The 70 Best Watches For Men In 2024

Watches can be a pretty intimidating game. There are thousands of models, from hundreds of different brands, and that’s just the new timepieces that are released every year. For most of us, this makes trying to buy a new watch an absolute minefield, especially if you don’t know the good brands from the bad. If you don’t have dozens of hours to do the necessary digging, it can be hard to get a clear picture of what the best watches really are. If that’s you, don’t worry, because BH has you covered.

If you’re looking to buy your first good watch to wear every day, or you love watches and want to know about the best of what the horological universe has to offer this year, then look no further. We’ve done the heavy lifting for you, summarising some of the very best of watchmaking in 2023, including everything from affordable watches all the way to the very best watches for men.

From the collections that are impossible to purchase at retail, to the unbeatable watches everyone should own at least once, it’s all here, grouped by price and collection to help you get the best idea of what watch you might want to own. So sit back, and enjoy what the watchmaking industry has to offer.

RELATED: The 31 Best Affordable Watches In 2024

$0 – $1,000

Swatch Big Bold

The Swatch Big Bold collection does exactly what it says on the tin and delivers a collection of fun, oversized timepieces that range from the attention-seeking to the slightly more subtle. With vintage-inspired designs such as the Clearly Bold and the Neon To The Max, collaborations with the Olympic Games and Dragon Ball-Z, and dozens of other designs on offer, there’s truly something for everyone. Each watch comes inside a 47mm case (with an offset crown at 2 o’clock), and all arrive on either a comfortable silicone or bio-sourced strap.

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Casio G-Shock “CasiOak”

Easily one of Casio’s most popular releases in the last decade or so, the G-Shock GA2100 “CasiOak” collection is as comfortable on the wrist as it is affordable for the wallet. Where does its nickname come from you ask? As soon as the new design was announced watch enthusiasts noticed the similarities between its octagonal case shape and the bezel of the legendary Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet, leading to the coining of “CasiOak”. 

The case, bezel and strap are all made from the indefatigable resin G-Shock is so well known for, measuring 45.4mm in diameter and – most importantly – just 11.9mm thick. That’s right, it’s positively an ultra-thin watch by G-Shock standards, while still arriving with the signature features including analogue and digital time displays, Bluetooth connectivity, solar charging, alarms, timers, multiple time zones, a stopwatch and even 200m water resistance.

If you’re after a bulletproof watch that can do it all and is impressively affordable, one of the dozens of models within the Casio G-Shock “CasiOak” collection will be perfect for you. 

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Orient Classic Mechanical Dress Watch

There is immense value in keeping it simple and sophisticated in the watch world, and Orient offers style at a great price in its Classic collection dress watches. With many watches in the collection arriving with a super wearable stainless steel case around 40mm in size, you’ve got the option of either a quartz movement or an automatic movement, arriving on a stylish leather strap. If you’re after a classic dress watch design that doesn’t cost a fortune, Orient is a name you need to know.

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Timex Waterbury Automatic

Timex has built a definite sense of nostalgia into its Waterbury Traditional Automatic collection, offering a range of compelling and affordable mechanical watches to enthusiasts everywhere. Sized at 39mm for the dress watch references and 40mm for the dive watch options, it’s a solidly made collection of men’s watches that look great and either arrive on a classy leather strap or robust steel bracelet. Timex has a history of making great watches at an approachable price and this collection continues that legacy.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

Samsung’s latest smartwatch offering is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which packs in as many useful features as possible. These include mobile payments, phone calls, impressive battery life, and better health and fitness features including a blood oxygen sensor, all of which have been fit into a robust 45mm titanium case.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will work best for Android users, running on the updated Wear OS watches One UI Watch 4.5 operating system. It arrives with a crystal clear and easy-to-read 450-by-450-pixel AMOLED display that measures 1.4 inches across, which is protected by a layer of sapphire crystal that is twice as hard as the previous generation of Samsung smartwatch. It is also slightly more affordable than the Apple Watch Ultra, making it all the sweeter for Android users.

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Unimatic Classic Editions

Unimatic is another relatively young watch brand, founded in Italy, and one that’s earned itself a cult following thanks to its clean, minimalist approach to watch design. While the brand has produced a number of great collaboration watches – with everyone from the Italian paratroopers to NASA – its black dial Classics Editions range captures the brand’s true DNA. With successful executions of chronograph, dive and field watch formats it’s not a brand you’ll see on many folks’ wrists, but if you do, you know they’re deep into watches too.

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Seiko 5 Automatic

Japanese watchmaker Seiko has long made some of the best affordable watches on the market, with its Seiko 5 Sports collection well-loved within the watch community for decades. It’s a wide-ranging collection that includes heritage reissues, modern designs and everything in between, but the common denominators for all Seiko 5 watches are automatic movements, a rotating bezel, good water resistance and a day and date window. Many of the world’s biggest watch enthusiasts started their collection with a Seiko 5 Automatic and if you’re after a perfect watch to start your collection, this is as good a start as any.

