Launched in 2017, this is one of the newest watches on our list. There are tool and even sports watches, and then there is the Richard Mille 67-02, often designed to be adapted to specific sports and athletes. It’s best to think of this as the ultimate high-performance watch. The flat, slightly curved case is constructed using a combination of TPT® composite materials, grade-5 titanium, and an elastic wristband to keep the weight to an absolute minimum. The result is a watch that weighs a mere 32 grams and has been used by athletes while competing, most notably tennis star Rafael Nadal. The movement and the case feel like one unit, with as much removed from the movement as possible to save weight. This is a no-compromise approach to creating a watch that can stand up to the most intense, real-world use as humanly possible. 

Richard Mille changed the game to push watches as far into the future as possible by not compromising on production techniques and material usage. The brand made novel progress in case and movement construction and has paved the way for a new generation of watch manufacturing. They also challenged how we think of the relationship between brand and ambassador, pairing the watch itself with athletes under the stress of competition. 

Votes received: 2

Patek Philippe introduced the reference 5370 in 2015, and it made an immediate impact thanks to its classic design (that not so subtly recalls the Patek 130, the ref. 1563, and even ref. 1436) and refined in-house manually winding caliber CHR 29-535 PS, the base caliber of which made its debut in 2009 as the brands first entirely in-house manually winding chronograph movement. The black or blue enamel dial features applied Breguet numerals, oversized registers on either side of the hand stack to track the running seconds and totalize the minutes, and a prominent tachymeter bezel running the perimeter. This is a pure split-second chronograph with no superfluous complications at work, and it’s an absolute wonder. 

The reference 5370 represents a new generation of an important lineage for Patek Philippe. It also establishes the brand’s mechanical prowess with its own highly impressive (not to mention beautiful) caliber, no longer relying on Lemania-based movements. This watch is the best of the brand’s past while showcasing what to expect from the brand moving ahead. This purity of character draws people into the true magic of Patek Philippe, and it’s one of their finest modern references.

Votes received: 2

George Daniels is one of the most prolific innovators of the 20th century, particularly his contributions to creating a more practical escapement (his book by the same name is highly recommended). Through the early ‘70s, Daniels developed his novel co-axial escapement, the first such improvement since the lever escapement was put forth in 1755 by Thomas Mudge. With further refinements through the ‘80s and ‘90s, the co-axial escapement was eventually adopted by Omega for broad commercialization. The Millennium is a watch developed by George in celebration of this momentous occasion, using the Omega movements to employ his escapement.

The co-axial escapement was developed to eliminate sliding friction experienced by the stones set into the palette fork as they make contact with the escape wheel, meaning less stress on the escapement and less reliance on lubricants. The Millennium represents a culmination of this feat of development and serves as a cornerstone of Daniels’ impressive body of work. As such, this is a hugely important watch that would go on to inform the design language of his notable apprentice, Roger Smith, to this day.

Votes received: 2

While 1955 may seem a little late to the game for a perpetual calendar, it was the 5516 that first included a leap-year indication in a wristwatch. This was no small feat, and it set the standard for perpetual calendar watches going forward. The 5516 dates to a time when Audemars Piguet was still operating in a traditional manner, which was largely disrupted when the Royal Oak came out in 1972. Today it’s rare to find AP making such traditionally-styled watches, and the 5516 is a reminder of why Audemars Piguet earned a place in the so-called Holy Trinity of Swiss Watchmakers (along with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin).

Incredibly few 5516s were produced, making them exceedingly rare—especially because AP has garaged a number (4 or more) in its archive. They almost never come up for sale, and back in 2014, one hammered at Christie’s for $545,000, and in 2017 one from Patrick Getreide’s OAK Collection hammered at Phillips in Hong Kong for $675,000.

Votes received: 2

Rolex is primarily known for its sports watches, but when the Crown takes steps into more complicated pieces, special things can happen. In 1950, Rolex introduced the reference 6062, a full calendar watch with a moonphase set at 6 o’clock on the dial. The hour-markers took the form of stars lining the dial, earning it the nickname Stelline, Italian for little stars. The ref. 6062 was built into a 36 mm Oyster case and used a screw-down crown, which makes it unique from the reference 8171 ‘Padellone.’ The result is a charming and unexpected watch that has aged incredibly gracefully. 

The reference 6062 was produced in very limited quantities in a range of metals, including steel and rose gold. It’s a watch that commands attention at auctions around the world and one that’s left its mark on the history of triple calendar watches as a whole. Setting aside the impressive auction results, the 6062 betrays a charming character that lays at the heart of Rolex’s design language during this era leading into their prominent sports watch production span. Some of its DNA can be found in later Cellini models and now in the Rolex 1908.

Votes received: 2

Though the Rolex reference 8171 is a triple-calendar moonphase, much like the reference ref. 6062 Steline, there is plenty that distinguishes the two. The 8171 used the caliber A295 CPL and, more importantly, was produced in a larger 38 mm case with distinctive lugs attached to the mid-body of the case (unlike the oyster-style case of the 6062). The triple calendar moonphase remains an elusive combination from Rolex, and this configuration, known as the ‘Padellone’ or ‘large frying pan’ for its relatively large footprint (especially for the era) and its unique beauty, remains captivating to this day. It’s particularly interesting given that Rolex did not lean into this kind of watch after establishing itself as a sport and tool watch brand. 

The 8171 is rare, with approximately 1,200 examples produced between 1949 and 1952. This alone isn’t what makes this watch interesting; rather, it represents the creativity and design of the famous Swiss brand. The watch has a unique fingerprint that lasted just a single generation, but its influence has continued to capture the enthusiasm of collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Votes received: 2

Imagine a classic, complicated mid-century gentleman’s watch that exemplifies the traditional world of Swiss watchmaking. You might just be picturing the Ref. 4261 by Vacheron Constantin, a minute repeater from the prestigious Geneva brand. Introduced in the early 1940s in a 34 mm case with a sector dial and beguiling teardrop lugs, not to mention a challenging-to-produce extra-flat caliber, the piece is considered a grail watch by collectors—especially the second series, whose 13-ligne movement without subsidiary seconds came packaged in a 36 mm case (rather large for the time).

Produced until the mid-1950s, the height of vintage watchmaking’s golden age, this exceedingly elegant minute repeating wristwatch is extremely rare. “It is commonly believed that a combined total of less than 40 reference 4261s were made, cased first in yellow and pink gold and later in platinum, with a variety of dial colors and designs,” according to Christie’s. Catch one if you can.

Votes received: 2

In 1940, more than three decades before Audemars Piguet gave birth to the luxury sports watch segment with its 1972 Royal Oak, Patek Philippe seeded the idea for the category with the Ref. 1462, a waterproof column-wheel chronograph wristwatch featuring a second inner case that protected the movement against magnetism. Over the course of its 25-year production run, the reference was only made in about 750 examples—mostly in yellow gold, but with a small percentage in steel.

While collectors go wild for the scarcer steel version, the robust model came with a host of sought-after dial iterations, some rarer than others. Also of note: the two large round pushbuttons used to activate the stopwatch mechanism feature a fluted surface to help prevent slippage. Italian collectors nicknamed them Tasti Tondi (“round pushers”), a designation that helped earn the reference a cult following that continues to this day.

Votes received: 2

The Patek Philippe reference 130 is known for being the brand’s first production chronograph, released in 1934. It is also known for its lengthy production run that ended in 1964, resulting in various configurations. Among the roughly 1,500 examples produced, there is a range of dial layouts and even movements that would make appearances. Broadly speaking, the dual register dial design set within a 33 mm case set the tone of a uniquely beautiful design language that has persisted into Patek’s modern era. Patek initially relied on Piguet ebauche movements for the 130, but that quickly evolved to modified hand wound units from Valjoux labeled the caliber 13-130. 

