Watches are more than just tools to tell the time. They can be symbols of style, innovation, and sometimes, life-saving technology. The Breitling Emergency takes this idea to another level. Combining cutting-edge engineering with a bold design to create a timepiece that has genuinely made a difference in critical situations.

Breitling introduced this remarkable watch in 1995 as the first wrist-worn device with an emergency transmitter. Capable of broadcasting a distress signal to facilitate rescue missions. Designed with adventurers, aviators, and explorers in mind. The Emergency quickly became a favourite among those who venture into the world’s most remote and unforgiving environments. But this is no ordinary survival tool; it’s a Breitling through and through. Sleek, functional and ruggedly sophisticated, the Emergency seamlessly blends its high-tech capabilities with the brand’s renowned craftsmanship. Whether scaling peaks, flying over vast deserts, or simply making a statement, this watch carries the assurance that help is only a signal away.

Buckle up as we dive into how the Breitling Emergency pushed the limits of watchmaking while saving lives around the globe! It’s a watch that proves timekeeping can truly be a matter of life and death.

A Real Gamechanger

The saga begins with Ernest Schneider, who entered the Breitling spotlight in 1979. At that time, the brand was teetering on the edge of oblivion. Schneider steered the ship to safety through the quartz crisis by launching an iconic collection of watches that held their own against the tech tide. A Swiss Army signal corps officer during World War II and a passionate pilot, Schneider was no stranger to the importance of communication. During a NATO conference in the mid-1980s, he participated in discussions about emergency beacons and the growing number of false alarms wasting valuable resources. In these talks, the bright idea of a wristwatch with a personal locator beacon came to life. Following this, Breitling teamed up with Dassault Electronique to engineer cutting-edge beacon technology for their watches. A long decade of relentless innovation culminated in the stunning debut of the Breitling Emergency.

When it comes to party tricks, few can top the ability to summon a Sea King helicopter at your beck and call. Although, unless it’s a life-or-death situation, you’ll be liable to cover the full costs of the rescue. So don’t lend yours out unless you have deep pockets.

You Won’t Believe What This Can Do

The Breitling Emergency was launched in 1995 with a price tag of £2750. This watch was “the” essential accessory for pilots everywhere. It has a 42mm x 50mm titanium case and is equipped with a compass bezel. Combine that sheer practicality with the distress beacon feature, and you could say it puts even James Bond’s gadgets to shame

Resembling its predecessor, the “Aerospace“, the Emergency flaunted dual LCDs, a SuperQuartz movement and cleverly concealed antennas. Unscrew and fully extend these bad boys to activate the beacon, sending out a signal on the international distress frequency of 121.5 MHz. For the first five years, this technological wonder was exclusively for military types and licensed pilots. Eventually, after some persuasion from Breitling, it opened its doors to the public—just sign a waiver in case of any accidental calls for help. And if you genuinely needed the rescue, Breitling would even replace the watch for free!
This titanium marvel transmitted an amplitude-modulated signal every 2.25 seconds, along with the Morse code for the letter B (-…) every 60 seconds. It kept broadcasting for an impressive 24 – 48 hours, depending on battery life. And the range? It varied from about 50 km to a whopping 400 km, depending on the terrain.

If the truth is known, it was the Breitling Emergency that got me into watches in the first place. I have a vague memory of seeing the Cobra Yellow dial splashed across a page from GQ in the late 1990s. It was the coolest watch I’d ever laid my eyes on, it’s like the Swiss Army Knife of watches.

The End Of The Emergency 1

Fast forward to 2010, the Breitling Emergency I was eventually phased out. Having sold around 40,000 units and contributed to multiple lives saved, with Breitling not reporting a single false alarm! In 2009, the 121.5 MHz distress frequency was gradually retired, signalling that Breitling had to innovate again.

Enter Emergency II in 2013, a slick upgrade that was bigger, bolder, and better equipped. This time with dual-frequency distress beacons. This model featured both the classic 121.5 MHz and a new 406 MHz signal. Both are monitored by the international rescue program, Cospas-Sarsat. The size jumped from a modest 43mm to a mammoth 51mm, allowing for larger batteries and improved effectiveness. All while keeping it lightweight at only 144g, thanks to the anti-magnetic titanium case. The 21.6mm thickness might give your wrist a bit of a workout, but it still packs in all the features of its predecessor, including the convenient dual LCD.

Just Don’t Unscrew The Antenna

The only thing I have an issue with is its water resistance, as both models are only resistant to 50m. Which, of course, sounds deep enough, but not when you look at what that means in the real world, 50m = light swimming and it probably will be ok. Let’s hope you don’t fall into the sea then. This watch is more than just a personal distress beacon. The main hour and minute hands track the local time, while two separate digital screens provide access to various features. These include a stopwatch, a countdown function, a calendar, a secondary time zone and an alarm. Each is effortlessly managed via the crown located at the 3 o’clock position.

As for the price, let’s compare the two models: the Breitling Emergency I’s debut price was £2750.00, while the II came in at a jaw-dropping £15,350.00 for the top model. That’s quite a hike!

Lives Saved

Real-life rescues reign supreme in the Emergency’s legacy. From pilots ditching their planes over oceans to two British adventurers whose helicopter found its way down in the Southern Ocean, the Emergency has been there, helping people get home safely. After 9.5 hours, those adventurers were found in a life raft, all thanks to the watch on their wrists! At last count, over 20 lives have been saved by these incredible watches and the technology within.

As we inch closer to 2025, which marks the 30th anniversary of the Emergency, speculation is ripe. Will Breitling unveil an updated version? Only time will tell! And why hasn’t this life-saving tech caught on with other brands? Is it the cost of development or the niche market that Breitling has expertly cornered? After all, they’ve invested millions to fine-tune this technology, and we’re all better off for it! It’s also way cooler than a run-of-the-mill smartwatch, sorry Apple.

The Ultimate Tool Watch

This is the kind of watch you’d expect to spot sitting on a shelf in Q’s office. Waiting to be handed to a real-life James Bond or perhaps strapped to the wrist of an adventurer preparing to conquer K2. For me, though, it’s not about needing to summon a rescue team while shopping, it’s the feeling it gives you when you wear it. As a proud owner, I know its headline feature is technically redundant and I’ll probably never activate it. But there’s something undeniably reassuring about knowing that if things ever go sideways, this watch has my back, ready to save the day and leave me feeling like a hero.

So, keep your eyes peeled because whether you’re a seasoned pilot or an occasional adventurer, the Breitling Emergency is not just a marvel of engineering; it’s a genuine lifesaver and one I hope keeps evolving!

More details at Breitling.

Image credits: realwatchbrothers

Timor Modern Field 100M

Timor first came to my attention for their painfully perfect Dirty Dozen re-issue a few years back, so in my head they’re quintessentially vintage. Not so the Modern Field. It still has that field watch heritage, but in a high-contrast, blacked-out-with white-numerals look that’s a world away from classic. That said, it’s still offered in a vintage size at 36.5mm, so if you really want to amp up that SAS-worthy modern military vibe, you’ll need the Expedition overcase; a hardwearing black sheath you can screw over your Timor to up its rugged cred, complete with a range of coloured inserts. It’ll set you back another £150, but for an entirely new watch (or just another option), it might be worth it.

More details at Timor.

REC Lotus 98T/4

If you don’t know REC’s modus operandi by now, let me elaborate: take metal from an iconic car, aircraft, bike, whatever and repurpose it into a thematically appropriate timepiece. We’ve seen a few brands try it over the years, but none better than REC. That’s doubly true of the handsome new ode to Lotus, the 98T/4. The number comes from Lotus 98T chassis number 4, which donated the metal here, with good looks designed in collaboration with Classic Team Lotus in black and gold John Player Special livery. It’s a gorgeous chronograph with serious heritage for a decent (and currently discounted) price.

More details at REC.

Riley Watch Co. Howard Hughes Chronograph HH02

Any pilots’ watch worth its wings has a few different ‘marks’ under its belt and burgeoning aviation brand Riley is no different. The second generation of their colourfully handsome Howard Hughes Chronograph is slimmer and smaller – and therefore more wearable – than before, with all the same chronometric chronograph performance, applied indexes and inset subdials. It’s a subtle change, sure, but one that shows Riley is striving to improve their collection one run after the next. And who doesn’t love a colourful pilots’ watch?

More details at Riley Watch.

Fleux FLX003

It’s fitting that elsewhere in this issue we go over why some watches have triangle markers at 12 o’clock (in our Oracle Speaks section, if you’re struggling to find it), as Fleux has taken that idea and run with it. Inspired by the Omega Seamaster 300 Big Triangle, the Fleux FLX003 blows that 12 o’clock index up to gigantic proportions and teams it with a pair of broad arrow hands to create one of the most readable dive watches in the micro space. It still has all the elements of a vintage military diver, just with a lot more flair. We love it.

More details at Fleux Watches.

Studio Underd0g 01Series Gen 3

What do you do when your movement-maker decides to make life hard and impose brand-ruining restrictions? If you’re Studio Underd0g, you use the same manufacturer but make a better movement. In the wake of Seagull upping their minimum order to a hefty 10,000 movements, Studio Underd0g took the opportunity to create a bespoke new calibre with the Chinese manufacturer, a cool, blacked-out number with a 50-hour power reserve. Sure, it’s not sexy – until you look at it through the exhibition caseback. Plus, there are other quality-of-life changes in the new version, like a slimmer 12.9mm case, a larger crown and ‘Assembled in Great Britain’ lettering on the dial. It’s not as headline-grabbing as a passion fruit collab with Moser, but for the many, many (many) fans of the brand, these are all welcome changes, for just £50 more than the Gen 2.

