You wouldn’t wear a suit to climb a mountain.

You wouldn’t wear your gym kit to the office.

You hopefully wouldn’t wear brown shoes with a black belt... Though I have seen it done.

Making sure what you choose is appropriate for the occasion is ingrained into us from an early age.

When it comes to watches, that’s all dependent on having the right options.

Now, unless you are extremely lucky you are not likely to have the luxury of limitless watches. But, if you build the right collection then I believe you only need 5 watches to cover all occasions.

Of course 5 premium watches is still far from achievable for many - but I think you can cover this collection without breaking the bank, even if it takes a few years to curate.

The great thing about watches of course is that they are (excuse the pun) timeless. A good watch never goes out of fashion and as long as you look after it, will be just as enjoyable in 20 years as it is today. 

Watches are no longer for telling the time - they are a statement. They are as much about how they make you feel as they are about what they are there to do. So the key to working out what watches you need is to think about how you will feel when putting them on your arm for different activities.

Those 5 watch types are as follows.

1. Daily Wear Watch

The daily wear is exactly what it says on the tin, a watch that you allow to grace your wrist on a day to day basis. A good daily wear watch will be just as fitting when you hit the local coffee shop for your morning cup of joe as it is sitting on your wrist at the desk in meetings - and will last right through to that evening dinner and late night whiskey. 

It needs to be comfortable, classic, elegant and a little understated while still saying a little bit about who you are. It’s a quiet flex, an indicator that you are someone to be taken serious, while not being ostentatious or arrogant.

Our Top Pick - Omega Seamaster

The Omega Seamaster was first released in 1948 and is nothing short of a legend of timekeeping. It is beautifully classic, stunningly classy and is, in our opinion, the perfect daily wear watch. 

2. Adventure Watch

As you will no doubt be able to tell, we are big fans of all things adventure at Suave and Debonair. Adventure is for life what oxygen is for breathing. We consider everything from travel, endurance challenges, weekend off roaders and even new dog walks to have a little bit of adventure about them.

Of course, next time you take your 4-legged companion for a stroll you will no doubt need to keep an eye on the time. So if you're heading up Everest, whether you are off to see the Pyramids or just stopping for a pint in the forest - you need a suitable wrist accessory that is fitting.

Our top pick - The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38MM

The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical is built for adventure. Its stainless steel case combined with the 1960’s military design delivers a watch you can proudly display on your wrist as you head up any mountain you might choose to summit. 

3. Formal Watch

When you next button up a crisp white shirt and slip into your go to black suit for any number of formal occasions, you'll notice that you don’t really want your daily wear (or your adventure watch for that matter) - you need something a bit different, something that isn’t part of your everyday wardrobe. You need a formal watch.

Formal watches have to apply to a wide range of possible situations, so you need to choose with care. Something that is graceful at a wedding, but can be equally suitable to a less happy occasion. A formal watch needs to be suitable for a smart date night dinner but also be perfect for times you want to really impress for a business venture.

Our Top Pick - Cartier Santos

This is a very very versatile watch, partly due to the countless strap options. The watch is low profile, but delicious in its elegance. 

4. Heritage Watch

We believe in a classic wardrobe, boat days and golden hour motorcycle rides - none of which would be complete without a Heritage watch. We are talking about a premium brown leather strap that has moulded itself to your skin like the very best memory foam mattress. A classic face that gives nothing but classic gentlemen vibes and a timeless brand that speaks without speaking.

Sometimes you want to just let the summer days drift past with nothing but an ice cold Rosè in hand. Fold up the sleeves of your white linen shirt and let your stunning heritage watch sit effortlessly on your relaxed arm. That’s what heritage is all about. 

Our Top Pick - IWC Portofino Chronograph

It does not get any better than the IWC Portofino Chronograph when it comes to a timeless heritage watch. This timepiece is the sort of thing you hand down to your sons.

5. Special Occasions Watch

 So options 1 through 4 should give you a pretty good range, but I think there is room for something with what Thierry Henry might describe as a little bit of “va va voom”... something special. 

If watches are about how they make you feel then your special occasions watch wants to make you feel 3 inches taller. It wants to fill you with confidence and transport you to a place where you are Tony Stark putting on your latest (very cool) armour. 

Now, we have already covered off a versatile formal watch - but this is something different. This is a bit of flair, a touch of sauce. 

Our Top Pick - Franck Muller Crazy Hours

We are big Franck Muller fans - partly because their watches dare to be something your special occasions watch should have the balls to be... a bit different.

Franck Muller watches are exciting, dramatic, unusual and we love them all the more because of it.  

Closing Thoughts

There you have it, the perfect 5 watch combination for a collection covering every occasion. 

Now, watches are the ultimate personal taste, so even if you make different choices do make sure you cover these use cases.