The design of the Patek 130 would go on to inform more complicated references to come, such as the brand’s first perpetual calendar chronograph, the reference 1518. The tone set with this watch has reverberated to many other watches produced by many other brands, and it’s come to be a foundational part of the brand’s lore. As a result, the reference 130 is generally a highlight during auction season, particularly in rare metals, such as steel, two-tone, and gold. Overall, this is as beautiful a watch as it is influential for the Swiss watch industry as a whole.

Votes received: 2

This watch was first released in 1921 for the new sport of driving. Vacheron Constantin paid tribute in 2021 with the release of the modern 1921, exactly one century after the original driving watch made its debut. The 1921 is instantly recognizable thanks to its dial that’s been rotated 45 degrees clockwise for better viewing while one’s hands are on the wheel. Further, the crown takes its place at the top right corner of the square case, which is offered in either 36.5 mm or 40 mm. Each is a defining trait of the original.

The Vacheron 1921 stands unique today, and since being reintroduced in 2021, it’s gained a new dimension as a brilliant concept executed in a modern yet timeless concept. It found a new audience and wowed them just the same. This watch has proved its importance within a modern Vacheron Constantin and represents an important tie to its considerable heritage.

Votes received: 2

The year 1989 was a big one for the Swiss watch industry. Not only did it mark Patek Philippe’s 150^th anniversary, but it also is generally regarded as the start of the mechanical watchmaking renaissance. Reference 3974, a 36 mm grand complication in gold or platinum—equipped with an automatic movement containing a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, 24-hour indication, and moonphases—played a significant role in that history.

The movement in Ref. 3974, Caliber 27RQ, consisted of 467 parts, but its case was even more special than the mechanics of the watch, made for Patek Philippe by the legendary casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann. Discontinued in 2000, the reference is thought to have been made in just 160 examples. Most remain in private hands. When a piece comes to market, you’d better believe it inspires a bidding frenzy.

Votes Received: 3

During a dinner in New York in 2001, the Swiss businessman Rolf Schnyder and the watchmaking wunderkind Ludwig Oechslin presented an outlandish-looking gold watch that lacked a dial, crown, and traditional hands. Instead, it indicated the time with an enormous minute hand that also doubled as the movement and a rotating main plate that served as the hour hand. To set the time, you simply turned the bezel.

The radical visible design of the model, appropriately named Freak, made it easy to overlook its equally avant-garde insides: The movement incorporated silicon, a watch world first. The material has since revolutionized mechanical watchmaking by eliminating the need for lubricants like oil. Technically innovative and so wild looking that it could be described as “exotic,” the Freak gave the middle finger to horological conventional wisdom at a time when the postmodern mechanical watchmaking renaissance was barely a decade old. In doing so, it paved the way for an era of superwatches that have redefined what a wristwatch looks like and how it should function.

Votes received: 3

Much as a simple 12-bar blues song or a loaf of French bread showcases the talents of a musician or a baker, the simple time-only watch stands as a kind of litmus test for watchmakers. After a storied career as a specialist in complications at Jaeger-LeCoultre, Gérald Genta, and Audemars Piguet, Philippe Dufour stepped out on his own to create insanely complicated pocket watches. In 2000, he dropped the Simplicity wristwatch. It is his blues song, his French loaf. For that, it is revered as one of the most beautiful independently-created watches of all time. The eye is drawn to every detail on a simple watch like this, from the exquisite dial engraving to the immaculate Geneva stripes on the large bridges of the movement and Dufour’s unrivaled anglage (beveled edges), which wind around complex corners with perfection.

The relevance of the Simplicity is reflected in record-breaking prices as of late, proving that 21st-century watches produced in the traditional manner are now valued as highly as their mid-20th-century counterparts. There are 37 mm and 34 mm versions of the Simplicity, and those who own either have a veritable gold mine on their hands.

Votes received: 3

Vianney Halter represents the genesis of modern independent watchmaking that cuts against the grain. His initial creation, the Antiqua, changed the game when it was released in 1998 thanks to its wholly original layout and construction. The watch is a perpetual calendar that sets its functions into its own subdial structures emanating from the case. The unusual design was developed in collaboration with American graphic designer Jeff Barnes and brought to life by Halter in gold and platinum. Inside sits a Lemania 8810 base caliber that’s been thoroughly revised by Halter to suit the needs of the innovative layout. 

The Antiqua was a groundbreaking, avant-garde design labeled a “relic from the future” thanks to the retro-futuristic, steampunk design language that provides interesting details to enjoy from every angle. This is a watch that helped lay the groundwork for the likes of Max Büsser of MB&F, Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk, and many others ready to challenge our conception of what a watch could be. The result is one of the most important watches ever created.

Votes received: 3

Notable comment: “Every independent watchmaker brings something new to the table as a rule. But which ones led the way with groundbreaking ideas, technology, and design? This, too, is likely a matter of taste, though I think few would dispute Vianney Halter as one of the clear leaders of the genre.” – Elizabeth Doerr

Like many other famous tool watches, the Breitling Navitimer was the product of a specific request or problem: In this case, the US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) approached company scion Willy Breitling and asked him for a unique chronograph for its members. The oversized 41 mm wristwatch that he delivered would come to define the pilot’s watch genre for generations: Offering 30-minute, 12-hour, and running-seconds registers in a tripe-subdial format, the Navitimer’s dial was printed with the logarithmic slide rule scales, and paired with a rotating bezel. Using this unique combination of features, pilots could compute air speed, fuel consumption, distance traveled, unit conversions, and more, all while measuring elapsed time with a convenient, luminous, wrist-worn instrument. 

While the original 1952 Navitimer was only available to AOPA members, subsequent versions of the watch were made commercially available from 1956 onward and given the reference 806. A myriad of successor versions followed from the early 1960s onward, including “panda” dial versions with white subdials; “twin-jet” logo versions with serrated (rather than beaded) bezels; automatic versions; oversized 48 mm versions with date windows; and more. (These days, it can be had in standard vintage-inspired versions, dainty time-only versions, wildly complicated versions in precious metals, and everything in between.) Seen on the wrists of jazz great Miles Davis, Formula 1 legend Jim Clark, and Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, the Navitimer is a veritable legend of tool watchdom and remains required wearing for any serious collector.

Votes received: 3

MB&F made a name for themselves with unconventional Horological Machines with designs born of the brand’s namesake Max Büsser’s love of vintage sci-fi and steampunk themes. The Legacy Machine represented a partial departure, blending 19th-century with a retro-futuristic mentality. The collection hosts a stunning array of horological innovations, from the split escapement to the wild perpetual calendar and Sequential Chronograph examples with movements developed by the brilliant Stephen McDonnell. It’s a collection that elicits powerful emotions.

The Legacy Machine began as an aside to the brand’s powerhouse Horological Machine collection, but they have since blossomed into a broader canvas through which the brand employs the creative brilliance of their ‘Friends’ (the F in MB&F). These watches have shown how to bring movements into a three-dimensional space in captivating ways, and they have established a new genre in the process.

Votes received: 4

Leave it to an Italian house predominately known for jewelry and the house’s product creation executive director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, a creative with a knack for illustration and a background in car design, to create a watch with an entirely new design language that ultimately resulted in 8 world records for ultra-thin watchmaking since it debuted a decade ago. The latest record, set by the Octo Finissimo Ultra, slimmed the timepiece down to 1.8 mm—just a hair thicker than a quarter. Yet, within that micro setting, it manages to pack in 170 components and 50 hours of power reserve. It’s a feat of both design and engineering that reduces the complexity of watchmaking into a timekeeper so light and svelte, you could forget it was on your wrist. In fact, it’s easy to forget the incredible amount of R&D and talent required to make the piece when it feels like a toy watch from a gum ball machine.

