Many are looking to luxury watches as another investment opportunity so When it comes to “which watch should I buy as an investment?”
The best way is to always buy with your heart rather than your head – just as with art or classic cars, if it depreciates at least you still have something you love. But if you’re still in the mood for building a bit of a classic, collectors “watch wardrobe” that will hold its value decently or possibly even appreciate whilst also satisfying you, then here's a list for you....
The Rolex Submariner
The iconic Rolex Submariner diving watch, the watch that has inspired a dozen clones by all the other leading watch manufacturers. It is arguably the finest bit of watchmaking on the market – solid as a rock (Rolex’s automatic movements, while unromantically assembled by robots and technicians rather than watchmakers per se, are the most reliable and precise of all), practical with a wetsuit, while smart with a suit. The fact it was the first mainstream diving watch suited to the newfangled sport of SCUBA in the Fifties, and that Connery’s James Bond wore one, simply prove the Submariners pedigree beyond any doubt.
The Omega Speedmaster
It was the explosion of one oxygen tank that set in motion the heroic exploits of Apollo 13’s crew. The Omega Speedmaster chronograph – so perfect for NASA’s needs that it was the only bit of third-party equipment on board the vessel – had already been to the Moon on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin. Issued to all Naval Aviators in the 1960s and therefore worn by many Astronaughts, But it was its use by Astronaut Jack Swigert to manually time the 14-second re-entry burn of his stricken lunar module that earned the Swiss watchmaker NASA’s prestigious Snoopy Award for valour during a mission. If it’s good enough for them, then what other chronograph would you possibly want?
TAG Heuer Monaco
Well, TAG Heuer’s Monaco for a start (and to end with). Worn by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans (1971) (a film still that’s almost as iconic as the watch itself), its cobalt dial burns from his wrist. It also happens to be the driver’s driver’s watch – the zenith of Jack Heuer’s efforts in the pitlanes of the Sixties and Seventues, timing F1 races but also chatting-up drivers about their needs and sense of style in the cockpit. The first square bodied watch, that has spawned a dozen high end imitators. A legend from start to finish.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
Worn by the recent incarnation of Batman, or rather Bruce Wayne, has worn a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso ever since George Clooney’s dubious outing as the Caped Crusader. And in many ways, it really was the original utility-belt gadget of the watch world, created in 1931 to answer the laments of British colonial polo players, who kept smashing their watch dials’ glass during games. Instead of suggesting they removed their watches beforehand, Jaeger instead invented the “flippable” art-deco case, whose sliding chassis mechanism hasn’t changed in 85 years.
Breitling Navitimer 01
The favorite watch of pilots and dedicated aeronautical enthusiasts since 1952, the Navitimer 01 combines a technical and original design with Breitling's high manufacturing standards – a true gem of reliability and performance. This legendary model is distinguished by its steel case and its black dial with a red seconds hands, silver chronograph counters and applied hour-markers or numerals. Its bi-directional ratcheted rotating bezel ensures smooth and easy handling of the famous circular aviation slide rule.