More details at Studio Underd0g.

Heinrich Taucher Forged Carbon V2

We’ve seen a lot of intense lume over the past year or so, from more full lume dials than ever before to full lume cases. But quantity isn’t everything and the Taucher from Stuttgart-based Heinrich is showing a more inspired use of the glowing material. The bezel and dial of the 1970s-inspired design look like classic forged carbon, but here they’re infused with lume, meaning those random patterns glow in the dark. Paired with a wavy line of lume around the circumference of the bezel – and available in both blue and red – the Taucher proves that there’s more to glowing in the dark than sheer brightness.

More details at Heinrich.

Venezianico Arsenale Ultrablack

My colleague Michael all but called Venezianico’s Arsenale his favourite microbrand release of the year when the Venetian brand launched it earlier this year and it’s not hard to see why. It’s Parmigianiesque good looks and cool colours ooze Italian flair. Now though, they’re turning the lights out and incorporating one of my favourite microbrand releases (the Boldr Singularity) with a musou black dial. The paint absorbs 99.4% of light, so gazing into this particular abyss is an experience.

More details at Venezianico.

Micromilspec Monogram

While they initially cut their teeth in the custom watch world – specifically when it comes to military squadron watches – Micromilspec’s civilian, off-the-shelf debut, the Milgraph, didn’t have any customisation. Now though, the Monogram bridges the gap. Made from a similar chassis to the Milgraph, the new piece allows you to put your own stamp on the dial – literally. A family crest, a logo, letters, you can customise the dial how you want. Although I’d be careful not to take up too much of it; the diamond pattern, inspired by a Glock pistol grip, is worth leaving some space for.

More details at Micromilspec.

Detrash Gotham’s Vigilante

Batman is a name that we hear a lot in the watch world, though largely most brands are happy to let Rolex take the caped crusader’s name in vain. Not so Detrash, who have taken Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego to heart with the aptly named Gotham’s Vigilante. Almost entirely blacked out with a few hints of vintage Batman yellow, it’s made with 80% recycled steel so that you know you’re on the good team. With an automatic movement, solid specs and a strict limited edition, it’s also a steal. So maybe you’re not that good?

More details at Detrash.

Ubiq Dual Seaset

Colour, colour everywhere! Summer might be over but don’t let your wrist game cool off with this splash of colour from Singaporean microbrand Ubiq. The Dual gets its name from its two-colour bezel and the Seaset colourway – a tropical mix of orange and turquoise – is the kind of brightness I need in my life. Paired with a matching turquoise dial, and orange hour and second hands, it’s a splash of bold colour. Sure, there are more subtle colourways (the classy white and blue Navysilver, for example), but who needs subtlety? Especially at impulse buy levels of accessibility.

More details at Ubiq.

There is something deeply captivating in the lustre of a natural stone dial, and we’re seeing a big resurgence this year. Ranging from the intense veined Eisenkiesel stone of the already banging Rolex Day-Date to the demure chic of A. Lange & Söhne’s platinum Little Lange 1, which adds a deeper dimension. I would even go as far as calling it the renaissance of stone dial watches.

The success rate of manufacturing stone dials is often lower than 10%, but the brittle slivers of millennial-aged beauty have a special allure. Previously this meant only high end brands were capable of such feats but now even microbrands like Baltic are getting involved, whose Prismic Red Agate London edition sold out in a flash. But there are a lot still to choose from, all imbued with the talismanic properties, some believe mystical powers, of ancient rock formations. Let’s have a closer look at five sophisticated examples of the genre.

Biver Automatique Atelier Series Obsidian

Seldom has a brand had such a big anticipation of its debut as Biver, run by JC Biver, the Scion of the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking and his son Pierre. But after the knockout glamour of the Carillon Tourbillon with its stratospheric price tag, the brand genuinely surprised us with the Biver Automatique. It was one of the strongest three-hand designs to come out of Geneva this year. We wouldn’t call the Automatique accessible unless your DIY car mechanic beater is a Submariner, but even with a price tag series starting at £67,000, we were hooked.

Two of the watches sit in the upper-tier Atelier series and come with hand-finished stone dials. We’re all about the restrained stealth wealth of the platinum-cased model, which, with an obsidian dial, comes in at CHF 92,000 (approx. £82,350). It has a quietly spoken presence and an unusually brushed stepped grey obsidian dial. This is offset by an engraved white gold minute track and overlapping indices with a dynamic faceted wedge design. Monochrome chic doesn’t come much better than this.

More details at Biver.

A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 30th Anniversary

Visiting the A. Lange & Söhne workshops a couple of weeks ago only underlined my deep respect for the brand. But despite a plethora of complexities, what stood out for me was the infinite black gloss of the polished onyx stone in the new Lange 1 and Little Lange 1 references we covered here. And while I deeply respect the larger, more complex references of the brand, the smallest Little Lange 1 is crisp perfection. What drew me to the 36.8mm Little Lange 1 in platinum was its superb everyday wearability, and I consider it the epitome of a monochrome watch design.

With the stealth flex of platinum comes a reassuring weight and an extra depth to the polished lustre and brushwork. But the brilliance of the Little Lange 1 30th Anniversary edition lies in contrasts. Especially the juxtaposition between polished stone and applied white gold details. Each applied diamond-shaped hour marker and alpha hand facet becomes somewhat elevated on the glass-like surface of the black stone. And it is the first Lange to move straight onto my grail list, even with a guessed close-to £90K price (on request only).

More details a A. Lange & Söhne.

Berneron Mirage 34 Tiger Eye

With its delightfully flamboyant case design reminiscent of a surrealist artwork, Berneron has been the toast of watch-town this year. And we get it. All versions of the Mirage come with the same fascinating, organic dial and case design. This case was designed after an optimized solution was sketched out for the in-house calibre 215. Not the other way around. All the Mirage timepieces share the same dizzying dial design and gold cases, but the two 34mm models hit a different note.

Within the 34mm Mirage Tiger Eye sits a solid stone dial. And there’s no escaping from the semi-precious stone being a good match to 18K yellow gold. These smaller Mirages come sans hour numerals; instead, delicate gold prints appear like brushstrokes on the stone. The small seconds register at six-ish on the asymmetric dial is recessed 0.4mm through a hand-carving of each dial. This shows Sylvain Berneron’s obsessive attention to detail and makes CHF 51,000 (approx. £45,480) an understandable price for this wrist art.

More details at Berneron.

Formex Essence ThirtyNine Malachite

However, the deep lustre of stone dials is not exclusive to hand-assembled Haute Horlogerie. Value-driven sports watch brand Formex proves this with aplomb in their Essence ThirtyNine. It is a chunky sports watch with an ergonomic 39mm case and a faceted three-link bracelet. And it rocks with the unusual choice of a malachite dial. The rich striations of the deep green stone is something we’re used to seeing in jewellery and occasionally in more dress-centric wristwear. But here, it works incredibly well as a strong contrast.

Formex’ Essece ThirtyNine Malachite riffs off a well-known fact. Many use a mid-sized sports watch when suiting up. And it makes sense why. The contrast between the deep organic patterns on the dial and the straight-laced class of a suit has a quirky appeal. It also works exceedingly well paired with the muscular case design. And at a mere £1,650, including shipping, this is a big value in our book. The sharp execution of the bold-bezel case and COSC-certified Sellita top grade SW200 movement only underlines it.

More details at Formex.

Rolex Day-Date 36 

Rolex might have accessibility issues for dive grails like the Submariner. However, the brand offers some astute choices for everyday wearability that can be found at retail. And while there’s no denying the perfection of a 36mm O.P. as a one-watch collection, why not pull out all the stops? It takes a bold man to rock the Ref.128395TBR, but why not spend £60K+ to unleash your inner movie star? And with the renaissance of stone dials comes a timely reminder. Rolex has been delivering polished goods all along.

There is a deep perfection in the ‘president’ bracelet of the Day-Date 36. Especially when rendered in solid Everose gold, earning its place in Rolex lore. But this is all about stone dials, and Rolex doesn’t disappoint with the diamond-set Eisenkiesel dial. The dark background has a magma flow-like pattern that jostles for attention with diamond-encrusted Roman numerals, all framed by a maximalist diamond bezel. Sometimes, too much is just right, making this one of the best stone dials around.

More details at Rolex.

Clase Azul Mexico Día de Muertos Múscia Limited Edition Decanter

In Mexico, the festive season isn’t just limited to Christmas. In November, they celebrate Día de Muertos, a celebration of ancestry and those who came before. For Clase Azul, one of Mexico’s top luxury spirit brands, it’s a chance to celebrate their heritage by releasing an annual limited edition decanter themed around the celebration. For 2024, it’s the Múscia edition, featuring a plum-coloured decanter decorated with a musical ensemble representing the sounds of the festival.

Limited to 10,000 pieces, available in the UK on request at Hedonism Boutique London.

Abask Hector Saxe Leather Poker Set, £1,460

What’s Christmas without a few games? The Hector Saxe Leather Poker Set is ideal for getting your evening cards off to a start in the right way. It features a buffalo leather case handcrafted in France that contains 440 clay chips, two decks of Modiano cards, and five resin dice. Whether as a gift for a friend or a gift for yourself when you set off to visit the in-laws, the Hector Saxe set makes it easy to set up a game and relax wherever you find yourself this Christmas.

Available from Abask.

