It’s obviously hypothetical and I’m confident to say that none of us has any plans to sell our collections and follow through with this. But it was said that it’s a perennial watch party favorite, and can be pretty interesting. It’s also a useful challenge for distilling just what it is you like about these replica watches – it’s like mindfulness for fake watch fans. 
One of the watches is also my Grail watch, which is called the A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Striking Time. It’s robust enough for everyday wear yet significant to make a statement. I would choose the white gold with black dial version as my preference. I may be forced to have this as my ‘only watch’ regardless – as I’d have to sell or trade everything I own to get it!
Limiting myself to a single breitling replica watch for life would be a painful task, to say the least, but given the challenge I chose to work backwards based on my needs regarding complications. No matter where my future takes me, both a chronograph and a GMT complication are things I would be unable to live without. With that combination in mind, my options are limited, particularly considering my preference in chronographs is toward a two-register with hour and minute counters. JLC’s new Polaris World Timer Chronograph could be a contender, though much as I loved it on-wrist, it is not a watch I would marry. The Bremont ALT1-WT was also a contender, but its chunky 43mm case always felt a bit too large on my wrist for me to bond with it forever as well.
It was the moment I started thinking pre-owned and vintage that my decision became much clearer. I’ve always had a soft spot for vintage Tag Heuer watches, particularly the chunky Autavia models that stuck around through the later years. Having first stumbled across the reference 11630 GMT Autavia when I began daydreaming about adding a “birth year” breitling watch to my collection, this watch simply ticks ALL the boxes for me. It’s a bit chunky but not overpowering, and features my two favorite complications: a smartly placed date at six o’clock, and, of course, just the right amount of color with its Pepsi bezel and neon yellow GMT hand. Hovering around the $10-15k USD mark these days, it’s not unobtainable, nor that impossible to track down, plus it adds the “birth year” watch factor to something that’s already perfect in my books. Hopefully with a fresh service and new gaskets it would also be waterproof enough to survive the occasional swim too.
I have to go with a proven classic if I’m limiting myself to one watch, something that will look better now or in 40 years time. So I’ll pick the replica breitling model — the just-released white gold Nautilus with a slim perpetual calendar thrown in. At 40mm, it’s a suitable size for me; it’s sporty enough for the weekend, but easily dressy enough for work, weddings or whatever. Plus it’s a bit stealthy and has all the complications you could ever need. Besides, the Nautilus is just so amazing.