Explore Q Report's Content Centre for expert advice on jewellery insurance. You can also read e-guides and blogs, watch videos and more.
|
TL;DR Luxury watch collecting requires careful consideration of brand heritage, movement complications, and market trends. Essential pieces often include sports watches, dress watches, and complications from established manufacturers. Consider investment potential, maintenance requirements, and comprehensive insurance coverage when building your collection. |
Are you on a mission to find the best luxury watches? Well, you’re in luck!
We’ve assembled some of this year’s finest and most sought-after pieces to complement your watch collection.
From the elegance of Audemars-Piguet to the timeless appeal of the Rolex range, there’s something for every taste and budget in this essential guide.
So read on to find the new favourite pieces of fellow luxury watch enthusiasts - and some more unusual offerings you’ll love to discover.
Gérald Genta designed the Royal Oak to be the first steel luxury wristwatch. Nicknamed “Jumbo” because of its large-for-its-day size, the Royal Oak undoubtedly deserves to be considered one of the best luxury watches of the year.
Its iconic hexagonal bezel is sure to make it stand out from the crowd. Eight highly-polished functional screws hold the bezel in place, and a slightly raised flat sapphire crystal protects the signature dial. The back of the watch is as impressive as the front, giving you a glimpse of the gorgeously finished, self-winding movement.
Will the Royal Oak continue to evolve in future years? Michael Friedman, Head of Complications at Audemars Piguet, said, “As long as the form remains a canvas for beautiful and complex finishings that demonstrate human ingenuity and great craft, we feel we are on the right path. The link of the Royal Oaks of the past, present and those yet to be created are the watchmakers, artisans and technicians themselves. They simultaneously guard the traditional techniques of the past, problem-solve for the present and conceptualise for the future.”
Audemars Piguet has released six new versions of its Code 11.59 Selfwinding Chronograph, created for the first time in stunning stainless steel.
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 is an acronym for “Challenge, Own, Dare, Evolve,” and the “11:59” timestamp represents the final moment before each new day of possibilities.
While initially launched in 2019, this fresh new take on an enduring classic emphasises these luxury watches' potential and promise - making them the perfect choice for aspirational professionals and entrepreneurs.
Every luxury watch collection needs a timepiece that can be passed down through the generations. The Patek Philippe Nautilus meets that requirement. Its design has barely changed since it debuted in 1976.
Designed by the late Gerald Genta, the Nautilus reinvented the luxury watch market by bridging the gap between sports and dress watches. Over the years, Patek Philippe has released various Nautilus models, including a chronograph and an annual calendar.
The Nautilus bezel is neither round nor rectangular; it resembles a porthole with a soft octagonal dial. Early models had a diameter of 42mm, considered “jumbo.” In the 1990s, Patek Philippe pared down the size, but today it’s back up to the original, eye-catching diameter. Widely regarded as one of the most popular luxury watches of all time, the Nautilus remains of Patek Philippe’s most sought-after timepieces.
Relatively new on the scene, the Aquanaut made its debut in 1997. And although it certainly takes some cues from its older brother, the Nautilus, Aquanaut has undeniable freshness. Its soft octagonal bezel skirts traditional categories, and maybe that’s why it’s so surprising and charming.
The Aquanaut was the first model introduced by Patek to feature a rubber strap, and it’s made of high-tech composite materials instead of traditional materials. That said, you can find Aquanauts with gold and steel finishes, running the gamut of colour combinations and bracelets. Waterproof to 120 meters, the timepiece is a wear-anywhere, do-anything addition to your life.
‘Grandmaster’ may sound like an overstatement, but it’s not. Watchmakers at Patek Philippe devoted more than 100,000 hours over eight years to development, production and assembly. The movement alone took 60,000 hours to perfect.
The Grandmaster Chime is Patek’s first double-face wristwatch, and it features a patented reversing mechanism that locks the case in place. Its movement, called Caliber 300 GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM, is the most complicated Patek Philippe has ever produced.
In addition to the patented case-reverse technology, the watch also features five other patented mechanisms:
The quintessential complications watch, the Grandmaster Chime will keep a horologist perpetually fascinated.
The ultimate luxury watch collection needs an undeniably sophisticated piece, one that exudes elegance and understated charm. That watch would be the Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ultra Fine, with a platinum case and blue alligator strap, preferably.
When it was introduced in 2010, the Historiques Ultra Fine 1955 was the thinnest mechanical watch in the world at just 4.1mm thick. The thinner the case, the less forgiving the movement. With precious little room for error, any one of the dozens of springs or gears may jar or scrape, causing catastrophic consequences.