Equiano Ominira, £180

Equiano’s Ominira is an extremely exclusive 2010 vintage rum available in a limited batch of just 3,000 units worldwide. A blend of celebrated tropical rums distilled by Foursquare in Barbados and Gray’s in Mauritious. Tropically matured for a minimum of 11 years in Bourbon and Cognac casks with a touch of ex-Sherry cask rum for added depth, contributing to its richness and long finish. It has notes of dark chocolate, sweet caramel, and tropical fruits as well as touches of buttery oak and cinnamon and nutmeg spices. An invitation to celebrate, toast, and share with friends.

Available at Equiano.

Biokidé’s Baobab Moon Face Cream, €55 (approx £45

Whether for yourself or a partner, Biokidé’s Baobab Moon Face Cream is a moisturizing cream designed for dry skin and made with baobab oil, aloe vera, shea butter, hibiscus, and honey. It’s the ultimate fusion of authentic African ingredients and French knowhow to bring you clean cosmetics you can trust. The brand is currently undergoing Butterfly Mark certification by Positive Luxury to prove their commitment to a positive social and environmental impact.

Available from Biokidé.

Contour Boxes by Tom Aylwin, from £1,395

Your watch or jewellery collection is deeply personal, so it’s only right that you protect it with a box that’s equally significant. Contour Boxes by Tom Aylwin are bespoke creations made from British materials that make for unique gifts. They feature incredibly accurate topographical carvings of any specified landscape in the world (or the moon/Mars) as chosen by you. Meaning you can pick a landscape that’s special to you or your loved ones. You can even request silver pins to be placed to mark the location of your house or a notable feature.

Available from Contour Boxes.

SIRPLUS Crew Neck Jumper, £150

For their AW24 collection, SIRPLUS are focusing on knitwear and keeping it cozy. The classic Crew Neck Jumper is the focal piece of the collection, available in nine attractive colours: mint, periwinkle, oat, kingfisher, marmalade, green, poppy, ink, and lapis. They’re tightly knitted from lambswool in the UK with clean lines and a simple, comfortable fit. SIRPLUS recommend pairing a neutral tone with a blazer or opting for a bolder colour over a crisp white shirt. You could even go a size up for a baggy, relaxed look

Available at Sirplus.

Acqua di Parma Holiday Collection Candle Quintet, £92

Acqua di Parma has unveiled their Holiday Season Collection, featuring gift sets of fragrances and candles designed to warm the spirit. For 2024, they’ve partnered with celebrated artist and architect India Mahdavi to create colorful and joyful packaging that combines Italian design with French wit. The dominant scents in the collection are Bosco with its pine and fir tree notes, Caminetto with its warm incense like an open fire, and Panettone, which smells like panettone.

Available from Acqua di Parma.

Kardo Luis Shirt, £310

Kardo’s latest collection remains faithful to its DNA through the presentation of many different artistic expressions from artisans across India, using ancient embroidery from the Rabari tribe in Gujarat. The results are pieces like the Luis, a 100% handloom cotton overshirt covered in vibrant applique motifs on Khadi denim. Everything about the oversize shirt is inseparable from its region of origin, the ultimate in single origin fashion.

Available at Kardo.

House of Hazelwood Queen of the Hebrides, RRSP £2,000

Even among House of Hazelwood’s rare inventory, they count those from the isle of Islay, aka the Queen of the Hebrides, as some of their rarest. A blended malt matured in American oak with light tannins and a long finish. If you’re unfamiliar, House of Hazelwood is a relatively new Scottish whisky brand that sources their rare produce from a family’s private collection, making each bottle extremely sought after.

Available at House of Hazelwood.

Sonos Arc Ultra, £999

Invest in your own enjoyment this Christmas season with the new Arc Ultra premium sound bar from Sonos. It’s Sonos’ most powerful sound bar ever with 14 drivers and advanced Sound Motion technology. Sound Motion effectively means you’ll get the full enjoyment of surround sound from a single sleek bar – which can also be enhanced further should you wish with additional speakers. It’s a low profile but high impact addition to any home entertainment system.

Available at Sonos.

VYN Switzerland Classic Sneaker All Black, £335

Buy into all the insanely colourful, hypebeast sneakers you want, you’ll always have a space in your wardrobe for a sleek, well-built pair of all-black trainers. Made in Italy from German leather by a Swiss brand, these are a pan-European staple in the best possible way. The classic silhouette suits all occasions and the monochrome can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. If you do fancy a splash of colour, you can also purchase different heel options to keep things fresh. Yes, those heel options can also be black.

Available at VYN.

Ruark R610 & Sabre-R, R610 – £1,200 & Sabre-R – £699.00

Ever wanted that nostalgic sound of yesteryear without having to dust off the vinyl? Enter Ruark’s latest complete stereo system. The deliberately throwback British audio specialist has built one of their best-looking creations yet, two Sabre-R bookshelf speakers and a high-resolution ready streaming console to pull them together, all in the same timelessly handsome style. The console also includes a phono pre-amp for adding a record player, just in case you can bring yourself to crack out the old records. It’ll be worth it.

Available at Ruark.

De’Longhi La Specialist Opera Coffee Machine, £799.99

Why head to your favourite coffee shop every morning for that sweet, sweet caffeine when you can instead have professional standard coffee from your own kitchen? And don’t say, ‘the culture’. The latest in De’Longhi’s La Specialist range has 15 different grind settings and variable temperature to suit any bean and type of coffee. It even comes with a HomeCafé kit that contains glasses, vacuum bags and everything bar the beans you could need. Sure, it might bankrupt the little hipster joint around the corner, but it’s worth it – on so many levels.

Available at De’Longhi.

Walker Slater Sherlock Coat, £425

Our favourite contemporary tweed brand, Walker Slater, returns for the Autumn Winter season with a new set of tailoring fabrics and an emphasis on checks and windowpanes, with the colours ranging from classic blues to more autumnal dark greens and aubergines in the signature Edward and James cuts. Case in point, the Sherlock Coat, here in Harris Tweed Barleycorn in a Highland-appropriate Peat colouring, as perfect for crisp mornings on the moors as a far more mile winter in the city.

Available at Walker Slater.

Stenstroms Beige Textured Roll Neck, £399

With this year marking the brand’s 125th anniversary, a new collaboration with menswear authority Mathias Le Fèvre seems fitting. With a Scandinavian heritage and shared passion for craftsmanship, sartorial values, and above all, great fitting, classic garments, the Stenstroms x Mathias Le Fèvre capsule brings together elements of 1970s and ’80s style points with a definitive air of Bowie, woven cleverly into the DNA of a Stenstroms fit and aesthetic. It works without questions.

Available at Stenstroms.

A cool, wearable automatic watch doesn’t need to cost the world. Or even a fraction of it. Price as much as anything else is a fundamental reason to buy a particular model or from a particular brand. But whereas in previous years we might have opted to showcase the most expensive watches ever sold, there’s been a dramatic shift in watches as a whole. That shift is towards one thing above anything else: value. I won’t say the days of flashy, big-ticket timepieces are gone, but it’s now worth taking a serious look at some of the best automatic watches under £1,000.

I will also say that the accessible end of the spectrum is quite possibly the most exciting. Don’t expect many metiers d’art dials, manufacture movements or cutting-edge materials here; who needs that when you’ve got a cool watch that you love to wear and doesn’t cost the world? You can’t (or more accurately shouldn’t) wear your solid gold Rolex Deep Sea all the time. So, from colourful future classics to mind-boggling specs-for-price ratios, here are the best accessible watches for under £1,000. Oh, and while there are plenty of quartz pieces playing in this particular kiddie pool, we’re looking strictly at mechanical. Because of course we are.

Belhamel Contra Aqua 39, £399 (Pre-Order £319)

Belhamel started life creating bespoke rubber straps for the Seiko SKX collection but a successful Kickstarter in 2023 brought their first wristwatch to market this summer. It’s called the Contra Aqua 39 and it’s inspired by the same accessible tool watch vibe and practical price point as Seiko with their own unique flair. It has a 39mm diameter steel case with a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel and ultra legible dial. With its 300m water resistance it actually outperforms many of Seiko’s divers. Inside is the Miyota 9039 automatic.

Available at Belhamel.

Héron Marinor Seastorm Black, £495

Héron have recently restocked their core collection timepieces including the Marinor Seastorm Black, a gorgeous dive watch in a 39mm diameter hardened steel case with 300m water resistance. The style, with a domed sapphire bezel and large, lumed hour markers draws inspiration from legendary dive watches of the 20th century, but at a much more accessible price point. Powering the watch is the Miyota 9039, one of the Japanese manufacture’s premium movements with a 42-hour power reserve.

Available at Heron.

Primitive Haus Timekeeper Type-A, $369 (approx. £280)

Finding what inspires you is always the foundation of a good microbrand and Primitive Haus are clear on where their inspirations lie. Influenced by the German minimalist movement spearheaded by Bauhaus, they aim to bring colourful watches to live that blend style and function seamlessly. Recently with the TimeKeeper Type-A they’ve been exploring fresh colours and designs such as fumé blue, vibrant purple and this gorgeous dimple dial variant that looks like freshly fallen snow. They house the Miyota 82S5 with 42-hour power reserve.

Available at Primitve Haus.

Dejager Explorer, £225

DeJager is a British watch design studio with close ties to South Africa as that’s where the brand’s founder grew up, witnessing the atrocities of Apartheid and segregation first hand. As such, a portion of all sales go to SOS Africa, a charity helping disadvantaged children in South Africa. Their watches, such as the Explorer combine accessible automatic movements with practical designs, including a 40mm case in stainless steel. The display is very legible with Arabic numerals and a small seconds subdial at six o’clock with a vibrant red hand.

Available at Dejager.

