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Introduced as the world's first electric watch back in 1957, the elegantly cockeyed, Art Deco Ventura will look natty with a pinstripe or black tie. The basic stainless-steel, quartz-movement Ventura has no frills beyond its black or brown leather strap, while a Chrono version features three silver sub-dials to track seconds, minutes and hours for $100 extra. Both are water resistant down to 166 feet. Despite the Ventura's placement in both Men in Black movies, it's still a top-drawer look for a low-drawer price.
Cartier hit it big in 1919 with its classic Tank Watch--arguably the most influential watch of the early 20th century--that was designed by Louis Cartier in tribute to the Allied tank commanders who helped dig France out of a hole in WWI. While the Tank is still one of Cartier's most popular designs, the Roadster is the right emblem for the automotive age. The simple yet masculine face shape is accented by elegant numerals, Cyclops crystal, automatic date at 3 o'clock, glow-in-the-dark hands and interchangeable bracelets and wristbands. Water resistant to 330 feet, it also comes in a chronograph version starting at $6,000.
With its distinctive "tonneau" case and elegant dial, the Royal Eagle Day & Date Chronometer is not only an affordable Vacheron Constantin, but the perfect accessory for a well-made suit and hand-rolled cigar. (If you don't smoke, substitute a dry martini.) Mechanical and self-winding, the Royal Eagle has three sub-dials that track day, date and seconds, while its power reserve is an impressive 65 hours. It's water resistant down to 30 meters. With a crocodile strap that buckles the old-fashioned way, the Royal Eagle is available in yellow and white gold, as well as in a chronograph version
More a wrist-top computer than a watch, this budget-rate "cross-sport" is a gadgeteer's dream, with altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass, heart-rate monitor and built-in clinometer for measuring slope angles. Data are downloadable to PCs for later analysis via Suunto software, if you really have nothing else to do. Screens are clear and concise. The durable plastic body is water resistant up to 300 feet, though it's really only suitable for swimming--while the X6-HRM in an aluminum case goes for $100 more. Back in the 1930s, Suunto produced the world's first liquid-filled compass--the name means "direction"--and these days it makes a data watch for just about every sport.
Clean and elegant, the Hampton was created in 1994 as a dress watch for men and women. While the original was a bit conservative, the new Hampton City is more contemporary and just right for our media-centric age, with a "tonneau"-shaped case that's reminiscent of a plasma television screen. Comes in stainless steel or yellow gold, with diamond variations for women as well as a chronograph version for anyone who likes complexity. With automatic movement and water resistance down to 90 feet, it's a good way to look urban no matter where you live.
For the generation that can't be bothered with nobs or buttons, Tissot's T-Touch offers a whole lot more than time with a touch of its "tactile" crystal screen. Just a tap ignites electrodes beneath the crystal to summon up data on weather changes and atmospheric pressure, elevation (in feet or meters), temperature (in Celsius and Fahrenheit), a compass function, 24-hour alarm and chronograph down to 1/100th of a second. A "+" and "-" trigger on the crown allows for adjustment, and data are displayed through hand movements and on the LCD readout. It also comes with an antimagnetic, stainless-steel case; rotating bezel; 24-month battery; end-of-life indicator; and water resistance down to 30 meters.
Designed for Italian frogmen who plunged into the murky depths during WWII, the Luminor glows like a streetlamp and can drop to 300 meters without a leak. In an era when big watches rule, this 44-mm, polished-steel, hand-wound mechanical is all about simplicity, with the only feature an unusual protective bridge over the winding crown--another vestige of its military heritage. First introduced in 1938, the Luminor was retargeted to the consumer market in 1993. A slightly more complex and automatic Power Reserve version comes in brushed titanium and offers a secondhand sub-dial, date, power indicator and 42-hour reserve for $4,500.
Big, bold and almost too gaudy for its own good, Jacob & Co.'s glimmering Five Time Zone Watch has graced the wrists of the music industry's glammest, including P. Diddy, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, and Posh Spice. The 47-mm heavyweight is all about size, color and flash, with a cluttered face that'll keep you up to speed in Paris, New York, Tokyo and L.A. (What, no London?) There are dozens of designs, with bezels in simple stainless steel or bedecked with anywhere from 3.25 to 60 carats of diamonds. Interchangeable polyurethane and alligator "deployment straps" come in a range of pastel and jewel tones, assuring that it'll go with anything and that you'll stand out in a crowd.
Divers who like to "go deep" can't ask for a much better companion than the automatic 2000 Aquagraph, which can plumb the depths down to 500 meters without losing its integrity. Conceived for professional divers, and currently being tested by no less than the Navy Seals, the 2000 is loaded with thoughtful touches that only make loads of sense well below sea level, such as an enlarged and luminescent second hand, rubber-topped buttons, uni-directional rotating bezel with auto lock, and automatic helium-release valve. The three-sub-dial face looks sharp surrounded by stainless steel. Comes with a rubber strap with push-button clasp, or a steel bracelet for $150 more.