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Baltic MR01

As far as the best men’s watches at an affordable price go, the Baltic MR01 has to be one of the best there are. If you’re into a heritage-inspired dress watch aesthetic, the MR01 is almost faultless with a 36mm stainless steel case that measures just 9.9mm thick, and has plenty of details that get better the closer you look at them. Powered by an automatic micro-rotor movement, its dial is complex and textured with elegant applied Breguet numerals. We’re yet to meet a single owner that regrets their purchase! A pinnacle in the affordable watch game.

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Hamilton Khaki

Hamilton is well known for its solidly engineered Swiss-made watches – that often have an element of vintage flair – and the Hamilton Khaki collection is a great example. Offering a range of pilot and field watches that expertly balance heritage design with modern watchmaking, it’s a great collection to begin any watch-collecting journey thanks to their robustly manufactured mechanical movements and approachable prices. With dozens of different dial colours, case shapes and materials, there’s really something for everyone.

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$1,001 – $5,000

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Frederique Constant Classics

One of this brand’s most celebrated collections, the Frederique Constant Classic range manages the delicate balance between price and quality, without sacrificing its timeless design. No matter what you’re looking for, be it a GMT, triple calendar, chronograph or a simple time-only wristwatch, this collection has it all, in a range of different dial colours too. While some of the more affordable watches arrive with a quartz movement, the majority are powered by automatic calibres for that mechanical presence on the wrist.

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Rado Captain Cook

The well-loved Captain Cook collection from Rado has been cooking with gas for several years now and is one of the best examples of heritage-inspired dive watches you can buy today. While the original Captain Cook reissue was a faithfully vintage-sized 37mm diver, the collection has since grown into a comprehensive offering that includes ceramic cases, gold tone, chronograph complications and more. All are powered by a reliable 80-hour movement, and most come with the option of a beads-of-rice bracelet, which has to be one of the most comfortable bracelet designs of all time.

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Serica 5303 Dive Watch

The 5303 Diver from Serica is one of those Swiss-made watches that are designed as a robust and functional tool, but look equally good out of their imagined context – at a restaurant or even in the office. With a trio of available colours, including a black, white and blue dial, this latest generation of Serica’s 300m water-resistant dive watches are now chronometer-certified and feature an antimagnetic construction for improved accuracy. The project of some of the most charming members of the watch community, wearing a Serica on your wrist is a sign of considered taste and support for a watch brand that continues to establish itself as one of the best in the game.

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Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch Ultra was released late last year as the sportier, more robust and feature-packed new smartwatch from the Cupertino-based tech giant. This new sports watch from Apple – which is the first outside of the typical Apple Watch Series range – features a larger case size of 49mm that is made from lightweight titanium, 60 hours of longer battery life, improved cellular functionality and precision dual-frequency GPS for when you’re out in the wilderness. As a smartwatch that specialises in sports and outdoor activities (rich with health and fitness features), the Apple Watch Ultra is a no-brainer for any iPhone user.

RELATED: The Best Smartwatches To Buy

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Gucci 25H

As a brand built on the back of its success in the world of fashion, some watch enthusiasts don’t give Gucci watches the credit they deserve. While the very high end of Gucci watchmaking is literally world-class, its more affordable options are nicely designed too with the 25H collection offering a super-slim everyday choice that looks great and is supremely comfortable on the wrist. The quartz movement options will set you back a couple of thousand dollars and are wafer-thin, but even Gucci’s automatic 25H model is extremely slender at 7.1mm thick, showcasing that just because it’s a fashion label, doesn’t mean it can’t make a very good watch too.

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Baume et Mercier Riviera

The Baume et Mercier Riviera collection is another historical throwback, inspired by the golden era of the stainless steel integrated bracelet watches in 1973. While the Riviera was born as a time-only watch, the collection today contains dozens of different case sizes, complication types and materials, from lightweight titanium sport watches to travel-ready GMT references. If you’re after a go-anywhere, do-anything kind of watch – with an industry-renowned movement inside – the Riviera is a collection you need to consider closely.

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Mido Ocean Star Collection

It was five years ago that Mido celebrated its 100th anniversary, putting them on a relatively short list of watch brands that have survived more than a century. It’s a watch brand that has become increasingly interesting to collectors, with Mido capitalising on its history to produce a range of attractive modern and heritage-inspired dive watches for men. This breadth of designs within the dive watch scope means a number of different colours, materials and complications (the ever-practical GMT is included), all of which are well-constructed and powered by reliable automatic movements.