Wristclassics Omega Speedmaster Ref. 105.003 Ghost Bezel, €10,900 (approx. £9,050)

A huge part of the allure of vintage watches, beyond the cool styles of bygone eras of design, are the deeply personal stories they tell. These stories are at the core of what Wristclassics focus on as a vintage watch dealer. They only stock watches with unique hallmarks and distinct features that make them stand out in the crowd. For example, this Omega Speedmaster from 1964 with a beautiful ghost bezel. Or a 1956 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Honeycomb Dial.

Available at Wristclassics.

Aera C-1 Cloud Chronograph

After a year of relative quiet, cult British tool watch brand Aera is back – and in serious style. For their first complication they’re picking the ever-practical chronograph and, in keeping with their minimalist utilitarian aesthetic, they’re sleek and sharp. On the one hand you have the blacked-out Shadow, with some red flashes across the chronograph hands; on the other the stunning Cloud, with a calming, blue-tinged neutral look. With only the bare minimum of numerals and indexes, these are a world away from the usual, overly technical chronos and I personally love them.

More details at Aera.

Gaga Laboratorio Labormatic Cinquanta

What do you get when you pair a legendary tattooist with an Italian singer songwriter with a healthy obsession with all things retro? Gaga Laboratorio. Mo Coppoletta and Alessandro Ristori’s shiny new Italian watch brand dives deep on jazz age cool, with discs for both hours – visible through a date-like window at 12 o’clock – and the central minutes, a genuinely unique dial and a case with some of the most sculptural lugs this side of £5,000. It’s a little crazy, sure, but this is a pair of flamboyant Italian collectors living la bella vita; what else would you expect?

More details at Gaga Laboratorio.

Awake Sơn Mài

Let’s not beat around the bush here, Awake’s gorgeous new collection is all about the dials, and for good reason. While they might look like enamel or guilloche, or a mix of the two, they’re actually made using the traditional Vietnamese art of Sơn Mài (hence the name, obviously) which involves applying fine layers of lacquer over silver leaf. The result is a depth of colour and texture that’s hard to find in a watch – and especially one this accessible. That’s the kicker: despite a dial akin to something one of the grand old maisons of watchmaking would dabble in, this automatic, La Joux-Perret-equipped beauty will set you back just over £1,500.

More details at Awake Watches.

Brew Metric Star Chrono

New York based, coffee-laced, and painfully cool, Brew have been going from strength to strength, especially since the streamlined Metric came into play. So, seeing them graduate to a chronograph was genuinely exciting before we saw the watch and is even more so now. It has all that lovely 1970s flavour, with a lightly roasted golden dial and bright, zesty red notes across hands and peripheral minute track. It’s like a modern Pogue, which given Seiko’s recent ‘reissue’ is probably the best thing we’re getting. It’s also as affordable as ever, with a Meca-quartz movement for that perfect blend of accuracy and reliability.

More details at Brew.

Paulin Modul E Automatic

I absolutely love the shape and style of Paulin’s painfully retro Modul collection, from their cushion cases to their Bauhaus-adjacent dials. The colours though have been perhaps a bit much. Now though, the Glaswegian brand is embracing wearability with black and white editions dubbed the Modul D & E. They’re not boring by any stretch, with plenty of coloured indexes – orange and blue for the white edition, light blue and yellow for the black. It’s also worth noting that these are Paulin’s first lumed dials, with a host of differently glowing colours on each. It’s one of those cases where the release itself isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but it is something that needs to exist. And it’s about time it does.

More details at Paulin.

In the world of luxury watches, there are iconic designs that evoke instant admiration and timeless elegance. And then, there’s the Omega Ploprof. A watch so strikingly unconventional that it proudly earns the label of the “ugly duckling” of the watch world. Yet, despite its divisive design, or perhaps because of it, the Ploprof has managed to carve out a devoted fanbase since its debut in the early 1970s. How did such a polarising piece earn the love and loyalty of so many watch enthusiasts? Let’s dive into the history and unique charm of the Omega Ploprof 166.077.

A Purposeful Driven Design

The Ploprof, short for Plongeur Professionnel (French for “professional diver”), wasn’t designed to win beauty pageants. It was created to withstand the most extreme conditions of deep-sea diving. Omega developed the watch in collaboration with COMEX, the French commercial diving company and the legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. The objective was simple: create a robust timepiece that could handle the crushing pressures of the ocean’s depths. In 1971, Omega introduced the Ploprof 600, a watch capable of surviving depths of 600 meters (2,000 feet).

Its enormous stainless steel case, thick sapphire crystal and signature locking crown were all geared toward functionality, not fashion. The Ploprof’s monobloc case design ensured exceptional water resistance by eliminating the need for a screw-down case back. The crown’s placement on the left side further sets it apart. Offering protection from accidental bumps and preserving the watertight seal. When the Ploprof launched, it was priced at 795 Swiss francs, more than double the cost of a Rolex Submariner. Omega advertised it with the slogan, “When you take your life in your hands, you need a good watch on your wrist.”

Aesthetic Brutality

When it first hit the market, the Omega Ploprof 166.077’s looks were, to put it mildly, controversial. The asymmetric case and blocky design stood in stark contrast to the sleek, refined watches that Omega was best known for. Its bulky form, prominent crown guard, and unusual bezel locking mechanism added to the overall sense that this was a tool, not a fashion accessory. Yet, it’s precisely this “form follows function” approach that has won the Ploprof its loyal fans. For those who appreciate purposeful design and engineering over conventional beauty, the Ploprof is a symbol of uncompromising performance. The oversized bezel and massive case not only protect the movement but also provide a clear, readable dial even in the darkest depths of the ocean.

The Cult Appeal

Despite its initially lukewarm reception, the Ploprof has grown into a cult classic. Part of its appeal lies in its rarity. The original Ploprof 600 was only produced for a few years before being discontinued, making it a sought-after collector’s item. In 2009, Omega relaunched the Ploprof, this time rated to a staggering 1,200 meters. Bringing it into the modern era while retaining its original, unapologetically bold design. For many collectors, the Ploprof represents a refreshing departure from the delicate, minimalist aesthetics that dominate the luxury watch market. It’s a conversation piece, a statement of individuality, and a reminder that watches can be both tools and art. The love for the Ploprof isn’t about prettiness—it’s about appreciating the unapologetic boldness that Omega dared to pursue in creating one of the most extreme diving watches of its time.

An Unlikely Icon

In a world where slim, dressy watches often take centre stage, the Omega Ploprof has embraced its role as the industry’s lovable outsider. Its unique design and incredible functionality have made it an enduring symbol of Omega’s commitment to technical innovation. Whether you find it ugly or captivating, the Ploprof’s impact on watchmaking is undeniable. The Ploprof is not just a watch; it’s an icon for those who value function over form, innovation over convention and aren’t afraid to stand out in a sea of predictable designs.

This “ugly duckling” proves that beauty, as they say, is truly in the eye of the beholder. One of the most distinctive features of the Omega Ploprof 166.077 is its locking crown mechanism. Instead of a traditional screw-down crown, the Ploprof uses a push-button lock to secure the crown in place. The large, red button on the side of the case allows divers to release and adjust the crown when needed, providing additional security against water ingress. This mechanism, though odd-looking, ensured that the watch remained fully water-resistant to 600 meters (2,000 feet), which was groundbreaking for the time.

A Keeper For Sure

It defied convention, choosing practicality over polish, and in doing so, carved out its place as one of the most iconic tool watches ever made. The Ploprof isn’t just a dive watch—it’s a testament to Omega’s willingness to push the boundaries of both engineering and aesthetics. For those who seek more than just a pretty face, the Ploprof stands proud, embracing its legacy as a true diving legend.

As a proud owner of a vintage 1977 Omega  Ploprof 600, this watch truly stands out in my collection. Many vintage Ploprofs serviced by Omega have had their dials and hands replaced, making it increasingly challenging for enthusiasts seeking an authentic look to find examples with these original features. Fortunately, mine retains its original hands and dial, and it also came with an Omega Extract from the archives, confirming its origin and year of manufacture. Whether you love or loathe the Ploprof, there’s no denying its significance within Omega’s range, and it truly stands apart from anything else out there.

More details at Omega.

There has been a trend in recent years of brands revitalising legendary watches and turning them into modern editions. Watch brands, more than any other, like to keep us reminded of how old they are and the history that goes alongside the piece you just bought. For example, it’s hard to mention the word Omega without talking about the moon. These brands with a rich history have a substantial back catalogue to choose from and bringing back an icon often gets chins wagging within the community.

When it comes to paying homage to the watches from your past brands approach it slightly differently. Some look to recreate the icon in its true form, why mess with a classic? Others prefer to take design queues in a nod to history whilst updating the watch to modern standards. The point is there are different ways to approach reintroducing a legendary watch. We’ve selected 5 true legends to see how their modern counterparts stack up.

Vacheron Constantin 222

Vacheron Constantin 222 Ref. 11990 (1977)

The original Vacheron Constantin 222, released in 1977, surfaced around the same time as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet launched their icons with the Nautilus (1976) and Royal Oak (1971). If you want to know where the 222 came from, it was to mark the 222nd year of Vacheron’s founding. I told you watch brands like to remind us of their history.

Much like the Nautilus and Royal Oak of the 1970s the 222 was a three hand watch with a date window. However, this wasn’t the only similarity. Fun fact but the original Nautilus, Royal Oak and 222 all shared the same base movement, an ultra-thin Jaeger-LeCoultre 920, which Vacheron modified.

One of the reasons the original 222 has become so desirable today is its exclusivity. If records are to be believed, only around 700 222’s in 37mm were produced in the eight years it was in production. It was also the first sports watch from Vacheron and led on to the now iconic Overseas, which only adds to its historical importance.

