The GQ Watch Guide 2020: 112 best men’s watches to buy

To mark the 25th anniversary of its revival following the reunification of Germany, the historic Glashütte brand created a series of ten special editions of its cornerstone Lange 1 watch.
Watch of the collection: The Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon’s gorgeous salmon-coloured dial is difficult to resist. The watch combines a flyback chronograph with a jumping date perpetual calendar and a tourbillon regulator, all within a 41.5mm white-gold case. No fewer than 729 components make up the exquisitely decorated movement of this horological masterpiece. £255,000. alange-soehne.com

Alpina continues to pursue the hybrid market with its Alpiner X sports watch, aimed at fitness fans and outdoorsy types. Capable of measuring everything from altitude and distance travelled to atmospheric pressure, the watch stores saved data on the cloud so it can be shared with other devices.
Watch of the collection: Call us old fashioned, but we prefer the latest take on the Seastrong Diver Heritage – a reinterpretation of the Alpina 10 Super Compressor of 1969. This 50th anniversary model combines a 42mm steel case finished in bronze PVD. It’s supplied with both leather and rubber straps. £1,495. alpinawatches.com

The world’s biggest watchmaker since 2017, Apple has effectively usurped the Swiss giants with an iPhone accessory, one that’s become more compelling since its launch five years ago thanks to a newfound focus on health and wellness that’s lent the Watch an identity all of its own. Originally conceived as a fashion-minded device, this vision is retained with new titanium and ceramic case options.
Watch of the collection: As much as the Watch Series 5 is perfectly suited as a fitness companion with waterproofing, heart-rate tracking and support for all manner of exercises, it’s also the most accomplished timepiece Apple has made. The introduction of an always-on display means you can now read the time without having to flick your wrist to wake up its display, while Apple’s latest Hermès collaboration brings a further touch of class to proceedings with a wealth of elegant leather straps to choose from. From £1,249. apple.com

The watch house founded 40 years ago by Svend Andersen found success as a maker of erotic designs, such as the Eros 69 of 2007, an apparently conventional three-handed watch when viewed from the front until the case was flipped to reveal the scene of a ménage à trois in full swing.
Watch of the collection: The maker has announced a new series dedicated to oenophiles. Each of the 12 features a revolving disc that makes one complete revolution every 365 days, during which a dozen hand-enamelled images depicting the monthly stages of the winemaking process are displayed around the dial. £40,800. andersen-geneve.ch

Horological pundits took to social media earlier this year to express their outrage at the design of AP’s all-new Code 11.59 collection – deemed by the online “experts” as neither a sports nor a dress watch. But wait, didn’t the pundits of 1972 dismiss its Gérald Genta-designed Royal Oak as a no-hoper? On that basis, we’re going to give Code 11.59 a chance to mature.
Watch of the collection: We’re backing the Flyback Chronograph, which offers an in-house Calibre 4401 column wheel chronograph, a “jumping” calendar and 70 hours of power reserve in white-gold/black-dial or pink-gold/blue-dial combinations. £37,500. audemarspiguet.com

Aeronautically inspired watch brand Avi-8 has had a busy few months, launching watches to commemorate both George Bulman, chief test pilot on the Hawker Hurricane development programme, and the 50th anniversary of the flight from London to New York made by a RAF Hawker Harrier jump jet.
Watch of the collection: Forgive the lack of patriotism, but we’re gunning for the P-51 Mustang Bottisham Edition. The self-winding watch pays tribute to the US Air Force 361 Fighter Group that flew Mustangs out of RAF Bottisham in Cambridgeshire and features a dial inspired by the planes’ cockpit instruments and fuselage insignia. From £290. avi-8.co.uk

Ball Watch Co recently reaffirmed its adventurous spirit by sponsoring an eleven-metre sailing boat called Maewan, which will undertake 35 voyages across the globe. The six-person crew will be led by Erwan Le Lann, a French mountaineer and marine guide who will travel 41,000 miles to conduct scientific projects and raise awareness of environmental issues.
Watch of the collection: The Roadmaster Skipper, “launched” in tandem with the Maewan project, is a chronometer-certified sailing watch that’s water resistant to 200 metres. Available in 40mm or 43mm case sizes, each version is limited to 1,000 examples. From £1,940. ballwatch.com

George Bamford’s Mayfair watch, originally created as a stand-in for customers to wear while their “real” watches were being serviced, proved such a hit that it became available for all to buy in 2017.
Watch of the collection: As the official customising house of LVMH watches, BWD has now got together with artist Black Badger to create just ten TAG Heuer Carrera watches with multicoloured dials made from so-called “Fordite” – the accumulation of overspray found in automotive paint booths. £5,500. bamfordwatchdepartment.com

Baume – the eco-friendly, millennial-chasing maker of low-cost watches – might have been around for less than two years, but it already claims to offer no fewer than 2,300 permutations in its quartz range and 432 in its automatic line. It’s a case of “build it yourself”, using the decidedly addictive configurator.
Watch of the collection: We eventually alighted on the 41mm moonphase model, which can be tailored to taste with features such as cork, cotton or Alcantara straps, white or grey dials, steel, black or golden hands and the engraving of your choice. £500. baumewatches.com

Baume & Mercier’s Clifton Baumatic took Richemont’s entry-level luxury watchmaker to a new level thanks to its specially developed movement, offering anti-magnetism up to 1,500 gauss, five days of power reserve, chronometer accuracy and minimum five-year maintenance intervals. And now that same movement has been developed into…
Watch of the collection: …the fabulous, classic-looking Clifton Baumatic Perpetual Calendar, featuring a 42mm, red-gold case and a calendar mechanism that won’t need adjusting until 1 March 2100. Except it will, of course, becauseyou’re bound to forget to keep it running. £19,300. baume-et-mercier.com

Bell & Ross has now added the all-new BR-05 to its portfolio, a 40mm model that takes the form of a “soft square”. The French brand has also reinforced its collaboration with Renault Formula One via four new RS19 watches featuring the team’s signature yellow highlights.
Watch of the collection: The first Bell & Ross watches were made in 1992 by the German firm Sinn, where B&R cofounder and designer Bruno Belamich worked as an intern. Those original models were round-cased, army-style pieces – a look that has now been revisited with the new BRV2-92 three-hander and BRV2-94 chronograph with “military beige” dials. From £3,350. bellross.com

