Best Watches Under $5,000
These Special Watches Are Worth the Splurge
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With additions by Brian Scott Lipton
If a watch is not only an instrument for keeping time but a statement of your personality, ambitions, and appreciation for doing things properly, then it makes sense to buy the best you can afford. If you wear a suit to work your watch may even be your chief mode of personal expression. In an era when all we have to do is glance at our iPhones to see where we are in material reality, wearing a watch is increasingly indicative of a man who truly values his time — and yours.
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So how much should you spend on a watch? The key to answering the question is figuring out if it’s something you want to keep and wear for the rest of your life, or merely a stopgap until you’re in a position to acquire something better. If the former, then near $5,000 is a good goal to set to ensure you won’t have to trade up again in a few years — though if you do, making an investment at this level guarantees you’ll have some equity “on hand” to work with.
Getting into the game at the up-to-$5,000 level means no compromises are necessary in terms of what brands you can afford; you needn’t cast any more wistful looks at the wrists of your better-equipped friends. Some of the finest names in watchmaking are yours for the choosing, including Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Panerai and IWC. And more than just a watch you’ll be getting craftsmanship, heritage, Swiss expertise — the very best.
These are heirloom quality pieces that will bring not only personal satisfaction but also the respect of those who know what they’re looking at. It’s the difference between getting a watch that’s merely “good enough” and one that’s better than what most men strap to their wrists every morning. Nearing the $5,000 mark, you’ve already upgraded, and garnering covetous glances is now part of your everyday routine. An accountant may tell you that it’s better to buy five $1,000 watches than a single watch worth $5,000. But there’s a reason we don’t ask accountants for advice in buying watches.
Hitting the $5,000 mark is a respectable amount, but not the bank-breaking hit that most people will assume you took for the handsome pieces here (only your accountant needs to know the truth). That’s because we’ve shopped around for the best deals on discontinued models and other advantageous offers to maximize your bang for the buck. When you’re dealing with watch brands that have been around since the 1800s, having the very latest model doesn’t matter quite as much.
This is also the price range at which you can afford to care what’s inside the watch as well. Quartz movements are valued by many for their accuracy, but they tend to be found in less expensive pieces. Fine mechanical watches like the ones on this list are endowed with automatic or hand-wound movements that cost much more to manufacture and require the expertise of a master watchmaker. Yes, they require some maintenance, but like all fine machinery that’s part of the appeal. A pedal car may save you money on gas but would you drive one to work every morning?
Watches as Investments
Suffice it to say, if you're dropping thousands of dollars on a timepiece, you're going to be interested in its lifetime value. Many a man today walks around with the watch his father or grandfather wore, and wouldn't think of parting with it, or even getting it appraised. But some watch obsessives take pleasure in buying and selling watches, in expanding their collections, or in trading up over time, and these global buyers and sellers have created a sophisticated second-hand watch market. Both Christie's and Sotheby's — the world's two largest auction houses — hold regular auctions dedicated to timepieces, and their collected sales are measured in the millions. In other words, there's a lucrative market out there, and a hunger for quality timepieces.
If you'd like to participate, or hope to purchase a watch that will hold its value (or even increase in value) over time, then here are some things you should keep in mind:
- Brands matter. Watch houses with lasting reputations tend to attract more buyers, and therefore retain their value more.
- High price doesn’t mean high quality. An expensive watch isn't necessarily a good watch. Unfortunately, lots of watches with huge price tags rely more on the recognition of their brand name, or on a gaudy design, rather than on quality construction or intricacy of design.
- Watch markets are a great place to do your homework. Websites such as WatchBox and Hodinkee, not to mention eBay and even Amazon are great places to take stock of what is selling and what isn't.
Remember, you're playing the long game here. A watch isn't likely to appreciate in value in a year, or even ten years, but when you look at, for example, the resale value of 50-year-old Rolexes, you can expect a nice long-term return, either for your retirement or for your grandchild's. So here are our picks for the best watches under $5,000. Welcome to the big leagues.
Best Chronograph Watches Under $5,000
IWC Aquatimer Black Dial
IWC is one of the most interesting and admirable Swiss watch brands. Founded by an American watchmaker in 1868 their pieces are known for an elegant, almost sparse beauty matched by the precision of their movements. They began making special pilots’ watches for the military back in 1936 and won recognition for indispensable instruments that also happened to look great in peacetime.
Bell & Ross Aviation Gold Heritage
Bell & Ross is a relative newcomer to the luxury watch world, and headquartered in Paris to boot. But they quickly gained a following with watches based on military aviation instruments like this square-cased Heritage Aviation model that looks like it’s traveling at Mach 2 and then some.
Tudor Automatic Heritage Chronograph
Tudor has long been known as Rolex’s baby brother, but pieces like this throwback chrono are big on allure in their own right. This watch might have a bit too much ‘70s flair for some, but there are few cooler choices you can make. Pair with a sports car for the ultimate style statement.