Vacheron Constantin 222 line up displayed in an advert (1960s)

In a fitting piece of numerical symmetry in 2022 Vacheron introduced a new 222 Historique edition. The first surprise was Vacheron released the new 222 in solid yellow gold at a time when steel sports watches were flying off the shelves quicker than they could be made.

This updated version is a true recreation, Vacheron have stuck almost wholeheartedly to the original design. They resisted the temptation to increase the case size, nowadays 40mm would be about par for the course. On the dial you have to look very closely to spot any changes at all. The only difference of note is the position of the date window, on the modern version it’s been moved inwards to allow the minute markers to continue uninterrupted. Whereas, the original date window intercepted the minute track. In all, this change constitutes moving the date window somewhere around 1mm

The updated Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 ref. 4200H/222J-B935

The big change in the 222 is the movement. Vacheron Constaintin have shunned the legendary watch’s JLC core in favour of a more modern Vacheron calibre 2455/2. Paired with the new movement is an open case back displaying the 18k yellow gold rotor. After 45 years Vacheron might be forgiven for providing an updated movement with modern manufacturing, materials and reliability.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40

IWC Ingenieur SL ref. 1832 (1976)

Our second legendary vintage watch comes courtesy of Gerald Genta’s 1976 design IWC Ingenieur SL. Being a Genta design it noticeably shares many elements with the Nautilus and Royal Oak. Despite the Ingenieur SL being overshadowed by these other creations over time it became seen as the trendy little brother, offering collectors a more affordable price point for a watch from the legendary designer.

On release the Ingenieur SL was vastly different from the first Ingenieur of the 1950s. Not only did the SL introduce bolt holes to the bezel but the most interesting part of the design was the appearance of either a checkerboard or graph paper style textured dial. Housed in a 38mm case the original Ingenieur SL would likely have been quite the hit in today’s market.

The updated IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 ref. IW328901

By 1984 the first generation Genta designed Ingenieur was discontinued. Then, in March 2023, at Watches & Wonders, IWC released the Ingenieur Automatic 40. At its launch IWC revealed their museum had managed to track down Gerald Genta’s original drawings. Drawings which were thought to have been lost. Now armed with the originals the IWC design team could set to work recreating a modern sports watch inspired by the original workings.

Today’s Ingenieur is without question a modern interpretation, not a recreation. Firstly, you’ll notice crown guards on the 2023 model, which were not present on the original legendary watch. This adds to another key change which is the case size, the new model comes in 40mm only. If we are being picky the larger case shape takes on a more angular aesthetic than the 1976 version. Where the SL was noted for its rounded structure, the end links on the case and the centre links of the bracelet were more rounded than rectangular. The new Ingenieur sports a more aggressive case with polished lines giving a sharp, more defined aesthetic.

The updated IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in white and black dial configurations

Across the rest of the watch the Genta-isms are in full view. The bolt holes dotted across the circular flat topped bezel remain unchanged and the dial reinterprets the checkerboard effect from the SL with great success. The alternating lined and dotted squares are a distinctive look and unique to the Ingenieur. To leave them out would have been a crime.

Tag Heuer Autavia Chronograph

Tag Heuer Autavia Dashboard Timer (1933)

This legendary vintage watch actually started life not as a watch at all but as a lap timer affixed to the dashboard of racing cars. In 1962 Jack Heuer introduced the Autavia wristwatch as a collection of racing inspired chronographs. The first edition of the watch was a favourite among celebs and the public for its highly legible dial. In the 1960s racing legends from Jacky Ickx and Emerson Fittipaldi to Gilles Villeneuve were ambassadors for the collection. Today the Autavia represents an iconic racing chrono from a brand more synonymous with motor racing than any other.

Heuer Autavia ref. 2446 (1692), image credit: Heuer Price Guide

The Autavia was characterised by a ‘reverse panda’ configuration dial which has become a favourite among chronographs even today. However, unlike many modern chronographs which deploy tachymeters and text across the bezel, the Autavia used numeric hour markers for a no-nonsense look. Over the years Tag Heuer did get more creative. A GMT version followed and colour was introduced with blue and red bezels, orange hands and blue dial accents. Yet, it’s the first edition Autavia, which ceased production in 1969, that’s the true icon.

In 2017 Tag Heuer celebrated the 55th anniversary of the Autavia with a reedition of the original albeit with some updates. The 2017 edition maintains the original aesthetic, the black dial is punctuated by white subdials and a black bezel was as plain as could be with roman numeral hour markers. Tag even went as far as colouring the tips of hour markers and lume on the hands in a beige patina effect colour in order to apply a vintage look.

Tag updated Heuer Autavia, ref. CBE2116

In truth the reissue only had two major changes to differ it from the original. Firstly, two of the subdials had been swapped around. The 1962 Autavia placed hours at 6 o’clock and minutes and 9 o’clock, by 2017 these dials had swapped positions. This isn’t a major change and certainly doesn’t detract from the look of the watch but seeing as we are being picky it’s worth pointing out.

The other change is harder to ignore. In 2017 Tag Heuer added a date window on to the 6 o’clock subdial. This was a new feature of the updated automatic Heuer 02 calibre which powered the reissue. After 55 years bringing the movement to modern standards is a welcome upgrade but the date seems unnecessary. Why go to such lengths as to recreate a patina effect on parts of the dial only to plant a date window in the middle?

Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox

Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox (1960’s)

Jaeger-LeCoultre, regularly referred to as ‘the watchmakers watchmaker’, always kept several crucial innovations for their own brand. In the 1950s they created the legendary vintage Memovox watch which, with some linguistic gymnastics, means ‘the voice of memory’ in Latin. The Memovox movement, Calibre 489, cleverly separated the power reserve and time keeping elements from the alarm component. In practical terms this meant the Memovox required two crowns. One for winding and setting the watch, the other for setting the alarm function.

Jaeger LeCoutlre Polaris Memovox ref. E859 (1965), image credit: Christie’s

At first glance the 1950s Memovox has the appearance of a ‘pie pan’ style dial. The pie pan design is one most commonly found on vintage Omegas and gets its name due to an inner ring on the dial which makes it look like a pie dish you’d use for cooking. On the Memovox the rotating inner ring is used to set your alarm. You use the second crown to rotate a small triangle marker to point at the time when you need the alarm to sound.

The Memovox was a big hit when it was first released in dress watch format with a leather strap. Such was the success that JLC would later release a Memovox Deep Sea Dive watch in 1959 in order to make the watch accessible to a wider audience. This Memovox diver would go on to be rebranded Polaris in the early 1960s.

The Polaris Memovox was starting to radically differ from the original. This new dive watch now contained three crowns. The third crown was used to rotate the bezel which sat under the crystal so the wearer could time dives. This wasn’t the only new feature of the Polaris, in the case back were 16 holes which allowed for greater sound amplification and mean’t the alarm could be heard even under water.

The current Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox ref. Q903818J

Fast forward to today and this is how we come to know the Memovox, as a subset of the Polaris and now the Master Control collections. After starting out life as a stand alone model the Memovox has now been relegated to a subsection of the catalogue.

In 2018 JLC reintroduced the Polaris range in full. The launch of the updated collection contained a variety of different models one of which was a reintroduction of the Polaris Memovox. The current Polaris Memovox, like the Ingenieur, is a nod to the original rather than a recreation. It shares the same alarm functionality and 3 crown design with rotating alarm disk and internal dive bezel but that’s about where the similarities stop. The dial design and case shape have all been radically modernised to create a future proof sports watch. The larger hour markers are certainly more practical and legible than the original and there’s now no need for holes on the caseback to amplify sound.

Overall, the Memovox is a hard one to interpret. This legendary watch was a big success in the 60s yet today the Polaris Memovox hasn’t reached the same heights of other steel sports models on the market. Should JLC revert back to the first ever Memovox pre-Polaris? It’s hard to tell if that would be any more appealing in today’s market.

Rolex Daytona

Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239, image credit: Phillips

So far we’ve been referencing the various commercial successes of these watches when they first launched. And you might think the Daytona, one of the most sought after watches of today, has been a triumphant success from the start. It’s not the case. It didn’t become a legendary vintage watch until much later when the influence of Paul Newman pushed it into the spotlight.

The iconic ‘Paul Newman’, reference 6239, was the first chronograph to bear the name Daytona and was offered in two configurations. A black dial with white subdials or with the colours reversed fondly known as the ‘panda’. Other key features of the 6239 include a red minute track on the outer edge of the dial, square box markers on the subdials and a steel bezel. The 6239 was also the first reference to carry a tachymeter on the bezel rather than printed on the dial. In many ways the 6239 has fed the design of all modern Daytonas.

The udpated Rolex Daytona ‘Le Mans’ ref. 126500LN

In general, Rolex aren’t ones for re-issues or re-releases. They honour their history by delivering updated models that blend the past with cutting edge modern design and materials. The modern Daytona is no exception. Look across the line up and no existing model in the stable shares a true likeness to the ‘Paul Newman’. Almost every aspect of the 6239 has been updated over the years.

The steel Daytona models are awash with new materials. Most obvious is the new ceramic bezel, which is black rather than silver and the movement has had a complete overhaul as well. The dial configurations still include black and white with the colours being inverted for the subdials, though only on the chapter rings not the whole subdial. The case has taken on new shapes and proportions with big changes to the crown and pushers. The modern steel Daytona now comes with crown guards and the pushers have a screw down locking function to stop them being pushed accidentally and to improve water resistance. The red track on the dial has been removed and the only red is the text ‘Daytona’ printed in the centre of the dial.