While much of the Octo Finissimo is certainly about bragging rights (of course, most of watchmaking is just that in an era where its technology is no longer needed) due to packing a lot of guts into a slim waistline, the exterior design of the watch is equally impressive. So many brands try to reinvent the wheel, and most are at their best when they do anything but—the name of the game in luxury is small tweaks, not total makeovers. Yet, Bulgari went out on a limb with the Octo Finissimo, which looks unlike anything else on the market and still has an appeal that feels potentially enduring. It’s more akin to a sharp modern skyscraper than the decorative, rounded grandeur of a Gilded Age manse. And that’s exactly the idea. The Octo Finissimo has even driven that point home with collectible editions in collaboration with Japanese architect Tadao Ando. It’s a canvas that appears to keep on giving—it has served as the backdrop to a minute repeater and a tourbillon chronograph skeleton to a special edition released this year displaying Buonamassa Stigliani’s hand-sketched rendering of the watch on its dial. Rome was, after all, always ahead of its time.

Votes received: 4

Notable comment: “Fittingly, greatness can only be measured over time, and so my edit features only one watch introduced over the past half century, Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo, a watch whose greatness will only multiply with time.” – Robin Swithinbank

In 1979, Piaget solidified its repuation as the watchmaker of the glitterati when it introduced its signature timepiece, the Polo, a solid-gold bracelet watch that soon came to epitomize the opulence and excess of the coming decade. Powered by a slender quartz movement, the model, available in both his and her sizes, in round and square case shapes, was distinguished by polished gadroons, a Piaget trademark.

Marketed as the “ultimate sports watch,” the Polo reflected the evolution of the sports watch category, which came into its own in the 1950s, when postwar optimism and the dawn of the leisure lifestyle translated into growing demand for timepieces that could take a licking. In 1972, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak, the first luxury watch to come in stainless steel, on an integrated bracelet, imbuing the sport watch with a more luxe connotation. The gilded Polo carried that idea to its natural conclusion. The proof that Piaget’s bold gamble paid off came in February of 2024, when the brand rolled out, to great acclaim, the Piaget 79, a chic update of the original. The main difference? The redux model boasts a mechanical movement in a stylish ultra-thin execution.

Votes received: 4

In 1941, Patek Philippe turned the watch world on its head with the introduction of the Ref. 1518, a serially-produced perpetual calendar that included a chronograph complication. No company had ever offered such a timepiece, and it would be many decades before another would do so. In the meantime, Patek iterated upon this unique combination of complications, releasing the follow-up reference 2499 in 1951. By the end of its production run in 1986, this longstanding fan favorite had swapped its rectangular pushers for more modern pump pushers and its acrylic crystal for a sapphire one. At this point, Patek introduced the ref. 3970, a thoroughly modern QP-chronograph powered by a hand-wound Lemania movement that also served as the basis for Omega’s famed Caliber 321. 

Measuring 36 mm, this precious-metal watch manages to display a wealth of information without seeming crowded: While day and month windows are situated beneath 12 o’clock, a combination 30-second totalizer and leap-year indicator is featured at 3 o’clock; at 6 o’clock is a combination moon-phase and date indicator; and at 9 o’clock is a combination 24-hour indicator and running seconds indicator. Set in a yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, or platinum case, it’s a recipe for a highly collectible, complicated stunner produced in under 4,000 examples during an 18-year run. While it doesn’t necessarily command the premiums of an older 2499 or 1518, its blend of old-world classicism, modern materials, and features make it the ultimate “neo-vintage” watch.

Votes received: 5

The Zenith El Primero was a leading act in watchmaking’s greatest drama. When it was launched 56 years ago, on January 10, 1969, Zenith-Movado (as the company was known at the time) had spent seven long years developing the movement that would power the first high-frequency (36,000 vibrations per hour) automatic chronograph on the market. So, it’s an understatement to say it was a bitter disappointment when later that same year, Seiko upended the entire watchmaking industry with the world’s first quartz watch, which made watchmaking both cheap and extraordinarily accurate. It heralded the beginning of the quartz crisis that almost wiped Swiss watchmaking off the map. By 1974, Zenith (which had been sold to the Zenith Radio Corporation in 1971) stopped making the El Primero. Little did it know at the time, that the watch would one day be responsible for reviving the mechanical watch market.

Thanks to one of Zenith’s watchmakers with extraordinary foresight, the El Primero was safeguarded for future keeping. Charles Vermot recognized the importance of the automatic chronograph movement and hid away the tools and blueprints in an attic in Zenith’s manufacture (still preserved today) in 1976. Soon after, in the early ‘80s, Ebel and Rolex came calling for the automatic chronograph movement. Rolex singed a 10-year contract with Zenith to equip its Daytona—know the most valuable watch in the Crown’s catalog—with the El Primero movement. The first Daytonas with El Primero movements debuted at Baselworld in 1988 and with it, the mechanical watch renaissance.

Just two years before that, Zenith began using the El Primero again in its own collections starting with the Zenith Chronomaster collection and has since continued to capitalize on its claim to fame. In 2019, the company released three limited-edition retro remakes of the El Primero to much fanfare and others have since followed, but the movement lives on other more modern iterations including this recently released El Primero titanium model. But the caliber itself will always remain “the first” leader in watchmaking’s rebirth.

Votes received: 5

In 2018, five years after founding his Geneva atelier Akrivia, the celebrated independent watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi introduced the Chronomètre Contemporain, the first watch to bear his name on the dial. A time-only watch displaying hours, minutes, and seconds, it came in two pared-back versions: a platinum case with an immaculate Grand Feu enamel dial and a rose gold case with a black enamel dial.

Lauded for its simple yet distinctive aesthetics, the piece won the Men’s Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2018. But there was substance behind the style: The movement, calibre RR-01, is pleasingly symmetrical, a Rexhepi signature. What’s more, it was developed and assembled entirely in-house, using the finest finishing techniques, such as anglage in a rounded, bombé style, Côtes de Genève on the movement plates, and perlage on the base plate—all executed flawlessly, another Rexhepi hallmark. A highly sought-after second series, introduced in 2022, underscored the degree to which the Chronomètre Contemporain was a turning point for the hot young maker: Before the model came out, he was a promising contender on the indie watchmaking scene. After, he was king.

Vote received: 6

Watches made by the revered French watchmaker François-Paul Journe have a distinct look and feel. The 1999 Tourbillon Souverain, the first model sold by his eponymous firm, founded that same year, helped define the Journe aesthetic: elegant, tradition-bound, and recognizable from across the room. Produced until 2003, the 38 mm dress watch features such quintessential F.P. Journe elements as a crown with a rope-like pattern, a vintage typeface, elaborate dial, silvered subdials, guilloche work, and, of course, his motto, Invenit et Fecit—Latin for “invented and made”—on the bottom of the dial.

The Tourbillon Souverain’s most appealing incarnation may well be the Souscription model with the yellow-gold dial plate. Produced on commission in 1999 in just 20 examples, the watch was sold to buyers before it was manufactured, a tactic Journe borrowed from the 18^th-century master watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet. At the time, the strategy helped the fledgling watchmaker get his business off the ground. A quarter of a century later, the model is a striking reminder of why Mr. Journe is so revered.

Votes received: 6

Arguably the world’s most celebrated independent watchmaker, Dufour forged a reputation as a horological wizard in 1992 on the strength of a single groundbreaking timepiece: the first wristwatch to feature a grand and petite sonnerie. Beyond the complexity involved in combining, in a single wristwatch, two chiming complications—one that strikes the hour and quarter-hour (a grand sonnerie) with another that strikes only the hour (a petite sonnerie)—the model continues to inspire awe among connoisseurs because of its extreme rarity.

Dufour made just eight of the minute repeating watches over the course of decades, including three highly sought-after versions featuring a sapphire crystal dial. In early December, one of those sapphire dial models, a unique, previously unknown Grande & Petite Sonnerie, sold at Phillips’ New York watch auction for $3,960,000, nearly $2 million above its estimate.