As part of its ongoing Ocean Commitment programme, Blancpain backed this summer’s “Gombessa V” research expedition led by Laurent Ballesta, the marine naturalist, underwater photographer and expert diver who the brand has sponsored since 2012.
Watch of the collection: We’d certainly dig deep for the new Fifty Fathoms “Nageurs De Combat” special edition – an excellent reinterpretation of the original model designed for French military divers in 1953. Blancpain has been given special permission to engrave the combat diver qualification badge on the back of the 45mm watch. £11,890. blancpain.com

Hugo Boss is banking on the future of electric motorsport, as the official partner of the Formula E street race series, through which it gets to use drivers Lucas di Grassi, André Lotterer, Jérôme d’Ambrosio and current drivers’ champion Jean-Éric Vergne as models for both its clothes and its watches.
Watch of the collection: The Trophy appeals, with its crisp white dial, clear blue detailing and matching tachymeter bezel. The stainless-steel case is well finished for a watch in the price range and there’s a decent steel bracelet to keep it on your wrist too. £399. bosswatches.co.uk

It’s commonly thought that the tourbillon was invented by horological genius Abraham-Louis Breguet. Wrong! The mechanism, which houses the escapement in a rotating cage to counteract the effect of gravity, was initiated by John Arnold, but he died in 1799 without bringing the idea to fruition, leaving his friend Breguet to perfect and patent it.
Watch of the collection: It had better be a tourbillon. The brilliant Reference 5395 features a tourbillon-equipped movement just 3mm thick that’s skeletonised to the max and decorated with all the finishing techniques for which the Breguet name is synonymous. From £177,400. breguet.com

Two years into his tenure as Breitling CEO, watch industry veteran Georges Kern has radically streamlined the brand’s offering, hooked-up with various new partners, including the Ironman triathlon series and the Biarritz Wheels & Waves festival, and established ambassador “squads” in the fields of flying, surfing, exploration and cinema.
Watch of the collection: Another new deal, this time with Norton Motorcycles, has produced the Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition, with a dial finished in Norton’s signature black and gold colour scheme and a caseback decorated with the marque’s famous logo. £6,700. breitling.com

Bremont has reinforced its military connections by becoming the first luxury watchmaker to be granted MOD clearance to use the “signs, symbols and insignia” of the British armed forces. The brand marked the moment with three new models: the entry-level Broadsword (£2,595), the £2,795 naval-inspired Argonaut and the Bremont Arrow, costing £3,595.
Watch of the collection: Five years after making a special series of watches to complement the six Special GT E-Type “continuation” cars built by Jaguar Classic, Bremont has created a model to go with the legendary D-Type, which is limited to 300 examples. £5,495. bremont.com

The Roman jeweller continues to push the envelope by pursuing its “less is more” thin theme. The latest version of its bestselling Octo Finissimo Automatic is made entirely from ceramic and, at 5.5mm thick, it’s the slimmest self-winding ceramic watch on the market.
Watch of the collection: Even more impressive is the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT, which, in true Bulgari style, manages to break a record that has stood for more than 30 years by being the thinnest mechanical chronograph ever made. Despite measuring just 6.9mm, it combines a self-winding column wheel chronograph with a GMT function. £15,200. bulgari.com

Bulova’s place as a horological innovator is now celebrated on the firm’s website with an interesting and fun-to-use interactive archive that reveals just how many firsts the (now Japanese-owned) American-rooted brand has been responsible for.
Watch of the collection: It has to be the Computron Re-Edition, a 21st-century version of its digital driver’s watch first seen during the Seventies. The distinctive trapezoid case uses a side-on display to make it easier to read while holding a steering wheel and, like the original model, features an LED readout that needs manual activation. From £229. bulova.com

Eagle-eyed horophiles who have seen Keanu Reeves reprise the title role in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum will have spotted a proliferation of product from Carl F Bucherer. Wick, the “Bowery King” (Laurence Fishburne) and Sofia (Halle Berry) all wear watches by the Lucerne-based maker.
Watch of the collection: The Patravi Scubatec in steel with black honeycomb dial features a ceramic bezel and a chronometer-certified movement, while the 44.6mm diameter case is sufficiently beefy to ensure water resistance down to a lung-crushing 500 metres. £5,500. carl-f-bucherer.com

The “king of jewellers” celebrates its famous Tonneau model this year through a series of limited-edition Collection Privée watches. Launched in 1906, the barrel-shaped Tonneau is reinterpreted as a simple, hand-wound, two-hander model. Each is available in pink gold or platinum and limited to 100 examples.
Watch of the collection: The story goes that Louis Cartier created the first men’s wristwatch in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont. Despite being tweaked numerous times over the decades, the essential shape remains the same and a Santos is simply one watch that everyone needs to own. £3,100. cartier.com

No doubt collectors of Casio watches are all clamouring for one of the 200 Oceanus Mantas being made by the Japanese firm to mark the 15th anniversary of its diving model, which now includes Bluetooth compatibility, radio wave reception and 100-metres water resistance.
Watch of the collection: Another anniversary model, this time the new GWR-B1000X, which features carbon composites in its case, strap and dial. Handsome red accents complete the look of the lightest Gravitymaster series G-Shock to date. £899. casio.co.uk

Demonstrating concern for the oceans is all the rage among watch brands these days, though it’s true to say that Certina has been following that righteous path for years. It now marks the 60th anniversary of the Sea Turtle Conservancy with an updated version of its DS Action Diver costing a turtle-y reasonable £730.
Watch of the collection: For £100 more, you’ll get you a DS Action Diver in featherweight, salt-resistant titanium. The 43mm case features a screw-down back and crown, while the dial markings are Super-Luminova coated for legibility in the deep. The bracelet comes with a built-in extender for wearing over wet suits. £830. certina.com

This year’s 20th anniversary of the unisex J12 must have been an occasion that Chanel’s designers were dreading, because it would surely mean having to “refresh” the watch so successfully penned at the first attempt. In the event, the redesign amounted to nothing more than a few barely noticeable tweaks and the addition of a new Kenissi movement, facilitated by Chanel’s purchase of 20 per cent of the Geneva-based manufacture.
Watch of the collection: The new Monsieur Edition Noire. A blackened steel and ceramic case keeps the price low, but the words “reassuringly expensive” still apply. Only 55 are to be made. £23,400. chanel.com

