Buy solid tools and run ‘em into the ground.

I’ve loved watches pretty much my whole life. Before 5 years ago, I had a G-Shock collection so obnoxious I started giving them away to my dad, (isn’t that supposed to go the other way around?) friends, and various coworkers for different reasons. The remaining few were sold off eventually to pay for mechanical pieces as my tastes changed.

 

 My first “mechanical” watch was a Seiko kinetic field watch. It’s a piece I still have to this day and will probably never sell or trade away, simply for the memories I’ve put into it during the era when it was my daily. Back in 2020, during a particularly hard time in my life, I saw the internet blowing up with pictures and reviews of the Seiko Prospex SPB143 62MAS reissue and fell in love. It was more than 10x the price I paid for the kinetic, and I vowed one day to own it. Until that time came, my awesome wife got me the Seiko 5 sports SRPD55, which was my daily until just recently, when I finally picked up the “Seiko grail”, my SPB143.

  I’m a member of several watch groups run by other cops, many of whom are former or current military. While I respect all of their badass Rolex and Panerai posts, and I often pass the time drooling over listings on Chono24 and the like, I realize that in all other areas of my life, I’m not a collector, nor am I flashy. I also was never military and thus don’t have the same passion for gear that military experience sometimes yields. I own one pocket knife that I’ve had my whole career. I drive an old Honda with 192k miles. My agency only authorizes certain firearms for off duty carry, and does not allow us to modify them in any way. Thus, my Glock 26 is my one and only off duty carry weapon. In terms of my “tools”, they all follow a basic theme: buy something quality but not flashy, and run it into the ground.

 

 The culture among most cops in the big city, particularly in the heavier areas such as mine, is that of “anti-buffiness” for lack of a better term. Basically, don’t spend your off duty time walking around in tac pants and a grunt style shirt, an American flag tactical cap and a blacked out Dodge Ram. We don’t meet new people and tell war stories about being cops, we don’t flash our shields to get perks and discounts, and we don’t involve ourselves unnecessarily in off duty situations. This is primarily for security reasons, as you never know who’s listening or who knows whom. Cars are easy to follow home, homes are easily monitored by gangs and motivated perps, not to mention the ever-present media and our own internal affairs looking for any reason to write up a cop getting involved in something unseemly off duty. Even our recruits in the academy are forced to cover their uniforms when not on the premises. A city cop’s best friend is a low profile, and rocking a Rolex Batman on a jubilee while off duty in your precinct’s t-shirt, or at work in the projects or the subway where your watch is spotted as quickly as your uniform, may not be the wisest of decisions.

  At the time of this writing, I own 6 watches. Of those 6, only 5 were ever really worn in any regular capacity. My Tissot chrono XL was a gift from my wife when we first started dating, and although it’s massively too large, I’ll never sell it. Mostly for its sentimental value, but also because I can point to it if/when my wife yells at me for a watch purchase and say, “Remember this? All of this is your fault!” I’ve owned a few others that I’ve sold off, mostly homage pieces for under $300 that I bought on a whim here and there.

  4 of my other 5 watches have served faithfully as daily drivers at one time or another, but always with one or two little complaints that bothered me enough to lust after something new once the honeymoon phase was over.

  

Then there’s the SPB143. The watch I designated my “grail” when I first learned what the term meant. After a month on the wrist, I have a seriously tough time finding anything to complain about with this one. I had one complaint when I first wore it, in that the clasp with diver extension did not sit flat on my wrist and caused some discomfort after a long day of wear. However, a $35 strapcode clasp solved that problem, and the watch now fits perfectly. For the sake of variety, I also grabbed an uncle Seiko oyster bracelet and rubber waffle strap, plus an ever-growing collection of NATOs. Between its 200m water resistance, workhorse movement, classic vintage-inspired looks, and wearable size, the 143 fits all of my needs both at home, in the gym, at work, and out on adventures or nice dinners with the wife. Essentially, it’s my “one watch collection” even though I have a handful of others that can be used as an occasional change up, if the mood ever strikes, but thus far it hasn’t.

 

 I read an article before I purchased this watch that was titled “Why you should buy one watch and do everything with it”, or something to that effect. That article was referencing the author’s Rolex Sub, but I can say with a straight face that my 143 checks every box mentioned in that article. It’s a “robust tool watch” (a phrase I’m starting to despise) with classic looks that can be pulled off in basically any situation that doesn’t require a tuxedo. Fine with me. I’ve worn a tux exactly 1 time in my life, and it wasn’t even for my own wedding.

  

  I’m excited to continue putting in work and memories while wearing this piece, and can’t wait for it to show some wear and tear. Like the rest of a respectable city cop’s gear, scratches and scuffs are a sign of hard use and experience. Hood cops don’t shine our boots or buy new shiny gear unless the old stuff breaks, and that is the outlook I’m planning on carrying over to my watches from now on.

Chino @Chinostime