Votes received: 4

In 1996, Patek Philippe outdid itself by adding a split-seconds (or rattrapante) chronograph function to what was effectively a reference 3970. A split-seconds chronograph allows one to stop one hand while another keeps going, and once one has measured that interval, the stopped hand catches up (rattrapante in French) to the running hand. What many don’t realize is how complicated a split-seconds chronograph is to make, and some contend it is far more difficult to produce than a tourbillon. As such, Patek made roughly 12 per year before discontinuing the 5004 in 2011.

What remains amazing about the 5004 is its complexity—407 individual parts—packed into a sub-37 mm wristwatch format. Today, Patek creates a similar watch in the Ref. 5402, which is 40 mm across and costs $336,890, but a 2499 once belonging to Eric Clapton hammered for over 10 times as much at Sotheby’s in 2018—a whopping $3.65 million. For those who admire complexity in a traditional style, there is very little that outdoes the 5004.

Votes received: 4

Most wouldn’t consider today’s Seiko Astron a luxury watch, but when the Japanese company released it in 1969 as the first quartz-oscillating electronic watch to market, it cost as much as a mid-sized Japanese sedan. The initial run was around 100 units in solid gold, and they sold out quickly. Though Piaget, Patek Philippe, and Omega were developing quartz movements through the 1960s, the Swiss simply didn’t get their act together in time to compete with Seiko. The Astron effectively kicked off what people now call the quartz crisis: a period during the 1970s that saw around 1,000 Swiss watch companies go belly-up and the industry’s workforce shrink from 90,000 to below 30,000 by the end of the decade.

While it may be easy to write off the Astron as merely a technological leap, the original models were rather avant-garde in form and crafted from solid gold within the hand-made traditions of Japan. The hand-etched case with its wide flanks and the vertically striated gold-tone dial set the style for a number of watches to follow, including variations on the form from Zenith, Omega, TAG Heuer, and many more. The originals are rare and expensive and don’t come up for sale often. Meanwhile, the 50th-anniversary edition of 2019 has fetched as much as $36,000 on the secondary market. It would be wrong to remember the early Astron as only a disruptive watch; it was that, but it put high-end Japanese watchmaking on the map and cleared a path toward a distinctive—and much imitated—mid-century style.

Votes received: 4

Notable comment: “The Astron was the watch that started the wave of democratization of watchmaking. The first quartz wristwatch is somewhat forgotten, but yet is a major influence in the hall of fame of wristwatches.” – William Massena

Jack Heuer, great-grandson of company founder Edouard Heuer, made perhaps his greatest contribution to the family business with the Carrera chronograph. Introduced in 1963, this simple, hand-wound tool watch—named, much like Porsche’s famous engine, for the notoriously dangerous Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico—featured a 36 mm case, a smooth bezel, a rehaut featuring a 1/5th-second scale, luminous sword hands, a mechanical movement from Valjoux, and a triple-register or dual-register chronograph layout. Available in silver, black, and “panda” and “reverse panda” designs, it was quickly adopted by numerous Formula 1 and other drivers in the mid-20th century. In the late 1960s, Heuer began powering automatic versions with its automatic Calibre 11 movement and its derivatives. 

For some time after the acquisition of Heuer by Techniques Avant Garde, the Carrera took a back seat to quartz-powered divers, chronographs, and plastic Formula 1 watches. However, the launch of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” in 2023 introduced a fresh generation to this important timepiece by updating its size to 39 mm and retaining the thing that set it apart in the first place — namely, its legibility. Powered by an automatic, in-house movement, its “glassbox” crystal sits above a curved, flanged rehaut that features both a tachymeter scale and a 1/5th-seconds scale. Because of this curvature, both scales are visible without crowding the dial, which boasts a date wheel for modern convenience. Simple yet brilliant, this contemporary tweak to Jack Heuer’s old design ensures that the Carrera will remain relevant for many generations to come.

Votes received: 4

While World War II raged, Switzerland remained officially uninvolved and very busy making watches for both sides of the fight. But Rolex didn’t take up many military contracts and instead, it seemed, was tooling up for a post-war boom. In 1945, Rolex dropped the Datejust on the market, and it was an ideal everyday watch. While people talk of luxury sports watches as if that idea emerged sometime in the early 1970s with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, it was Rolex who had long made beautiful, waterproof watches that could tackle land, sea, and air by day and the gala hall by night. The DateJust was a culmination of decades of Oyster watches, this time sporting a very special complication by which the date changes over just at midnight—or, as another version of the story goes, the date was aways just, as in “correct.” Either way, the weird four-hour change over of the date was no longer a thing, and it is from this mechanical advancement that the watch takes its name.

Today, the Datejust remains central to the Rolex catalog and, in many ways, is the quintessential Rolex. Its fluted bezel (though sometimes plain), date cyclops, signature long lugs, 3-link Oyster or 5-link Jubilee bracelet, and dressy-sporty vibes are iconic in every sense of the word. When you’re at a tennis match, a train station, or just walking down the city streets and seeing a Rolex clock, it’s usually the Datejust visage you’re seeing. Compare a Datejust from 1945 to a Datejust 36 issued today, and it’s incredible to see how the original design has not only endured but also remained relevant for so many decades.

Votes received: 4

Notable comment: “[I prefer a] Rolex Datejust with a champagne dial and a jubilee bracelet, preferably a five-digit 36 mm case reference before things got silly at Rolex. It’s classy, dressy, sporty, superb on any wrist or gender, and boring. I mean that in the nicest way.”

The Fifty Fathoms is a watch that played a pivotal role in casting the die of the modern dive watch genre as we know it. The original was a hulking, 41 mm watch with a massive rotating bezel that used a bakelite insert. It also boasted a crown that you could use underwater and an “O” ring seal in the caseback that allowed for a robust depth rating of, well, fifty fathoms (about 91 meters). Many variations of the Fifty Fathoms were produced in both military and civilian spec, each following the same general formula of a highly legible dial with large circular luminescent hour markers, a practical rotating bezel, and a well-sealed case that could perform underwater. Unbeknownst to Blancpain at the time, these qualities would go on to inform generations of dive watches to come. 

The Fifty Fathoms is often referred to as the first modern dive watch. Blancpain claims a release date of 1953, though patents and trademark registrations date to 1954, with a public presentation happening in 1955. While the specifics of its release are still the subject of some discourse (and perhaps an attempt to outpace the Rolex Submariner of 1954), there’s no denying the role the Fifty Fathoms played in helping to define the modern dive watch archetype. They weren’t the first waterproof watches, but they were the first to pair it to a modern, usable design for SCUBA divers.

Votes received: 4

In the early years of the 20th century, an enterprising Brazilian-born inventor and aviator named Alberto Santos-Dumont experimented with primitive flying machines in the skies above Paris. Piloting these lighter-than-air and fixed-wing aircraft, the daring young pioneer searched for a special timepiece that he could use while his hands were engaged at the controls. Louis Cartier, third generation scion of the famed Parisian jeweler, answered his call by designing a hand-wound wristwatch with a rectangular dial, a bezel with visible screws, integrated lugs, a blue sapphire cabochon crown, and an elegant Roman-numeral dial with a railroad minute track and blued steel Breguet hands. Presented to Santos-Dumont, the model was subsequently made available to the public beginning in 1911 and housed in a gold or platinum case with a mechanical movement from European Watch & Clock Company. 

In 1978, Cartier released a second collection simply dubbed “Santos,” beefing up somewhat the delicate frame of the Santos-Dumont—the world’s first dedicated “pilot’s watch,” as strange as that may seem!—and adding, in certain instances, a bracelet with dual rows of visible screws that match those on the bezel. Available in various sizes with steel or precious metal cases; time-only or complicated movements; and straps or bracelets, the modern Santos de Cartier collection also includes takes on the original Santos-Dumont watch. In and out of production for over a century, the collection represents a milestone in sports watch production—indeed, even if no modern pilot would rely upon one, hordes of collectors around the world would gladly snap one up to wear to a cocktail party or gala.