While lesser maisons may strive to expand their men’s watch offering year on year, the effortlessly superior Chaumet has remained quietly confident in its signature Dandy model since launching it in 2003. And, truth be told, it’s rather refreshing not to be spoiled for choice…
Watch of the collection: That’ll be a Dandy. And, this time, we’ll go for the large version (don’t be afraid, it’s only 38mm) with a steel case, blue sunray dial and blue alligator strap. £4,230. chaumet.com

Chopard’s Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has broken new horological ground by opening a boutique and inviting other watchmakers to display their wares in it. Situated at One Monte Carlo, “Art In Time” offers watches not only by Chopard and high-end sister brands Chopard LUC and Ferdinand Berthoud, but also by independent makers such as MB&F, Urwerk and Ressence.
Watch of the collection: The Mille Miglia Zagato chronograph seems like a sure-fire classic. Marking the centenary of the Italian coachbuilder, the 42mm steel-cased watch has a lacquered red dial subtly decorated with a “Z” motif. Just 100 will be available, so be quick. £5,560. chopard.com

Established 15 years ago and now with its own movement facility in Switzerland, Christopher Ward has secured a £6.25 million cash injection from private equity firm BGF. Currently turning over £10.5m per year, the Berkshire-based direct seller is keen to expand its presence in America.
Watch of the collection: Christopher Ward marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 space mission with the C1 Moonglow, equipped with a pair of 3-D revolving moons that shine in the dark. From £1,695. christopherward.co.uk

Citizen’s stand at this year’s Baselworld watch fair was dazzling, to say the least, thanks to the fact that the Japanese brand had suspended a remarkable 70,000 watch movement base plates within its exhibition space.
Watch of the collection: In 2019 Citizen marked 30 years of its Promaster range of high-performance models designed for land, sea and air. Of the three limited editions produced for the occasion, we favoured the Aqualand 200-metre dive watch that offers an analogue depth gauge capable of registering down to 70 metres and a power reserve indicator for monitoring the Eco Drive solar-charged movement. £479. citizenwatch.com

Back in the early noughties, when Corum was enjoying its “golden era” under the ownership of the late, lamented and somewhat eccentric Severin Wunderman, its stand at the Baselworld watch fair enjoyed a prime position near the entrance and always drew the crowds. Cut to 2019 and…
Watch of the collection: Following its departure from Baselworld, little new emerged this year other than a promise that the brand will go “back to basics” in 2020. In the meantime, we’ll place our bets on the classic Admiral 42 sailing watch with a blue dial adorned with the model’s signature nautical pennant designs. £3,700. corum-watches

Culem is a new brand launched by entrepreneur Matthew Cule using funds raised on Kickstarter. Having travelled to 64 countries and all seven continents in his former career, Cule decided to create a GMT watch with a caseback engraved with 24 destinations and their correct time zone differences in relation to both GMT and BST.
Watch of the collection: The dial of the Portal edition features a remarkable world map executed in 3-D that can be had in grey, blue, black or champagne variations and with steel, black PVD or gold-plated cases. All feature good quality ETA movements. From £1,350. culemwatches.co

It’s said that the trend for oversized, statement-making watches is waning. The folks at Diesel seem to disagree…
Watch of the collection: The Griffed chronograph is certainly unconventional, with its left-mounted crown, push buttons and hefty bumpers to protect the translucent orange-coloured crystal. £229. diesel.com

Dior has attracted considerable praise over the last 12 months for its bold, imaginative designs that manifest themselves in technically adept watches. Sadly, they’re almost all designed for women.
Watch of the collection: There might not be anything new in the Chiffre Rouge line of watches for men, but the 38mm AO2 chronograph remains as quirkily cool as it ever was. And there’s a nice Zenith movement within. £4,750. dior.com

When it comes to dive watches, models such as the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms inevitably spring to mind. But it was the historic Doxa brand that was the first to offer an affordable tool watch dedicated to sport divers with the introduction of its Sub 200 T Graph in 1969 – which was the first ever timepiece to feature an orange dial.
Watch of the collection: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Sub 200 T Graph, Doxa has created just 13 18-carat gold versions powered by original Valjoux 7734 movements from the factory archives. But they’re not cheap… From £37,500. doxawatches.com

The word “stagnant” could fairly be applied to Ebel’s men’s watches offering, which has barely changed in years. Why this once highly respected dial name doesn’t delve into its fabulous back catalogue of Sixties designs is beyond us. If such a thing happens, prepare to be amazed…
Watch of the collection: The 41mm Discovery with black or racing-green dial and orange highlights is a daily wearer you wouldn’t mind looking at. £1,095. ebel.com

The Italian fashion brand continues to extend its range of smart and hybrid watches, with the offering now running to 14 different models costing from £229 to £389, making them considerably more affordable than similar devices from other big dial names.
Watch of the collection: This Swiss-made, tonneau-cased number with a “hammered leather” strap is elegant and versatile, looking the part both day and night. It might have the appearance of a far more expensive watch, but a quartz movement keeps the price down. £519. armani.com

Founded just four years ago by a group of watch-loving entrepreneurs headed by Paul Sweetenham, Farer hit the ground running with its combination of British design and Swiss manufacture. All its watches are produced by Roventa-Henex, the private label-maker that quietly works for some of the world’s best-known dial names.
Watch of the collection: Farer offers a comprehensive range of manual-wind and automatic pieces, including chronograph, GMT, time-only and dive variations. We like the Segrave chrono, named after the late land and water speed record holder Henry Segrave. £1,675. farer.com

Founded in 1718, but now owned by a branch of the Tata engineering group, Favre-Leuba specialises in ultra-tough tool watches with special features such as depth gauges and altimeters. Buyers of its new Extreme Black Raider Bivouac 9000 will be entered into a draw to take part in a trek through the alps.
Watch of the collection: The Bathy 120 Memodepth is a dive watch with a depth gauge capable of recording descents of up to 120 metres. The hand-wound movement features a power-reserve indicator and the 48mm case is water-resistant to 200 metres. Because it’s titanium, it’s surprisingly light. £7,800. favre-leuba.com

Since acquired by Google to the tune of $2.1 billion, Fitbit’s smartwatch ambitions remain significant albeit in a state of flux. For the meantime, the fitness-tracking brand is sticking by its fundamentals by catering to the wellness-minded crowd with both its products and its Fitbit Premium subscription service.
Watch of the collection: Fitbit’s Versa 2 is its latest smartwatch and, as such, the most able rival to the likes of Apple’s well-priced Watch Series 3. With an always-on screen, Spotify support and sleep tracking, it’s more function than form but is well-equipped to handle the rigmarole of most workout routines. £199. fitbit.com