Best Dress Watches Under $5,000
IWC Portofino Automatic, Blue Dial
As sporty as IWC’s pilot watches are, their dressier Portofino counterparts amp up the elegance to the Nth degree. This model with a blue dial set off by a black crocodile leather strap can easily hold its own with a tuxedo and will make any tailored suit look that much sharper. Well worth a splurge.
Panerai Luminor Marina
The Panerai Luminor, an Italian-designed watch with Swiss guts, is one of the most unique and beautiful wrist watches available anywhere. Originally made for the Italian navy’s elite underwater commandos, it still carries a certain military flair, but thanks to its tan leather strap and stylish face it is an extremely civilized addition to any watch collection.
Montblanc Star Legacy Automatic Watch
Perfect for a night on the town, this stylish wash boasts the distinctive Montblanc design expression. The stainless steel case features the company’s indelible straight horns and a distinctive double-shaped bezel with domed sapphire glass, an easy-to-read blue dial with Roman numerals and a prominent Roman “XII, along with the traditional railway minuterie and the classic leaf-shaped and baton-shaped hands which complete its elegant appearance.
Best Dive Watches Under $5,000
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage
Breitling, founded in 1884, doesn’t only make watches rooted in aviation. The SuperOcean, with its dashing embossed leather strap, is an ultra-capable diving watch with rugged good looks. Simple and stylish, the first SuperOcean was launched in 1957 and it has since become one of Breitling’s core models. This watch means business.
$3,850 at Amazon.com
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300, Green Dial
As robust and sporty as it is stylish, this newest member of the TAG family is particularly well-suited for underwater exploration. It’s fully equipped with the company’s six standard diving features of all water resistance to 300 meters (30 bar), a unidirectional rotating bezel, a screw-down crown, luminescent hands and markers, a double security clasp, and a sapphire crystal.
Best Investment Watches Under $5,000
Cartier Tank Solo XL Automatic
The Cartier Tank is a classic timepiece designed by the world-famous jeweler Louis Cartier in 1917. Inspired by the then ground-breaking post WWI Renault tanks, you can go your whole life with this watch — and this watch alone — and never lack for style or sophistication.
TAG Heuer Carrera
The Carrera is a subtle watch that does everything right, from its subdued styling to its heft weight on wrist. Total watch amateurs will know just from holding this bad boy that it's been engineered to perfection, and with 33 jewels, two subdials, and a 100-meter water resistance rating, it's got the makings of a great heritage watch.
Breitling Navitimer 41 Automatic
If you’re looking for the perfect watch to not just enjoy for the long-term but to make an investment in, you can’t do better than the sophisticated timepieces created by this heritage Swiss brand. It first crafted the beautiful Nativimer in 1952, and the watch was soon worn on numerous pilots and others in the industry, who were taken with its flight-specific slide rule. Today, this brand-new take on this iconic watch effortlessly combines the timepiece’s historic appeal with contemporary refinement.
Best Everyday Watches
Zodiac Super Sea Wolf
The STP 3-13 automatic movement and sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating stay true to the quality and style of Zodiac. The Swiss-made timepiece features uni-directional mineral crystal top ring and a black and white dial with gold-tone accents, while also being water-resistant to up to 20 ATM. This watch proves you don't need to throw down cash to have style.
Rado Captain Cook Automatic
For the man who wants his watch to be as vibrant as he is, this gorgeous watch will look – and feel -- great from morning to night. This stunning timepiece draws on many of the elements of the 1962 original model and also uses many of the company’s signature elements from the past decades, including a ceramic-dial inlay, a sapphire crystal, and the precision-inspired moving anchor symbol. Whether you’re a captain of industry or captain of your own ship, this watch will put you in charge of having an amazing day.
Best GMT Watches Under $5,000
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Automatic GMT Watch
Pay close attention to the James Bond movies and you’ll see that 007 is sporting an Omega Seamaster, one of the seminal sports watches made for divers and other swashbucklers who may or may not be working for the British secret intelligence service. We like to think it’s more than mere product placement; Seamasters are models of adventurous horological excellence.
Tudor Black Bay Automatic GMT
This stylish and ultra-functional watch is not just the perfect watch for when you travel, you may never want to take it off your wrist. This Swiss-made beauty features an attractive bi-directional rotating burgundy and blue bezel, an incredible 70-hour power reserve, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and is even water-resistant up to 660 feet. Let yourself go!
Baume and Mercier Clifton Club GMT
Chic yet functional, this Swiss-made luxury automatic GMT watch features an opaline black dial, blue bezel, luminescent hands with Superluminova emission, a stainless steel case and a black calfskin strap and blue rubberized calfskin lining on the reverse. This is one club you’ll definitely want to belong to.
If you still didn't see a watch that satisfied your horological cravings, check out all our watch coverage. You're sure to find something.
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