So you want to buy a watch? Whether it is for yourself or as a gift to a person else, the following guide will help you this holiday season with a number of good choices, brands, and suggestions for various types of people. This guide is designed to lead you in the right direction when creating a purchase decision. For each from the listed brands you’ll find only a single model as an example. That isn’t to state that the pictured models would be the only good buying options for the reason that brand. Plus, if you find that a pictured timepiece has run out of your budget, there is a good change you’ll find lower costs watches that share the design and style. I try to list the best examples of the selections below.
Don’t call at your favorite brand below or think you've got a better choice? No need to fret, just add it below like a comment to this article.
You’ll also look for a number of links below. Due to the crowded nature of this article, such links will point you to other articles or websites where you can get more information about the choices in this gift guide. With this list you are bound to make a number of people feel special this holiday season. Don’t forget to get yourself something nice as well.
1. For The Happy Wallet (Under $1,000)
– Seiko Sportura Small Second Hand: Well-priced in Seiko’s popular auto racing themed watch collection. 43mm wide in steel with and easy to read with a look which will last. Japanese quartz movement. Ref. SRK025P1 and SRK023P1. Find out more here. Priced at $495.
– Magrette Moana Pacific Diver: Affordable indy brand diver from Nz based Magrette. 44mm wide retro attractive 500 meter dive watch. Find out more here. $485.
– Christopher Ward C9 Harrison GMT: Retro styled GMT watch with Swiss movement and conservative demeanor. 43mm wide in a variety of styles. Read more here. Shown at $630.
– Jorg Gray JG9800-23: From the brand of watch on President Obama’s wrist comes this new sport model. Swiss quartz movement, 45mm wide steel case. Is available in various styles. Read more here. $795.
– LUM-TEC Automatic M39: Extremely popular brand with American made with Swiss mechanical movement. 44mm wide steel case, visual appearance, and proprietary luminant. Read more here. $795.
2. For The Sensible Dad
– A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Chronograph: Beautiful luxury German chronograph with in-house made movement and timeless classic looks. Watch making at its finest. Read more here. $43,000.
– Limes Pharo Vollkalender Chronograph: Classy German watch with a machine engraved dial and Valjoux 7751 automatic chronograph and annual calendar with moon phase movement. Sensible in a 40.5mm wide steel case case. Silver tone or black dial. Read More here. $2,850.
– Swiss Army Airboss Mach 6 Chrono: High-end Swiss Army watch having a mechanical chronograph movement. Very look looking with an adventure style – good for the suit of the outdoors. Read more here. $1,795
– Carl F. Bucherer Patravi EvoTec DayDate: Utilizing a unique in-house made CFA A1000 automatic movement, this is a well-made and appealing alternative to classical watches that still has a sensible look to it. Read more here. $15,500
– Frederique Constant Clear Vision Automatic: Swiss made watch with automatic movement in a 43mm wide steel case. Uses tritium gas tubes for simple darkness viewing. Read more here. $1,350.
3. For that Action Hero
– Sinn 900 Pilot S: Ultra durable German mechanical watch with chronograph and GMT complications. 44mm wide black coated tegimented steel case. Read more here. About $3,800.
– Anonimo D-Date II: Action combined with some luxury. Italian Anonimo updates the D-Date having a sophisticated finish on the 43mm wide case and a gold bezel with more gold within the crown. Swiss day-date movement and a great alternative to Panerai. Read more here. About $6,800.
– Blancpain 500 Fathoms GMT: Special edition of 500 pieces uber-diver from luxury Swiss watch brand. Torpedo styles hands in 48mm titanium case with in-house automatic GMT movement. Find out more here. $26,900.
– Bremont Supermarine Descent: This special edition version of the Supermarine 500 from English watch maker Bremont is coated in diamond like carbon (DLC), featuring a number of “super watch” durability qualities. An excellent looking watch for all activities. Find out more here. $5,450.
– Snyper One: Designed in the theme of the sniper rifle, this boutique Swiss brand makes luxury style watches which make you feel like a hero. 44mm wide steel with PVD coated case in a few styles and awesome looking dial. Don’t miss the not compulsory “attachments.” Read More here. Starting at 7,390 Swiss Francs on their website.