Founded 35 years ago by former Texas University student Tom Kartsotis as an importer of inexpensive Chinese-made watches, Fossil now employs more than 14,000 people and is one of the biggest hitters in the timepiece world. It has eight dial names of its own and produces watches under the banners of a dozen other fashion brands.
Watch of the collection: It’s about the simplest-looking Fossil there is (and the range is huge), but the new Forrester three-hand date has retro appeal in spades. The 42mm steel case is fitted with a rugged leather strap – and you get a three-line engraving included in the price. £89. fossil.com

For eight years, François-Paul Journe has been developing the Elégante, fitted with an electro-mechanical movement that automatically switches to “standby” mode if it’s motionless for more than 35 minutes. A microprocessor keeps track of the time, enabling the watch to reset precisely on demand.
Watch of the collection: To mark 20 years since his first tourbillon watches, Journe has created the Tourbillon Souverain Vertical, which features a vertically mounted tourbillon cage so the device remains constant in all positions. The 42mm watch comes in platinum or red gold. From £200,000. fpjourne.com

The affordable Swiss-made brand continues to develop its “Hybrid Manufacture 3.0” smartwatch line. It’s the first to combine a traditional clockwork movement with a battery-powered module to provide smartwatch functionality. Following the 2018 launch, three new models have been added for this year, one in steel and two in rose-gold plate.
Watch of the collection: Frederique Constant has produced various versions of its Vintage Healey Rally Chronograph – and one of the best is the recently introduced navy-dial model with matching blue strap and a rose gold-plated case. It’s great value too. £2,895. frederiqueconstant.com

Arguably the sports watch brand, Garmin has crafted a name for itself by catering for every manner of outdoorsman imaginable with all manner of activity-tracking capabilities wrapped up in a hyper-functional design. It’s latest “Solar” models offer bumper battery life as well by virtue of (you guessed it) solar charging from daylight.
Watch of the collection: Perfect for high seas aficionados and landlubbers alike, the Garmin Marq Captain American Magic Edition was created with sailing in mind but all the features you’d want from standard running or cycling watch, albeit one that cribs its slick design cues from the iconic Omega Seamaster and TAG Heuer Aquaracer. £1,599. garmin.com

If you love the go-anywhere-with-anything brio of your Guess watch, then you’ll be pleased to know there’s a further rung on the horological ladder to explore: the fashion brand’s other dial name, GC.
Watch of the collection: Can’t quite reach – or bother to wait for – the new Rolex GMT-Master with Pepsi bezel? Then think about GC’s Structura dive watch on a blue silicone strap. It’s water-resistant to 100 metres and contains a good-quality, Swiss-made quartz movement. £275. gcwatches.com

If Scandinavian minimalism is your thing, look no further than the masters of the craft at Georg Jensen. The brand was named after the Danish jeweller-silversmith who founded it 115 years ago in Copenhagen, subsequently expanding the business with stores in Berlin, London and New York prior to his death in 1935.
Watch of the collection: We like the 41mm Koppel model for its delicious, forest-green dial. It’s named after Henning Koppel, who was head designer at GJ from 1945 until the late Seventies. £795. georgjensen.com

Girard-Perregaux opted for a blue theme for its 2019 launches, with the 1966 Earth To Sky edition, Cosmos high complication, Laureato Absolute and Laureato Perpetual all featuring dials of rich ultramarine and navy.
Watch of the collection: With its 47mm, blackened-titanium case containing a 362-part, hand-wound movement equipped with a tourbillon, two time zones and day and night indicator, the aforementioned Cosmos is quite the eyeful. It also stars two 3-D representations of the Earth and the sky, which revolve in real time. The latter has a luminous sky chart that only become visible after dark. £255,000. girard-perregaux.com

Glashütte Original keeps the watchmaking tradition alive by operating its own in-house training centre, called the Alfred Helwig School Of Watchmaking. This summer, ten watchmakers and four toolmakers graduate, the majority of whom have been offered jobs with the brand.
Watch of the collection: In 1969, the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 was made by East Germany’s state-owned watchmaker Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe, part of which became Glashütte Original after reunification. Glashütte has re-created it in various versions, calling them SeaQ. We like the limited-edition 1969 model – but only 69 will be made. __£7,200. glashuette-original.com

The ultra-high-end, UK-based jeweller caters exclusively to the super-rich. But the fact that there are more and more of them means it has recently opened in Monaco, Hong Kong and Paris.
Watch of the collection: Graff focuses on the global threat to wildlife with its new GyroGraff Endangered Species watches. Our favourite shows a proud tiger created from a 3-D mosaic incorporating aventurine, blackened gold and diamonds. Other animals include a tiger made from yellow and cognac diamonds. £700,000. graff.com

Founders Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have been working on a side project called Mechanical Nano, which aims to reduce watch components from their already microscopic size in order to free-up case space and minimise energy consumption. The results promise to be spectacular, if baffling.
Watch of the collection: The GMT Quadruple Tourbillon. Just 39.5mm in diameter, it contains a 705-part movement incorporating four tourbillons, three timezone displays, a universal time function and the exquisite 3-D globe that accurately replicates the revolution of the Earth. Just 66 examples will be made. £650,000. greubelforsey.com

After last year’s launch of the brilliant Le Marche Des Merveilles, featuring a green leather strap and dial illustrated with a slithering kingsnake, few thought Gucci could surpass itself in 2019 – but it did.
Watch of the collection: It’s called The Grip and it’s said to have been inspired by Seventies skateboard culture. Available in 35mm and 38mm sizes, the watch features a digital disc display behind three apertures and comes as a bracelet model in yellow-gold PVD or stainless steel or on a red or yellow strap. It’s really quite “rad” (as we believe they say down at the skatepark). Around £1,500. gucci.

