A small history of watches and several tips for buying the perfect watch. Aquis Date Relief, 43.5mm stainless steel case, stainless steel bracelet. Responsibility and luxury watchmaking haven’t always been natural bedfellows, but there are companies looking to change that. At the vanguard is Oris with its eco-conscious watches. Some use recycled materials, or there’s this, the Aquis Date Relief. Based on the brand’s still very reasonably priced diver’s watch, it’ll accompany expedition swimmer Ernst Bromeis as he attempts to cover 800km across Siberia’s Lake Baikal this summer, to draw our attention to the plight of the world’s water. Whether he makes it or not, the watch will be expected to hold up — its 43.5mm stainless steel case is water-resistant to 300m. It gets its name from its bezel’s timer scale, produced in relief. All said, a good-looking watch for decent money with an important message behind it.
Let’s move on to the under 1000 USD category. If you just wanted to spend $70 or so on a good-looking quartz watch, you could do a lot worse than the Nokia Steel (formerly the Withings Activité). But this being a “hybrid” smartwatch, you get more than just the time of day. The watch connects to your phone via Bluetooth to give you simple sleep and fitness tracking info that, while not super-comprehensive, is helpful in tracking and motivating healthy behavior. Braun’s minimalist aesthetic is perfect for someone looking for a wardrobe accoutrement rather than a showpiece. What’s more, graphic elements like the yellow seconds hand and austere font are sure to call to mind the brand’s legacy of Bauhaus-inspired product design.
Based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, Longines was founded in 1832 and its winged hourglass logo is the oldest registered trademark of any watch brand. The HydroConquest is as serious a diving watch as it sounds, water resistant to 1,000 feet, making it a reliable companion underwater. The steel band gives it heft and durability, and overall it’s designed to be the perfect combination of style and technical innovation complete with an automatic movement. No distinguished gentleman should be without a Movado watch. What other way to showcase your sub-luxury wealth and style than with this timeless chronograph model, which draws inspiration from the brand’s fashion-forward ‘50s collection? The Calendoplan is masterfully designed, from the luminous hands and markers to the black, blue, and gold colorway, which is eye-catching yet neutral enough to pair with most outfits.
WatchNerd is your go-to virtual “watch guy.” He has all the latest information about the best luxury watches and will give you his honest opinion without any gimmicks. He has nothing to win or lose from you buying any particular watch, and is only interested in helping you find a watch that you love. He’s always been a super smart guy, and only makes a decision or offers advice when he’s confident he has 110% of the necessary information. However, he also genuinely cares about the advice he gives and wants to make sure he’s helpful — never overbearing or pushy. He gets his information from a wide range of sources, staying on top of the latest trends but also relying on hard numbers. He knows there’s a lot of crappy advice out there, and always triple checks his informative before giving his opinion. See more info on Watch Blog.