4. For The Gadget Guy
– Tissot T-Touch Expert Pilot: Swiss watch with touchscreen activated multi-function, multi-sensor quartz movement. 44.4mm wide titanium case on leather or steel strap. Find out more here. Seen here at $1,025.
– Louis Moinet Jules Verne Instrument: Arriving two versions, this high-end sci-fi steampunk watch includes a creative design, and impressive craftsmanship in a large 46.5mm wide titanium and rose gold case. Find out more here. Part of a limited edition and costing about $18,900.
– Casio Pathfinder PAW-2000: An ultimate gadget watch. A lot of features and several sensors, light powered quartz movement with atomic clock synchronization along with a duplex LCD. Read more here. Costing $380.
– Luminox Evo Navy SEAL Colormark: Ultra light in a particularly tough polyurethane case that's about 44mm wide with a rotating diver’s bezel and obtainable in several different dial colors. Swiss quartz movement. Tactical design and gratifaction with always glowing tritium gas tubes on the dial for easy night viewing. Read more here. Priced at $295.
– Devon Tread 1: A watch with parts made by aviation suppliers. A complex ballet of motors and treads displays time in a digital format on the skeletonized dial. The prize of the gadget guy’s collection. Read more here. Priced at $15,000.
5. For that Non-Conformist
-Artya Quadri-Rotor: From a collection of totally unique watches where just one of each type is made. Artya combines watch making with art, which collection imbues a design with a intentionally defaced case and dial that uses electronic components in the design. Swiss mechanical movement inside. Read more here. About 6,900 Swiss Francs.
– RSW Outland 3H: Plenty of versions and colors with RSW’s cool looking Outland case and a contemporary analog dial within the spirit of timepieces within the digital age. Different, fun, and simply to live with. Read more here. In steel from 1,695 – 1,945 Swiss Francs.
– Nubeo Acrtic Chrono: In mostly black or white Nubeo’s organic modern design is fully realized within this rare chronograph watch that is just as much art as it is a tool. Not for everyone, but fans love the appearance. Read more here. Model ref. Nub0514 priced at $12,700.
– Temption Cameo: Simple rectangular case with heaps of subtle design cues creates an infinitely unique and wearable automatic watch from the boutique German brand. Find out more here. About $2,000.
– Xemex Concept One Chronograph: Designer avant garde Swiss chronograph watch with a combo of minimalism and sport. Yellow or black dial. 3-hand version available too. Read more here. Priced at $995.
6. For The Customizer
– Maurice de Mauriac Chronograph Modern: This Zurich based brand will assemble almost anything you like. The attractive and classic looking Chronograph Modern pilot style watch has three case sizes, and many options for dials, hands, straps, and even things like the crystal and aspects of the movement. Fully custom creations are not out of the questions as well. Find out more here. Priced from about $3,000 – $4,000.
– SARO-Gem BuonGusto 43 Jubile: With unique designs that are still traditional in demeanor, SARO-Gem offers fully customizable watches with not only tons of options, however with base parts that aren’t ordinary looking. The focus on use of diamonds as well as special sapphire crystal coated metal bracelets. Find out more here. Priced starting at about $5,000 – $6,000.
– RGM Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar: Made in America and highly traditional in in style, this represents one of the much higher-end hand-made pieces from Pennsylvania based RGM. Here in gold with a complex perpetual calendar. Watches like this are highly customizable and make to order. Read more here. Price at approximately $145,000.
[Update: July 8, 2021 – While we value the caliber of their product, in light of recent events, aBlogtoWatch will no longer cover RGM products and cannot endorse RGM as a company. – Ed. ] What’s This?
– Pita Oceana: Fantastic customizable and highly unique timepiece from the boutique watch brand in Barcelona, Spain. Comes in many versions with a ton of options – water resistant to an incredible 5000 meters. Read more here. Prices start around $4,400.
