The three watches Zach wore most in 2024 are…
Zach BlassEach year, the Time+Tide Editorial team shares their three most worn watches of the year, written up in an article on the site – a fun annual tradition. By now, you will have seen Borna, Buffy, and Russell all share theirs for this year. As you may have seen in our recent video with Marcus and me discovering more French watch brands and in my hands-on review of the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Zulu time, I now have a new NYC filming studio at my disposal. So, I decided to bring my top three most worn watches of 2024 to video. Below, as I have done these past years, you can find a written explanation of why I wore these watches the most this year, but I highly encourage you to watch the video, hope you enjoy it (be sure to leave comments with your thoughts), and if you do, you will get to see an honorary mention exclusive to the video as well.
Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar ref. 3057
I had to give up some prized pieces to bring this Breguet into my collection, so I better damn well be wearing it. Jokes (or not) aside, you naturally have a honeymoon period with a new watch in your collection, and while the dial is static without a second hand, it’s really cool to see each indication of the perpetual calendar advancing one notch forward as you put the watch back on – a literal timelapse. Less poetically speaking, the 36mm 18k yellow gold case is very comfortable and suits my wrist well. I also love the idea of wearing more under-the-radar, less commonly seen watches. Anytime I’m at a watch meetup wearing this watch, I’m asked to take it off for a closer look.
Speaking of taking the watch off, I constantly find myself staring at the movement and its exquisite, engraved finish. Once I pick it up in the morning to wind it, a daily ritual since I idiotically have yet to get a proper winder, it’s very tempting with it already in hand to strap it onto my wrist. And it does not hurt that the watch, despite being neo-vintage with an unknown service history, keeps very good time. So as long as I keep it wound, I don’t need to worry about having to engage with the correctors and crown beyond winding. Though, when I wore the watch to this past edition of Watches and Wonders, I did have to let the watch run down so that I could return it to EST back from CET. First world problem, I know.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Limited Edition ref. CBK221G.FC6479
I vividly remember the first time I ever saw this TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph with a red dial, standing with Marcus and Andrew in the TAG Heuer booth at Watches and Wonders 2022 as we shot videos of the brand’s novelties. As Andrew did the wrist wriggling required for filming, we were mesmerised seeing the watch hit by light at different angles, and its notes of cherry or oxblood changing depending on the orientation. I knew I really liked it then and there, but it was a symptom of the right watch at the wrong time, and the 600-piece limited edition sold out before I was in a place to try and get one. Fast forward to two and a half years later, and I found one listed close to its original retail price – a breath of fresh air considering most listings position it well beyond its RRP. After interrogating the seller and discovering, despite my scepticism, the watch was in like-new condition, I pulled the trigger.
I originally just loved the dial, both its colour and vintage-inspired “Heuer” branding that I believe the brand has said they will no longer use. But after visiting the manufacture earlier this year, wearing a Glassbox for the few days of the visit, I really got to experience the joy of TAG Heuer’s deployant clasp style. Rather than have fixed holes, TAG’s execution is more like a leather Milanese, in that you pull the strap to the exact point of preference and then clamp the clasp down. This ensures a perfect fit, elevating the comfort of the watch on the wrist. At 39mm in diameter and 47mm-or-so lug-to-lug, it’s a great size for my wrist, which naturally has me gravitating towards it more often. Also, as someone who tries to never wear the same watch every day, with its 80-hour power reserve, I can pick it up three or four days later, and it’ll still be ticking and ready to go. And yes, it certainly does not hurt that the dial perfectly matches my infamous red-tinted sunglasses.
Credor Eichi II Wako Edition ref. GZLT999
While I could not tell you whether the Breguet or TAG Heuer was worn more, I can say with a hundred percent confidence that the Credor Eichi II was my most worn watch of the year. I preemptively (or naively) declared this Eichi II my “exit watch”, evidenced by the fact the Breguet and TAG Heuer were acquired after it. Though I did trade for the Breguet… Nevermind. I’m not even going to attempt to defend myself. At the very least, I can say the Eichi II is a grail piece for me, and I therefore enjoy having it on my wrist as often as possible. I’ve already covered this particular Wako Edition in depth, so I won’t regale you with all the wonderful details of its craftsmanship.
Relevant to the conversation at hand, the white porcelain dial and subdued overall aesthetic make it very easy to pair with any outfit. Whether in casual or formalwear, it suits it equally fine, and the 39mm x 45mm case is an absolute delight on my wrist. The heft of the platinum is also delectable. While manually wound, it has become a pleasant daily ritual to wind it alongside the Breguet. Over the more than a year I have owned it, I have very rarely let the watch wind down, aside from being away for work or on vacation. Though it is effectively perpetually running, I have yet to see it gain or lose even a second thanks to its top-notch Spring Drive movement. And the calibre… Oh the 7R14 calibre… How will I ever tire of looking at hand-finished, mile-wide bevels created by Micro Artist Studio artisans with gentian wood?
So, there you have it. Those are my most worn watches of 2024. I surprised myself in that over the last two years, I gravitated away from allocating the majority of wrist time to bracelet-bound steel pieces, maturing into more regularly wearing precious metal and leather-strapped watches. In fact, last year marked the first time the majority of my most worn watches were on leather straps, and this year is the first time bracelets have been completely eradicated. I will be interested to see what my most worn watches of 2025 are, because, admittedly, my three this year are also among my most recent acquisitions. But as I am slowing down, and as I have observed myself doing over the last few weeks, I’m holding space on my wrist for watches I haven’t been wearing as much and am falling back in love with. Let’s check in again next year.