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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →In Fratello’s February 2, 2024 feature, Daan de Groot chose five watches that reflect how he wanted his collection to work: versatile, complementary, and shaped by what he actually wore. His ranking runs from a Cartier Santos Galbée XL to a Serica 5303-3, but it is a portrait of one collector’s priorities—not a universal list of the five best watches.
How Daan chose his five
De Groot says wrist time was the main basis for his choices. He describes a collection intentionally curated to be versatile and complementary, while acknowledging that the exercise was difficult and that he might make different choices if he repeated it. Each pick offered something distinctive to him, whether through design, wearability, or its role in the rotation.
The order below is his personal ranking, as reported in Fratello’s February 2, 2024 article. His judgments about proportions, versatility, and appearance are subjective preferences, not results from a comparative test.
Daan’s five picks, in order
1. Cartier Santos Galbée XL ref. 2823
This is the watch De Groot says he would keep if he could retain only one. He calls it his go-anywhere, do-anything (GADA) watch, appreciating its balance of elegance and attitude. The polished bezel, curved case, and bracelet links are particular favorites for the way they catch and play with light.
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2. Rolex Explorer ref. 114270
De Groot chose the 36mm Explorer from the 2000s over the newer 124270. He prefers the older model’s less pronounced bracelet taper and what he considers a better-proportioned dial. He also likes its non-lumed numerals and stamped clasp. In considering the Explorer, he contrasts it with other watches he had weighed, including a Datejust, Tudor Black Bay 36, and Black Bay 58.
3. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Medium Duoface Small Seconds ref. Q2458422
The Reverso’s two dials are what make it especially engaging for De Groot: he says he switches between them multiple times a day. He sees it as at home with dressier outfits as well as casual or sportier wear. His preferred setup is the leather-and-canvas version of the Casa Fagliano strap.
Rank #2
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4. Breguet Classique ref. 5907
De Groot highlights the silvered, hand-decorated gold dial and white-gold case with its coin-edge detail. He says he acquired the watch in a trade for a 38mm Blancpain Bathyscaphe and remained pleased with that decision.
He also recounted that the Breguet fell from his wrist onto a hotel-room carpet and had not been running well afterward. In the February 2024 article, he said he intended to contact a watchmaker; that account does not establish the watch’s current condition or service history.
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Rank #3
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5. Serica 5303-3
De Groot picked the Serica as his smaller-brand representative, choosing it over his Omega Speedmaster Professional with the 3861 movement. He says he wears it regularly and likes its proportions, tapered mesh bracelet, and crystal-blue bezel insert. His 2024 article also reports that Serica watches were COSC-certified chronometers and tested after assembly at that time. That is a dated report, not confirmation of current certification or testing practices.
The difficult omissions
De Groot says leaving out his Speedmaster and Oris Art Blakey was difficult. Their absence does not mean he considered them inferior; his account is about narrowing a collection to five for this particular exercise, with wrist time and variety playing important roles. He says every watch in his collection offered something unique.
Rank #4
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That makes the list most useful as a look at one enthusiast’s rotation: a daily-wear anchor, distinct design personalities, watches he considers adaptable across settings, and room for a smaller brand alongside long-established names. It does not provide a shared technical comparison, prices, current retail status, or ownership-cost data, so it cannot establish which watch is objectively the best choice for another collector.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the list says about building a five-watch rotation
Rather than treating the ranking as a template, readers can use the choices to ask what they want their own collection to do. De Groot’s picks point to several useful considerations:
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- Wearability in practice: He says wrist time helped drive the selection, making actual use more relevant than a watch’s role on paper.
- Distinct character: His reasons range from the Santos’s light-catching bracelet and the Reverso’s dual dials to the Serica’s blue bezel.
- Range of settings: He describes the Santos as his GADA watch and sees the Reverso crossing from dressier to casual or sportier wear.
- Personal proportions: His Explorer preference rests partly on how he perceives the dial and bracelet taper, a reminder that fit and visual balance are individual.
- Room for different kinds of brands: The Serica gives his chosen five a smaller-brand presence alongside Cartier, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Breguet.
Fratello’s feature ends by asking readers which watches they would choose for their own five-watch collection. De Groot also points readers who prefer to share a photo toward Instagram posts tagged #fivewatchcollection.
Quick Recap
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