What might be some modern watches to buy that do not border on the mundane?
Enthusiasts and collectors before making eye-contact, make watch-contact with the wrist of the people around them, watches are in fact a great way to start a conversation. Despite this, it is increasingly common to see the same models lately.
These are the modern watches to buy to stand out
If you are reading this article you are definitely part of those who are curious to discover something new, to be able to wear a watch that not everyone has but has its own recognizability and beauty. This in our opinion is the perfect list of 5 modern watches to buy, which remains conservative despite the variety.
On the other hand, if you are into vintage, you can read this other article of ours dedicated to 5 vintage watches to buy to stand out. To stand out even more with absurd creations, you may need to start learning about independent watchmakers.
Let’s start
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute – EUR 10,400
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso should be in every self-respecting collection. No matter the taste, no matter the lifestyle, by default there should be this model.
Among modern watches to buy, it is one of the most versatile if you understand it in the function for which it was created at the time. The Reverso was not created as a classic watch, but it has become one over the years.
Imagine polo players in their very sporty elegance, with their uniform and a Reverso on their wrist, now forget about using it only with a suit and think about wearing it with a sweater as well, or with a sweatshirt for the more daring. The Reverso Tribute echoes the style of the first model from 1931, with very clean lines, indexes, dauphine hands and small seconds at 6 o’clock.
In our opinion, it is the quintessential watch to buy.
Omega Speedmaster ’57 – EUR 10,300
The Speedmaster is known for its dark dial, three fluted subdials, and metal bracelet, but one can also stand out by looking deeper into the same collection. The Omega Speedmasters ’57 are part of a capsule inspired by the style of the first Speedy from 1957, but with different dial shades.
What makes it really cool is the symmetry of only two subdials, with date box at 6 o’clock, combined with a very thin case, thinner than the Moonwatch. We love the burgundy dial version, although the sandwich dial version really has a lot to say. The Speedmaster ’57 is the coolest way to stand out from everyone else with the usual watch.
If you want to take a tour of the Omega Museum to discover all its secrets, you can watch this YouTube video of ours.
Cartier Santos Dumont XL – EUR 6,500
An iconic watch like the Cartier Santos Dumont XL is perforce among the modern watches to buy. Most models in the Dumont collection are equipped with a quartz caliber, but this is not the case with the XL version, which has the in-house, manually wound caliber 430 MC.
The Santos is a watchmaking icon, but unlike the traditional version (which is seen more often), the Dumont is much closer to the first model created for the Brazilian aviator. In our opinion it represents a nice way to stand out while remaining classic yet interesting.
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton – EUR 11,800
The new Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton was unveiled at LVMH Watch Week in early 2023 and was received with great fanfare compared to the previous non-skeleton edition.
This is the world’s first skeletonized watch with an indicator with 1/10th of a second accuracy, which is placed at 6 o’clock. The shapes of this caliber are inspired by the brand’s Double Z logo, which was used circa the 1960s.
On the wrist it sits elegantly, despite the 41mm steel case. The bracelet version in this case is one of the best configurations in our opinion. Among the watches to buy you will hardly find such an innovative skeleton at just over EUR 10,000.
We have explored it in depth in this article of ours.
Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT – EUR 3,450
Among the latest modern watches to buy we include the Longines Spirit Zulu Time GMT. Introduced in the early part of 2022, this model represents perhaps one of the best entry-level watches, both for its historicity but also for its overall aesthetics.
The Spirit Zulu Time has made the world rediscover that it is the first model with the GMT function was developed and patented by Longines. The brand has revived this function but with a modern character, in the case of the Spirit collection. It is therefore not a reissue of the historical model. It is possible to choose the configuration from different colors, either with metal bracelet or leather strap.
If you would like to explore it further, we talked about it in this interview with CEO, Matthias Breschan, and Product Director, Giuseppe Miccio.
Final remarks
Standing out in today’s world is really hard and as we often say, on all media platforms like Instagram we always see the usual Rolex Submariner, GMT, Daytona, some Nautilus and some Royal Oak. We hope we have made you discover 5 simple modern watches to buy to stand out from your friends, relatives and colleagues.
What other watches would you add to the list?
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