Start a watch collection without breaking the bank
In the ever-popular world of watch collecting, there are countless models and references that make it quite difficult for new enthusiasts to choose a watch to start a collection. Household luxury watch brands are known for extreme waitlists and price premiums for the most coveted examples.
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With a little research, we compiled a list of The Top 10 Luxury Watches For Under $5,000. This list is meant to help guide new watch enthusiasts towards a great first watch to begin the obsession. Shop all of the best watches under $5,000 featured in this special by clicking the links attached below.
Accutron Spaceview 2020
With Accutron’s Spaceview 2020, time has just changed – again. This luxury watch for men re-imagines what a timepiece can be with the proprietary electrostatic movement, unique to the Accutron line, an intricately engineered motor and turbine system that generates power. And it isn’t shy about showing it off, with its signature open-face dial in smokey grey and eye-catching Accutron-green accents. It further shows off its style with white hour and minute hands and an orange second hand, with a transparent outer ring, topped off with a luxurious, grained black leather strap.
Price: $3,450
Breitling Superocean 44mm
The SuperOcean defines the classic dive watch. It was created by Breitling in 1957 to equip professional and military divers, but it immediately developed a following among leisure divers and watch enthusiasts. At 300m (1000ft) water resistance, this watch triples the minimum requirement for dive watches. For safety, the bezel is uni-directional on most sizes and bi-directional with a patented lock on the 44mm. This watch is also shock-, sand- and saltwater-resistant. It’s automatic Breitling Caliber 17 comes with a two-year warranty and approximate 38-hour power reserve.
Price: $4,900
Hamilton American Classic Intra-Matic 40mm
The Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono is a modern reworking of a 1968 signature piece that offers a sporty but classic look. Combining authentic 60s appeal with the exclusive H-31 automatic movement, its distinctive panda dial is a guaranteed eye-catcher. This Hamilton leather strap is made from natural materials. The leather is tanned, but has not been treated, pigmented and finished in the same way as some other leather straps.
Price: $2,195
Ianos Avyssos IA05
In Greek, Avyssos (Abyss) is used to describe the deepest and darkest parts of the soul, the sea and, in some cases, the sea itself. The Avyssos is a rethought and redesigned tool watch, made to be worn and beaten relentlessly, all in a timeless, elegant, utilitarian package while combining our two major inspirations on its unique dial. The Antikythera Mechanism and the legendary kampanelopetra technique of Greek sponge divers.
Price: $1,000
ORIS Divers Sixty-Five
Oris has dived back in time and is delighted to present the Oris Divers Sixty-Five – a revival of an iconic diver’s watch that first appeared in the Oris collection 50 years ago. The new Oris Divers Sixty-Five shares the retro looks of the 1960s original, but it’s been modernised using 21st century watchmaking techniques. The case is made of anti-corrosive stainless steel. The vintage-inspired bubble-curved glass is made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and comes with anti-reflective coating on the inside to reduce glare and increase legibility underwater.
Price: $2,000
Panerai Radiomir 45mm
The Radiomir 1940 collection is a slightly evolved version of the original Radiomir collection due to more specific requirements from the Royal Italian Navy at the time. This range features more pronounced edges on the casing and reinforced lugs, allowing the watches to remain underwater in extreme conditions. Presented in a 45mm stainless steel case, this Swiss-made timepeice boasts a black dial with luminous Arabic and Roman numeral hour markers. A brown strap completes the look.
Price: $4,700
Spinnaker Boettger Tropical Orange
Once an experiment in cutting edge design, the Boettger with an integrated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber strap is now a lighter yet no less impressive piece of dive timing instrumentation. Sleek, slim yet powerfully equipped to handle the rigours of the sea, the Boettger continues to elevate the concept of a dive watch with a timepiece complete with engineering excellence and design ingenuity.
Price: $650
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
Tissot strives to provide accuracy and quality at all times through timepieces that have an everlasting style, such as the ones in the T-Classic collection. An automatic watch is powered by the energy of the person who wears it. Wrist movement enables the mechanism to run. The Powermatic 80 movement boasts 80 hours of power reserve, which is enough to continue telling time accurately even if the watch is not worn for three days. It is an innovative movement that outperforms the competition, whose movements general provide 1.5 days of power reserve.
Price: $650
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue
The Black Bay celebrates 60 years of diving watches with extraordinary heritage. The iconic model inherits the general lines, as well as the domed dial and crystal from the first Tudor diving watches. It borrows the characteristic angular hands, known as snowflake, from the watches delivered in large quantities to the French National Navy in the 1970s. Presented within a 39mm stainless steel case, the dial is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement with bidirectional rotor system. This watch is also water resistant to 200 metres.
Price: $3,800
UNDONE x Nicola Formichetti
Known for conquering everything in fashion, Nicola has now designed his first watch in partnership with UNDONE. Nicola is an award-winning and acclaimed fashion designer, creative director, stylist, and editor. The fashion maven has held top design roles at Haus of Gaga, Diesel, Uniqlo, and Mugler. A cross-contamination of innovating and highly experimental design, created from highly sought-after elements such as carbon fibre, titanium, and sapphire crystal.
Vincero The Reverse Automatic
The Reserve Automatic combines a best-in-class Citizen Miyota 9100 automatic movement with timeless design and distinct details you’ll notice every time you put it on. Simultaneously modern and refined, the Reserve represents our vision for the future.
Price: $548