– MKII Stingray: This highly respected US based make of military homage watches specializes in custom builds – but pre-made pieces are also available. Quality is very good for the price – a top pick among enthusiasts. Find out more here. Seen at $599.
7. For that Sporty Gal
– Chopard Happy Sport XL Blue Limited Edition: This really cool rendition of the Happy Sport shows why the collection is still highly relevant. Coming in a few wild versions (red, green, and blue), this huge for ladies watch is 42mm wide in steel and sporty (with a Swiss quartz movement). Meaty, colorful hands, artful dials, and the signature “floating diamonds” in the dial. Find out more here. Priced at 5,590 euros.
– Hublot Big Bang Tutti Frutti Green: Also referred to as the “Big Apple,” this 41mm wide large women’s watch is in 18k rose gold with a fresh ring of tsavorite stones around the bezel and a great green demeanor. Swiss automatic chronograph movement and also the classic Big Bang look. Find out more here. Priced at $32,300.
– Perrelet Diamond Flower Ceramic: In an all white or black 40mm wide ceramic case, diamonds Flower is pretty and fun. The lotus flower on the dial spins in concert with automatic rotor within the mechanical movement. Mother-of-pearl dial as well as other levels of diamond decoration. Read more here. Priced between 4,650 – 8,400 euros.
– Chanel J12 38MM Black Ceramic Rose Gold: It's almost ubiquitous at this point, but there is a reason the J12 collection is so popular. Seen here in black ceramic with 18k rose gold inside a 38mm wide case with a Swiss quartz movement. Elegant two-hand dial with diamond hour markers. Costing $8,750.
– Tutima Grand Classic Ladies Line: Vintage aviator spirit having a welcome modern optimistic feel to it. In a few styles, this is the 36.4mm wide ladies pilot watch from German-based Tutima. Here with a mother of pearl dial, but also available in black or brown. Attractive, functional, along with a decent value. Read more here. $1,300 – $1,400.
8. For The Classy Gal
There are, for example, the propeller-type strategies about the hour and minute hands, the framework with the screw around the subsidiary seconds dial, the more graphics interior of the subsidiary second dial, along with a number of the other dial pictures. I am not really a massive fan of this hour and minute hand tips, but they do make their point clearly enough. Again, the “airplane theme” of this Raymond Weil Freelancer Piper dial is subtle, that is something more conservative aviation fans will appreciate.Apart from that, really little, if anything, in the opinion says “aviation.” Some men and women desire more pilot topics within the opinion, and others will like the clearly sporty looks with just a touch of “pilot genre” thrown in. In many ways, it is a “light pilot watch” which is surely aviation-inspired. Raymond Weil possibly has some future strategies with Piper Aircraft to do more – which might offer a little more personality into the timepiece.One area which I believe Raymond Weil should enhance would be your completing around the dial – the most important would be the blue hands for the chronograph. Not only are these slightly glossy, but they’re often extremely hard to read on the dial. There is literally no reason anything about a dial must have gloss on it save for possibly the edges of the hour mark. The Arabic numeral hour markers and properly sized hands are a definite plus, however the finishing on the hands could make them dramatically better. Additionally, it has been stated by a few people the dial (despite the fact that it’s some raised elements) could appear “less flat.”
– Cartier Captivate: Elegantly simple, this 18k white gold or platinum formal watch comes in a few sizes and styles, and acts like a palette for the presentation of lovely diamonds. The dial for the time is small with blued steel hands, and the watch design resembles the feel of a chain link. Read more here. Priced starting at $22,100.
– Raymond Weil Tango Bicolor: Conservative and engaging with a price that isn’t using this world for most people – a statement that really sums up most Raymond Weil women’s watches. This Tango model has a two-tone 39mm case in steel and gold played steel. Stately dial and possesses a Swiss quartz movements and are available in various styles. Read more here. Priced at $895.
– Corum Romvlvs Lady: A rare women’s model in the Romulus line in 18k white gold and 31mm wide. Lovely deep blue mother of pearl dial with diamond hour markers and much more diamonds on the bezel. Inside is a Swiss automatic movement. Read more here. Priced at $13,800.
