Looking for your next big watch purchase? Well, you’ve come to the right article. Watch collecting is a lonesome hobby as it is, but there are communities on the Internet that you can join to make the journey somewhat more exciting. If you’re a budding watch collector, chances are, you’re full-on researching on the best watches you can buy, given a specific budget.
Of course, Swiss-made watches are the pinnacle of luxury watchmaking. Most of these companies do price their timepieces on a steeper pricing range than their competition, but you also get the top-notch quality that’s unrivaled elsewhere. That’s not to say that other watchmakers all over the world don’t have the same quality, though!
Girard-Perregaux Competizione
Girard Perregaux has been in the game for decades, with some truly iconic timepieces made. The Vintage 1945 is easily one of the most good-looking rectangular watches ever manufactured, and while it’s not made anymore, you can still get it through online watch repositories if you search hard enough. Among its latest collection, though, the Girard Perregaux Competizione is a cut above the rest.
The Competizione is a chronograph watch, which is one of the few complications that is a favorite among the initiated crowd. This watch’s design aesthetic harkens back to the end of the 1960s where the firsts of automatic chronograph watches were launched. At its price point, this is a watch that you need to think about before buying, as many value proposition timepieces directly cut its place in the market.
However, what you get is a chronograph watch that could potentially stop any collector’s search for the perfect chronograph. With a textured, honeycomb-structured dial that mimics a see-through setup on its movement, the Competizione is the quintessential sports watch that can transition well from the boardroom to a date night. The automatic chronograph movement is a wonder in itself, with a lug width that is somewhat long-ish than the standard but complements the 42mm case perfectly.
Grand Seiko Caliber 9S
Grand Seiko watches are some of the most artisanal timepieces on the planet. Every single Grand Seiko watch has been made by hand, and the movements, whether they’re the legendary Spring Drive or the hi-beat mechanical, are usually only worked on by one to two master clockmaker.
To say that a Grand Seiko watch is a wonder is underselling it. The Caliber 9S, in particular, is the movement to end all movements. Launched at least two decades ago, the 9S has been refined and restructured to be one, if not, the best hi-beat mechanical movement among its peers. In its 20th anniversary, Grand Seiko has released limited edition watches for its avid customers.
The gold version, 9S85, is truly a marvel. This is a stunning watch, both on the inside and outside. It carries a special standard for accuracy, which is a notch higher than the already accurate calibration of regular Grand Seiko watches. The white dial is in a sunburst pattern featuring the GS logo from the 1960s, resulting in a textured almost Snowflake level of gorgeousness that only hand-made watches possess.
IWC Aquatimer
Let’s face it: choosing the right divers watch is like comparing apple to oranges to grapes. The choices may not be endless, but a true connoisseur knows that there are at least twenty top divers watch contenders from different watchmakers all over the world. Our recommendation though? The Aquatimer from IWC.
Hear us out. We all know that Omega’s Seamaster line is probably the top choice for this or the Submariner from Rolex, but IWC’s presentation beats out these two collections by a smidgeon. And although the movements and certification from the two former choices are top-notch, the in-house caliber movement inside the Aquatimer is not a slouch by any means!
Takeaway
There you have it. These three gorgeous timepieces are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to luxury timepieces. Of course, you are free to check out their contemporaries as well, but you won’t find better value for money than these three mentioned!
