Vintage Watches A 1967 Rolex Daytona 'Cherry Red,' A 1948 Longines Pocket Watch With Central Seconds, And Two 1960s Abercrombie & Fitch Co. By Heuer Timepieces

Vintage Watches A 1967 Rolex Daytona ‘Cherry Red,’ A 1948 Longines Pocket Watch With Central Seconds, And Two 1960s Abercrombie & Fitch Co. By Heuer Timepieces

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The Rolex Daytona is THE watch that everyone seems to be lusting for – vintage and modern alike. Today, you can’t even walk into a Rolex Authorized Dealer and buy one; you would need to get on a list, and who knows when or if the call would come in. Rolex has come out with many variations and references of the Daytona over the years since the model’s 1963 inception, but it all started with the ref. 6239. The defining characteristics of the ref. 6239 are the pump-style pushers and steel bezel. Rolex even made a few variations of the 6239 before coming out with later Daytona references. The example we have today is circa 1967 and features one very special detail: The “Daytona” text is in red above the hours register. This detail is not typical for the ref. 6239; it’s more commonly found on the later Oyster-cased Daytonas, like the “Big Red” 6263s and 6265s, and can still be found on Rolex’s signature chronograph to this day. Rolex has done an amazing job staying true to the original design over the years (for the most part), and it’s fun to look at a modern watch, see some details, and know exactly where they came from.

The Best Chronograph Watches Under $5,000

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Add the stopwatch feature to your typical time-only watch, and you’ve got a chronograph. And yet, this is no simple equation, as chronographs are so much more compelling than the mere sum of their features: they’re sporty and technical looking and filled with history. Most of all, of course, they’re useful. All this and their complexity, however, comes at a price significantly higher than that of their more basic counterparts. The good news is that if $5,000 is your cap, you’re well into the territory of some excellent mechanical chronos.

You are, however, in something of an in-between spot. While there are some value-packed mechanical chronograph watches under $2,000 and plenty of quartz ones in the triple digits, many of the most iconic chronographs like the Omega Speedmaster, Zenith El Primero, Breitling’s various well-known chronograph collections and, of course, the Rolex Daytona are all in the next tier up. It can admittedly be a challenge to find the best watches between $2k and $5k, but the good news that there are compelling options around than ever before. Check out some of our faves:

The best watches for less than £500

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At the end of last year, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold at auction for $5.4 million. It handsomely beat Steve McQueen’s Heuer Monaco, also being sold that day, which went for a paltry $2.2 million.

Yes, watch prices can reach ludicrous numbers, especially when famous names are attached to their provenance. And a quality ‘luxury’ mechanical watch will set you back thousands rather than hundreds.

But those who think that a fine timepiece, mechanical or quartz, cannot be had for under a mere £500 are very much mistaken. Some in our comprehensive edit here don’t even bother the £200 mark.

In short, you have little or no excuse not to start your own watch collection right now even on the most modest of budgets.

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You might also be interested in the WIRED Recommends guides to the best smartwatches and which Apple Watch to buy.

Merci LMM-01 Field Watch

Typically, a lifestyle brand’s foray into watches wouldn’t be cause for much excitement (French label Merci is better known for its subdued, classy homeware), but when the design is such a spot-on homage to classic military styles, executed with evident care, it gets our attention. The LMM-01 measures 38mm across, comes on a black NATO fabric strap, and is powered by a Seiko quartz movement. This particular model takes its look directly from WW2-era ‘field’ watches prized for their no-nonsense legibility and simple, robust case shape.

Price: €250 | Merci

Tissot PRX

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New for 2021, Tissot’s PRX will have owners of watches 10 or 20 times the price doing a double-take: with its elegant steel bracelet that flows seamlessly into the sloping sides of the 40mm case it echoes famous designs from the likes of Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin as well as recent hits in the same vein (Zenith’s Defy range comes to mind). The polished bezel and bevelled case edges catch the light nicely, as do the applied, faceted hour markers. Under the dial is an ETA quartz movement but a version equipped with the brand’s Powermatic 80 automatic calibre is expected to land by summer 2021.

Price: £295 | Tissot | Ernest Jones

Skagen Falster 3

Smartwatches that remember to be smart in the aesthetic as well as the technological sense are rare at this price level, but Skagen provides in the form of the Falster 3, a 42mm stainless steel watch running Google’s Wear OS. We’d opt for the all-black case with the mesh bracelet, but there are options for everyone including leather and silicone rubber. The usual suite of health-tracking and lifestyle functionality is on hand, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS connections. Bolstering the 32mm diameter touchscreen are two configurable push-buttons that ape traditional watch designs. Skagen promises a 24hr battery life and handily, splash-proof water resistance.

Price: £279 | Amazon | Skagen | Watch Shop

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Junghans Form C Chronograph

Pushing close to the top of the £500 budget gets you this quartz-powered chronograph from storied watchmaker Junghans, once one of the largest manufacturers in the world. The Form collection majors on crisp, clean, geometric lines - witness the recessed square motif around the edge of the dial, the minimal typography and the classic ‘pump’ shaped chronograph pushers. The Form C combines the sporty functionality of a chronograph (in this case, capable of measuring up to 12 hours of elapsed time) with the slender, bezel-free lines of a dressier watch, making it a versatile all-rounder.

