How I envy those watch collectors who delight in every scratch and dent added to their watch, viewing the marks as treasured snapshots in the ongoing album of their life. Try as I might, I can’t avoid obsessing over every hairline scratch or little ding I might have added in the latest wear of my nice new watch, thankfully not the case with my Hamilton Navy Pioneer. Thus, I’ve been lucky to find ways to minimize my perfectionism.

One way is through buying used. For some reason, I worry much less about wearing other people’s snapshots, or adding my own to an existing album. The other way, which I find myself turning to more and more, is choosing designs that minimize the impact of imperfections.

I managed to combine both of these strategies when I found my Hamilton Navy Pioneer. It obviously had been well-used by its previous owner. Even better, I’ve now found that the design minimizes the chances that my own clumsiness will add to the visible use.

Of course, what drew me to the watch initially was its deck watch styling, inspired by the marine chronometer that Hamilton used to manufacture. I love the ocean and sailing, so the deck watch is a natural fit for my collection. While the small seconds variant of the Navy Pioneer is a bit truer to the classic marine chronometer design, I found I personally preferred the scale of the numerals and other dial components in the larger, center seconds design. Although the Navy Pioneer is the largest in my collection at 43 mm, I find it wears smaller, probably due to the lug and case design. The size and style do make this watch more of a cool-weather wear for me.

The wire-style lugs are not only attractive, but they also make this the easiest watch in my collection for strap changes. It’s simple to remove or install the springbars, and the minimal surface area means I’m unlikely to scratch the lugs while changing straps.

Another attractive design element that also serves to minimize scratches and dings is the clous de paris that covers the top half of the case side. Thanks to the wire lugs and this hobnail pattern, the main danger area for scratches or marks is the polished bezel, which is a pretty thin area that is easily refreshed with a Cape Cod cloth.

Although I love the scratch-prevention attributes of this watch, I don’t want to undersell the attractiveness of the overall design. When the sunlight hits it just right, the blued hands gleam and the three-dimensionality of the black printing on the dial and rehaut comes alive. A watch face that at first glance appeared flat and monochrome now reveals its unexpected complexity, color, and quality.

Even as I continue to add and subtract other pieces from my collection, I expect the Hamilton Navy Pioneer to continue as a mainstay in my watch box, thanks to a design that both takes away my breath and protects against my misadventures. It’s a perfect combination for me.