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Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

Throwing it back to an archival Tissot watch from 1978, the PRX Powermatic 80 collection offers slender, automatic watches with an evocative integrated single-link steel bracelet. It’s a classic 1970s design, which has been translated across both 40mm and 35mm case sizes, as well as offering an attractive chronograph into the mix for those looking to cook the perfect boiled egg. It’s been the most popular Tissot watch collection in recent years and with good reason, as it revives a funky design that scratches the itch many enthusiasts have for stainless steel watches with integrated bracelets. As far as the best watches for men go in terms of value, this is hard to beat. In fact, it’s so hard to beat we put it in our best gifts for men list.

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Furlan Marri Mechanical Watches

Furlan Marri is a watch brand that was only launched in early 2021 but has already become one of the brands to pay attention to. Following up from its debut five-reference collection of mecha-quartz chronographs, recently the brand announced its first collection of entirely mechanical watches that arrive as a trio of tastefully executed time-only watches. 

Available in your choice of grey, white or salmon dial, all three are quintessential examples of classical watch design, with sector dials and stainless steel cases that measure 37.5mm in diameter. The lugs are a stand-out feature, polished to perfection and elegantly swooping along the curve of your wrist, while all three are powered by the automatic G100 calibre with 68 hours of power reserve. Top-notch stuff.

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TAG Heuer Aquaracer

The revival of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer in recent years has been a delight to watch, as the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based watchmaker breathed new life into its collection of affordable dive watches. Now offering one of the best ranges of dive watches on the market today, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer collection spans from quartz movement-powered references in stainless steel to the hulking titanium Superdiver that offers water resistance down to 1,000m. The designs look great, the construction quality is very high and you don’t need a second mortgage to afford one of these TAG Heuer divers.

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Yema Superman 500

Yema is a French-founded watchmaker that was first established just after the Second World War and is best known for its vintage-inspired dive and aviator watches. One of its most popular collections is the Superman 500 line of dive watches, which are enjoyed by collectors because of their accurate in-house movements and impressive water resistance of 500m. If you’re after an under-the-radar automatic watch that doesn’t need to be used with kid gloves, this Yema collection should be on your list.

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Christopher Ward C63 Sealander

Christopher Ward is another fresh face on the global watchmaking scene. Founded back in 2004 they are designed and sold in the UK, but produced in Switzerland. One of the most popular collections in their stable of watches is the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander range, which arrives in a range of different designs, materials and dial colours. Depending on the watch that catches your eye, there are titanium references, chronometer-certified movements and complications such as GMTs to make sure there’s something for all enthusiasts.

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NOMOS Club

NOMOS is a German watchmaker based in the town of Glashütte, which offers watches that are as equally well-made as they are well-priced. On top of true in-house movements, they are also well regarded for award-winning designs, thanks to the careful thought and consideration that goes into the way their watches look, which the NOMOS Club is a great example of. Straightforward in its design, but with a range of different dials and sizes, it’s a great example of the fun, but sporty aesthetic that NOMOS has developed over the decades.

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Junghans Meister

For more than a century and a half, Junghans has been making watches in Germany’s Black Forest and is today known as a watchmaker with a particularly minimalist design sensibility. Specifically linked to the Bauhaus-era art movement, the Junghans Meister collection is a great example of the brand’s DNA as doing more with less. Available in a few dozen different references that vary by size, metal tone and dial colour, all are powered by automatic movements and arrive on comfortable leather straps and bracelets.

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Farer Chronograph Sport

It’s always exciting when a new watch brand is born, which for Farer was in 2015 when it launched its first collection. Since then, the British-founded watch brand has made a name for itself by reinterpreting classic watchmaking design cues and revitalising them with a healthy splash of colour, which can be seen in the undeniably eye-catching Chronograph Sport collection. Arriving either with a white dial (with red highlights) or teal (with dark blue highlights), they both measure 41mm in diameter and are each powered by a Swiss-made hand-wound movement.

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Ball Engineer III

The Ball Engineer III collection is known for its function-forward design language and its interesting approach to dials that can be read under any lighting conditions. Rather than the luminous paint that many brands use, Ball employs micro gas tubes to illuminate the hands and dial, which looks especially great in this collection. While the dial colours and functions are different between the references, all members of the Ball Engineer III collection feature this detail, as well as reliable construction, antimagnetic properties and impressive water resistances.

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Stowa Fleiger

Hailing from Engelsbrand, Germany, Stowa is a watch brand that slips under the radar of many enthusiasts. Well known in collecting circles for its affordable and cleanly designed pilot watches, its most recognisable collection is the Fleiger line-up, which celebrates the pilot’s watches of the 1940s. Available in a number of different sizes and complications – with the option of customising many of the watches to your specific tastes – the Fleiger reimagines the function-forward design language of vintage pilot’s watches without having to empty your bank account. Get Stowa on your radar asap.

