One of the most complex and intricate worlds is indeed the world of high end watches. Very few people undertake the necessary time to research and learn of the world. You could study for years and still never understand exactly all the things you need to know. You need to live it and breath it and immerse yourself in high end watches to truly understand their subtle differences. But if you don’t have the time or interest in all that and still want to have a skin-deep understanding of the world of high end watches, you can simply ask someone who has taken the plunge. Though you may get more information that you want!
So what are the most prestigious watches in this deep and alluring world? This is not ranking them in order of their prestigiousness – that would be a fool’s errand – instead, this is just calling out the watches that will be widely regarded as the cream of the crop. Everyone will have their own preferences and can nitpick and bicker, but no one will turn their nose up at these.
FP Journe Chronometre Bleu. In the world of high end watches, Journe is a category unto itself, as the company manufactures fewer than 1,000 watches a year. That’s only 2-3 per day, and when you think about that, you understand the time and control that goes into every single watch. Their watches are typically simple and elegant, with a clear face and distinct numbers. They are not fancy and flashy, but instead show their worth with a beautiful and casual edifice. The blue color of the Chronometre Bleu matches any attire, weekend or business.
Philippe Dufour. No one will scoff at the Philippe Dufour. Good luck finding one, but when you do, you will feel like you discovered the Holy Grail yourself. You don’t get more elegant or immaculate than a Philippe Dufour. Notice the finishing, an almost matte silver, and a glean that will turn heads, even if they don’t know why they’re turning their heads.
Grand Seiko 61GS High Beat. You may think a Seiko will have a Japanese essence to it and you will be correct. If 36,000 bph is not enough for you, then I wish you luck in your high end watch pursuits. The second hand’s sweep is unmatched in smoothness. Asia has long been a manufacturer of fine watches, but this Seiko is the flagship. They do everything for the watch in house, so there’s no outsourcing or shipping of unfinished watches. Only Rolex can boast of similar in-house capacities. For its remarkably lower price, it may the best high end bargain out there.
Rolex 5513/17 Military Submariner. Rolex will impress even the casual watch lover, and those who know nothing, like most people and also John Snow, know that a Rolex means business. But with so many fake Rolexes on the market and very little knowledge among the plebeians, you want one that will stand out among a crowd, and that’s the Military Submariner. They don’t make this anymore, so all of them are both rare and vintage. Their fixed spring bars and fully graduated bezel insert and sword hands will impress any collector. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth it.