– Piaget Possession: Delicate, timeless, feminine, and luxurious. This pretty much describes most Piaget women’s pieces which come from the brand known as much for beautiful jewelry because they are for high-end watches. Allow the visual appearance of this watch to grown you. In an 18k white gold case dial a clear looking dial and a bezel lined with large diamonds – matched to a satin strap. Read more here. Ref. G0A35087 costing $10,600.
– Montblanc Sport Lady Mini Diamonds: A feminine interpretation of the standard Sport collection in a more petite 34.5mm wide steel case and bracelet. Diamonds line the bezel and dial as hour markers. Various styles and colors are available. Swiss quartz movement. Read more here. Priced at $3,705.
9. For The Deserving Son
– Tag Heuer Formula 1 Grande Date: Newly update, this classic collection from back in the 80s has matured instead of aged. Now 44mm wide having a great sporty style. This Grande Date version has a subsecond dial and big date indicator as part of the Swiss quartz movement. Read more here. About $850.
– Breitling Superocean II: One of the most modern looking Breitling watches around, this updated Superocean comes in a variety of colors in a very durable 42mm wide case. Youthful, the brand new Superocean is great for men entering adulthood or those who refuse to let their youth run adrift. Read more here. Priced between $2,695 – $3,085.
– IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000: You have here an attractive classic diver for that modern man. Difficult to find an easy to read white dialed timepiece, however this is one of them. In steel, the situation is 44mm wide with 2000 meters water resistance – a watch that can grown with you. Read more here. Priced at $5,400.
– Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster: Additionally, it comes in a “brighter” X-Lume variant. This “little space explorer” is a great watch from an American brand that utilizes Swiss movements. 41.5mm wide steel care with great styling and employ of glowing tritium gas tubes. Read more here. Priced at 2,699.
– Fortis Space Leader Limited Edition: Developed by Volkswagen Design and made by Fortis, this watch was launched as a limited edition of 2012 pieces of the Swiss sci-fi movie “Cargo.” Spacey goodloks with Fortis quality. Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement in a steel and rubber 43mm wide case. Read more here. Priced at $4,975.
10. For Those Who Live In The Past
– Breguet Type XX Aeronavale Limited Edition: Made in honor from the 50th anniversary of Breuget’s supply of Type XX to the French Naval Airforce and limited to 1,000 pieces. In steel and 39mm wide with a beautiful looking style straight out of the first half of the 20th century. Find out more here. Priced at $9,200.
– Ernst Benz Chronosport 47mm: Coming in a few sizes, the Chronosport may be the non chronograph version of the Chronoscope retro dialed timepiece. Readable, and reminiscent of vintage watch dials, Ernst Benz has a lot going for it with each piece coming in a number of styles. Swiss automatic movement. Read more here. Priced at $2,800.
– Eterna Heritage Super KonTiki 1973 Limited Edition: A remake of the watch from the 1970s, this kick-ass Swiss diver reminds us of the another time and place. 44mm wide in steel with a mesh metal bracelet and fantastic retro professional look. Find out more here. Limited to 1,973 watches and costing $3,300.
– Oris Big Crown Chronograph: Part of the traditional sport watch styled “Big Crown” collection, the Chronograph is simple and straight forward coming in several desirable styles. Functionally minded, this action themed retro timepiece lacks the stuffiness of other vintage pieces. In a 42-43mm steel case. Read more here. Priced between about $1,800 – $2,600.
– Chronoswiss Timemaster GMT: A slightly more modern interpretation of the nicely maintained retro aviator looks from the Timemaster. Case is 44mm wide in DLC coated (or brushed) steel. Swiss automatic chronograph movement with a GMT complication added to it. Neat looking silvered (or black) dial with red accents. Read more here. Ref. CH 7537 G priced at $7,400.