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Cartier Tank Must

The Must de Cartier collection was first launched in 1977, as an affordable entry into the French-founded watch and jewellery makers’ timepieces. In 2021, Cartier relaunched a contemporary expression of the collection, with a trio of monochromatic Tanks that reference the richly coloured lacquer dials of the past and have continued this popular collection to this day.

Featuring the iconic rectangular Tank case shape – and those distinctive exploding Roman numerals – the entry point of the collection is available in three sizes and powered by a quartz movement, however, there are also relatively affordable automatic references. As an entry point into the world of haute horology and Cartier, it doesn’t get better.

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Raymond Weil Freelancer

If you’re looking for a watch that blends the avant-garde with the classic, the Raymond Weil Freelancer collection has it all, from semi-open dials that expose the movement beneath, to clean chronographs and dress watches. Arriving with options that cover several different dial colours, metal types and complications (including a particularly attractive GMT Worldtimer), there’s a very solid range on offer from Raymond Weil.

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Sinn 358 Chronograph

While Switzerland might be the heart of European watchmaking, Germany is sometimes overlooked as an important part of the horological landscape. Sinn is a perfect example of the German approach, with a heavy emphasis on high-end technical materials (such as submarine steel found in some of their watches) and no-nonsense legibility. 

The Sinn 358 Chronograph range is a great example of this approach to the craft of watchmaking, as a legibility-first chronograph that measures 42mm in diameter, with your choice of either a rubber or leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet. Made by a watch brand that knows precisely how to produce pilot watches, you’ll be happy on the ground as you are in the air.

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Longines HydroConquest

When it comes to great value in watchmaking, Longines offers some of the very best in the business across all of its collections. However, if you needed to pick one range you could wear every day for the rest of your life, it’d have to be the rough-and-ready Longines HydroConquest collection. With dozens of different dial colours and metals, complications and case sizes, it’s one of the most dynamic dive watch collections on the market right now.

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DOXA Sub 300

DOXA is a watchmaker that made a name for themselves working with Rolex on early dive watch technology, and was a favourite of ocean exploration royalty Jacques Cousteau. Still using the brand’s famous tonneau case shapes, the DOXA Sub 300 brings this historical dive watch design into the 21st century with brightly coloured dials, comfortable beads-of-rice bracelets and the instantly recognisable diving bezel. If you’re after a dive watch that screams summer, it honestly doesn’t get much better.  

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$5,001 – $10,000

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Oris ProPilot X

Most discussions of independent watchmakers involve watches that cost tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, but not when it comes to Oris. Affordably priced and well-engineered, Oris has become known for its compelling heritage reissues, but more recently has opened many collector’s eyes to the much more contemporary ProPilot X collection. With angular titanium cases, extremely impressive movements (which boast five days of power reserve) and fun dial tones, there’s a ton of watchmaking, and collecting value, to be found in the Oris ProPilot X collection.

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Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight

The Black Bay Fifty-Eight range has become a mainstay in the current Tudor catalogue, offering equal parts vintage vibe and modern reliability. Inspired by one of the very first Tudor diving watches, it’s a fan-favourite among enthusiasts around the world thanks to its restrained proportions and the increasing number of references the collection offers. From cases made in gold, silver, bronze and of course, steel, the Fifty-Eight is one of the best watches that’s been launched in the last half decade and has the GPHG awards to prove it.

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Longines Spirit Flyback

For Longines, the recently released Spirit Flyback collection is a return to its history of making some of the best chronograph movements in the world. Featuring a 42mm case size and a balanced pair of chronograph subdials, the beating heart of this collection that makes the famed “flyback” function possible is the automatic L791 calibre, offering 68 hours of power reserve. As a collection that draws inspiration from the past while being firmly rooted in cutting-edge modern watchmaking, it’s a great addition to the Longines catalogue.

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Norqain Freedom 60 GMT

You might not have heard of Norqain, but they’re an independent watchmaker based in the heart of Swiss watchmaking — exactly where you want your watches to be conceived. The Norqain Freedom 60 GMT is a cleanly designed, classically proportioned, GMT watch with an opaline white dial that contrasts strongly with the blue and red GMT ring inside the dial.

The 40mm stainless steel watch offers some serious wrist presence thanks to the 14.5mm thickness of the case. It’s a proper travel watch, with 100m of water resistance and 70 hours of power reserve thanks to the Norqain Manufacture Caliber NN20/2. For us to include this beauty on this list of best watches for men is far from a tough decision.

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Hermès H08

In a first for the French leather goods company, Hermès launched a more casual sports watch in 2021, with a solid offering that had fans of the brand licking their lips. The H08 features a cushion case shape that measures 39mm in diameter, Hermès has since released a number of different references, either offering different dial or strap colours, or case materials. No matter which member of the collection you’re looking at, it’s a truly unique and modern sports watch that blends luxury with daily wearability.