Votes received: 4

Widely considered one of the most elegant watches the Geneva-based brand has ever made, if not one of the most elegant wristwatches of all time, the 3940 is a perpetual calendar featuring three sub-dials powered by a slimmer movement than Ref. 3450 (the model it replaced), thereby allowing for a more elegant, wearable case. Often seen in gold—most bewitchingly, with a golden dial—the 3940 also came in white, rose gold, and platinum.

The model debuted in 1985 when the Swiss watch industry was still reeling from the effects of the 1970s quartz crisis (when electronic watches from Japan shuttered hundreds of Swiss watch companies). The timing may have seemed inauspicious, but in hindsight, the debut of the 3940 presaged a new era for Patek Philippe, marked by serial production of complicated timepieces. Before its introduction, the brand produced its most complicated pieces in relatively small runs. The 3940, on the other hand, was produced in four series, concluding in 2007, with as many as 8,000 examples produced, according to the latest scholarship.

More than anything, however, the appeal of the 3940 is the combination of traditional and modern techniques Patek used to make it. That Philippe Stern, president of the company from 1993 to 2009 and father of Patek’s current president, Thierry Stern, chose the model as his daily timepiece speaks volumes.

Votes received: 6

Just four years after Cartier’s biggest icon, the Tank, was created, Louis Cartier added an ever-so-slight dose of pizzazz to the design by creating the Tank Cintrée, which took the rectangular shape and curved it, so it appears to just barely hug or grip the wrist. For the record, the Cartier Tonneau, created in 1906, was also curved but had a more voluminous shape. Unlike the Tonneau, which has “hips,” the Cintrée maintained the straight lines of the original Tank but curved them putting the Tank in a backbend of sorts. It is otherwise recognized for a dial that is typical to Cartier with Roman numerals, a chemin de fer minute track, and blued steel hands, although some outliers of those parameters do exist.

The curvature of this watch’s “spine” was certainly a design twist, but it was also technically challenging to produce. It required the movement and the sapphire crystal to be engineered in accordance with the shape. For a house that built its name on jewelry for royals and A-listers that was no small feat at the time. Add this to the fact that the Cintrée was born not long after the transition from traditional round pocket watches to wearing time on the wrist and you can understand just how far ahead of the curve it landed. In today’s wildly more advanced age, it remains just as modern as ever.

Votes received: 6

The advent of the railway in the 19th century necessitated a way to track accurate time across an entire continent—a need that resulted in the creation of time zones. In 1885, Swiss watchmaker Emmanuel Cottier devised an early mechanical movement that could be used to track the time simultaneously across multiple zones. His son, Louis, would perfect it into the “world timer.” Beginning in the 1930s, he created pocket watches and wristwatches for Patek Philippe that used an ingenious “city ring” and 24-hour ring to show the time around the world. Primarily available to dedicated clients with deep pockets, these exquisite, precious-metal timepieces sometimes featured beautiful, richly colored enamel dials depicting a map of, say, Eurasia or North America. It was the reference 2523, however, launched in 1954, that truly launched a world-time revolution.

The 2523, unlike earlier world-timer iterations, used a smart dual-crown system: While the 3 o’clock crown was used to wind and set the movement, the 9 o’clock crown controlled the rotating city and 24-hour ring. Out of the way of one’s hand, this crown was less prone to being knocked about, reducing unnecessary wear on the bezel and maintaining an accurate picture of time around the world. Featuring a printed (rather than engraved) city ring, this highly legible watch was powered by the modified, manually-wound caliber 12-400 movements, around 45 of which were delivered. Incredibly low production estimates mean that the 2523, in the right configuration, is a multi-million-dollar watch at auction. Thankfully, however, Patek Philippe continues to make modern versions.

Votes received: 7

Aside from the fact that this reference is classic Patek at its finest, the Ref. 5970 perpetual calendar chronograph is a pivotal piece in the company’s history. It marked a passing of the baton of sorts. In Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography by Nicholas Foulkes, current Patek Philippe president, Thierry Stern, described the Ref. 5970 as a final test by his father, Philippe Stern, before passing on stewardship of the company to his son. It was released in 2004, five years before Thierry Stern would officially take over the company. Today, it is regarded as one of the most collectible modern Patek Philippes.

When it debuted a decade ago, it replaced the perpetual chronograph Ref. 3970, a revered model which had been part of the Swiss manufacture’s collection for 18 years. It is the last of the Nouvelle Lémania 27-70-based calibers (extensively reworked by Patek Philippe) before the company began producing the next-gen chronos with in-house movements. It was really standard practice for watch companies to work off of ébauches (raw movements) and add their personal touch to them, but it quickly went out of practice as digital media gave voice to collectors demanding in-house movements. Nevertheless, today collectors fawn over the reference in reverence to its roots, as well as its beauty. Only 2,800 examples are thought to have been made, which also makes it relatively accessible as far as highly collectible Pateks go.

Votes received: 7

Notable comment: “I especially struggled with choosing between two Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph models, one vintage, the reference 2499, and the other the modern reference 5970. Ultimately I chose the 5970P as it’s a watch that was produced during my generation and is simply superb in terms of case proportions, finishing quality, and wrist-fit comfort.” – Paul Boutros

François-Paul Journe may be one of the most revered living modern watchmakers of his time, but his foundation and passion remain firmly rooted in the work of 18^th and 19^th-century technological innovators, Abraham-Louis Breguet, Antide Janvier, Christiaan Huygens, and more. Breguet, more than any ancient master, served as the inspiration for Journe’s overarching legacy piece, the Chronomètre à Résonance. Created 24 years ago, its significance lies in the fact that it was the first wristwatch to ever achieve the phenomenon of natural chronometric resonance through dual movements that synchronize themselves for greater accuracy.

It was, essentially, the continuation of work first discovered and achieved nearly two centuries before Journe. The concept was discovered by Dutch watchmaker, Christiaan Huygens in the 17^th century and was later implemented in watchmaking in 1815 when Breguet debuted the principle in a pocket watch. By the time Journe would introduce it on the wrist 185 years later, it would be solely for the purpose of high-level horological artistry (or nerdery) than any practical purpose, but for those that love the genius of the craft it was a huge feat.

But the Resonance couldn’t ride on technological innovation alone. It was also a beautiful design that married tradition (classic material, shape, and finishing, to name a few) with a modern outlook (two independent watch dials for dual time function that are bolted to the dial in a fashion that would almost be steampunk if it wasn’t so refined). Less than 10 years ago, you might pass Journe’s boutique on the Upper East Side and be struck by the elegance of the timepieces in the window without recognizing the name. Today, however, Journe is a veritable rockstar of indie watchmaking commanding prices on the secondary market that can compete with the likes of establishment kings like Patek Philippe and Rolex. Now, a Chronomètre à Resonance comes with a years-long waiting list and models at auction can sometimes run over a million.

Votes received: 8

This is the watch that relaunched Germany’s most high-end niche watchmaker, the revered A. Lange & Söhne. The century-old watchmaker stopped operations when the Soviets occupied East Germany post-WWII. But one patient descendant of the Lange clan waited for years until he could revive his family’s name and business. Following the German reunification, Walter Lange set about reestablishing the watchmaking house in 1990. To help him do it, he brought in the legendary Günter Blümlein, then head of IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre to help secure funding and develop a new product line. The result, in October of 1994, was the introduction of four watches, one of which was the Lange 1. Thanks to its asymmetric dial arrangement in a package that would otherwise be described as traditional watchmaking at its finest, the Lange 1 came to define the company’s image as one of the best and most interesting haute horlogerie houses in the world.