Although Hamilton has been owned by the Swiss Swatch Group since the Seventies, it remains proud of its American heritage and, in particular, the connection it has enjoyed with Hollywood since Shanghai Express 87 years ago. The firm’s watches have since been seen in more than 500 movies.
Watch of the collection: In 2014’s Interstellar, Coop (Matthew McConaughey) uses a special version of the Khaki Field to communicate with his daughter, Murph (Jessica Chastain), via Morse code. Now there’s a replica, complete with the word “Eureka” printed in Morse on the seconds hand. £835. hamiltonwatch.com

Harry Winston’s first co-branded creation is ten watch-and-pen sets with high-end pen-maker Nakaya. The dials are decorated with urushi (lacquer), maki-e (gold dust) and raden (mother-of-pearl) for an image of HW’s Fifth Avenue flagship beneath the yozora (night sky).
Watch of the collection: The Project Z special editions have cases made from Zalium: an exclusive dark-grey alloy that is ultra-light, non-allergenic, non-corrosive and tough. The latest addition to the Z range is the Project Z13, which has a moonphase display as well as regular hours, minutes and date indications within a complex, multilayered dial. £19,200. harrywinston.com

When it comes to the “art” of a watch, few makers do it better than Hermès. This year, the legendary leathersmith unveiled a series of 12 dials depicting the profile of a horse’s head made from 2,200 minuscule squares of leather, plus another limited edition of 12 decorated with an image of Tanzanian zebras created using calfskin marquetry.
Watch of the collection: We’ve been pleased to see the gradual return of bund-style straps this year, and have suddenly realised how good the evergreen classic that is the Cape Cod watch can look when fitted with one, especially the larger 33mm square version. £2,650. hermes.com

You can always count on H Moser to do something silly to promote itself at Geneva’s annual SIHH watch show. This year, it created a one-off watch with a dial made from stone and moss that was mounted on a strap woven with grass. It was, allegedly, an expression of the brand’s concern for the environment.
Watch of the collection: The Swiss Alp Watch Concept Black, which has no logo, indices or hands. The time is gleaned from the minute repeater mechanism in a platinum case shaped like an Apple watch. Behind the black dial lurks an exquisitely finished, hand-wound tourbillon movement. Around £280,000. h-moser.com

It’s impossible to keep pace with Hublot’s output of new editions. Of late, we’ve noticed models made with sculptor Richard Orlinski, a Capri island special by Lapo Elkann, something for the Cricket World Cup, a Unico for golfers, a rainbow effort with musician Nicky Jam and a Big Bang inspired by tattoo studio Sang Bleu.
Watch of the collection: The Classic Fusion Ferrari GT was created in collaboration with Flavio Manzoni, head of Ferrari’s Centro Stile. The 45mm case is all-new and can be had in titanium, gold or carbon. Inside, you’ll find Hublot’s in-house Unico Hub1280 flyback chronograph movement. From £18,200. hublot.co

Among the worthwhile projects IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr has instigated since assuming the role three years ago is the brand’s backing of The Longest Flight project, which aims to see a Second World War Spitfire fighter plane circumnavigate the world.
Watch of the collection: This journey inspired the Timezoner Spitfire Edition, a 250-piece series based on the standard Timezoner model. When the bezel is turned until a chosen city reaches 12 o’clock, the hands adjust to the relevant timezone. The caseback is decorated with an outline of a Spitfire above a stylised globe and the relevant edition number. £11,450. IWC.com

Argentinian soccer hero Lionel Messi is the latest celebrity recruited to the fold of jeweller-to-the-stars Jacob Arabo. The three-year deal will see a range of Messi watches produced, the first of which is a version of the Epic X Chrono finished in the colours of the Argentinian flag and bearing Messi’s signature on the back.
Watch of the collection: The Oil Pump features a liquid-filled “oil reservoir” container and a pair of fully operational derricks to pump it around the dial, with the whole show visible from all angles thanks to multiple sapphire crystals. Behind the animation lies a hand-wound tourbillon movement. Around £310,000. jacobandco.com

The historic maison has announced that every watch (and clock) it sells will have an unprecedented eight-year warranty. After registering the serial number online, buyers will receive a four-year alert to take it for a free “functional check” of water-resistance, magnetism and precision.
Watch of the collection: The Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel is a 100-piece limited edition with a hand-guilloché sunray finish coated with blue translucent enamel. The white-gold case is 39mm in diameter and 10mm in depth, housing the 925/2 calibre movement, which offers 70 hours of power reserve. £32,100. jaegerlecoultre.com

Hublot

It’s impossible to keep pace with Hublot’s output of new editions. Of late, we’ve noticed models made with sculptor Richard Orlinski, a Capri island special by Lapo Elkann, something for the Cricket World Cup, a Unico for golfers, a rainbow effort with musician Nicky Jam and a Big Bang inspired by tattoo studio Sang Bleu.
Watch of the collection: The Classic Fusion Ferrari GT was created in collaboration with Flavio Manzoni, head of Ferrari’s Centro Stile. The 45mm case is all-new and can be had in titanium, gold or carbon. Inside, you’ll find Hublot’s in-house Unico Hub1280 flyback chronograph movement. From £18,200. hublot.com

IWC

Among the worthwhile projects IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr has instigated since assuming the role three years ago is the brand’s backing of The Longest Flight project, which aims to see a Second World War Spitfire fighter plane circumnavigate the world.
Watch of the collection: This journey inspired the Timezoner Spitfire Edition, a 250-piece series based on the standard Timezoner model. When the bezel is turned until a chosen city reaches 12 o’clock, the hands adjust to the relevant timezone. The caseback is decorated with an outline of a Spitfire above a stylised globe and the relevant edition number. £11,450. IWC.com

Jacob & Co

Argentinian soccer hero Lionel Messi is the latest celebrity recruited to the fold of jeweller-to-the-stars Jacob Arabo. The three-year deal will see a range of Messi watches produced, the first of which is a version of the Epic X Chrono finished in the colours of the Argentinian flag and bearing Messi’s signature on the back.
Watch of the collection: The Oil Pump features a liquid-filled “oil reservoir” container and a pair of fully operational derricks to pump it around the dial, with the whole show visible from all angles thanks to multiple sapphire crystals. Behind the animation lies a hand-wound tourbillon movement. Around £310,000. jacobandco.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The historic maison has announced that every watch (and clock) it sells will have an unprecedented eight-year warranty. After registering the serial number online, buyers will receive a four-year alert to take it for a free “functional check” of water-resistance, magnetism and precision.
Watch of the collection: The Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel is a 100-piece limited edition with a hand-guilloché sunray finish coated with blue translucent enamel. The white-gold case is 39mm in diameter and 10mm in depth, housing the 925/2 calibre movement, which offers 70 hours of power reserve. £32,100. jaegerlecoultre.com