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Bell & Ross BR 03

Bell & Ross is a French-founded watchmaker whose design language is heavily inspired by the instruments of military aircraft, resulting in a distinct circle-in-a-square case shape for many of its timepieces. Perhaps the most unmistakable collection boasting their military pilot’s watches aesthetic is the Bell & Ross BR 03 line-up, iconic for its case shape with a number of different complications and functionalities. From racing watch references and divers to chronographs and GMTs, it’s a collection that has it all, complete with one of the most comfortable rubber straps in the game.

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Bremont Supermarine

Bremont is a British-born watchmaking firm founded by brothers Nick and Giles English. The brand has made significant strides in recent years, opening a new factory and committing to making some of the best watches in the UK for a century or more. From collaborations with Jaguar to many of the armed forces of the world, Bremont is trusted by the best and its Supermarine collection is a great starting point, offering a bullet-proof watch that can handle anything your arm can.

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Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional

“Icon” is a word that can be thrown around a little frivolously at times in the world of watches, but without a doubt, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional is an icon in every sense of the word. In 2021, Omega updated its icon with a new movement in the calibre 3861, which was the first update the Speedmaster has received in over half a century. With a comfortable 42mm case, a fantastically well-designed bracelet and improved movement, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional is better than it’s ever been before.

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Citizen Calibre 0200

While Citizen is best known for their affordable watches, worn and loved around the world, the watch brand has made excelled in its manufacturing of higher-quality watches in recent years. Produced in collaboration with La Joux-Perret – a Swiss watchmaker that Citizen acquired in 2012 – the Citizen Calibre 0200 is the watch brand’s first mechanical luxury sports watch collection. 

The steel, angular case and bracelet are both finished with an attractive blend of brushed and polished finishings, with the case measuring 40mm in diameter and remaining relatively slender at 10.9mm thick. The richly textured dial is contrasted with a smaller sub-dial at 6 o’clock, beneath which the impressively accurate calibre 0200 boasts 60 hours of power reserve. 

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Breitling Chronomat

As a collection that has only recently been revived, the Breitling Chronomat range is a winner from every angle you look at it. From the neatly integrated rouleaux bracelet and the well-finished bezel to the inclusion of some COSC-certified movements – as well as the sheer breadth of the range – there is so much to enjoy about the Chronomat. Regardless of if you’re after a GMT, chronograph or even a watch to commemorate the rugby, the Breitling Chronomat line-up gets more compelling with every year that passes.

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$10,001-$20,000

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Rolex Datejust

Without a shadow of a doubt, the Rolex Datejust is one of the most well-recognised and iconic watches that has ever left Switzerland, as a genre-defining timepiece and an international symbol of aptitude and taste. Featuring its distinctive Cyclops date window magnifier at 3 o’clock and your pick of different case sizes, bezel finishings, dial colours, patterns and bracelets, there are endless versions to ensure there’s a Datejust out there for everyone. In addition to its universally celebrated design, the movements inside Datejusts are also top-notch, featuring a number of cutting-edge innovations to ensure maximum accuracy and reliability.

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IWC Pilot’s Watch 43

The emblematic IWC Big Pilot’s Watch from IWC Schaffhausen is another legend of the watch industry, renowned for its wrist presence and legibility. Recently, the IWC Big Pilot’s watch got a new case size, reduced from 46mm to 43mm for increased everyday wearability without losing its impact, and is now offered on a brown calfskin strap, as well as a comfortable stainless steel bracelet too.

Powered by the in-house 82100 calibre with a solid 60 hours of power reserve, the new Pilot’s Watch 43 is a great alternative to the hulking original that maintains the distinctive case and dial design. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch has gone beyond the cockpit here, asserting itself as a stylish and timeless companion for any occasion.

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Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

Today, dive watches for men are some of the most popular on the market. This is thanks to their technical ability and versatility, so if you’re after the original modern dive watch you need to own a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms at least once in your collecting life. With a history that dates back to 1953 when it was created for the French Combat Swimmers Corps, the combination of the black dial, rotating bezel and high waterproof rating were all first seen together in the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.

Today, the collection remains a winning line-up, with several dozen different references that now feature complications such as chronographs, calendar functions, mechanical depth gauges and even tourbillons. If you love dive watches and the history behind them, a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms should be something you consider very seriously.

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Chopard L.U.C

While many collectors and watch enthusiasts have come across Chopard before, not all know its refined and elevated Chopard L.U.C collection, which embodies the very best of what Chopard watchmaking is about. No matter if you’re looking at one of the L.U.C time-only dress watch options in stainless steel or the sapphire-cased chiming watches that cost the same as an apartment, all members of the collection are technically impressive and aesthetically breathtaking. You won’t be disappointed if you add a Chopard L.U.C to the collection.

