Time Well Spent

The watch I wore the most in 2025 isn’t the newest in my collection, or the most expensive. It isn’t rare, and it doesn’t draw much attention. It’s a Seiko 5, and I bought it about three years ago. It was the first automatic watch I ever owned.

At the time, I was a young professional wearing suits to work, and that part felt right. What didn’t was the Apple Watch on my wrist. I didn’t like having a screen there, constantly lighting up and vibrating. I wasn’t working out or checking my steps — I was at work, trying to feel present.

It took a few months to admit it, but eventually I did: I wanted a real watch.

That feeling became clear in 2022, the day I interviewed sports legend Jim Plunkett. I had begun receiving opportunities to speak with athletes I grew up watching, and as a lifelong sports fan, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

I remember getting dressed that morning and putting on my Apple Watch. It felt wrong immediately. During the interview, notifications kept buzzing. As a first-time interviewer, the constant interruptions only added to my nerves. I got through it, but when it was over, I felt disappointed — not because of the conversation, but because I couldn’t fully be in the moment.

I had grown up in a low-income, immigrant household, without a college degree. I had worked on myself enough to earn opportunities I never thought I deserved — and yet, in that moment, something as small as a watch made me feel disconnected from it all.

After that day, I knew I needed something different.
A grown-up watch.
Something that did one thing well: tell the time.

There were two problems. I knew nothing about watches, and I didn’t have much money.

I knew Rolex was a great brand, but it was far beyond what I was willing — or able — to spend. So I did what most people do at the beginning: I started researching everything. YouTube videos, forums, guides. Very quickly, more questions than answers appeared. Quartz versus automatic. Case sizes, straps, complications. The deeper I went, the more overwhelming it became.

I remember sitting in a Starbucks for nearly two hours, researching nonstop, and leaving more confused than when I arrived. I worried about making the wrong choice.

The good news was I had a few weeks before my next interview.

The next day, I went back to that same Starbucks, bought another caramel macchiato, and changed my approach. I focused on two things: a budget, and a brand.

I searched phrases like “best first watches for beginners” and “watches under $500 for young professionals.” One answer kept appearing: Seiko 5.

The watch I chose was the Seiko 5 SNK, 38mm.

When it arrived, I knew I had made the right choice. That was the moment the journey began.

It wasn’t expensive.
It wasn’t rare.

But it was the watch I trusted. I trusted it to tell me the time — and not distract me.

My collection has changed over the years. Watches have come and gone, tastes have evolved, and preferences have shifted. But no matter what enters the rotation, I always find myself coming back to this one.

Some watches mark time.
Others mark moments.

This one does both.