Sunday Edition: Keeping Time

A Special Collaboration with Sam from The Sunday Reserve

I’ve been fascinated with watches since I was a kid rocking a Fossil watch in the third grade, and that fascination has only grown with me. Throughout my Substack, The Sunday Reserve, I share timepieces from my own collection, as well as from a few close friends and family who are enthusiasts themselves. Together, the collection spans everything from heavy hitters to the more unexpected everyday pieces — each fantastic in its own way.

Today’s showcase sits close to my professional heart. This was the first watch I ever bought for myself to mark a milestone: surviving right out of college my first year in the grueling world of New York ad agency life and transitioning into a more senior role at a fast-rising news publication. I knew my new role would put me in rooms with advertising executives and clients, so I needed a watch that felt like a true “big-boy” piece—classic yet credible, without feeling out of place or financially irresponsible at that stage of my life.

Enter the Omega Speedmaster Reduced. Yes, some watch snobs turn their noses up at the Reduced model, but I’ve always found it to be just about perfect. It checks every box that mattered to me then, and still does now: durability, timeless design, and a comfortable 39mm case that suits my smaller wrist beautifully. The price point made it attainable, and the proportions made it wearable every single day.

I picked it up at a great price through the original Crown & Caliber (pre-Hodinkee-merger days). While I didn’t buy it on its original strap (a decision I still regret), I’ve had a lot of fun over the years experimenting with different looks. It’s worn everything from secondary market Omega Speedmaster bracelets to a Horween Shell Cordovan brown leather strap, and today lives on an Uncle Straps US1171 bracelet. No matter the configuration, the watch never loses its charm, and after ten years of ownership, it’s still going strong.

I’ve always believed there are only a handful of truly timeless watches—designs that feel just as natural with a T-shirt and sneakers on a morning coffee run as they do at dinner and drinks in your favorite steakhouse. The Speedmaster Reduced is one of those pieces. While it works with almost anything, I especially love pairing it with a pale blue Oxford button-down, Alden loafers, dark denim, and my racer-green Baracuta G9 Harrington jacket come spring. Classic, effortless, and quietly confident—much like the aspirations I had when I bought it.

-SK