Junghans

In its heyday, Junghans employed 3,000 people and produced 3m timepieces a year, ranging from clocks (assembled by trainees on the factory’s ground floor) to high-precision chronographs (assembled by master watchmakers at the top).
Watch of the collection: Not just a watch, but a clock, too. The Max Bill Edition Set (limited to 222 pieces) comprises a self-winding chronograph and a table clock with mechanical eight-day movement. It celebrates the famous architect, artist and industrial designer who created the kitchen clocks that Junghans sold in their millions during the Fifties and Sixties. £3,440. junghans.de

Larsson & Jennings

Set up in 2012 by UK entrepreneur Andrew Jennings from his living room, Larsson & Jennings is one of the most successful new affordable watch brands. Its products are now sold in 150 outlets around the UK.
Watch of the collection: The Wave is a smartwatch that looks just like a traditional analogue bracelet watch, but can alert the wearer to emails and texts, control music, take photographs and monitor heart rate. It also features a concierge button that can be used “to get someone else to do the things you don’t have time for”. £295. larssonjennings.com

Links Of London

Unlike many companies that sell affordable watches, Links Of London hasn’t allowed its offering to become too large and unwieldy. And yet, for those on a budget, there really does seem to be something for everyone, ranging from chunky sports chronographs to the type of dress watches that your grandfather might approve of.
Watch of the collection: Despite the price and the fact that it can never lay claim to being an example of haute horlogerie, the white-dial Greenwich GMT from Links is possibly one of the most nicely executed, legible and usable timezone watches we’ve ever seen. £395. linksoflondon.com

Longines

This year, the great Walter von Kanel celebrated his half-century as an employee of Longines and 30 years as its president. He doesn’t have a smartphone and he doesn’t have a computer – but that hasn’t stopped the 78-year-old from achieving an annual turnover of more than £1.2 billion for the Swatch Group-owned brand.
Watch of the collection: Rising sea levels must be a concern, judging by the number of dive watches released of late. Longines’ most interesting is a new version of its Hydro Conquest model made entirely from ceramic. The blackened case is complemented by a black ceramic bezel insert and a black rubber strap. £2,700. longines.com

Louis Erard

Louis Erard is reinventing itself this year, citing the belief that consumers want less, but better, stuff. The firm’s first move was to commission Eric Giroud, the respected watch designer who has worked with everyone from MB&F to Tissot, to create a trio of limited-edition versions of its Excellence Regulator.
Watch of the collection: It’s not the type of watch Louis Erard is known for, but we like the 1931 titanium chronograph, with its stylish grey dial and leather-lined black nylon strap. £1,995. montres-louiserard.ch

Louis Vuitton

LV’s Tambour Damier Cobalt was one of the best-looking watch launches of the summer. The dial is textured with the Damier pattern used in the firm’s iconic luggage.
Watch of the collection: As good as the Damier Cobalt is, the Voyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon takes some beating – its hand-wound movement assembled by a watchmaker at LV’s Geneva workshop. A skeletonised dial and transparent caseback allow a view of the mechanism, which has tiny gongs and hammers sounding the hours, quarters and minutes and a flying tourbillon that serves as the “V” of Vuitton and the Roman numeral five. £270,000. louisvuitton.com

Luminox

This year was the 30th anniversary of the founding of Luminox, the California-based maker of ultra-tough sports watches. It marked the occasion with the Sport Timer 0900 Series, a 42mm stainless-steel watch with a ceramic bezel and a US star stamped on the caseback.
Watch of the collection: The 44mm Atacama Field Automatic 1900 Series features a crisp, cream-coloured dial with lovely orange detailing that lights up after dark thanks to the array of micro gas tubes lurking underneath. Fitted with an automatic movement, it’s water-resistant to 200 metres and is supplied on a khaki-coloured canvas strap. £790. luminox.com

Marloe Watch Company

Have you ever liked a watch so much that you’ve wanted to buy the company? Now you can – or part of it, at least. Oxfordshire-based Marloe opened a financing round on Crowdcube that will give anyone willing to invest £10 and up a stake in the company and “exclusive rewards”.
Watch of the collection: The Haskell is a rugged adventure watch named after the Haskell Strait that Captain Scott crossed during his fateful trip to the South Pole. Each watch is individually numbered and features an engraving of Antarctica on the caseback. £745. marloewatchcompany.com

Maurice Lacroix

As one of many brands to initiate new marketing methods of late, Maurice Lacroix has been rolling out its “Timecode Challenge” events in ten cities around the world. Inaugurated in London in May, the challenges are essentially urban treasure hunts, the winners of which receive a special Aikon Venturer watch.
Watch of the collection: You don’t, however, need to participate in order to get your hands on an Aikon Venturer, because the 43mm self-winding sports watch, featuring a special blue dial, is also available as a 500-piece limited edition that’s supplied with both a steel bracelet and a blue and orange quick-change leather strap. £1,990. mauricelacroix.com

MB&F

The high-end niche maker is becoming almost as well known for the sci-fi inspired clocks it makes in conjunction with Swiss specialist L’Epée as it is for the watches it calls “horological machines”. For the biennial Only Watch charity auction held in November, MB&F contributed a unique version of its zany Tom & T-Rex clock that features a

stylised human form atop a Murano glass dome.
Watch of the collection: The HM7 Aquapod could have been born straight from the undersea world of a Jules Verne novel. Originally launched in titanium two years ago, the latest version has a platinum case and red detailing. £135,000. mbandf.com

Meccaniche Veloci

Automotive-inspired watch brand Meccaniche Veloci was founded in Milan in 2006, its first product being the radical-looking QuattroValvole featuring a dial set with four individual subdials. Although undoubtedly an acquired taste, MV’s watches have attracted a cult following in many parts of the world.
Watch of the collection: As the name suggests, the Nardi Edition is the result of a collaboration with the Italian manufacturer Nardi, which since the late Fifties has been famed for producing high-quality wooden steering wheels for the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin. Just 50 will be available. £10,000. meccanicheveloci.

