Help Him Build a Watch Wardrobe with These Five Must-Have Watches

Every spring, after months of chat room speculation, horology nerds flock to Geneva for the first glimpses of the maisons new releases. Its an exciting time, full of special reissues, material and movement upgrades and lots of beer. There is, however, one problem. Unless youre in a top client book, have an insider willing to risk unemployment or youre willing to pay well over MSRP on the aftermarket, your chance of securing one of these timepieces is almost nil. Thats why many watch aficionados have started to take this bull market time to add some of the less hyped, less complicated pieces to their collections. Here are our picks for five must-haves that are incredible and, better yet, available.

The daily essentials

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This watch is one youll reach for every day. Released in 2018, the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight quickly became a critical favourite, thanks to its incredible value proposition. Waterproof up to 200m, this 39 mm diver is incredibly comfortablevoid of the clunkiness generally associated with the category while still being readable. Powered by an in-house, self-winding movement with bi-directional rotor system, it has a power reserve of 70 hours. Despite the brands ongoing attempt to separate itself from its big brother (that would be the mighty Rolex), that relationship creates a cool factor that Tudor should embrace.

The approachable investment

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Swiss stalwart Longines has been making moves lately, introducing a number of enticing new products to its (relatively) approachably priced offering. One of the more notable releases is a sleek re-imagination of a 1940s British Royal Airforce military timepiece. At 38.5 mm and round, it sits nicely on the wrist, its self-winding automatic movement Caliber L888 exclusive to the brand. What makes this watch particularly fun, however, is the lengths the brand went to reproduce the original patina, hand-spraying each dial with tiny black droplets that make every piece unique.

The new classic

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Originally designed to withstand the rigours of a polo match, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reversos signature art deco design and reversible rectangular case has made it one of the most recognized watches in the world. Its handsome blue hands, silvered gray dial and light brown Fagliano Collection leather strap create a look that adds a touch of class to both casual and dressy attire. Mechanically, its sound, powered by the Caliber 822 manual-winding movement with a 42-hour reserve and a small seconds dial at 6 oclock. If you could only have one watch, this would be it.

The cult favorite

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A modern reinterpretation of the Japanese brands historic 62GS from 1967, the Shunbun is a 40mm titanium masterpiece that feels as good on the wrist as it looks. Thanks to the bezel-free construction that allows for a wide dial opening, the intricate, textured soft pink dial gets the hero moment it deserves. The date window at 3 oclock, sapphire crystal case back and distortion-free surfaces showcase why Grand Seikos finishing is second to none, while the Spring Drive Caliber 9R65 movement shows why Grand Seiko is also potentially the most accurate watch brand in the world.

The icon

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Simply put, this timepiece is a legend. Having been a part of all six moon landings, Omegas Speedmaster series is the most iconic in the watch world. (The brand itself was founded in a tiny Swiss village in 1848.) While there are no doubt more than a few iterations to come, this anti-magnetic 42mm stainless steel classic has its fair share of exciting features, including a chronograph, small seconds sub dial, Tachymeter, both a 30-minute and 12-hour recorder and is powered by the manual-wind Caliber 3861. Truthfully, without a Speedy, no watch collection is complete.

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