Is the GADA Watch Just a Myth?
We have all dreamt about having one watch that can do it all. One watch to rule them all. One watch that can go diving, do a day at the office, and then look fabulous on your wrist at dinner. One watch that can… yes, that enough, I think you’ve got the idea. In short, I’m talking about the concept of the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ watch. GADA. These are four letters that have come to mean so much when talking about watches, yet, no one can actually agree on what they really mean. Some might even go as far as to suggest that the concept is as real the fairies. And to some extent, they might be right. To get to the bottom of this matter, we got in touch with enthusiasts and collectors to find out what they really think.
Marketing buzzword? Justification? Myth? These are just some of the labels that you could give the GADA concept. High-end collector Drew Coblitz thinks that it is a bit more nuanced than that kind of black and white thinking. Whilst brands have been known to overstate their watches’ capabilities, Drew argues that ‘there are definitely watches that (…) have such a broad use case which (does) encapsulate the GADA ethos pretty well’. This raises an excellent point: does the GADA label massively raise our expectations of what the watch can do? It is almost as if we think a GADA watch is going to be like something from out of James Bond’s arsenal: a highly unrealistic expectation. According to WatchChris, “a (realistic) go anywhere do anything watch is something that you could wear to the office, out to dinner but also get wet”. I also want to address the idea of GADA as a justification for buying a watch. This was floated when discussing the ins and outs of a ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ watch. If you believe that calling a watch ‘GADA’ helps justify a high-price tag, then I think you have misinterpreted the concept. Realistically if you’re spending big on a watch, you’re getting precious metals or complications, neither of which are suited to going anywhere and doing anything. The use of this argument is only really applicable until you reach the $15,000-$20,000 price range according to Drew.
There is another trend that goes hand in hand with the idea of a GADA watch: the one watch collection. This is treated a bit like the holy grail of watch collecting by some people in the space, who argue that it represents mature taste and completion. I personally do not subscribe to this school of thought: I am very much attached to my watch box and its contents. However, it does pose the question, especially for people who like to have several watches in the rotations: is a GADA watch a compromise? Our experts Drew and Chris have rather polarised opinions. ‘The answer to this has to be a yes as you’re now asking for higher levels of durability and the ability to time keep through potentially more strenuous activity which takes any real complications out of this category for the most part’ says Drew. In short, by subscribing to the GADA concept you are limiting yourself in terms of the watches you might buy. Chris, other the hand, firmly believes that GADA equates to versatility. If you are a first-time buyer or non-collector, then GADA is the way to go. And I think this hits the nail on the head with regard to the whole problem here: GADA is not really a concept for collectors, and Chris put it to me rather succinctly by stating ‘I want one watch that does it all. But I also want 10 other watches that do it all separately’. If you have the passion and love for watches, why would you limit yourself to just one when you can enjoy several and wear them all for different occasions. If you are now thinking that just owning a GADA watch is akin to shunning all emotion when it comes to watches, you should think again. Reduced options and choices don’t ‘mean emotion is diluted’ (Drew Coblitz). Whether you wear one watch that can do it all or a hundred watches that do it all separately, they will all be associated with memories, stories, and achievements regardless.
The time has come to deliver the verdict. Do GADA watches really exist? What do they look like? The short answer is yes, they most definitely exist. However, the criteria for a GADA watch will be vastly different depending on who you’re asking: if a collector is very much a land-dweller and refuse to go anywhere near water, then I doubt that dive watch would be a GADA for them. Obviously, if that sounds a bit like you, do not take that to mean dive watches are not for you: after all, wear what you like is the policy here at Wrist Enthusiast. Whilst the individual applications of GADA are case specific, there are some elements that have come out of the woodwork. And WatchChris summed them up pretty nicely for us:
100m of Water Resistance minimum.
Thin and not oversized (probably somewhere in the 10-12mm range).
Legible.
It has to have easily changeable straps and micro-adjust if it has a metal bracelet.
Elegant and rugged.
Now that you’ve heard about the theory, what would Drew, Chris, and myself pick as a GADA watch. Chris rather surprised me by opting for his Vacheron-Constantin Overseas, but after all it does fit his GADA requirements to a tee. A steel Rolex Daytona is Drew Cobtliz’s tipple of choice: a total classic and Rolex are the kings of making versatile watches. Rather ironically, a judge in Italy recently ruled that it was completely unreasonable to wear such an expensive watch on a construction site (an Italian site manager lost his Daytona to a faulty machine and tried to sue the company for damages): in short, I would avoid the Daytona as a GADA if you work in construction. I am sure that you are all dying to hear about some more accessible GADA watches that you can get your hands on today. Chris has sung the praises of the Christopher Ward ‘the Twelve’ , positioning it as the ideal mix of aesthetics and performance for an entry-level collector looking for something that can navigate the trials and tribulations of their everyday.
If you are going to remember one thing about ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ watches, you should remember this: it is all about having a watch that does everything you need it to. You cannot go wrong with that in mind.
If you want to check out the cool stuff that Drew Coblitz and WatchChris get up to, make sure to follow their socials.