But Vacheron Constantin has years of practice making thin timepieces. In fact, the 2010 model has its roots in the 1955 version. These watches are so thin and light you’ll forget it’s on your wrist, but everyone else will watch it in wonder.
The original Overseas collection was first launched in 1996 and has remained a classic luxury watch among collectors for its blend of robustness and elegance.
With a fresh upgrade, the Vacheron Overseas also has a retrograde date display, incorporating the precise astronomical moon phase.
The technical complexity of the dial blends seamlessly with minimalist stylings, ensuring that Vacheron-Constantin remains one of the most sought-after luxury watches in Australia.
Of all the iconic Rolex watches, why did we choose the Submariner as the must-have? In the early 1950s, a man named Rene-Paul Jeanneret directed the Rolex company. He loved underwater diving and enlisted the help of legendary oceanic explorer Jacques Cousteau to test his latest “tool watch.”
They developed an incredibly robust and water-resistant diving watch with a rock-solid movement and extremely durable case. It broke new ground with its 904L stainless steel, the same grade used by aerospace engineers. In the years since it first debuted, it’s been refitted with a 31-jewel calibre 3135 movement.
Somehow, the Submariner looks good with jeans and a tee-shirt but also with a tuxedo. Maybe that’s why it attracts impossibly cool fans, like Steve McQueen, Robert Redford and Burt Lancaster. James Bond even wore a Rolex Submariner in Goldfinger. Does it get better than that?
Early race car drivers needed a reliable way to time their laps and work toward speed records. They turned to Swiss watches, and companies like Rolex became icons of the speedways.
In 1959, the Daytona Speedway held its first race that took place entirely on asphalt. Before then, a beach made up part of the track. To commemorate this event, Rolex released the model that would become one of its most iconic creations: the Reference 6239.
Widely recognized as the first Rolex Daytona ever, the Reference 6239 included the trademark engraved tachymeter bezel, a groundbreaking change from previous chronographs. It also included contrasting subregisters, which improved legibility. The priciest watch ever sold, a Rolex Paul Newman ($17 million), was a Reference 6239. The legendary Daytona print didn’t appear on this watch until 1964.
Initially introduced in 1983, the GMT-Master collection would become Rolex’s primary range of pilot watches.
The GMT-Master II can track three time zones simultaneously, thanks to a quick-set, 24-hour GMT hour hand alongside a rotatable bezel.
The new release of the GMT-Master II comes in the same 40 mm diameter case, with a Jubilee bracelet and Oysterlock clasp.
However, the bold new grey and black colourways, combined with yellow gold and steel, will be irresistible to jetsetting collectors of luxury watches worldwide.
Not your run-of-the-mill Rolex, the GMT Master Ref. 1675 also has an unconventional nickname, the Pepsi. Why? Its blue-and-red bezel matches the colour branding of a can of Pepsi. Older GMT Master models (those launched before 1959 when Rolex debuted the Pepsi) had red-and-black bezels; these are referred to as “Cokes.”
What makes the Pepsi a must-have for the ultimate luxury watch collection? Its unique, sporty look grabs attention, but its appeal extends much farther. It’s solidly built and practical, including features like the cyclops magnifier lens over the date. The GMT Time Zone complication appeals to frequent travellers, and that only makes sense. It was designed in collaboration with Pan Am for pilots and crew members who worked long-haul flights.
We all carry computers around in our pockets today that would have mind-boggled astronauts and pilots of previous generations. And yet, Breitling innovators produced fireworks of innovation, giving mid-century pilots a “computer on their wrists” long before smartphones entered the scene.
Willy Breitling (who took over the family watch business at the age of 19) brought a young person’s vision to the historic company. In 1940, he applied for a patent for the ‘Chronomat’. The name was derived from CHRONOgraph for MAThematicians. It added a logarithmic slide rule calculator to a wristwatch.
Beginning in July 1954, Breitling began producing small batches of the Navitimer, a variation of the Chronomat design from the previous decade. Aviation was Breitling’s primary market during the 1950s, and those early models are the holy grail for today’s tech-inspired luxury watch collectors. Breitling ceased producing the model during the quartz crisis of the 1970s but reintroduced it in the 90s. It’s been one of the brand’s most celebrated icons ever since.