Rolex Daytona ref. 126509

Perhaps the closest in look to the original Daytona from the current line-up is the white gold variant ref. 126509. With the white gold bezel it replicates the all steel look of the 6239 and the dial is available with either a true panda or reverse panda configuration with solid colour subdials.

Looking at the Daytona through the ages is like looking at an evolution chart, you can see where it all started but the modern iteration has evolved a long way over 60 years. Is this because Rolex strives to be at the front of the watch industry setting the path for the future? Or is it because the might not be able to do justice to one of the most legendary watches of all time? Either way it would be fun to see them try.

The last couple of years haven’t been the best for investing in watches. Some of the biggest brands and models have been in a bit of a slump that’s yet to recover. But that, of course, is only for investors. For collectors on the other hand, it’s a great time to be a watch lover.

Gone are the hundreds of watch flippers out to make a quick buck, offering popular yet uninteresting watches for many times their retail price. Instead, it’s a collectors’ market. By that, we mean that there are some seriously cool watches you can get hold of for far less than you might have before. As the UK’s premier marketplace for fine watches, Watch Collecting knows a thing or two about that.

Over the past few months, the online platform has sold an incredible spread of watches. The choice ranges from undervalued bargains that should go for a lot more to insanely high-end pieces that just don’t crop up often on the open market. To give you just a snapshot of the watches passing through Watch Collecting, we’ve selected some of the most interesting that have been sold in recent weeks. That of course means that these exact pieces are no longer available but keep your eyes open. This isn’t the first time they’ve cropped up and it won’t be the last.

Rolex Cellini, £1,499 (1990)

Even after being discontinued, the Rolex Cellini doesn’t get nearly as much love as it should. It’s a perfect little dress watch and the unusual rectangular version here, with its President-adjacent gold-on-gold look, is a lovely counterpoint to modern Rolex. It’s pure minimalism except for the quirky minute markers notched directly into the bezel. It just goes to show the disproportionate spotlight that’s shone on Rolex’s steel sports models. A rare vintage Rolex for £1,499? On paper that seems insane. On Watch Collecting, it’s the norm for the underappreciated Cellini.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Platinum Number One, £14,500 (2000s)

As soon as you head off the beaten path of Royal Oaks, Daytonas, and Nautili, you’ll be surprised at the value you can get in pre-owned watches. Reversible case in point, a platinum watch with a magnificently skeletonised dial from one of the most long-standing maisons in Swiss watchmaking – for less than £15,000. Not only was this Reverso Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first series production in platinum, but it was also limited to 500 pieces, making this both a rarity and an important watch for the brand. Given how many collectors are sleeping on older JLC models right now, this was a fantastic buy – and there’s more where that came from.

Cartier Crash Skeleton, £85,000 (2017)

In recent years the asymmetrical Crash has become a touchstone among the artier of horological aficionados; yet another case shaped feather the Parisian tour de force has in their well-heeled cap. These days that makes it a bit of an auction regular, though rarely with quite the cache of the skeleton version. The way that the skeletonised bridges curve with the case is downright magnificent, even by Cartier standards and makes this model something of a stand-out among Crash references.

Richard Mille RM67-01, £120,000 (2021)

It’s hard to call any Richard Mille well- priced given the eye-watering numbers  the watchmaker tends to pull in, but the RM67-01 here is a genuinely fascinating piece. Most watches of this calibre either go to auction or pass between private sellers and seeing it here is a testament to Watch Collecting as a platform. Then there’s the watch itself, which is a beauty. Defined by its diamond-set case, it happens to be one of Richard Mille’s slimmest (it was the thinnest of all when introduced in 2016). It’s an exemplary Richard Mille and netted the seller £120,000. I’m sure the buyer agrees that it was worth every penny.

Rolex Daytona ‘Le Mans’, £133,000 (2024)

Sure, the market’s a little depressed, but that was never going to stop collectors jumping on the Daytona wherever it pops up. That’s especially true of the 2024 ‘Le Mans’, a special edition tribute to the famous endurance race, created in honour of the 2024 competition in the (almost) spitting image of the annual winners’ watch. It has all the modern bells and whistles – a ceramic tachymeter scale, a calibre 4132 Rolex movement, and a full white gold case. Understandably, very few of these are ever sold. Not only are they rare, but if there’s one in your collection, it’s likely never leaving. It achieved a sky-high price tag, but not nearly as much as it would have a few years ago.

More details at Watch Collecting.

Scandinavia is a fascinating part of the world, wild and untamed and yet home to some of the most stylish and well regarded designers of all time. It’s a unique melting pot of rugged Nordic influences and classy minimalism that you won’t find anywhere else. What’s more, all of these diverse elements find a wonderful place in horology – even though it’s not quite so well known as the watchmaking regions of Germany or France. From subtle dress watches, daily beaters and practical tool watches, you can find them all from across Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. So without further ado, here are some of our favourite Scandinavian watch brands that you should know about.

Von Doren

Von Doren Il Tempo Gigante Automatisk Kronograf

From accessible flashes of summer ready colour to chunky, exceptional chronographs, Von Doren runs the full gamut of watches. As is the case with many a modern watch brand, founder Øyvind VonDoren Asbjørnsen was originally inspired by an heirloom Swiss timepiece handed down from his father. Far from an homage brand however, there’s something decidedly Norwegian about Von Doren, from their Art Nouveau inspirations to the stories their watches tell.

While the Runde is a handsome, colourful watch, for our money the ultra-cool, ultra-macho and ultra-retro Il Tempo Gigante is Von Doren’s opus. Inspired by Norwegian stop-motion film, 1975’s The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix, it’s every bit the throwback racing chronograph in a funky colourway of brown, black and yellow. It’s not your typical streamlined Scandi chic watch for sure, but it’s very much something only Von Doren could build.

More details at Von Doren.

GoS Watches

GoS Watches Sarek Rissa No1

Think of typical Scandinavian landscapes, the tundra, the glaciers, the Northern Lights, and you’ll see precisely where GoS Watches get their unique aesthetic. The Swedish brand is the brainchild of master watchmaker Patrick Sjögren, and smith and knifemaker Johan Gustafsson, who decided to pool their skills for a deeply Scandinavian brand.

From Gustafsson comes the copious use of Damascus steel across cases and some dials – albeit supplied these days by bladesmith Conny Persson; from Sjögren the kind of immaculate, nature-inspired finishing that would make Grand Seiko fans hot under the collar. The Norrsken, with its gorgeous wavy dial and even more gorgeous colours, is about as beautiful a Nordic watch as you can find.

More details at GoS.

Bravur Watches

Bravur Grand Tour La Corsa Rosa IV

There has always been some cross-over between cycling and watches, but no brand has encapsulated cycling culture quite as succinctly as Sweden’s Bravur Watches. After all, what watchmaker also produces a snappy line of cycling clothes? But while the jerseys and bib shorts are pared-back in a performance-oriented way, the watches are not.

Case in point, the Grand Tour La Corsa Rosa IV. A fabulous mix of tarmac grey (with a similarly inspired texture to it) and various shades of pink ranging from pale to hot, the watch is an homage to the Maglia Rosa, the leader’s jersey in the Giro d’Italia. It’s a showstopper, but there are also more subtle touches that show Bravur’s love of the sport. Look at the 13 on the minute track, for example. Not only would it not normally be there, but it’s upside-down, a reference to how the number 13 rider wears it to ward off bad luck. See? Nobody does cycling and watches like Bravur.

More details at Bravur.

Sarpaneva

Sarpaneva Supermoon

Sarpaneva’s angry moon looking like it’s been pulled right out of Georges Méliès’ imagination has become an icon of independent watchmaking. It’s just one part of the brand’s modern approach to high watchmaking, but it’s by far the most visible, especially when combined with the intensely skeletonised dials, unique case shapes and playful approach to lume. There’s a lot going on and that moon is the lynchpin of it all.

The brand’s Supermoon, as the name suggests, amps that up to the next level. The twin moon display at six o’clock has more character than most watchmakers can fit on an entire dial, a tribute to the brand’s earlier 2008 Korona K3. Apparently, this specific moon is an ode to Finnish spirit, though from personal experience most Finns I’ve met have been far, far happier than this melancholic orb. It is however everything Sarpaneva stands for.

More details at Sarpaneva.

REC Watches

REC Watches The Habu Limited Edition

Danish brand REC have carved out a historical niche for themselves with one spectacular inclusion: pieces of actual historical machines. If that sounds familiar, it’s something the wider watch industry has embraced in recent years but none to quite the same extent as REC. Their limited collection includes salvaged metal from cars, motorbikes, aircraft and pretty much anything that can move on its own steam.

We’re not just talking vintage here, either. The Habu, REC’s latest, is made from an SR-71 Blackbird, a legendary long-range reconnaissance aircraft that’s as much space craft as plane. The watch dial is made from the aircraft’s inner engine nacelle exhaust ejectors – and if you know what those are, REC as a brand probably get you very excited. Set in a titanium case inspired by the Blackbird’s aerodynamic form, it’s a statement watch in more ways than one.

More details at REC.

JS Watch Company

JS Watch Company 101 38mm

Hailing from Reykjavik and priding themselves on being one of the smallest watchmakers around, JS Watch Company nonetheless count the likes of Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Stiller, Ed Sheeran and Jude Law among their fans. That’s a big following for a small Icelandic watchmaker, but JS Watch Company offer the kind of watches that have purists fawning, with coin-edge bezels and the overwhelming choice of black or white dials.