Michael Kors

One of the many fashion house watches to be produced by the Fossil Group, the Michael Kors range runs to no fewer than 175 different models…
Watch of the collection: The Blake Rainbow measures a manly 42mm in diameter. As you’ll have guessed, it gets its name from that funky rainbow-striped strap and dial. £189. michaelkors.com

Mondaine

Alongside celebrating 75 years of the famous Swiss railway station clock design, Mondaine has also gone large on sustainability this year, producing straps made from woven wool, cork and recycled plastic.
Watch of the collection: The anniversary special is a 40mm version of the classic railway clock design originally penned in 1944 by Swiss train engineer Hans Hilfiker before being reduced to wristwatch size by Mondaine in 1986. The celebratory model comes in a special box with a spare strap made from recycled PET bottles. £209. mondaine.com

Montblanc

Montblanc went back to nature at this year’s SIHH fair, displaying a booth featuring a plant wall, waterfall and images of mountain views. But it was Davide Cerrato, the Morgan-driving design boss of Montblanc’s watch division, who stole the show with his beautifully nuanced 1858 Split Second monopusher chronograph…
Watch of the collection: …whose 44mm titanium and bronze case houses a black gloss dial with a telemeter chapter ring and a central “snail” tachometer scale. A sapphire crystal caseback allows the superb hand-wound Minerva movement to be seen in all its glory. Just 100 will be made. £29,500. montblanc.com

Movado

The giant Movado Group is a major player on the watch scene due to its licensed manufacturing of watches for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, Hugo Boss and Coach – so it came as quite a blow to the organisers of Baselworld when it announced that it was quitting the annual watch fair. Instead, the group now organises “dealer summits” in Davos, saving itself a reported £6.4m.
Watch of the collection: The 42mm Bold chronograph in blue ion plate with matching dial and mesh bracelet is certainly different. £495. movado.com

Nixon

With more than 50 models in its line-up, the American maker of affordable sports watches has something for everyone. Designs range from the retro-look, acetate-finish Time Teller to LCD digitals, analogue three-handers and funky-coloured plastic models.
Watch of the collection: The retro-cool and rather playful Dork Too is a 34mm rechargeable watch with Dan Dare looks that, in addition to showing you the time on an LED display, also speaks it out loud at the push of a button. When the battery runs low simply plug-in using the USB lead supplied. The humorous folk at Nixon refer to it as a smart ass watch… £140. nixon.com

Nomos Glashütte

Life might be rosy in the German town of Glashütte, where Nomos makes its watches, but the brand hasn’t forgotten about the strife in the world. As a result, it’s continuing it seven-year collaboration with Doctors Without Borders by introducing a new series of 500 of its Tangente Neomatik model that will be sold to raise funds for the charity.
Watch of the collection: The all-steel Club Sport presents a whole new aesthetic for Nomos. Less minimal than its more familiar models, the 42mm watch offers water resistance down to 300 metres. Also impressive is the ultra-supple steel bracelet. £3,220. nomos-glashuette.com

Omega

These are busy times for Omega, which is already well underway with preparations for its role as official timekeeper of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, for which it has launched an initial series of commemorative watches based on the celebrated Speedmaster.
Watch of the collection: Omega has marked the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, with which it is associated due to the Speedmaster being the first watch to have been worn on the moon. Cue a platinum-cased version of the so-called Moonwatch, powered by a “reborn” Calibre 321 hand-wound movement that gets an onyx dial and subdials made from meteorite. £45,500. omegawatches.com

Oris

Oris is one of many brands to have set out to save the seas this year. Its method is to support the Oceans Project that funds eco agencies trying to implement visionary methods of cleaning up the world’s waters. This year alone Oris launched three limited-edition watches dedicated to the cause.
Watch of the collection: Once again, we can’t get away from the deliciously vintage Big Crown Pointer Date. Last year’s choice was the bronze-cased, mint-green dial version, but now there’s a new steel model in delectable, deep red. As with all Oris watches, the 40mm case contains a good-quality mechanical movement. £1,270. oris.ch

Panerai

Luxury watch brands are becoming increasingly imaginative in their methods of attracting buyers and Panerai’s bold move is to offer not just products but experiences to go with them. The 19 buyers of the £34,800 Submersible Mike Horn Edition will get to meet the celebrated adventurer among the ice floes of the Arctic.
Watch of the collection: The new Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech takes the design originally created for Italian navy divers during the Forties and gives it a modern twist. Just 33 pieces will be made and the price includes a training session with “Comsubin”, the diving and commando group of the Italian Navy. £34,800. panerai.com

Parmigiani Fleurier

Parmigiani Fleurier makes fabulously finished, beautifully conceived watches – but not a profit. Davide Traxler took over as CEO in July 2018 with a remit to turn the firm around and says he will be expanding in Asia, spending 50 per cent of its marketing budget on social media.
Watch of the collection: The first watch Michel Parmigiani designed to establish his dial name in 1996 was the round-cased Toric and while it is one of the simplest in the range it remains one of the most covetable. This latest take on the model combines a rose-gold case with a new slate-grey dial with guilloche decoration surrounded by a hand-knurled bezel. £20,600. parmigiani.ch

Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe made it a tricky task to single out a specific piece from this year’s new launches. The latest swathe of covetable models includes a “Jumbo” version of the Aquanaut in white gold with a new olive-green dial, a platinum-cased interpretation of its polarising Calatrava Pilot Travel Time and a stunning rose-gold regulator.
Watch of the collection: The new Calatrava Weekly Calendar, a 40mm steel-cased watch not only shows the day, the date and the month, but also the number of the week, making the watch both unusual and – in the best Bauhaus “form and function” tradition in which the original was conceived – superbly legible and attractive. £25,610. patek.com

Paul Smith

The British designer has gone large on chronograph models this year, offering five different designs in the line-up.
Watch of the collection: Yes, it’s a chronograph – and one that’s distinctly reminiscent of a vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, especially in the screw-down pushers and the font on the tachymeter bezel. Where it differs, however, is in the neat touches of red and yellow. And, of course, in the price tag… £279. paulsmith.com

Piaget

Piaget is often thought of as a jeweller that also sells watches – in fact, it began as a manufacturer of watch movements way back in 1874 and went on to become one of the greatest innovators in its field, notably in the creation of ultra-thin mechanisms.
Watch of the collection: Making dials from slivers of meteorite seems to be all the rage these days and they can look good, as in the case of the 40mm Altiplano in rose gold. Each meteorite dial carries a unique combination of horizontal and vertical lines, which is known as the Widmanstätten Pattern. Just 300 watches will be made. £24,300. piaget.com

Porsche Design

Fans of television series The Professionals, which ran from 1978 to 1983 starring Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw as the maverick law enforcers Bodie and Doyle, might have been too distracted by the near constant action to have noticed Doyle’s wristwear: the distinctive Porsche Design Chronograph 1. Launched in 1972, it was the world’s first black-cased wristwatch.
Watch of the collection: Back in Doyle’s day, Porsche Design watches were made by a firm called Orfina. In 2014, PD took the business in-house and the quality and design is now better than ever. This year’s hit is the 1919 Globetimer UTC, a dual-time zone watch. From £5,100. porsche-design.com