If the 1960s represent the dawn of space exploration, the 1950s marked the inception of widespread deep-sea diving. And watches were critical to the change. Following World War II, Jacques Cousteau, Frederic Dumas and Philippe Tailliez built on military developments in diving, and by the end of the 1950s, dive shops were opening around the world.
Dive watches helped explorers navigate underwater and pace their ascents to avoid catastrophic lung injury. Within a few years, three different brands released enduring classics of the modern dive watch: the Omega Seamaster, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Rolex Submariner. Right on their heels, Breitling debuted its Superocean in both chronograph and non-chronograph models.
Since then, the Breitling Superocean has been fine-tuned. Some versions are water-resistant to 2,000 meters. The diving watch now features a helium valve, which allows the timepiece to resist the incredible underwater pressure without exploding. And even though the Superocean has all the functionality of a practical, super-tough dive watch, it still looks right at home on the veranda of your Italian villa.
History lovers can’t help themselves. The Cartier Santos is generally accepted as the first watch designed to be worn on the wrist. In the late nineteenth century and up through World War I, people strapped pocket watches on their wrists for ease of use. But the Santos wasn’t makeshift. From design to conception, it was made to be a wristwatch.
Way back in 1904, Louis Cartier made a custom watch for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviator, who complained about having to take his hands off the plane’s controls to check the time. It worked. A few years later, in 1911, Cartier started selling the appropriately named Santos wristwatch at his Paris boutique.
Distinguished men have worn Santos watches on their wrists for more than a century now, and Cartier has produced the timepiece in many different precious metals and variations. You can buy a brand new, up-to-date edition, but if you’re a real history lover, you may want to collect a vintage piece.
Joining the celebrated Privé collection, the Tank Normale is destined to become an enduring classic.
Paying homage to one of the most iconic designs in watchmaking history, the new Tank bridges the past and present with a beautiful Roman numeral dial and bevelled sapphire crystal.
Those lucky enough to wear this sought-after release have commented on its weight, presence, and exceptional quality, making for an unmissable statement piece.
As far as luxury watches go, the Cartier brand remains a symbol of master craftsmanship.
Diving watches tend to have large, clear hands and numerals so that you can read them effortlessly in dark waters. This is certainly true for the Tag Heuer Aquaracer. But its design is anything but pragmatic. Forged for the deep, this timepiece is fit for anywhere.
TAG Heuer based the Aquaracer on the 2000 Series (which first appeared in 1982). Its unique and recognisable case has a rhomboid shape, and you can find them in many different sizes. Today’s versions are lighter, thinner, and shorter lug-to-lug than early models. Its most technologically avant-garde representatives are the Aquaracer Regatta and Aquaracer Aquagraph, designed for professional divers. It’s the easiest-to-read chronograph on the market.
Just last year, Tag Heuer released a couple of Aquaracer versions with tortoiseshell bezels that pack a shimmering punch. So when you’re stuck in a meeting, you can glance down at your dive watch and imagine an undersea adventure just waiting beyond the conference room.
Introduced as the world’s first automatic chronograph in 1969, the Tag Heuer Monaco may be one of the world’s most recognisable watches. It’s square, rather than round, creating angles where we expect curves. Its rebellious sensibility has inspired several generations since Jack Heuer first designed it for the Formula One race on 3 March 1969.
On the design’s development, Jack Heuer wrote, “[The Piquerez watch case supplier] drew our attention in particular to a new patented square case Piquerez had developed, emphasising the fact that it was fully water-resistant. We immediately knew this was something special because, until then, square cases were used only for dress watches because it was impossible to make a square case fully water-resistant. We immediately took a liking to the special square shape and were able to negotiate a deal with Piquerez that secured us exclusive use of the case design for chronographs.”
To this day, the Tag Heuer Monaco is a horological hall of famer and an essential addition to the ultimate luxury watch collection.
Our luxury watches are unlike any other item we own. They symbolise our style, success, and life’s journey forged in precious metals.
So, to preserve your legacy and hand these priceless pieces down to your nearest and dearest, luxury watch insurance cover should be an essential addition to your collection.
Understanding the significance and sentimentality of your valuables, Q Report is the insurer of choice for luxury watch collectors in Australia.
Our specialised luxury watch insurance provides worldwide coverage against theft, loss, and damage.
So wherever your luxury watch collection takes you, enjoy the peace of mind it’s protected. Contact us now for a free quote.
To get an accurate insurance quote, please provide the amount from your purchase receipt.
Don't have the receipt?
If you don't have the receipt, you can provide the most recent valuation amount instead.
