As a child I only knew three watch brands: Rolex, Timex and Seiko. The first was an out of reach fantasy. The second could be purchased at the grocery store or found in Christmas stockings. The third was EVERYWHERE I looked from the clocks at school, to the big screen, and on my grandpa’s wrist.
Horology to me has always been about pushing the boundaries of what came before in order to perfect the art of timekeeping. But what’s important to keep in mind is that the means of pushing those boundaries have to be widely available to all and not a few. That’s why I firmly believe that solar watches represent the pinnacle of modern timekeeping.
My first GMT watch was an Orient Star and after I freed it from the box it was delivered in I immediately set the GMT hand to PT (GMT-8), which is the timezone for Mike, my partner here at Two Broke Watch Snobs. After that I finally got it – I understood why GMT watches were so popular. I wasn’t just simply looking at my watch and seeing the time in two different timezones. I was creating a connection and reference point between myself and Mike. Every time I looked at that watch, I thought about Mike. I was hooked on GMT watches from that point.
When I first started collecting watches I placed a lot of emphasis on that $1000 mark. Going over that price point was at the time a huge milestone for me – and ultimately I saw it as a rite of pass that every watch collector has to go through in order to be considered a “proper” collector. Only now I realize how absolutely misguided I was back then.
There’s a fascination that watch collectors tend to have with the cost of a watch. There’s the obvious practical reality of how much you want or are willing to spend on a timepiece. But after being involved in watch collecting for so many years now I’ve noticed there’s another type of fascination in regards to price tags: How high can you go – what are the most expensive watches out there?
From high end luxury to modern tactical, German watch brands have been providing some of the finest timepieces available today. But these brands are often hard to navigate – that’s where our guide can help!
Looking for the best pilot watch? Check out our top 15 choices featuring vintage-inspired, modern, digital, and more!
As watch enthusiasts begin to get more and more into horology, inevitably they will become intrigued by the concept of an automatic watch – and why shouldn’t they? But truthfully, it’s a minefield out there in regards to what makes a quality automatic movement vs. a not-so-high-quality movement. That’s why we wanted to share our favorite automatic watches in three categories.
We often get asked what makes a $10,000 watch different than a $100 watch. Truthfully, it depends on how you’re looking at watches and the brand you’re researching. Read about the best luxury watch brands of 2022 and see what makes them special – learn about their top models, history, and more.