Movements are Swiss workhorse numbers finished to the highest standards, which while a bit of a departure from those classical aesthetics, means they’re more affordable than they look. Take the 101 38mm as an example. The Goldilocks sizing, clean numerals (Roman or Arabic) and Breguet hands look like absolute stunners, with a price tag well under the £2,000 mark. With three generations of watchmaking heritage channelled into each and every watch, that’s pretty impressive.

More details at JS Watch Company.

Arcanaut

Arcanaut Fordite Nebulous Eye

Doing weird things with weird materials is the name of the game at Arcanaut. The Denmark-based but pan-Scandinavian brand’s collections embrace intriguing composites and colourful fordite (made from car industry paint run-off) dials, colours aplenty and a tongue-in-cheek approach to high-end watchmaking.

The Experimental Collection lives up to its name, with incredible lume dials and casebacks. The Bonehead, as an example, involves injecting a chunk of aluminium foam used in the aerospace industry with resin, then attaching the result to a solid block of lume. This isn’t experimental in the structured, lab-based sense but in the ‘just do it and see what works’ approach. And it’s hard not to love Arcanaut for that.

More details at Arcanaut.

Micromilspec

Micromilspec Milgraph

Until recently you would have had a hard time coming across a Micromilspec watch; they were the purview of military squadrons and regiments, the sort that you’d only see with black bars scrawled across their names. Now however, the brand is opening up a bit more with production watches available to civilians.

That watch is, specifically, the Milgraph. Channelling the brand’s years of custom military watches into one piece, its multifaceted design, quirky scales of various shapes and sizes, and a lightweight titanium case all combine to create a unique looking piece with a serious specs sheet. It’s a good sign of things to come and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Oslo-based brand does next.

More details at Micromilspec.

Bruvik

Bruvik Fjord N2.0

There are more integrated bracelet sports watches these days than ever before – including when they were at their initial height in the 1970s – so it takes a solid design for one to really stand out. Bruvik has three. If you want something a bit more elegant, there’s the Senja with it’s cool tessellating bezel. If you want a no-holds-barred twist on what the Bulgari Octo’s putting down, there’s the Fjord N2.0, which combines a GMT with a funky spider web/spacetime pattern across the dial.

Then there’s the Arctic Ocean, which yes, uses a strap, but one that’s about as integrated into the case as you can get. The latest edition also reveals the inner workings of the automatic movement, bordered by scales you’d expect to see on instrument panels as much as a watch. Of the three, I’m all about the Senja, but honestly, there’s something for everyone here.

More details at Bruvik.

Båge & Söner

Båge & Söner Brew Baby

Yes, these are alarm clocks and yes, I’m aware that an alarm clock is not a watch. But bear with me on this because not only are they small, portable timekeepers, but Båge & Söner borrow plenty from the world of actual horology. The dial looks like its ripped straight from a colourful dress watch, and the rounded corners of the square shape give the whole thing the kind of retro good looks that deserves a place next to your bed.

The Brew Baby variation is particularly cool, a combination of warm browns and golds that has the kind of sepia-tinted nostalgia of a valve amp. Oh, and speaking of audio, Båge & Söner’s alarm clocks start off quiet and ramp up, so no horrifically rude awakenings.

More details at Båge & Söner.

Sjöö Sandström

Sjöö Sandström Landsort 459m

No-nonsense cool is the name of the game with a brand I’m always going to try and avoid pronouncing out loud. They hit that sweet spot of quality and accessibility that make one of these streamlined flashes of Scandi design a flawless everyday wearer. The Royal collection – and the upper end Royal Capital version – offers the kind of versatility that means you don’t need to puzzle out what watch to strap on for the day.

That all said, there are some more specialist pieces in Sjöö Sandström’s line-up. The UTC Skydiver does what it says on the tin, offering an ani-digi display fit for the literal jet-set. My favourite outlier however is the Landsort 459m. Named after the Landsort deep and sharing a name with an idyllic Swedish island, its charming asymmetrical silhouette makes it fall into the realms of a much more wearable Ploprof, with plenty of water resistance to boot. If you’re wondering why 459, that’s the deepest ravine in the Baltic sea. If you need anything more than that, you’re braver than I.

More details at Sjöö Sandström.

Halda

Halda Race Pilot

While they have since created the ultra-classical Henning XO, a 40mm solid gold, pocket watch-inspired slice of haute horological finishing, I’d argue that it’s a bit of an outlier. That’s because the rest of their collection riffs off the same concept: a smartwatch paired with an analogue watch in a swap-in-swap-out outer case. Traditional it is not. Dubbed the Race Pilot – or Trackmaster/Space Discovery depending on which variation you opt for – the watch includes both a mechanical module in various levels of ultra-modern performance looks and what is essentially a racing computer.

Fittingly for a racing watch, the mechanical movement is from Zenith, while the smart module will track all your stats on the track. In an era of redundant ‘racing’ chronographs, this might be the only real racing watch around. It also very much looks the part, and I can’t understate how satisfying the modules are to pop in and pop out. It’s overengineered and I love it.

More details at Halda.

Watch auctions for charitable causes aren’t a new concept but one of the trends that has grown significantly over the last few years is the idea of the unique piece auction. Started by Only Watch, there are now a handful of auctions that see brands create distinct and unique watches specially for the occasion. Other examples of such auctions include last year’s EveryWatch focussing on British brands and the TimeForArt Auction, organised by the Swiss Institute in partnership with Phillips auction house. Let’s take a look at every watch up for grabs in the 2024 edition of TimeForArt ahead of the December 7^th sale.

However, before we jump into the watches, there’s a few details to go over. Firstly, what is the Swiss Institute? While it may have ‘Swiss’ in the name, it’s actually a New York based contemporary art non-profit organisation supporting a wide range of artists. It’s this goal that the TimeForArt auction supports. As part of the event, the Swiss Institute implemented the theme Artists for Artists and encouraged participating watch brands to collaborate with artists for their unique piece watches. Additionally, at time of writing not every watch has been fully revealed so you will find some teaser images that have been supplied instead.

Beaucroft Seeker 37mm, £425

Since 2020, Beaucroft has created classic mechanical watches with a fresh modern flair from the heart of Cambridge. The Seeker 37mm exemplifies this, offering bold colours and striking design details. Fully hand assembled and regulated in Great Britain, it blends traditional timekeeping techniques with modern watch design styling. Beaucroft brings the best of the old and new worlds together, creating both signature and bespoke watches that are affordably priced and beautifully finished.

Available at Beaucroft.

Primitive Haus TimeKeeper Type-A, $369 (approx. £280)

Finding what inspires you is always the foundation of a good microbrand, and Primitive Haus are clear on where their inspirations lie. Influenced by the German minimalist movement spearheaded by Bauhaus, they aim to bring colourful watches to life, blending style and function seamlessly. Recently with the TimeKeeper Type-A they’ve been exploring fresh colours and designs, such as fumé blue, vibrant purple and this gorgeous dimple dial variant that looks like freshly fallen snow. They house the Miyota 82S5 with a 42-hour power reserve.

Available at Primitive Haus.

Héron Marinor Seastorm Black, £495

Héron have recently restocked their core collection timepieces, including the Marinor Seastorm Black, a gorgeous dive watch with a 39mm diameter hardened steel case and 300m water resistance. The style, with a domed sapphire bezel and large, lumed hour markers draws inspiration from legendary dive watches of the 20th century, but at a much more accessible price point. Powering the watch is the Miyota 9039, one of the Japanese manufacturer’s premium movements with a 42-hour power reserve.

Available at Héron Watches.

Vesuviate Attivo-Duplex, $545 (approx. £420)

Vesuviate’s name is a reference to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, one of the most famous volcanoes in history. The modification of the volcano’s name into a verb, vesuviate, plays on the fact that the brand’s signature manufacturing technique is thermochemical surface treatment, which uses heat-related chemical reactions to give their steel an ultra-hard surface. The Attivo-Duplex uses this hardened steel in its 39mm x 46.2mm x 11.5mm case, which has a retro TV shape. The display features two independent time displays powered by separate movements, both of which are ultra-slim Peacock SL-7020s with 36-hour power reserves.

Available at Vesuviate.

DeJager Explorer, £225

DeJager blends timeless British design with their African adventurous roots resulting in classic styles for everyday and special occasion wear. No matter when you choose to wear your DeJager watch, you will be wearing your social and cultural impact on your wrist. DeJager Watches is proud to partner with SOS Africa helping disadvantaged South Africans get a great education. Every watch purchased triggers a donation to SOS Africa’s vital work on the ground. The Explorer ties a rustic brown leather strap with a modern blue face, aircraft propeller hands and a deep red seconds hand.

Available at DeJager.

Engine turning doesn’t sound as sexy as the evocative French word guilloché, even if it is disturbingly similar to guillotine. The term stems from the French word guillocher, which means engraving surfaces with repetitive patterns. From the start, guilloché found its way into watchmaking as a pocket watch case adornment as early as the 17th century. As far as we know, the earliest example was a timepiece with an engine-turned case signed by Pierre Duhamel in Geneva in 1680 and today there are many, many styles of guilloché to explore.

What we now know as guilloché is also visible in jewellery, the famed Imperial eggs by Fabergè, trays and other decorative items. Different patterns and movement decorations, like perlage with overlapping circles, are not cut into the metal and are more akin to small-area polishing. All guilloché is stamped or hand-turned on a rose engine, or a straight-line engine that creates geometrics like Clous de Paris (hobnail), sunburst and basketweave. Most guilloché patterns are seen on the dial side of watches. But some occasionally appear on bridgework, and you’ll find many variants on both collectable pens and vintage lighters.