The hallmarks of the Lange 1—the dial arrangement, the oversize and offset date window, and the finely decorated movement and ornately engraved balance cock—are not only instantly recognizable as the brand’s signature, but always widely copied. The success of the model lies in its ability to pull from Lange’s traditional and rich watchmaking history, while also looking distinctly modern. This is a balance that very few brands have achieved, but those that do remain the most coveted makers in luxury.

Votes received: 8

Notable comment: “Lange 1 first generation in yellow or white gold with the small “islands” visible the three quarter plate—it’s ridiculously handsome, well proportioned and so quietly quirky. I wear mine in formal attire as well as swim trunks. Not as romantic as some Swiss or French designs, but beautifully over-enginered and instantly recognizable like some kind of Mercedes Geländewagen.” – Christian Martinez

To say that Rolex was on a winning streak in the 1950s is a gross understatement. While all those wonderful sports models get a lot of fan-fair today, it really was the Day-Date that swept the imaginations of people in 1956 when it was released. This pre-dates the casual fashions that would take hold during the 1960s, eventually collapsing traditional dressiness by the 1970s, making Sumbariners and GMT Masters the thing to wear. But a Day-Date in the 1950s and 60s quickly became the watch to own around the world. This was in no small part because of its adoption by Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and, eventually, Ronald Regan. Known as “the president watch,” it’s unique five-link bracelet is now officially named the President by Rolex—a rare adaptation of the many nicknames given to Rolex products. As for innovation, the Day-Date was the very first wrist watch to display the date and the weekday written in full, a true novelty at the time that’s been imitated by just about every brand since.

Today the Day-Date is not only enduringly popular, but also having something of a resurgence. We’ve noted the rising prices for Day-Dates over the past couple of years, a reflection of changing tastes and, perhaps, a return to dressiness. We’ve also seen some truly amazing gem-set Day-Dates in our travels, reminding us that for a while the Day-Date wasn’t just for Presidents, but a very fancy timepiece with international appeal for both men and women.

Votes received: 8

Notable comment: “Rolex Day-Date in yellow gold… not the most expensive or exclusive but a established worldwide luxury icon.” – David Flett

Seen in recent years on the wrists of style trailblazers such as Kanye West and Tyler the Creator, the Cartier Crash has seen a near meteoric rise in popularity for it asymmetrical Salvador Dali-esque case shape. In 2022, the Surrealist timepiece reached a new pinnacle when an early model sold for a record $1.5 million on auction site Loupe This. Its history, however, dates to 1967 in London when the city was at its peak as a style capital during the Swinging Sixties. According the ninth-generation Cartier, Francesca Brickell Cartier, in her definitive tome The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Gamily Behind the Jewelry Empire, her grandfather, Jean-Jacques Cartier in collaboration with Cartier designer, Rupert Emmerson, aimed to adjust the brand’s Maxi Oval design to look as if it had been in a crash. Apparently, there was even a version with a cracked dial that was proposed. The result, of course, is the intact dial version with a movement created in consultation with Jaeger-LeCoultre set within a squiggly case design that continues to capture the hearts of collectors today.

The London versions, which remain the most collectible, are defined by a more fluid and organic shape with sketched Roman numerals and an elongated Cartier signature. Early versions were handmade in limited quantities, adding to their allure. The Paris models were released later, starting in 1991, and are distinguished by a slightly more symmetrical and refined shape in contrast to the original London design, as well as Roman numerals that are a bit more uniform. It was also produced in higher quantities. Regardless, the design remains a standout in the often-staid parameters of watch design. Its recent endless hype may have an adverse effect on its popularity, but for those that love it and can afford it, it remains a top-of-the-list acquisition.

Votes received: 9

Notable comment: “A weird watch with mainstream acceptance. Not a typical outcome!” – Matt Smeith-Johnson

Just five years after A. Lange & Söhne released the Lange 1, it came to the table with the Datograph. The primary reason this watch belongs on the list, besides it more obvious visual appeal, is that it was one of the first in-house chronographs developed in the post-quartz crisis era. Chronographs are extraordinarily difficult to construct, so the fact that a brand was going out of its way to build one—after the cheap, fast, and easy appeal of quartz nearly threatened to make traditional watchmaking extinct—was a huge testament and love letter to the art of horology. Produced in platinum or gold in small numbers for just 12 years, these pieces are still coveted by collectors.

Beyond its contribution to perpetuating the craft, the Datograph remains renowned for its next-level movement architecture that would impress even a relative novice to the world of watchmaking. The caliber L951.1 set a high benchmark for movement-making and finishing that continues to be strived for by various brands across the industry. The Datograph is the predecessor to the Datograph Up/Down—a stunning new perpetual tourbillon version of which was released this year at Watches & Wonders that presented a smokey sapphire crystal dial allowing for a peek from the front of some of the complex inner workings of the revered chronograph. And in case you need more proof beyond our panel that this watch deserves a place on the “greatest” list, master independent watchmaker Philippe Dufour, who owns a pink gold model, is said to have called it “the best chronograph ever made.”

Votes received: 10

In 1950, Patek Philippe effectively updated its perpetual calendar chronograph reference 1518 with the 2499, which many regard as the more beautiful of the two. The case is 37 mm, 2 mm larger than its predecessor, and this allowed for some extra real estate to relax the dial layout a bit. The downturned lugs and concave bezel are, to this day, considered “classic Patek,” though, in 1950, these features reflected a burgeoning “space-age” industrial design language. The reference was produced from 1950 to 1985, a remarkable 35-year stretch with four variations—or “series,” according to collectors. Only 349 examples are known to exist, meaning that Patek Philippe was making around 10 per year. Rare stuff.

Today, the 2499 remains one of the most sought-after references at auction among elite collectors. It is common to see seven-figure bids, and in 2022 at Phillips in Hong Kong a pink-gold example hammered for $7.68 million dollars, to date the highest price for a 2499. The overall design of the 2499 remains very much alive in current Patek Philippe grand complications, such as the reference 5270 and 5271. It would be hard to think of a more pure expression of the golden era of Swiss wristwatches than the revered 2499.

Votes received: 11

In the early 1950s, as international commercial jet airline travel was just taking off, Pan American Airways—then at the forefront of this mode of travel—needed a way for its pilots and air crews to track both local as well as Greenwich Mean Time. Rolex developed and offered the perfect solution, which it subsequently commercialized to great success: The GMT-Master reference 6542 was equipped with an automatic movement featuring a fourth hand that was “slaved” to the local hour hand when read against an offset from the bidirectional bezel with 24-hour markings, it could easily track a second time zone. Though this reference featured no crown guards, it was the next iteration, the reference 1675 with crown guards, that has come to define its longstanding look. (The updated GMT-Master II, launched in 1983, was even more useful than these initial iterations, offering an independently adjustable local hour hand and, thus, for the first time, the ability to track three zones.) The watch’s bi-color bezel—most famous in its blue and red “Pepsi” iteration—is now recognizable by even horological novices. 

Like the Submariner and the Cosmograph Daytona, what began as a tool watch has now become a luxury item, with two-tone as well as solid-gold versions joining the standard stainless-steel variants. However, also like those other famed Rolex models, a GMT-Master II is still recognizable no matter how fancy its livery: Each one features a dial with four hands, one of which—the GMT hand—is in a contrasting color with an arrow-shaped tip. The bidirectional bezel with a 24-hour scale is usually in two colors: One for daytime hours and the other for nighttime hours for quick identification. An automatic, COSC-certified Rolex movement powers each, and each is offered on a Rolex bracelet—either a three-link Oyster or the elegant, five-link Jubilee, depending on the reference. For frequent travelers, there’s simply no more intuitive, elegant solution than the Rolex GMT-Master. 