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Panerai Submersible

Panerai is loved by collectors around the world for its tough and highly legible diving watches, which were originally manufactured for the Italian Navy. Today, the most popular collection of Panerai dive watches is the Submersible, which is a contemporary expression of the Luminor and offers enthusiasts a range of different divers that vary in case size, compilation and materials (Panerai is a leader in sustainable watchmaking materials). If you’re after a thoroughly modern dive watch with a solid history behind it, the Panerai Submersible deserves a closer look.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver

Best known for being the global luxury powerhouse they are, Louis Vuitton has recently taken steps to be a more forceful presence in the watch world. While their haute horology arm features the Geneva Seal –  one of the finest marks of excellence in the Swiss watchmaking industry – Louis Vuitton has also been making more approachable everyday watches too. One such collection is the Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver range, which features the classic Tambour (drum, in French) case shape, vibrant dial colours, an internally rotating bezel and 100m of water resistance. 

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Glashütte Original Pano

The Glashütte Original Pano collection remains as definitive for the German brand as it was when it was first introduced over 20 years ago. Classic and warm, with a charming presence on the wrist, the collection is immediately recognisable thanks to its off-centre dial and date layout, arranged with a pleasing asymmetry. Featuring a number of different tourbillon and chronograph complications, as well as calendar and moonphase functions, the Glashütte Original Pano is a great example of German watchmaking that combines interesting innovation with traditional techniques.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

A masterpiece of art deco design, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso was born in 1931 and remains almost unchanged nearly a century later. Celebrated for its dynamic case that can flip over to protect the dial from impacts, it was born as a sports watch, but is today loved for the ease with which you can pair it with any outfit. The current collection contains several dozen different references which offer a variety of case sizes, materials and complications — from chronographs to world-leading tourbillon designs — showcasing the almost unending ways the design can be interpreted. An icon from the watchmaker’s watchmaker.

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Bulgari Octo Finissimo

In the years since the Bulgari Octo Finissimo was first released, Bulgari has broken no less than eight world records with watches in the collection. That’s right, despite Bulgari being thought of by many as a jewellery brand, they are fast proving their horological chops with a collection that is both distinctly Roman in its geometry, and impressive as an everyday sports watch. With references available in titanium, steel, gold, platinum, ceramic, and carbon, with complications that span time-only automatic movement watches to minute repeaters, the Octo Finissimo collection is a truly modern sports watch that has the potential to become a future icon within the world of watches.

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Zenith Chronomaster Sport

At the beginning of last year, Zenith announced what would be one of the best watches of the year. The Zenith Chronomaster Sport marked something of a return to serious strength for the brand, with the collection selling out everywhere and waiting lists forming as collectors scrambled to own one. Today, the collection remains seriously desirable, with four different references that vary by bracelet or strap and dial colour, but all of which feature 41mm stainless steel cases, ceramic bezels and the remarkable El Primero calibre 3600 chronograph movement (capable of measuring 1/100th of a second). A cracking collection from the stalwart Swiss brand.

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Breitling Premier

The Breitling Premier collection is a homage to an important period in the brand’s history, which is remembered via the rectangular chronograph pushers, Arabic numerals, and a bi-complex chronograph layout. This classic chronograph design is modernised with a range of different dial tones, and the inclusion of some of Breitling’s finest modern chronograph movements, while retaining its original DNA. As precise and dependable as it is decorous. 

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Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection

Nearby the Shizukuishi studio where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are made, a thick white birch tree forest is said to have inspired the first Evolution 9 watches from the brand. Today, the collection comprises 14 different references that all pay tribute to our natural environment in some way, including GMTs, a chronograph (Grand Seiko’s first-ever mechanical chronograph), dive watches and more. If you’ve been thinking of getting a Grand Seiko on your wrist, you can’t go wrong here.

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$20,001-$50,000

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H. Moser & Cie Pioneer

If you’re after a stunningly made timepiece from a well-respected independent watchmaker, the H. Moser & Cie Pioneer collection is as good a pick as any. Designed to be worn, “from the wetsuit to the three-piece suit and everything in between,” the collection is balanced and dynamic, with a range of different complications including a perpetual calendar and multiple types of tourbillon. The collection generally features a polished stainless steel case (with the exception of a few precious metal references), that measures around 41mm and all are powered by a high-quality H. Moser & Cie automatic movement, which is not only technically impressive but a delight to look at too.