Straight-Line

This style of guilloché does what it says on the tin, offering a linear, sometimes pinstripe look of formality to a dial. In 2024 the small-scale production version of the Daniel Roth Tourbillon in rose gold gives a perfect example of the genre. The dial surface is in solid rose gold as the case, decorated with parallel vertical lines. Straight line, or en ligne, guilloché is beautiful on its own, but here comes across as a sartorial contrast to the abundance of curves, framed in the unusual case by a distinct fluted pattern above the moustache-shaped tourbillon scene at six o’clock.

Basket Weave

As you will have figured out by now, the terms for different guilloché patterns might have original French names that evoke memories of a bygone age, but are all literal descriptions of their appearance, like basket weave. This is another type of straight-line guilloché with minuscule criss-cross patterns that brands like Voutilainen and Breguet use to great effect. As with any type of guilloché, it can be used to decorate an entire dial or, in the case of Breguet’s Classique 7137 Moon Power Reserve, it can be combined with other patterns to emphasise a sub-dial or power reserve with its light-catching properties.

Wave

As a more complex and organic pattern, the wave style of guilloché can be large or small in scale and perhaps finds its most literal interpretation once again in Breguet’s dial work. The sharp-pointed undulating shapes are well known from the brand’s Marine collection, contrasting to the modern case design. They work to bring life to a traditional dial encircled by a circular brushed chapter ring and add to the aquatic theme of the series.

Moiré

The rose engine-cut moiré pattern is small in scale and creates a decoration which might look like a sunburst finish from a distance. It produces a vibrant background and is used to great effect by Chinese watchmaker Atelier Wen, often in a non-watch context. Many watch collectors are pen lovers, and you’ll frequently find guilloché decoration on fountain pens. The Italian brand Grifos specialise in solid 925 silver pens, often boasting a matching moiré-decorated cap and body.

Sunburst

These days, this term is mostly used for brushed, lacquered dials that have a distinctly colour-shifting reflective quality, but it is also a type of straight-line guilloché. As a particularly vibrant example, Laurent Ferrier produced a limited version of their Classic 40mm in platinum with a vividly cut 18K white gold dial. In this example, the hand-decorated dial alternates broad and thin rays emanating from the centre, making for a strong monochrome play between light and shadow.

Écailles De Poisson

Image credit: tickingaway

Yet another fanciful French term, this time signifying a symmetrical overlapping pattern of shapes that resemble fish scales. A striking example is found in the work that dial master Kari Voutilainen has done, like the Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire. Only four examples were made, offering a glamorous textbook example of the genre on an outer ring. Its inner dial has a depth-inducing scaled-down version of the same fluid pattern, adding to the patterned splendour.

Clous De Paris

We opt for the French-language version here, Clous de Paris, as hobnail sounds a bit pedestrian. It comes either stamped or cut from a straight-line lathe and is instantly recognisable from the dial of the G-P Laureato, with its acutely pointed pyramid pattern. This style of guilloché is also unusually found on some movements, which includes the bridgework of the new Biver Automatique, a watch we were impressed with this year.

Tapisserie

The most recognisable of all guilloché are the raised flat-topped squares in the geometrical Tapisserie pattern. It is a more modern take on straight-line guilloché and is not always recognised as such because of it. But combined with an octagonal bezel, the grail-tastic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is instantly recognisable, just like its beefier brother, the Offshore.

Flinqué

The Flinqué technique often combines spectacularly hypnotic patterns with lacquering over its engraved or stamped pattern. A stunning example is found in the Czapek Genève model ‘Quai des Bergues’. A centred concentric pattern follows the shape of the seconds and date registers at 4:30 and 7:30 on the dial, creating an intense depth to what is already an accomplished dial. To accomplish this, diamond-like shapes are cut in curving overlapping shapes on a rose engine lathe.

Barleycorn

Like many guilloché styles, the shapes that create this pattern do not need explanation. The grain-like shapes are usually small in scale and stamped, or engine-turned in a vertically oriented and arrow-like pattern. It brings with it an understated  sophistication and can be found on more daily-wear pieces like the Longines Master Collection, among many others. Here it creates a more dynamic surface, which looks silver-lacquered until serving up its intricacies at close quarters.

Zealandic Iceborne

Microbrands have been killing the textured dial game recently, inspired (one assumes) by the nature-obsessed success of certain Japanese watchmakers but on a much smaller and less artisan scale. Case in point, Zealandic. This isn’t their first attempt at the Iceborne; their previous Kickstarter didn’t quite make it to their goal.

But after revisiting the design (and changing supplier) they’re back and the new Iceborne with its absolutely gorgeous light blue dial looks like a winner. It’s every bit the field watch, 39mm of stainless steel with the workhorse Miyota 9039 automatic movement, crowned with a glacial dial inspired by New Zealand’s Lake Pukaki. Yes, it’s a fun name to say. Priced just shy of $500 for now, it’s a tool watch yes, but one with some serious style.

More details at Zealandic.

Nuun Official Bora Bora Mai Tai

The long days of summer are pretty much over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reminisce about those sun-drenched, poolside times, especially when it comes in the form of Nuun Official’s cocktail-laced new colour. The lightweight White Resin Carbon X case still opts for the brand’s Nautilus homage case shape, but that orange gradient, going light at the top to dark at the bottom, is something that Patek Philippe would never touch.

It’s far too fun. It’s also built for the poolside, with 100m water resistance and a chunky, dial- matched rubber strap for cooling off in the heat – though Scuba diving might be beyond it. Backed by a quartz Miyota Cal.0S21 chronograph, it might be the perfect watch for a bit of upcoming winter sun.

More details at NUUN.

MECEXP MS1001

Where to start with this one? More an engineering project than a mainstream timepiece, MECEXP’s debut is a CNC driven, lithium battery powered watch the likes of  which Urwerk fans will salivate over. Self- described as a ‘linear flyback’ (retrograde may  be closer to the mark), the two indicators move up the precisely engineered columns then flick right back down to the start.

It’s inventive, dynamic and a little bit nuts. Hell, even the crown isn’t a crown in the traditional sense as it uses a sensor and chip to detect the inputs so that there’s no physical interaction with the, for want of a better word, movement. Oh, and the whole thing is lit by LEDS because by this point, why not?

More details at MECEXP.

Oceaneva OceanTrek GMT

After plumbing the depths (quite literally) of what an accessible dive watch can do with the kind of value that puts the rest of the industry to shame, Oceaneva are testing new waters. The OceanTrek is a whole timezone away from what the brand has done before, a lovely, pared-back, semi-dress watch pairing Roman numerals with a 24-hour GMT indicator towards the middle.

At 42mm it’s still not small, but it’s slimmer and much more elegant than a diver, especially with the host of new, sunray-brushed dial colours. The OceanTrek still lives up to its name with 200m water resistance and a slight tool watch flavour, but between the gorgeous green shown here and the Seiko movement, there’s a lot to love. And that legendary value for money? Yeah, the OceanTrek GMT will set you back £149. Try finding that anywhere else.

More details at Oceaneva.

Violet, lavender, mauve, plum, lilac, amethyst, there are a lot of shades of purple out there. Most of them have graced the dial of a watch at some point or other and there is a huge selection of modern watches embracing this rich and enticing colour. Here are 22 of the best purple watches to buy right now.

If you’re a subscriber to the Oracle Time Newsletter then you’ll be fully aware that the Oracle Time Watch Awards 2024 are live right now and if you’re not member (first of all why not?), I’m here to tell you that it’s true! This is our third annual watch awards and we just wanted to take a moment to let you know what’s been happening and how you can get involved. We are also able to at last announce the details of the associated prize draw.

What are the Oracle Time Watch Awards?

Let’s not beat around the bush, there are a lot of awards that get handed out to watch brands these days. From GPHG to Red Dot to other publications similar to Oracle Time holding their own award events. What makes ours different is that we don’t keep any of process hidden behind the cloak and dagger of expert panels or selection committees. We refer to our awards as the Community Watch Awards because that’s precisely what they are, every watch you see in the awards is nominated and voted for by you, the Oracle Time readers and community. This is a true reflection of the watches you’ve loved over the past 12 months.

How are the awards structured?

Last month we held the Nominations stage of the watch awards. We asked you, our community, to think of the best watches from the past 12 months across nine separate categories. After the nominations closed, we counted them all up (there were a lot of them) and put the eight watches with the highest number of nominations into a short list.

That short list is now live and it’s up to you to go and vote for your favourite watch in each of the nine categories. On top of that, we’ve added a 10th category called Readers’ Choice. This is a completely open selection where you can vote for any watch released in the past 12 months – including a watch you already voted for in one of the previous categories if you like – to win the prestigious title of Best Watch of 2024. Additionally, the Readers’ Choice winner will be featured on the cover of our December print magazine, which is also where you’ll be able to read the result for the first time.

What are the Categories?

Dive Watch
Chronograph
Accessible (Under £1,000)
Dress Watch
Travel Watch
Field/Pilot’s Watch
Microbrand
High Complication
Integrated Sports Watch
Readers’ Choice

What is the Prize Draw?

By voting in the Oracle Time Watch Awards 2024 you will automatically be entered into our prize draw. There are three prizes to be won. They are an Spinnaker Hass Automatic Whale Project Limited Edition, Orient Star 1964 Diver V2 and Herbelin Newport Slim 42mm Quartz. The prizes will be drawn once the results are announced and you will be contacted via the email address you submitted with your votes.

Where to Read the Results?

The official results of the Oracle Time Watch Awards 2024 will be announced first in the December edition of the print magazine, published on December 1st. This will include a complete analysis and discussion of every winning timepiece and some notable runners-up. A few weeks later we’ll publish just the winners online too.

Voting closes on October 31st. Click here to vote now.