Looking to make some high-end watch purchases? Then you’re in luck. Because as more and more watch manufacturers crowd the industry, it seems that watches with astronomical prices are becoming less aspirational and more affordable. In this article, we’ve collated some of the best high-end watches you can add to your collection:
Gaga Milano
Gaga Milano is a fairly new brand, and while in the first few years of its existence, it’s been under the radar, the brand’s unique timepieces have captured its slice of the market. You have an extensive option for a new watch from this brand, but the Gaga Milano Slim is a great choice, as any. It has all the features of a vintage stopwatch put into a wristwatch. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s Italian-made as well!
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire
Want a truly high-end watch? Then the safest brand you can get your watch from is the International Watch Company. The IWC is a stalwart for Swiss watchmaking, with a focus on quality materials and elegant presentation. The Portofino is easily a shoo-in for adding to your collection, but the Ingenieur seriously is a watch that needs its own case!
Another watch in the IWC line doesn’t get the popularity it deserves, and that’s the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire. Under the hood, you get an automatic, self-winding IWC-manufactured movement, with 60-meter water resistance. The crystal is, of course, sapphire glass, and it has an anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Tissot Seastar
Diver’s watches in the market are a dime in a dozen. You can get a good diver’s watch for hundreds of dollars nowadays, but when you want the ones that can seriously take deep dives, you want something like the Tissot Seastar. Tissot is one of the most popular Swiss watchmakers in the world, and it’s also one of the most approachable in terms of retail and availability.
You can go to your nearest mall right now and find a Tissot outlet. The Seastar is a great watch that marries the basics of a diver’s watch and good looks. It’s quite heavy when compared to its contemporaries, but that’s because of the heft from its ceramic bezel. You can get it as a chronograph, or you can opt for the Powermatic version.
Oris Diver 65
Another excellent diver watch that’s decidedly high-end but does not have the price tag of exorbitant, the Oris Diver has an automatic winding chronograph movement, paired with a black dial and a vintage-inspired leather strap. At 43mm, it’s a big watch, but it surprisingly sits well with most average-sized wrists. It also is versatile enough for pairing with most outfits. It’s no Seamaster or Sea-Dweller, though.
Patek Phillippe Grand Complications
When you get a Patek, your watch collection is automatically more refined. It’s the brand of choice for top players and movers in the industry, and it doesn’t hurt that the brand made the first wristwatch in history. The Grand Complications line is not only timeless; you also get a watch that can withstand the test of time. Any Patek is instantly a classic; that’s why getting one is a must.
Panerai Submersible
A Panerai will take your watch collection to curious heights. The brand certainly has its own charm, but its muddy history has been a contention point for years now. That’s not to say that its watches are subpar. Quite the opposite, actually, because Panerai’s Submersible is the perfect example of old craftsmanship combined with new watch technologies.
The Submersible is a diver’s watch as well, with an ISO certification of 300m. The movement inside is in-house, with a power reserve of 3 days. That’s 72 hours, which is an impressive feat on its own. It’s available in bronze and titanium colors, with both extra looking shiny in its latest iterations.
Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope
Junghans, a German watchmaker, has consistently churned out quality timepieces over the years. Among its many quality watches, the Max Bill Chronoscope is a must-buy. It has a mechanical, manual-winding movement, an in-house caliber, with a Bauhaus styling that takes minimalism into new heights.
The chronograph complication takes the watch to the next level, plus the domed sapphire crystal glass in 40mm stark white dial complements the thin hands with even thinner lume. The movement is based on the famed Valjoux 7750, so you won’t have to worry about this watch’s longevity. If you only have to get one chronograph watch in your life, the Junghans Max Bill is it.
Takeaway
Keeping your collection in tiptop shape can be tough, especially if you’ve been an avid collector. Most new watches won’t probably excite you anymore, and only a few will get your attention. But bear in mind that watch collecting isn’t about brands; it’s about the timepieces, and time and again, no-name brands have proven that they can manufacture capable watches!