Long revered for its intricate pilots' watches, including the legendary Navitimer with the circular slide rule, Breitling recently did some cross-promoting with Bentley that produced, among other things, the Bentley Motors Chronograph. Like the Navitimer, this three-zone, self-winding mechanical chronograph features a tachymeter scale on a rotating bezel that enables you to calculate speed and distance. The big (48.7 mm) timepiece stands out like a headlight, and is water resistant down to 100 meters. With textures similar to those found on the dashboard of a Bentley Continental GT, it comes in stainless steel, yellow and white gold, as well as a pavé version covered with diamonds for around $70,000.
Great entry-level complication for not a lot of money, the IWC Spitfire Chronograph boasts a mechanical chronograph movement for seconds, hours and minutes; the day and date; screw-in crown; automatic winding; antimagnetic, soft-iron inner case; 44 hours' worth of power reserve; and a bold arrowhead on the face that won't let you miss 12 o'clock. Based on a pilot's watch, the Spitfire is water resistant down to 60 meters and comes with black or silver face in a stainless-steel case with a crocodile strap or steel bracelet. For a bit more complexity and a lot more money down, consider IWC's Grande Complications, which start at around $170,000.
With its distinctive face, the Open reveals the inner workings of Zenith's sophisticated El Primero movement, including balance, pallets, escape and seconds wheels churning out 36,000 vibrations per hour. The watch's backside is no less an eyeful, with an "exhibition back" showing the ever-shifting oscillating weight. The 45-mm, stainless-steel case surrounds a 30-minute sub-dial and stylish 50-hour power reserve indicator. Water resistant to 30 meters, the watch comes with a basic black-leather strap or steel bracelet that both sport triple-deployment buckles for added security. A showier rose gold version will run you $18,000.
Unlike some of Patek Philippe's Grand Complication timepieces, the 5059 is not only fairly readily available but also affordable. Though you won't find much clutter on its distinguished face, the self-winding 5059 still has plenty to look at, including a perpetual calendar with moon phase, day, month and leap year apertures, and a seductive fly-back retrograde date hand--a complex complication, indeed. Only water resistant to 25 meters, the 5059 comes with a hinged dust cover on the back that opens to reveal the movement inside, as well as a crocodile strap with a fold-over clasp. A distinctive piece from a legendary watchmaker, it's available in yellow, white and rose gold, or in platinum for a whole lot more
Why they call it a "sports watch," we have no idea. But within its formidable octagonal shape the self-winding, mechanical Royal Oak Day-Date offers an elegant assemblage of sub-dials and perpetual calendar with day, date, month, leap years and moon phases. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak has a skeleton face and transparent back that reveals the inner workings of its exceptional movement. No fears about the watch slipping from its bracelet, which is integrated right into the case. Part of one of Audemars Piguet's best-selling lines, the Day-Date comes in stainless steel, yellow gold ($73,500), pink gold ($75,400) and platinum ($96,200). All are water resistant down to 20 meters.
When it comes to grand watches, there are those that dazzle with surface complications and those whose complexities lie within. For the watch purist, the appeal of the minimalist Vintage 1945 Tourbillon is in the decoration of its highly evolved movement: the ever-spinning balance wheel set in a cage beneath an elegant gold bridge. There are no sub-dials or dates to clutter the Vintage 1945's classic face, and just a single crown protrudes from the side of its case. First introduced in 1999, the automatic Vintage 1945 is available only in precious metals, including white, yellow and rose gold as well as platinum.
Who says "ladies' watches" have to be simplistic? Designed to complement the hectic lifestyle of contemporary women, Blancpain's self-winding Flyback Chrono was the first lady's chronograph to feature a "flyback" hand, which snaps back to its original position once its timing task is complete--in this case seconds, minutes or hours. Though good sized for a ladies' watch, at 33 mm in diameter the Flyback maintains its elegance, as well as a 40-hour power reserve and water resistance down to 100 meters.
From the elegant Coquette to feature-loaded Sport watches to the jazzy Urban Collection, Michele watches are playful, stylish and expressive in a girlie-girl sort of way, and for not a whole lot of money. The Deco Diamond comes set with sparkling diamonds, a mother of pearl dial and a fully functioning chronograph with seconds, minutes and hours. Water resistant to "five atmospheres," it features the most extensive and colorful strap collection we came across, including "black silicon rubber," "purple lizard," "hot pink alligator" and about 50 more. More elaborate versions with rubies and sapphires run $1,495.
Created in 1931 for British military officers hoping to protect their timepieces on the polo fields of India, the contemporary Reverso wears equally well in the boardroom and the bistro. The gentlewoman's Duetto runs day/night, with a classic face for daylight hours and a racier flip side for the evening circuit. The Reverso's intricate casing allows only for "water resistance," meaning it'll stand up to a spilled cosmo but not much more. The crocodile strap comes in many colors, as well as in satin. Slender and refined at 3.45 mm thick or less, ladies' Duettos range up to $82,000 for a "Snow Set" model covered with infinitesimal gems.
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