Inside the Maestro Cushion is really a Swiss ETA 2824 automatic that Ramond Weil seems to call their quality RW 4200. You are able to watch the automated movement through the sapphire crystal case back on the rear of the watch.Odd or otherwise, the Raymond Weil 8600 Replica Maestro Cushion is definitely an appealing watch if you’re into this type of thing. It’s comfortable and timeless enough to combine in but provides a subtle improvement in the case contour the looks to alter everything. While the price is still great, Raymond Weil priced the Maestro Cushion roughly $200 more than similar round-cased watches. It seems just a little high, but then again crystals in this particular shape cost, and so do instances when it comes to production. The steel steel version is your ref. 2867-ST-00659 along with the gold-toned variant is the 2867-PC-00695. Price for that Raymond Weil Maestro Cushion watch will be $1,695 or $1,750 based upon the model, obtainable in November 2021. I’ve written about Raymond Weil’s favorite Nabucco collection at least two times before this hands-on experience. In fact the last time I coated the gathering was with another hands-on experience going over some of the pre-2011 models here. I liked wearing the watches though the layouts in certain ways felt a small bit derivative for the price. Many Raymond Weil watch designs really are a bit (or a lot) derivative, but that’s really OK. They’re a brand that doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel, but rather provide their own variant of it.The Nabucco is the hottest sport watch, but maybe not their only one. The specific title of the watch is significantly less than sophisticated however, you get the idea.
11. For The Guy Who Has It All (Price Of No Concern)
– F.P. Journe Sonnerie Souveraine: Probably the most expensive steel watch around and from a highly respected watch maker. 42mm with complex minute repeater and sonnerie movement that utilizes steel for the best quality audio around. Read more here. Priced at $625,000.
– Cabestan Winch Tourbillon Vertical Watch: Incredible craftsmanship with old-world watchmaking along with a totally avant garde design. Time told on spinning drums with tiny hand-made chain. Find out more here. Priced here at about 325,000 Swiss Francs.
– MB&F Horological Machine No. 4: Aka “Thunderbolt,” the HM4 is the fourth major watch from the avant garde boutique luxury brand that celebrates the industry of the machine. In titanium with highly sophisticated sapphire crystal elements, this watch is one thing you’ll love to love. Find out more here. $158,000.
– Christophe Claret Dual Tow: Time told on dual rubber belts within an incredible display case having a tourbillon and chronograph complication. Highly customizable and from the workshop of a top watch maker. Read more here. Priced between about $400,000 – $500,000.
– Richard Mille RM 028 Diver: Ultra expensive cool RM 028 Diver is straight forward diver in Richard Mille skin. 47mm wide inside a titanium case with a highly detailed skeletonized automatic movement. Read more here. Priced at $79,000.
12. For You
– Rolex Submariner Ref 116610 LN/V / 97200: You know you want one. Not a “green” guy? – opt for good old black for the dial. New in 2010 the all steel Rolex Submariner has a series of excellent upgrades that made previous models more appropriate to a drawer. Ceramic bezel, new case style, and it is secret weapon – the “Glidelock” bracelet deployment. Find out more here. About $7,800 in green.
– Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT SBGE001: It could be your only watch. Super high-tech, super cool Spring Drive movement with the time, date, power reserve indicator, and GMT hand, diver style case, sapphire bezel, amazing quality and high-value even at its price. An awesome underdog if you haven’t heard of Grand Seiko. Read more here. About $6,200.
– Porsche Design P’6310 Flat Six: Should be seen to be fully appreciated. Fantastic timeless look with the designer spirit that Porsche Design is renowned for. Here with metal bracelet, but a rubber strap can also be available. Different dial styles available too as well as a chronograph version in a 44mm wide steel case with automatic Swiss movement. Read more here. $2,600.
– Bell & Ross Vintage BR Heritage 123: A new classic. Great lines and a simple style that anyone can appreciate. 41mm wide steel case in black, with a Swiss automatic movement and vintage aviation instrument style dial. Read more here. $2,900.
– Zenith Class Elite Moonphase Grand Date Classic: Straight forward classic watch from the brand that found its groove again. Reasonably prices with an in-house automatic movement. 40mm wide steel case with big date, subsidiary seconds, moon phase indicator, and machine engraved dial. Read more here. $6,600.
