It’s a common “what if?” game to pass the time among committed watch geeks. What if… you had to buy all of your watches from the same brand for evermore. Could you do it? It’s this little thought experiment that underpins our “Work, Rest And Play” idea: take one watch brand, and equip yourself with a hypothetical three-watch wardrobe to cover you for all eventualities.

Obviously each brand has its strengths, and being strictly literal about it, you can always think of an eventuality that would require at least one more watch. (To be honest, isn’t that what watch collecting is all about?) But it’s the kind of diverting little exercise that will yield a different answer no matter who you ask.

Well, for this episode of About Time, the brand in question is Vacheron Constantin, and these are our choices. Our “work” watch – that which we’d wear for the nine to five, whether it’s business dress or something a little more 2020, is the Fiftysix Automatic. Then, come to our downtime, out comes the Overseas Automatic Chronograph. And when it’s time to pull out all the stops and show off, we opted for the Patrimony Hand-Wound – an understated, modest dress watch in the finest traditions of minimalist watchmaking.

Of course there are other directions we could have taken. Maybe a pink gold tourbillon, in true go-big-or-go-home spirit? Perhaps the time-only Overseas, or a retrograde day-date? But, then, that’s the fun of it. Take a look and let us know what you’d have picked instead.

While you’re at it, don’t miss the rest of our About Time videos, all available on our YouTube channel – we’ve run the rule over some of the most important watches from IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre, as well as a deeper dive on the design language of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas and a rare hands-on with the Harmony Chronograph. Plus, if that’s not enough, there’s our Split Seconds series profiling all the major launches from Watches & Wonders 2020.