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Breguet Classique

Breguet is known for its technical sophistication, especially in regards to the tourbillon, which the genius founder of Breguet personally invented in 1795 in a pocket watch. But on top of their expertise in the most complex corners of the watchmaking world, Breguet is also well-known for the quality of its decoration and design, shown in the consistent elegance of the Breguet Classique collection. A study in proportion and balance, each member of the wide-ranging Breguet Classique line-up is as traditional as the last, exploring the best of enamelling and hand-engraving, as well as offering some truly spectacular movements. A Breguet Classique won’t be the first nice watch you own, and it certainly won’t be the last.

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Ulysse Nardin Freak

While Ulysse Nardin has a history that dates back the best part of 200 years, arguably its most exciting collection today is extremely futuristic in its design. The Ulysse Nardin Freak collection doesn’t have a dial or hands, instead telling the time via the flying carrousel movement that rotates around its own central axis. One of the most visually engaging and technically interesting watchmaking innovations in recent decades, the Ulysse Nardin Freak is for a collector who loves avant-garde watchmaking.

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Ressence Type 8

The Ressence Type 8 collection is for the rule breaker; the man who invents his own style and carries himself in absolute confidence. You only need one glance at this extremely unusual design to know there’s something different about it, with a dial layout that’s possible thanks to the proprietary Ressence Orbital Convex System movement, and a grade 5 titanium case, that measures a hair under 43mm in diameter. Boasting a lug-less design and oozing with simple sophistication, the Ressence Type 8 is truly innovative in design.

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Girard-Perregaux Laureato

Just as the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak were created in the 1970s at the birth of the modern sports watch, so too did the Girard-Perregaux Laureato make its debut as one of the quintessential luxury watches of that decade. Today, the Laureato remains one of Girard-Perregaux’s most popular collections, with traditional examples in stainless steel and more contemporary expressions cased in everything from transparent sapphire crystal and ceramic to innovative Carbon Glass. A legend from half a century ago, that remains as current as ever.

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Moritz Grossmann Heritage

The Benu Heritage collection from Moritz Grossmann is a wonderful example of what this traditional German watchmaker is capable of, offering a range of classically styled timepieces that are as handsome on the wrist as they are technically impressive. The Benu Heritage range contains a number of subcollections that span the gamut between power reserve indicators and tourbillons, which each showcase Moritz Grossmann’s visually conservative approach in all the right ways. It’s far from affordable watchmaking, but the quality of the Glashütte-based brand means they produce some of the best watches for men in the world.

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Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin

The Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin is a play of striking contrasts, no matter which of the three dials you’re most interested in. The Lugano-based watch brand, backed by the Italian Ziviani family, offers this thoroughly impressive 39mm watch (kept slender at just 8.7mm thick) with a sculptural case shape and eye-catching dial options (including a blue dial, black dial and green dial. Underneath it all, a high-end calibre GCA 3002 automatic movement with a power reserve of 50 hours, powered by a bi-directional floating rose gold rotor and an anti-shock Incabloc system. It’s the perfect balance of individuality, power, and style.

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

It’s a watch we’ve mentioned several times already in this list and for good reason. Just like its competitive sibling over at Patek Philippe, the Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet is one of the most important releases of the last half-century and perfectly embodies the luxe elegance of integrated bracelet stainless steel sports watches. Today, the collection is enormous, comprising no less than 106 different references that cover the entire span of fine watchmaking, from the simplest three-handers to grand complication timepieces. They’re hard to buy at retail, but if you can find one from an authorised boutique, you won’t be a disappointed owner.

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Vacheron Constantin Overseas

Easily the most popular and wearable everyday watch from the current Vacheron Constantin collection is the Overseas, which delivers another masterclass in the design of an integrated bracelet sport watch. Born in the 1970s just like its compatriots from the other holy trinity brands (Patek and AP), this sleek collection has grown into a line-up of 36 different models that include everything from simple quartz options to perpetual calendars, all of which are linked by their excellent bracelet design and impeccably finished movements within. Another range you won’t regret adding to your own collection.

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$50,001+

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Armin Strom Pure Resonance

The physical phenomenon of resonance was first recorded by Galileo Galilei in the 17th century and is the inspiration for the mechanically remarkable Armin Strom Pure Resonance. The movement features twin independent, yet symmetrically mirrored regulators that improve the timekeeping of the watch, both of which are cased in 42mm of stainless steel. Offering an uninterrupted view of the regulators, the dial is off-centre towards the 3 o’clock position, giving a distinctive, yet far from flashy presence on the wrist.

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Patek Philippe Nautilus

What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch? Perhaps the most in-demand watch collection on the planet, with the longest waitlist and mind-numbingly, ridiculous, aftermarket value, each member of the Nautilus family is more desirable than the last.

While the much-hyped ref. 5711 is discontinued (with its successor found in the white gold ref. 5811) there are still more than two dozen references that cover the gamut between time-only and perpetual calendar watches, each retaining the original Gerald Genta-designed DNA that is so well-loved by the watch community. If you’re after a Nautilus, you’ll need pockets far deeper than any individual reference’s RRP.

