Nacho’s 2024 New Year’s Watch Resolutions — Enjoying What’s Already There

It’s still the early days of 2024, and I admit I find myself somewhat unprepared. Though I’ve had approximately 275 hours in the new year to think before this article goes live, I can’t say I feel overly inspired going into it. That said, some of my resolutions will seek to address this directly. Looking at the rest of the year ahead of me feels like standing in front of a field of freshly fallen snow. The excitement of leaving those first few measured footprints is as enticing as it is unnerving. Sooner or later, though, I must take that first satisfying step and feel the powder compress into an inalterable icy footprint. Maybe that’s a bit overdramatic, but the feeling is there. I tend to look at New Year’s resolutions more as loose, well-meaning goals and guidelines to aim at over the following 12 months.

Looking back at my 2023 resolutions, I’m pleased to have achieved many of them. I certainly found many active ways to wind my watches — running, surfing, hiking in the Dolomites, and even clocking a handful of dives in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico. My consolidation effort was also relatively fruitful, with a handful of watches leaving my collection. My 30th-birthday watch, the Omega Seamaster 300M 2254.50.00, quickly became a faithful companion. In terms of personal fitness, I also made good progress, losing some of those post-lockdown pounds (around 42 of them) and achieving consistency in my running (60+ kilometers monthly except for September). However, the ones that truly stand out are the ones I didn’t quite achieve. To keep the accountability going a second year, I’ve cautiously assembled a handful of resolutions (horological and otherwise) for 2024.

A year for creativity, learning and self-improvement

In addition to the goals I was happy to achieve last year, there were some unexpected bonuses. The first was the success of the Fratello Talks podcast. Becoming its host was not something I’d planned, but it’s something I’m very proud of, especially given its popularity and success, for which all credit goes to you, the Fratelli. I look forward to seeing the show grow and evolve this year, and helping it along in this process is most certainly a resolution.

My next goal revolves around creativity. I have been taking photos of my watches and posting them on my Instagram page since long before I joined Fratello. Coming up to my fourth year of doing so, I want to add a bit of thoughtfulness and purpose to something that has become rather routine. As easy as it is to find a creative comfort zone, sitting in one for too long harms creativity. I’ll be endeavoring to keep things fresh in 2024. Whether improving at a photography-theory level (composition, light, and editing) or tackling larger creative projects, I’ll aim to find excitement in it over the coming months.

Finally, my last goal in the not directly watch-related segment is to take more time to read this year. Spending most days in front of a screen creating output (writing articles, content ideas, and emails), it’s easy for me to lose sight of getting the necessary input to balance things out. That’s why one big goal for 2024 is to reduce screen time and increase time spent with books (watch-related ones or otherwise), reading, learning, and improving professionally and personally.

A year of enjoying the watches I already own

Now we finally arrive at my New Year’s watch resolutions. I hate to disappoint, but there aren’t any significant ones to report this year. Having added three major pieces to my watch box last year, I am satisfied with its current state. It feels like I need (at least) a year to truly enjoy and consider my collection. No significant change is required, just a bit of introspection, especially since two of last year’s purchases (the Panerai Luminor PAM00055 and Breitling Avenger E13360) were somewhat unexpected. I just want to wear the watches that I’m excited to put on my wrist day after day. And if, in that time, I identify a need for change or consolidation, it will likely arrive in 2025.

That said, I’m still an active watch journalist and enthusiast, so it’s impossible to promise that I won’t buy any watches this year. It will be almost impossible to pass up the opportunity to be one of the first lucky people to own a VPC Type 37HW, especially after following along since my colleague Thomas van Straaten’s inception of the brand and its debut model. Don’t be surprised if this is the only watch I buy in 2024.

It would also be wrong not to mention the Arken Alterum. I pre-ordered it in the summer of last year, and it’s set to arrive sometime in the first half of 2024. There is no resolution here; I’m just excited to wear and enjoy it throughout this year. It’s also going to be my first mechanical dual-time-zone watch, so it will likely become a go-to for all far-flung adventures. You can expect a comprehensive owner’s review of it once I’ve had it for a little while. In the meantime, check out the Arken website to find out more.

Final thoughts

That’s all from me, folks! This year’s goals are realistic and achievable with the right mindset and dedication. One of the main points will be to wear all the watches I own. As my collection has grown, I find that there are more and more watches I don’t wear anymore. And this is not for a lack of liking them. Getting into a routine of wearing just one watch is tempting, but mixing it up is more fun. Worst case, if the end of 2024 comes and I have any watches that I haven’t managed to wear all year, I’ll know that it’s time to move them on to someone who will. And last but not least, my mission to get out there and get up to all sorts of adventures is still going strong.

Stay tuned and follow along to see how well the other editors and I manage to stick to our resolutions. And in the meantime, let me know your resolutions in the comments section below. I look forward to reading them!