Votes received: 14

Notable comment: “To me, many of the greatest watches ever produced were references introduced in the 1960s. Watches such as the Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 or Submariner reference 5512 are watches I am very fortunate to enjoy in my personal collection.” – Charlie Dunne

The Patek Philippe 1518 is the very first regular-production wristwatch to contain a perpetual calendar and chronograph at once, initiating a long-standing tradition of grand complications from Patek. First released in 1941 and ending production in 1954, it is estimated that only 281 were ever made. In other words, it’s not only important historically but also very rare.

But what really makes the 1518 such a revered piece of horology—a must-have for any high-end collector looking to stand at the top of that elite world—has as much to do with rarity and complication as with sheer beauty, elegance, and an uncannily adept informational hierarchy. The case is just 35 mm, and it still astounds some that so few brands currently make a truly complicated watch so small. The proportions of that case are classic and beautiful, but the dial is where we see what many would argue is the most perfect arrangement of information ever rendered in a wristwatch. It is legible yet classy, complicated but easy to derive information from, and genuinely iconic yet understated. And it was done long before CAD-assisted design software and modern fabrication techniques.

Today, the 1518 remains a holy grail, really the holy grail. In 2016, a stainless-steel 1518 hammered for $11,136,642 at Phillips. There appear to be only four examples rendered in stainless steel, while most are in yellow gold and pink gold. It’s hard to think of a watch that represents the golden era of Swiss wristwatches as well as the 1518, and its value—both monetary and in terms of affection—among the world’s elite collectors is unequivocally as high as it gets.

Votes received: 14

Notable comment: “The Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph reference 1518 in stainless steel is my grail and the greatest watch of all time. The incredible rare steel case combined with the highly complicated function is the perfect match.” – Matthew Bain

As far as watchmaking legends go, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso might just be one of the most elegant in the cannon of tales. Representing the height of the Art Deco period, the Reverso was born during an era that also saw Chanel introduce easy-to-wear jersey fabrics for women and Lacoste invent a jersey-knit cotton piqué polo shirt that was breathable and stretchable for an active lifestyle. Likewise, the Reverso’s clever flip face came out of a need for polo players to protect the glass of their timekeepers while playing the high-octane sport.

The idea took hold when businessman César de Trey happened to be traveling for business in India, then under the rule of the British Empire. Some British colonial officers who were friends of de Trey took him for a front-row view of their favorite pastime, polo. The former purveryor of dental equipment had traded posts for greener pastures distributing watches in Switzerland circa 1930—a time when wristwatches accounted for half of all Swiss exports. He is said to have been obsessed with the protection of watch glass—he had been a distributor for Movado purse watches known for their protective casing. He was quick on his feet after his lightbulb moment on the field and quickly registered the name Reverso (Latin for “I turn) and by 1931 a patent for the sliding, turnable watch face had been registered. He soon connected with the firm, Edmond Jaeger—a company known for making instruments for cars and aircraft which had a close working relationship with the Swiss manufacture, Le Coultre. The union of Jaeger and LeCoultre for the project would ultimately lead to the company as we know it today.

The Reverso was a forward-thinking product of its time developed out of a sort of necessity in relation to a luxurious pastime sport, but today it’s a charming novelty with as much relevant style now as in its heyday. It’s proof that the greatest designs, can switch relevance and clients and yet maintain a singular, near mythological desirability.

Votes Received: 14

Designed by Gerald Genta, who sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak a couple of years prior, the Nautilus was Patek Philippe’s reaction to drastic changes in the market for high-end watches—namely, that an exquisite steel sports watch could be a thing at all. The original Nautilus 3700/1A, released in 1976, was exquisite, indeed, with a remarkable 7.6 mm height, a lovely dark blue dial, and one of the most handsome bracelet-to-case integrations ever conceived. There have been many iterations over the years, but most of our experts mentioned the 3700 that started it all.

However, as well conceived as it was, the Nautilus wasn’t a big hit off the bat. It wasn’t until the renewed interest in 1970s steel integrated-bracelet watches kicked off sometime around 2017 that the Nautilus became an often unobtainable and very expensive proposition. It was the steel reference 5711 of 2006 that really fueled this renaissance of interest in the Nautilus, and that watch was the 21st-century tribute to the original 3700. And then, surprisingly, in 2021, Patek discontinued the 5711, just as prices for them were skyrocketing during the Covid-19 pandemic. As dramatic as the Nautilus story has been in recent years, the staying power of this watch, as well as its status as a true horological icon, is undeniable.

Votes received: 15

So ubiquitous is the greatest innovation of the Patek Philippe Calatrava that even students of horology often miss it: The lugs are formed from the same piece of metal as the case rather than welded on. That’s what made this watch utterly modern in 1932 when it brought luxury timekeeping down a notch or two toward the emerging professional upper middle classes of Europe and America. They sold well, putting Patek’s main competitors, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, on notice. Until then, the only other watch brand that had sorted out how to get the lugs integrated gracefully was Cartier with the Santos and then the Tank—though those were not round watches.

The lugs are not the only reason the Patek Philippe Calatrava holds such an exalted place on this list. The watch is also a study in balanced, harmonious design rendered with a minimalism so exquisitely legible that it’s fair to say that Patek Philippe effectively invented the modern round wrist-worn dress watch (not to mention creating the template for just about every other kind of wristwatch).

Initially, the watch wasn’t called the Calatrava, however. That came in the 1980s when Swiss watch brands began to celebrate their histories more overtly. The first watch of this style was just the “reference 96,” a watch still coveted today, though our voters also mentioned references 565, 570, 2526, 2552, 3444, and so on. All of these references, however, collapse into a unified watch design now known ubiquitously as the Calatrava. In fact, more than a few sellers of vintage watches today will talk of a Vacheron Constantin Calatrava, an Omega Calatrava, or an Audemars Piguet Calatrava; these designations are dead wrong (and likely an attempt to up SEO on the web), but the generic broadening of the term shows how impactful the watch is to this day. Go up and down this list, and with very few exceptions, the other watches derive their basic form from the Patek Philippe Reference 96 and its younger siblings.

Votes received: 20

Notable comment: “The Ref 96 is the mother of all wristwatch, it defines what a high quality watch should be, but also its aesthetic. Its influence after nearly 100 years is still far reaching, and it is still copied by all the watch brands.” – William Massena

While the Rolex Daytona received a whopping 21 votes overall, the so-called “Paul Newman” Daytona was specifically mentioned 10 times in those nominations. And while separating those two categories—one broad, one specific—might slide the Daytona down the list, the incredibly influential reference 6263 certainly deserves its own spot.

Back in the day, a reliable way to determine a product’s popularity was by counting the number of column inches of coverage it inspired in newspapers. In today’s digital age, it’s next to impossible to measure the precise extent to which a product has been covered. Still, it’s safe to say that the Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263, an iteration of the original 1963 Cosmograph Daytona produced from 1971 to the late 1980s, has received more than its fair share of praise, both in print and online.

The vintage hand-wound model is a classic of watchmaking. Its most distinct feature is a fixed black acrylic, as opposed to steel, bezel with a tachymeter scale. There are numerous versions of Ref. 6263 in various metal and dial configurations, and collectors often disagree on which is best. Three of the most popular and coveted versions include the “Big Red,” so-called for its red Daytona logo; the Paul Newman, fitted with an exotic dial; and models featuring a “sigma” dial, which lacks the Daytona moniker entirely (the nickname alludes to the small sigma symbols located on either side of the “Swiss” signature). Almost every Rolex fan, however, can agree on this: The 6263 is as pure an example of a “true” Daytona as you can get.

Votes received: 10 (total for Daytona generally was 21)

Notable comment: “While my Paul Newman Daytona would probably be the last watch I’d ever sell, it’s fair to say the main sport pieces from Patek and classic references from F. P. Journe are a close second.” – Alex Lubin

During World War II, Rolex famously allowed Allied prisoners of war to write to the company and request a watch, which the firm would send directly to the POW camp. (One signed letter from Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf incredibly requested that the recipient “not even think of settlement until after the war.”) These chronographs would evolve into the famed “pre-Daytona” references of the 1950s and 1960s, the 6234 and 6238. When, in 1963, the Rolex launched what it once referred to in advertisement as the “Rolex Le Mans”—soon to be officially christened the “Rolex Cosmograph Daytona”—it sparked a collection that would revolutionize its business decades later. Named for the famed raceway in Daytona, Florida, this humble, hand-wound, stainless steel chronograph is now one of the world’s most desirable watches.