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Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic

While Piaget is a jeweller of the highest quality, the brand is perhaps best known for its genuinely remarkable ultra-thin watches. Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Automatic offers the kind of mechanical sorcery that’s enough to convince even the most sceptical folks that fine watchmaking is an art form, and at 4.3mm from front to back it’s one of the thinnest automatic movement watches in the world. Measuring 41mm in diameter and cased in white gold, the in-house 910P calibre is an examination of the limits of form and function. A timepiece that is as much of an intellectual experience as it is an emotional one.

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F.P. Journe Classique

François-Paul Journe first launched his eponymous watch brand in 1999, and less than three decades later, his watches are some of the most desirable in the world. Among the most quintessential of Journe’s approach to watchmaking is the Classique collection, which offers case sizes between 39mm and 42mm in red gold or platinum (occasionally in steel or tantalum too) and showcases the aesthetic and technical DNA of the brand. Relentless in its pursuit of perfection, and uncompromising in its commitment to pushing the art of watchmaking forward, the F.P. Journe Classique collection is a pinnacle in contemporary independent watchmaking.

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A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1

Sometimes it’s hard to work out why the design of a watch works so well, and it couldn’t be truer than with the A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1, which boasts an asymmetrical dial based on the golden ratio of the ancient Greeks. It delivers a slim profile on the wrist, a dial that approaches perfection against the most traditional German watchmaking standards, and a movement that is almost unmatched in terms of beauty and finishing. If you’re interested in seeing the pinnacle of German (and all) watchmaking, you need only visit an A. Lange & Sohne boutique.  

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Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic

As a brand that was born from the fusion of a gold case and a rubber strap, Hublot has come a very long way over the last four decades, with no collection proving its watchmaking capabilities more than the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic collection. Featuring entirely skeletonised tourbillon movements, the cases of this collection range from carbon and ceramic to solid colour-tinted sapphire crystal, which is a material less than a handful of watchmakers have been able to tame to their wishes. It’s big, it’s brash and it’s in your face, but it’s unmistakably Hublot.

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Richard Mille RM 74-01 Automatic Tourbillon

Today, Richard Mille is a veritable juggernaut within the luxury watches space as a brand that is synonymous with wealth and power (even spotted prominently in HBO’s Succession). A collection that’s emblematic of Mr Mille’s watchmaking philosophy, but certainly isn’t the brand at the peak of its powers is the Richard Mille RM 74-01 Automatic Tourbillon. It features a skeletonised automatic-winding tourbillon movement with grade 5 titanium bridges and baseplate, which is cased in a grey Cermet case that’s made from an alloy of ceramic and titanium. Extremely technically innovative and truly avant-garde in its aesthetic, the Richard Mill owners club is a very good one to be a part of.

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Greubel Forsey Convexe

If you’re looking for one of the most complicated, impressively designed and outrageously expensive sports watches on the market, you need to be looking at the Convexe from Greubel Forsey. The Swiss watchmaking team is best known for intricate tourbillons and exception hand finishing and this collection is no exception, containing five different limited edition references — each with a more eye-watering price than the last. A status symbol perhaps beyond all other status symbols, to own a Greubel Forsey is to immediately enjoy access to a rarified club of some of the world’s best watch collectors.

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Final Thoughts

So there you have it. The best of the best in watchmaking in 2023. From the legitimately affordable to the mind-bending wristwatches of billionaires, we’ve pretty much covered it all.

As some further tips for buying your first watch, continuing to do your research is always an important part of the process. Read this article all the way through, then read our other lists and reviews of the watches you’re keen on.

Buying a new watch (or your first watch) is an exciting moment but there’s nothing worse than getting it on your wrist for the first time and disliking it. Of course, buying watches you don’t end up loving for life is all a part of the rich tapestry of watch collecting, but the better your research, the less likely it is to happen.

As far as how much you should expect to spend on a watch that you could pass on to your children? A good watch doesn’t have to cost thousands, but between $1,000 and $5,000 is what you should look to pay for a great timepiece that will last a lifetime.

If you’ve got any more specific questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me over email or Instagram, and I’ll answer any thoughts you might have as soon as I can.

Frequently Asked Questions – Best Watches For Men

Which brand is best for men's watches?

There are a number of great men’s watch brands, including the likes of Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Grand Seiko, Cartier and many more.

What are top 10 watches?

It’s very hard to nail down the top 10 watches in the world, but after reading this list you’ll be able to make your mind up for yourself.

Which is the most reliable watch brand?

There are many very reliable watch brands, but some of the best include Grand Seiko, Rolex, G-Shock, Seiko and more.