Starting a watch collection can be very exciting. Depending on your preference and budget, you can start to look at several brands. In this article, we’ve listed down entry-level luxury watches for you to check out. These watches are under $8,000, so you can start right away! And if you are particularly savvy, you can get these watches for deals lower than that!
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Breguet Classique
Even the most learned watch enthusiasts don’t necessarily know Breguet, but it’s one of the oldest luxury watch brands in the world for the initiated. Sporting a Breguet watch will turn the right heads if you get what we mean. But most, if not all, Breguet watches are astronomically expensive–we are talking $10,000 and upwards!
But fret not because a Breguet Classique, which can go up to a jaw-dropping $20,000 can be purchased from online repositories for as low as $8,000. You’d need to go to the right enthusiast’s website, though, and the waiting and the lead time are expectedly long.
The Classique has an automatic movement, with 30-meter water resistance, and sapphire crystal for glass. If you’re lucky, some Classique models are made with a yellow gold case, so watch out for that item when in stock!
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean
A Seamaster? For an entry-level watch? Yep, it is true. The James Bond-approved dive watch is a classic on its own, and while the classic watch has had many iterations in its lifetime, getting one at any year is a surefire way to make your collection more robust. So what Seamaster to get? Well, for starters, the Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial is as good a dive watch as any.
It has a unidirectional rotating dive bezel, water-resistance of up to 1,200m, and a case that’s made out of stainless steel. There’s also the proprietary Sedna gold case, but it will set you back additional thousands of dollars.
Dials and bezels are all crafted from ceramic, with the black and stainless steel model looking truly sleek for dive and for show. The domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal takes the design to the next level, and if you like diamonds, there is a model that has it as well!
Cartier Tank Solo
Listen, we get it. A Cartier watch isn’t really something that enthusiasts and aficionados would go for, since technically Cartier is not a watch brand, so much as it is a jewelry brand. But the iconic Cartier Tank Solo is such a classic that adding one to your collection is always a good thing! The Tank starts at $2,000 and can go up to $8,000. If you ever want to get a jewelry watch, this is the watch to get!
IWC Classic Vintage
The Classic Vintage from IWC is one of the earliest successful luxury quartz movement watches in the world. IWC watches are crazy expensive – the Ingenieur and Portofino start at tens of thousands of dollars, and decidedly they have better technology inside them. But when you’re looking for something akin to a throwback to deepen your collection, the Classic Vintage is the perfect way to go.
If you look hard enough, there are deals for the Classic Vintage for as low as $2,000. The gold caliber, which is a distant cousin, and a decidedly better option because it was made pre-quartz era, is selling on some online used watch repositories for less than $1,500. An IWC watch in your collection will automatically elevate your taste level. So you should get one!
Hamilton Khaki King
If we are talking about affordable luxury brands, no one is more fitting than Hamilton. The Swiss watch brand with an American heritage has been killing it in terms of making quality and luxury timepieces that can compete toe-to-toe with expensive ones, all without the exorbitant pricing! The Khaki King is not only a great everyday watch, but it’s also one of the few that can withstand the daily wear and tear of city life!
The 40mm Khaki Field King in black dial and stainless steel case and bracelet is as classic as one can get when it comes to watches, but there are several variations of the same watch you can look for if you want something with a little more pizzaz. In fact, if you don’t have the capital to invest in some of these brands, Hamilton, Tissot, and even Seiko are good watch brands to check out.
Takeaway
Most enthusiasts know that you’d need to have these listed brands to make it successful when you want to build a respectable watch collection. Omega, Breitling, and Rolex are some of the best watch brands in the world in general, and they cover most watch styles aesthetically, so you have that going for you when you choose these brands to start with.