During its 60-plus-year lifetime, the Daytona has been offered in myriad executions: Stainless steel and precious metal; hand-wound and automatic; “panda” dial and “exotic” dial; specially stamped dials made for Middle Eastern monarchs; and more. At its heart, however, this is a tool watch meant for racing: Featuring a round case, dual chronograph pushers, a tachymeter-scale bezel, a dial with a triple-register chronograph, a mechanical movement, and an Oyster bracelet, it’s always recognizable from across the room no matter its livery. Want one? You’ll have to be patient—like the Submariner, Royal Oak, and Nautilus, the Daytona is so popular that it’s nigh impossible to buy at retail. That doesn’t stop millions of people around the world from trying, however! 

Votes received: 11 (or 21 counting Newman-dial versions)

During WWI, Louis Cartier was a young soldier confined to auxiliary service due to ongoing health complications, but during a tour to the Front in 1916 he is said to have come up with the idea for Cartier’s most enduringly recognized timepiece, the Tank. In the spring of 1917, he was from service (because he was unable to drive a car) and it was then that he was able to realize the creation of the aptly named Tank. It was said to be inspired by the fearsome machines that both terrorized and protected soldiers, the vertical sidebars were meant to mimic the treads on the side of the cockpit of a tank. Today it may simply look like a classically refined rectangular watch, but then it had significance for truly capturing a momentous moment in time. And, as author Francesca Cartier Brickell points out in her tome The Cartiers, the name could have also been just a genius stroke of marketing. Adding to its lore, Louis Cartier gifted the original prototype to General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, for being instrumental in helping the allies when the war.

All the exciting tales aside, the Tank was also particularly demonstrative of the aesthetics of the impending Art Deco period, which exemplified an entirely new design language in the post-war period. With clean lines, a strap integrated into the case, radiating Roman numerals, and a winder accented with a cabochon sapphire, the elements of its elegance were firmly solidified and continued to carry this watch’s enduring appeal well into the 21^st century and, we imagine, well beyond. It’s no surprised it’s been a companion of everyone from Duke Ellington to John F. Kennedy and Jackie Onassis to George Clooney.

Votes received: 21

Notable comment: “The Tank Normale forever changed the notion of what shape a watch should be.”

It was largely during the World War II that the foundations were laid for recreational, open-circuit SCUBA diving. As civilians around the world began taking up this new leisure activity following the cessation of hostilities, watch companies realized that they needed to offer a robust, legible, highly water-resistant timepiece to calculate bottom time and decompression stops. In 1953, several companies issued experimental new pieces in an effort to answer this call—but it was the Rolex Submariner whose handsome, simple design has made it perhaps the most recognizable watch in the world. Indeed, between 1953 and 2020 the brand produced nearly four million of them, and today, they’re all but impossible to buy at retail. What’s shocking is how closely the original reference 6204 resembles a modern-day reference 124060LN: The round stainless-steel case, black dial with luminous indices, rotating timing bezel, and matching Oyster bracelet are all there.

While the Submariner was born as a true “tool watch”—soldiers, sailors, and airmen stationed overseas during the Vietnam War could, in certain cases, walk into a Post Exchange (PX) and buy one — it began to take on luxurious tones during the 1970s, when two-tone gold-and-steel and fully gold references were added to the catalog. While Rolex still produces both standard time-only and time-and-date references in stainless steel, very few customers actually use them for their intended purpose, the dive computer having long replaced the dive watch as the standard underwater timing device. This has done nothing, however, to diminish the Submariner’s appeal. On the contrary, it seems like every other pedestrian on the street in a major American, European, or Asian city has one on their wrist, content with the knowledge that this is a watch that can take a licking and keep on ticking. 

Votes received: 22

In the early 1970s, three executives from the SSIH, or Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère, asked Audemars Piguet managing director George Golay for a type of timepiece that had never been made before—namely, a luxurious take on a stainless steel sports watch. Golay called up a young Swiss watch designer, Gérald Genta, on the eve of the Swiss Watch Fair (later “Baselworld”) and conveyed his request for an initial design. The resulting sketch, launched in Basel in 1972, would change the very nature of Swiss watchmaking, manifesting the request from the SSIH and making stainless steel as expensive as gold. The reference 5402ST—the very first Royal Oak—featured an octagonal bezel inspired, so the story goes, by a diving helmet (some say it was a ship’s window), plus a unique integrated bracelet and a textured dial. Inside beat a thin, automatic movement powering a time-and-date display. At the time of its debut, the 5402ST cost several times the price of a contemporary Rolex Submariner—today, its modern equivalent still does.

Though it was joined by the Girard-Perregaux Laureato in 1975, the Patek Philippe Nautilus in 1976, and the Chopard St. Moritz in 1980, the Royal Oak was at the forefront of the luxury sports watch evolution by virtue of timing. That, of course, and its inspired, masculine design, which was joined in 1993 by the Royal Oak Offshore, a massive, thick take on the R.O. designed by Emmanuel Gueit. Today, much of Audemars Piguet’s catalog is still based upon the Royal Oak platform: There are ultra-thin time-and-date versions, ultra-complicated iterations in futuristic materials, ladies’ versions—even a perpetual calendar version designed by star guitarist and songwriter John Mayer. Notoriously difficult to buy at retail and held in esteem by virtually the entire watch industry, the Royal Oak’s star is one that seems to continuously rise.

Votes received: 35

Notable comment: “While the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak may seem like the obvious choice today, at the time of its debut in 1972 it would’ve been seen as anything but. The flailing Swiss watch industry was in dire need of a hail-Mary pass in light of the debut and subsequent transformative success of quartz watches—courtesy of Seiko and their Astron 35SQ—and at first glance, the boldly styled Royal Oak didn’t seem to be what the doctor ordered. Not only was it made out of steel—hardly a luxury material—but it was almost irresponsibly expensive. Indeed, it would take three years to sell the first 1000 pieces.” – Adam Craniotes

In the middle of the 20th century, in 1957, an auspicious year for Omega began: In one fell swoop, the Biel/Bienne-based brand launched its famed Seamaster dive watch, Railmaster field watch, and, most famously, its Speedmaster chronograph. It was called “Speedmaster” for strictly non-space-going reasons—precisely because it was meant to time speed and distance at the track. That’s right, the beloved “Speedy” is really, like most chronographs, an automotive timepiece. But its design foreshadowed bigger things to come: It was the first watch to feature a tachymeter scale on its bezel rather than on the dial, thus making the chronograph more legible. And its case, though it featured straight lugs in 1957, fairly quickly sprouted the “twisted” lugs that would make its profile so recognizable over the decades. Its hand-wound movement, meanwhile, based on a Lemania caliber, was robust and accurate.

But the Speedy’s legend was truly born when, in the mid-1960s, it beat chronographs from Rolex and Longines-Wittnauer in a series of punishing torture tests by none other than NASA. Thus qualified for manned space flight, the Speedy accompanied astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 mission, where Aldrin wore his ref. ST 105.012 on the lunar surface. Since then, the Speedy’s NASA ties have made it an object of desire for watch collectors the world over, while a constant stream of (largely incremental) changes — and many, many limited editions — have kept it top of mind in the horological sphere. Though automatic versions, complicated versions, and bio-sourced plastic versions exist, it’s the hand-wound, black-dialed, Hesalite crystal “Professional” model that most embodies the “Speedy” spirit—without it, the watch world would be a very different place.