7 Watch Experts Share Their 2026 Collecting Resolutions
This is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. Sign up here (https://www.gq.com/newsletter/box-papers).
Hi friends: It’s me, Cam. For the next couple of months, I’m going to be back out on parental leave. Out of your inbox, but hopefully never gone from your hearts. Thankfully, we are sending one of our top minds into the Box + Papers laboratory. Jeremy Freed, a very sharp writer and longtime contributor to GQ.com (https://gq.com/) ’s watch coverage, is going to be your trusty guide through the horological world until I return in mid-March. See you soon. —Cam Wolf
I once heard a story about a tech entrepreneur who, at the start of each year, puts 12 slips of paper, each with a different new skill or area of study written on it, into a container. At the start of every month, he draws one out and spends the next four weeks learning everything he can about juggling, thermodynamics, marsupials, or whatever. While I’d love to be the kind of person who is capable of something like this, experience has taught me that I am not. And I’m OK with that! But I don’t let it stop me from setting intentions around things I’d like to do (or do differently in the new year).
What suits me best, I have found, is setting small, vague goals that can be achieved without too much effort, and not writing them down. This has two main benefits: First, if I do accomplish something on my list, I get to feel good about that. And second, if I don’t make good on a goal, I’ll likely have forgotten all about it by the time next January rolls around.
It’s a system that I’ve found works as well for watch-related resolutions as anything else. Watches, after all, are supposed to be a source of joy, and nothing puts a damper on fun faster than feeling like you’re letting yourself down. So, while I have made a few watch-related resolutions, I’m not going to share them here lest I be held accountable to them by my future self. Instead, I asked a few of the most dedicated watch enthusiasts I know to share theirs.
Buzz Tang (https://www.instagram.com/buzzspoke/) , co-founder of The Anthology
Buzz Tang’s Patek Philippe Calatrava.
“Having trained in clothing and fine art, I’ve developed a keen eye for understanding and appreciating case shapes and polishing, but I’ve recently grown to appreciate movements and mechanical details even more. This year, I’m particularly interested in learning about watches with dual escapements like the Philippe Dufour Duality and the F.P. Journe Resonance. I also plan to continue expanding my collection beyond just time-only watches. While I had a brief fascination with chronographs and tourbillons in my youth, my wrist size and industry preferences led me to fall in love with time-only watches like Patek Philippe’s Ellipse and Calatrava, and Cartier pieces like Tank Normale and Ceinture. This year, I’m looking forward to exploring different genres and mechanisms, including jump hour, annual calendars, and perpetual calendars—which is a lot to study. Aside from these, I want to be more adventurous with my choice of watch straps. Historically, I’ve stuck to classic brown and black, but I’m increasingly keen to experiment with materials like ostrich, peccary, and pigskin in shades like taupe, olive, and even some funky colors.”
“My 2026 New Year’s watch resolution is to buy pieces I’ll want to give to my child one day. I just had my first baby! It’s not totally different than before because I’ve always collected pieces I know are keepers, but there’s just more meaning in the watches now. Knowing one day I can hand it down is a special feeling.”
“My watch resolution for 2026 is to be less precious about my own collection. I tend to hold on to things longer than I need to, and I want to be a little looser with it this year. That means more selling, which will enable more buying and more exploration. I also want to get outside my comfort zone and try some new things. In particular, I'd love to experience more of the incredible independent watchmaking that's happening these days from brands like MING (https://www.gq.com/story/ming-iris-57-04-new-watch-test-drive) , Anoma (https://www.gq.com/story/anoma-a1-optical-new-release) , and Naoya Hida. I'm not sure exactly what's going to make it into the collection, but it definitely won't be something boring. That said, a vintage yellow gold Rolex Day-Date (https://www.gq.com/story/rolex-watches-for-men) has been calling my name for some time now…”
“More blue dials. I acquired a watch about two or three years ago which had a fumée blue dial, which set my collection into an immediate snowball; if it wasn't an absolute must-have classic, and it wasn't a blue dial, it was out. If you think of the classics: the Royal Oak, the Nautilus, the Vacheron Constantin 222 (https://www.gq.com/story/an-underground-icon-comes-out-of-the-vault) , the Patek Philippe Ellipse, they all came with blue dials. There isn't a single classic watch that doesn't exist in a blue dial. This doesn’t just give my collection guardrails, it helps me to buy only what I really want. So I plan to continue my blue dial quest this year. I recently saw the new F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain boutique edition with a blue dial, and it made me fall in love with it all over again. The other blue dial I want to get this year is the steel 222.”
Perri Dash (https://www.superniche.com/) , founder of Super Niche and Wrist Check Pod
Perri Dash’s Royal Oak is a keeper.
“My New Year’s watch resolution is to consolidate the collection. Lately, I’ve been of the mindset that less is more. I only have two wrists, and I’ve realized I rotate far less than I once imagined. Having north of 30 watches no longer feels practical and, admittedly, feels a little excessive. My friend and podcast co-host Rashawn occasionally gifts watches he no longer wears, and it’s a practice I’d like to adopt myself. My goal this year is to narrow the collection down to around 10 pieces. Some watches, particularly meaningful gifts, are non-negotiable, but beyond that, I want the collection to feel intentional. The categories I’m working within are dress, casual sport—a dress watch that still works with a T-shirt and jeans, luxury sport, vintage dress, and vintage sport. I may still be a little crazy about watches, but this feels far more manageable and far more honest. I’m also keeping the rule I set for myself last year: if a new watch comes in, one must go out.”
Kaz Mirza (https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/) co-founder of Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kaz Mirza’s beloved Seiko SNK805.
“My New Year’s resolution is to focus on restoring and servicing the keepers in my watch collection despite the cost. I’m getting my sentimental Seiko (https://www.gq.com/story/seiko-5-affordable-watches) SNK805 and a few other special vintage timepieces serviced, even if the service costs more than the watch, because I want them to be reliable and in a condition where I can hopefully pass them on to my kids when they get older. And if I don't service them, that's not going to happen. I’m done letting ‘not worth it on paper’ decide what gets properly cared for in my collection. If a watch has a story and is special to me, the repair bill doesn’t get to veto it.”
A couple of 1940s Patek Philippes that caught Phil Toledano’s attention in 2025.
“My New Year’s resolution is one that any collector worth his or her salt would recognize as utter bollocks, and that is: I would like to buy fewer watches. It’s just not going to happen unless, of course, I go financially bankrupt. The thing about watches is that there are things that you're always looking for, and they’re not necessarily defined, and also the kind of stuff I like to collect is super weird and rare. So I’m not looking for XYZ model, but there are just versions of things like this kind of Patek from the ’40s, or this 1930s Rolex chronograph. When one appears, I feel like if I don't get this now, I will never see it again. That's the misery of being a collector; it's a yawning abyss of hunger. No matter how many times you eat, you’re never full.”
