Watch collectors come in all sizes and types. All sorts of personalities, styles, and particular tastes. While it is cool to see what celebrities own when it comes to watches, there is nothing more rewarding than to see the actual watch collection of a normal guy or gal that we can relate to as mere mortals.

@TheHoracle is one of our favorite watch collectors we met through Instagram. His close to 36K followers are delighted daily with some amazing watch photography that he posts. Located on the West Coast he’s a true watch collector in all the sense of the word with a watch-collecting journey that includes more than 50 watches in about 12 years.

Now, you’ll hear directly from him about this fantastic watch-collecting hobby that brought us together.

When Did You Start Collecting Watches? What Made You Start Collecting? What was Your First Luxury Watch?

The first watch I ever bought was a plastic Nixon surf watch while I was on vacation in Hawaii, somewhere around the age of 16. Over the next 10-12 years, I purchased a few Citizen watches and a TAG Heuer Link because I liked the look. It wasn’t until about 12 years ago around 2012 that I acquired my first ‘real’ watch, an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. It was the only watch I owned for about two years and I never took it off.

There was no stereotypical catalyst for me to be drawn to watches, my father didn’t own one, I didn’t have one passed down to me from a family member, and I never received one as a gift, but at a young age, I was fascinated with engineering and building things, so from that I started appreciating watches as I got older.

What are Your Favorite Brands?

It’s a barbell for me. On one end what I enjoy most are the iconic brands like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Rolex; and on the other end, I love the exciting independent brands like De Bethune and Richard Mille, and there isn’t a lot in between.

Lately, I have been obsessing over some of what I would refer to as hybrid sport/dress pieces, specifically from F.P. Journe, De Bethune, and Akrivia. I recently experienced an Akrivia AK-06 for the first time in person and it truly blew me away.

Which of Your Watches Do You Consider Special and Why?

At this point, almost all of them are special to me. A few years ago, I started to rethink my watch-collecting strategy to an extent and realized that too often I was collecting watches for the thrill of the chase. When I ended up acquiring those pieces I either didn’t wear them or grew tired and sold them soon after.

Over the past two years or so, I’ve focused on acquiring pieces to mark special occasions. I know this is easier said than done and takes a lot more thought and planning, but I feel the result has been more rewarding. My Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5168G with a Khaki dial was purchased for our 10th wedding anniversary and my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26240ST was purchased on the day of my 40th birthday accompanied by champagne and a nice dinner afterward. On both occasions, my family was with me at the boutique, which created some really special memories.

Can You List the Brands and Watches You’ve Owned in Your Watch Collecting Journey? 

I probably could if I had the time, but the list would be far too long. I’m somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 watches throughout my journey, so I’ll do my best to highlight the brands that have stood out over the years including Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Omega, Tudor, De Bethune, Richard Mille, F.P. Journe, MB&F, Urwerk, and Bulgari.

Why Do You Buy Certain Brands and Watches?

I know I’ll get some flak for this, but most collectors have adopted the mantra of, ‘Buy what you love’, instead I lean into my philosophy of, ‘Buy what you will wear.’ Frankly, there are a lot of great watches out there, and so many that I truly love for several reasons, but I know that I simply would not wear them. To that end, I typically buy sports watches that can go with anything from a suit to a pair of swim shorts. If I can’t be comfortable wearing it on a variety of occasions then it likely isn’t for me.

Lastly, I like to buy from brands where the people behind the watches know how to treat their clients. Take De Bethune for example, the brand is finally getting the credit that it’s deserved for over a decade, not only because their watches are unique, beautifully crafted, and technically remarkable on so many levels, but also because the people behind the brand make you feel genuinely connected in ways that most others fall short. I’m eagerly waiting on a new piece from De Bethune, which I hope will come in early 2024.

What is Your Favorite Watch Complication?

I would have to say the travel time complication. As someone who travels from coast to coast fairly often and works for a company based in New York —while living on the West Coast—, I can’t think of a more useful complication for daily life.

Which is Your Grail Watch You Wish to Own One Day?

This is a tough question for me to answer because my grails change as I move through life and evolve as a watch collector. Right now, I’m focused on adding a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5990/1A to the collection. As a sports watch fanatic, I’m constantly drawn to the Nautilus collection due to its versatility and wearability, and to me, the ref. 5990 is the king of the lineup.

Some other ‘non-sports watch’ pieces that I dream of adding to the collection one day include the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Cal. 1519 Black Label, the Patek Philippe Split Seconds Chronograph ref. 5370p, and if I were to dream big, the Akrivia AK-06.

How Many Times Do You Switch Watches During the Day?  

Admittedly, rarely. My watches are locked up and I rotate one in and one out every few days. If there is a special occasion or I’m heading out to dinner, I’ll sometimes switch to a certain piece, but I’m mostly a ‘grab and go’ type of guy.

If You Had to Keep and Wear Only One Watch From Your Current Collection to Wear for the Rest of Your Life, Which One Would That Be?  

This is another tough one to answer, but I would say it’s a tie between my Rolex Submariner Date ref. 116610LV ‘Hulk’ and the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710 BLNR ‘Batman’. Each of them is engraved with one of my daughters’ names and I plan to pass them down when each of them is old enough.

If You Had to Have a Three-watch Collection What Would It Look Like?

1) First, there has to be a practical Rolex for daily wear, so I would choose a white metal Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, either a steel ref. 126500LN or a platinum ref. 126506 —with baguette markers of course. 

2) Second, I would add a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5990/1A or a ref. 5990/1R, for when I want something that’s still versatile but with more prominence than a Rolex.

3) Finally, I would add a piece from a small but exciting independent brand like a De Bethune DB25 GMT or an Akrivia AK-06.