A small history of watches and some advices for buying the perfect watch. Heritage 1973 Chronograph 43mm satin-polished stainless steel case, black calf leather strap. The Swiss brand first engaged with motor racing during the Fifties, finding its greatest success in the Seventies sponsoring entrants at the Le Mans 24-hour endurance races and claiming a podium first place with French car builder Alpine at the Monte Carlo Rally World Championship in 1973. This year’s Heritage release revisits Tissot’s original mechanical racing watch, the Navigator, fairly faithfully while adding new tweaks. Inside the polished steel 43mm case, the three-dial panda layout is highlighted with green Super-LumiNova indices and sporty little neon-orange counters, the date window is repositioned between 4 and 5 o’clock, and it’s all mounted on a period-perfect black perforated leather racing strap. Limited to an appropriate 1,973 pieces, the race is on to catch up with one.
Let’s move on to the under 1000 USD category. The latest iteration of Orient’s beloved, mid-century-style dress watch. The domed dial now comes in an excellent slate-gray colorway and features rose gold accents. The watch also gets an updated suede strap. Ticking underneath is an automatic movement from Orient featuring hand-winding and hacking seconds. If you want excellent modern design in a watch, you don’t need to pay much, fortunately. Braun’s BN0211 has won both an iF and a Red Dot award for its minimal, stealthy aesthetic. A yellow seconds hand pops against a stealthy black dial and sleek black case, and the watch comes mounted on a comfortable stainless steel mesh bracelet. With few exceptions, Timex abandoned mechanical movements in favor of digital and quartz movements years ago. That’s exactly why Timex’s reissue of the famed Marlin is so exciting. It’s now available with an automatic movement underneath, and if that weren’t enough, it comes with a sleek case, dial, and strap design that truly look like they were plucked from the 1960s.
TAG Heuer, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland, and long a favorite of motorsports enthusiasts, is a name that commands instant respect in every watch-loving quarter. Only occasionally are any of their pieces attainable under the £1K mark — and when they are, you should definitely drop the coin. With a rubber strap and stainless steel case, this watch is ideal for rugged adventures. While it is not suited for scuba diving, it is capable of withstanding up to 660 ft of water. In addition, the iconic Formula 1 model has the distinction of having been worn by actual Formula 1 drivers. An updated pilot watch is a sharp style that adds something interesting to any watch collection, thanks to its intricate looking chronographs and large numbers you can read at the quickest of glances. Alpina is known for its pilot watches and movements, so if you are looking for one under £1,000, this is the brand to beat. This clean timepiece on a stainless steel bracelet also looks great with a T-shirt and jeans since it has been designed with the modern man’s movements in mind.
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