Half of the duo behind renowned London and New York tailor Thom Sweeney, Mr Thom Whiddett became interested in watches as part of a man’s outfit as soon as he began training as a cutter.

“I’m not interested in watches from the obsessive watch-nerd perspective because I don’t have enough knowledge to get into it in that way,” he says. “It’s about how it fits in with your lifestyle and the pure aesthetic of a watch. We dress our customers from head to toe and I’m always thinking, ‘Which watch would you wear with that outfit?’ or, ‘How would this work with that look?’

“When I was a trainee cutter, I’d see really elegant guys getting a bespoke suit and started picking up on the thought they’d put into their watch as well. I wasn’t handed down this or that watch – that wasn’t really the way I grew up – so that was how that world opened up to me. Now, I would look to hand down my watches, definitely. I think that’s part of that emotional attachment when you buy them. I always give myself a reason or a milestone to buy a watch, or a certain memory.

“Saying that, my first proper watch purchase was a bit more fortuitous. I was 22, maybe 23, on a stag do in Amsterdam, so I don’t know why I ended up buying a watch. It was our second day, just wandering around and I passed a vintage watch store and they had an old Omega Seamaster in the window. It was just one of those impulsive, care-free purchases. It had a small case, very slim, and I just thought, ‘I love that, I’m going to get it.’ I was fortunate enough to have some great suits because I was learning to cut, so it felt like the missing piece.

“You start out with one watch, and then it’s not like you get bored of it, but again, I was lucky enough to get different suits made, more jackets, really build my wardrobe, so I wanted a few more watches to go with it. Then it comes back to the people you meet and that gets your imagination going a bit. It’s almost part of the training, learning about the customers’ lifestyles – where they go on holiday, the restaurants, the watches, you start soaking it all up. There was a guy in New York, he was obsessed with Steve McQueen and the TAG Heuer Monaco and I thought hard about getting one of those for a while.

“I’m more understated, similar to our aesthetic. I was never really into the whole Big Ben on your wrist thing. I generally buy vintage, so this was a nice exercise, to see what’s new and what I’m drawn to.”

“My first pick is one I’m actually thinking about buying, so this is quite genuine in that sense. I think it is great bang for your buck, really good value for money. My brother-in-law got one a few years back and I’ve always seen them out, but haven’t actually had that rectangular shape watch myself. I think it’s really elegant, a little bit more distinguished. It’s a bit like having a double-breasted suit. It’s not the obvious go-to shape, but it just shows you’ve put a little bit more thought into it. It’s a bit more considered. It may not be for everyone, but on the right person, it looks great. If it were a gift, or if I were buying it for someone else, maybe I’d get the reverse side engraved, but if I were just buying it for myself I’d probably keep it as it is.”

“Watch number two follows a similar brief. It’s very slim, which I like the idea of. I’ve always been attracted to thin watches. I’m sure it is a statement piece to a watch connoisseur, but just to walk around the streets, it’s not shouting and screaming anything. It’s very understated in that sense. I was drawn to the beautiful design, the elegance and the simplicity of it. I think that it could be quite versatile. You’re not restricted to only wearing formal attire with it. I think it’d be good with separates, or something chunky in winter and it’s one that you don’t have to be young or old to wear, either. Some watches feel immediately like a young man’s watch or an old man’s watch. This would be one I’d treasure for ever, but at the same time I would wear it a lot, a sort of extravagant workhorse. Sometimes people can build up such a collection that they’re just sitting dormant. I don’t have hundreds. I have a few that I wear regularly and this would be the same, not something I take out once a year.”

“This is my action watch, if you like. It’s much more modern in design, looks very 1970s. A bit sexier, perhaps. You could be a bit tanned on the beach and it’d look nice. You could be a little less precious about something like this. It looks quite durable, quite rugged, and yet it’s not too oversized, not too flashy. The other two I wouldn’t wear in that way, but this would fit the lifestyle, if I ever go back on holiday again. And it’s a reasonable price for what it is. You want to enjoy wearing it. I couldn’t think of anything worse than just sort of having a panic attack the moment anything happens to it or you bang into something. I’ve got three kids, aged seven, five and two, so I would need to bear that in mind. If you leave a watch lying around, something bad could happen to it. There’s an old tailoring term – very old school, this – where you wet your suit. When you had a new suit made, you’d go out and have a few drinks and then you’ve broken it in. It’s a similar mentality. Get that over and done with, then you can enjoy it.”