Price: £479 | Watch Shop | Amazon | Jura Watches

Bamford London Mayfair

Bamford Watch Department’s ethos is to put a smile on your face, whether you’re taking delivery of a fully customised bespoke design or shopping from its more affordable Mayfair collection. Notable for the asymmetric case silhouette and myriad colour choices, the 40mm quartz watch is usually but not exclusively cased in Bamford’s signature black - a stainless steel case finished with a military-grade titanium coating. In addition to the array of off-the-shelf options, BWD also offers an online customiser letting you choose dial colours, strap styles, case finishes and a personalised engraving.

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Price: £425 | Bamford London

Paulin Commuter Automatic

Not heard of Paulin? The Glasgow-based brand founded by three sisters is a welcome tonic to the often-derivative world of affordable watch designs. Where else will you find a watch under £400 whose designers went to the effort of designing their own typeface for the numerals? The aesthetic draws on Bauhaus, Scandinavian and industrial design influences, brought together with a lightness of touch and pops of bright colour that keep it all fresh. The watches boast scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a range of high-end leather choices for straps, and Miyota automatic movements.

Price: £395 | Paulin Watches | Trouva

Rotate North Atlantic

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Yes, there is something distinctly Submariner-like about the Rotate North Atlantic - but if we held that against all dive watches with familiar details, we’d rule ourselves out of a lot of worthwhile value-friendly options. The screw-down crown, toothed bezel and ‘aged white’ luminous hour markers are a admittedly close to one of the greatest watch designs of all time, but look at is this way: you are getting a handsome watch for a fraction of Rolex prices. And there are also more than a few touches here that make Rotate North interesting in its own right, such as the sustainably sourced vegan rubber strap, which comes with half-punched holes, so you can pick the one that fits you and leave the rest unbroken. Clean and clever.

Price: £285 | Rotate North | Verishop

Casio G-Shock Utility Colour 800UC-3ER

This military green G-Shock is packed to the gunwales with tech. The onboard three-axis accelerometer tracks your step counts with storage for 200 lap records, five workout intensity levels and a multi-timer with 20 combinations. It syncs to your phone via Bluetooth, has an ‘airplane’ mode, and boasts a world timer and water resistance down to 200m to round out the feature set. All for just a smidge less than £100.

Price: £100 | G-Shock | Watch Shop

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Mondaine Essence

This white and powder-blue Mondaine comes in two sizes - a 32mm case aimed at women and a larger faced, chunkier, slightly more expensive 41mm model aimed at men. Of note is the fact that the case on the 30m water-resistant Essence is made from a bio-plastic derived from castor oil (combined with regular plastic and glass powder for strength), while the strap is lined with cork.

Price: £169 | Mondaine | John Lewis | Beaverbooks

Seiko 5 Sports Suits

Seiko

Seiko’s 5 Sports range is made up of 27 mechanical watches, all equipped with the brand’s Calibre 4R36 movement. Terrific value across the range, then, so it’s worth having a browse across the Street, Sense and Specialist ranges. But WIRED’s pick is this ‘Suits’ style. We very much taken with the aesthetic, from the arrow-shaped minute hands and Milanese watch bracelet to the rotating bezel.

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Price: £280 | First Class Watches

Casio G-Shock Classic

A thoroughly rugged wear, this take on the Hyper Complex G Shock features oversized buttons with an anti-slip surface, 200m waterproofing and a face that illuminates when you tilt your wrist towards you. One for pro diving and just about everything else you can throw at it thanks to the sporty strap, 100-lap memory and don’t forget the 1/1000-second stopwatch.

Price: £140 | G-Shock | Amazon | Watch Shop

Bulova Lunar Pilot Chronograph

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Buzz Aldrin may have left his Bulova Accutron Timer in the Sea of Tranquility, but we advise you take a little more care over this Apollo 11-inspired Lunar Pilot Chronograph. It’s a reissue featuring Bulova’s new ultra-high-frequency 262kHz quartz movement alongside a curved sapphire crystal dial and a black, leather, NATO-style strap. Zero-atmosphere exposure may not be on the cards, but you do get water resistance to 50m.

Price: £449 | Amazon | Beaverbrooks

Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic

An homage to the Hamilton military watches of the 1960s, and a rather affordable one at that, the Khaki Field Automatic features its ‘Earth’ coloured PVD coating on a 38mm bead-blasted stainless steel case. With a tanned leather NATO strap and powered by a hand-wound movement with 80 hours of power reserve.

Price: £445 | Hamilton Watch

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Timex Q Reissue 38mm

With a modern quartz movement, this update to the 1979 Timex Q otherwise keeps the original “Q” logo, alongside a 38mm case size, vintage stainless-steel bracelet and faithful battery hatch. With its classy retro styling and 50m water resistance - good enough for everyday life, but not something you’d necessarily go diving with - it’s exceedingly good value at £160.

Price: £159 | Timex

Mondaine Helvetica 1 Hybrid Smartwatch

Another stylish smartwatch, Mondaine’s Helvetica 1 is a hybrid so there’s no touchscreen here. Instead the second (grey) dial of this 40mm Swiss-made watch can be set to display activity and sleep tracking, and, when it’s connected to your iPhone or Android phone via Bluetooth, it can be also set to buzz gently when you get a new text or email.

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Price: £349 | Mondaine

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