Rado

Rado has struck a deal with Les Couleurs Suisse, the organisation that licenses the original colour palette known as “Architectural Polychromy”, established by the celebrated modernist architect Le Corbusier, and plans to use it for an ongoing series of ceramic watches.
Watch of the collection: We feel compelled to go back to the future and select the new interpretation of the fabulous Golden Horse dive watch that was originally released by Rado in 1957. The reissue remains true to the old design, with the same 37mm diameter case and delicious curved dial adorned with a seahorse motif. It’s limited to 1957 examples and costs around £1,500. rado.com

Raymond Weil

Having attended the Baselworld watch fair every year since the brand was founded in 1976, Raymond Weil chose to abandon the event for good in 2019. As one of the show’s longest-running exhibitors, its stand will be missed.
Watch of the collection: Following the sellout success of the original Tango 300 chronograph, created in partnership with the House Of Marley, Raymond Weil has launched a second Bob Marley tribute watch in the form of a quartz-powered GMT model. The black dial is subtly decorated with the reggae singer’s lion head emblem. It’s limited to 1,500 examples. £1,095. raymond-weil.co.uk

Reservoir

The two-year-old Reservoir brand is fast making its mark with unusual, retrograde display watches inspired by measuring instruments. Having started with a series based on the distinctive speedometers used in the original Mini, the firm has now branched out into the underwater world with…
Watch of the collection: …the new Hydrosphere. Inspired by the pressure gauges found on scuba air tanks and with 250 metres water resistance it can be used as a serious dive tool for measuring decompression times. The 45mm watch is supplied on a steel bracelet and three dial designs are available. From £3,840. reservoir-watch.com

Richard Mille

The next time you nip out at lunchtime to drop a six-figure sum on a Richard Mille, don’t forget that the London boutique has relocated to bigger and better premises on Old Bond Street. The 300-square-metre store occupies two floors and boasts an on-site watchmaker, a library, cigar cabinet, VIP lounge and walk-in wine cellar
Watch of the collection: The new RM50-04 split-seconds tourbillon is dedicated to F1 veteran Kimi Raikkonen. Echoing the colours of his team, Alfa Romeo, the watch has a movement made from titanium and carbon TPT. Just 30 examples will be made – although only those on an F1 driver’s salary are likely to be able to afford one. £982,800. richardmille.com

Roger Dubuis

The main attraction on the Roger Dubuis stand at this year’s SIHH show in Geneva was a watch that no one could buy. The Excalibur One-Off was made for the ultra-wealthy buyer of the first ever custom-built Lamborghini, the SC18 Alston, and styled accordingly.
Watch of the collection: The Excalibur Huracán Performante is the latest limited edition to emerge from the Lambo tie-in. With a 45mm titanium case, it includes a winding crown based on a wheel nut, bridges resembling the car’s engine bay brace and a winding rotor mimicking the alloy rim pattern. The strap is made of recycled tyre rubber. £43,000. rogerdubuis.com

Rolex

As is its way, the latest Rolex launches are not the sort of radical new designs that a lesser maker might feel the need to create in order to grab attention, but subtly and sensibly upgraded versions of tried-and-tested models. It might sound boring – but it works.
Watch of the collection: We liked the new Rolesor version of the mighty Sea-Dweller dive model, the beefed-up brother of the more ubiquitous Submariner. Combining Rolex Oystersteel and 18-carat yellow gold, the 43mm watch is powered by the latest Calibre 3235 movement and is water-resistant down to an unnecessary 1,220 metres. £12,400. rolex.com

Rotary

With 2020 marking the 125th anniversary since it was founded, the historic maker of affordable wristwear (now under Chinese ownership) has introduced a trio of limited editions that hark back to the good old days – not the late 19th century, but the mid 20th.
Watch of the collection: The three-model line-up comprises a 40mm model with a Forties aesthetic, champagne dial and gold-effect finish; a titanium military-look piece; and a gorgeous, steel-cased effort with a cream-coloured galvanic dial featuring crosshair marking. There’s a quality Japanese Miyota automatic movement inside, too. £249. rotarywatches.com

Samsung

Traditionally the Robin to Apple’s Batman, at least in smartwatch terms, Samsung’s horological skills have really stepped up a notch in the last couple of years, to the extent that its Galaxy Watch series is a worthy alternative for Android phone owners thanks to their delightful circular design and oft-rotating bezels.
Watch of the collection: AKA the sporty Samsung smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch Active2 strikes an able balance between price and performance with a clean, lightweight design and just enough apps to get by. Crucially, its activity tracking is accomplished enough to cover pretty much any way you’d want to get a sweat on. From £229. samsung.com

Scuderia Ferrari

Hublot might be the official maker of luxury Ferrari watches – but it’s a well-known fact that the car marque makes a good living from selling merchandise to people who can’t actually afford to buy its cars, for whom Movado makes inexpensive Scuderia Ferrari watches.
Watch of the collection: The elegant Pilota chronograph certainly wouldn’t look out of place beside a Ferrari steering wheel. Equipped with an automatic movement within a 45mm case and fitted with pedal-like chronograph triggers, the watch is attached by a black leather, red-stitched perforated strap and will be limited to 399 examples. £1,650. store.ferrari.com

Seiko

On Christmas Day 50 years ago, a seismic event turned the watch world on its head – Seiko launched its Quartz Astron, the first viable quartz watch. Although the earliest versions cost almost as much as a small car, they opened the floodgates for the manufacture of numerous other inexpensive models that nearly killed-off mechanical watchmaking for good.
Watch of the collection: The exquisite Presage Arita Porcelain stands out, with dials that are hand-made in the small town of Arita, Japan. The watch is available in two versions – one with a date window, the other with a power-reserve indicator. From £1,560. seikowatches.com

Shinola

Struggling to find your look? Shinola is offering to help with a new online stylist service that offers users the chance to fill in a simple form describing what they’re looking for and the type of person they are. The stylist will respond with “shoppable” suggestions. Who said we were losing the ability to think for ourselves?
Watch of the collection: Shinola plunges into the competitive world of dive watches with a quartet of Monster models named after the great lakes – Superior, Ontario, Michigan and Huron. Each has a different coloured dial, but all have Sellita automatic movements and are water-resistant to 1,000 feet. £1,200. shinola.co.