel case is the automatic Breitling Calibre 32, which uses an ETA-2893 as its base and comes standard with 21 jewels and 42 hours of power reserve. Because it is based on an ETA workhorse movement, this movement is easily (and cheaply) serviceable and reliable, which aligns with the tool-watch ethos of the watch itself. The GMT hour function also comes in handy when crossing time zones as the red hour hand can track your home time on a 24 hour scale. The GMT hour hand “jumps” between each hour for faster setting and is non-hacking (the local time when pulled out in the 2nd position on the crown is hacking), so setting the GMT will not disrupt the watch’s timekeeping accuracy.

For me, the blue dial is really the selling point here. The watch can easily transition from a sporty edge to a casual coffee run outfit to an elevated dinner setting where it provides a pop of color to your evening attire. If you are looking for a watch around $5,000 (or around $3,500 on the “gray” market) that you can wear all-day long and potentially while crossing multiple time zones, the Breitling Avenger GMT is the perfect watch to add to your collection.