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The Best Buy for Your First Luxury Watch: $15,000 and Under
So far in this series we’ve looked at which timepieces can be yours with a budget of $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. For this one we’re starting to look at the truly serious money and exploring what $15,000 will snag you.
At this price point you really are starting to mix it with the big hitters. Some of horology’s most recognizable names are going to show up on your radar; mostly in stainless steel but we’re also dipping a toe into precious metal territory as well.
The good news is, while $15K is definitely a great deal of cash, if you choose wisely this is where a luxury watch becomes an investment. It is one of those paradoxes enjoyed by the well off that the more you spend, the less it costs you. The models available for this budget are so well made and constantly in demand that they become assets—you can wear one for years and then sell it, at worst for almost as much as you paid and at best a great deal more.
So, with that in mind, let’s have a rundown of our top three recommendations.
The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710GRNR
We did say that 15 grand is where the big hitters start showing up. And in the oversaturated world of travel/dual time zone watches, no hitter hits bigger than the Rolex GMT-Master II.
This was the originator of the GMT complication. Back in 1954, now defunct airline Pan Am approached Rolex for help with a new phenomenon; jetlag. The introduction of jet airliners meant that long international flights were now a reality, journeys which involved crossing several time zones in one go. The subsequent debilitating effects on passengers’ and, crucially, pilots’ circadian rhythms were both unpleasant and, in some, cases, downright dangerous. Research proved that having a method of keeping track of both your home time and the time at the eventual destination went a good way towards negating the worst of the byproducts.
Rolex, as has been their way throughout their history, came up with a solution at once brilliant and simple. A second hour hand geared to run at half the speed of the main hand would point out the second time zone on a 24-hour scale engraved into the rotating bezel. That way, reading both times was at-a-glance easy and the GMT-Master was born.
A massive hit of the same magnitude as the Submariner released a year prior, the watch has stayed in production ever since and is the model with arguably the most fan-anointed nicknames of any watch from any manufacturer. Each one is based on the colors on said bezel, with legendary pairings such as the original blue and red becoming the Pepsi, the red and black christened the Coke, the blue and black the Batman and so on and so on.
Out of all of the modern range, however, it is the toned down livery of the Bruce Wayne which is proving especially popular. The closest thing we have these days to an all-black surround, the top half of the ref. 126710GRNR’s bezel comes in black while the bottom half is in dark grey. It gives the watch an overall far more subtle presence than the rest of the series, coupled as it is with a flat black dial. In fact, the only kick comes from the green stem on the GMT hand.
Our $15k budget gives us access and change from either version of the GRNR on Rolex’s books at the moment. The example on the sporty Oyster bracelet retails at $11,800, while on the five-link Jubilee you will be charged an extra $200 at $12,000.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato
You might not get as much change as you would with the Rolex, but you’ll get more appreciative ‘insider’ nods from the true watch aficionados.
Girard-Perregaux’s glorious Laureato stems from the luxury sports watch era of the 1970s, along with such luminaries as the AP Royal Oak (the absolute Genta-penned OG), the IWC Ingenieur, the Patek Nautilus and the Vacheron 222.
All of those icons followed a similar pattern, with eccentric angles and contrasting shapes and, the most visually apparent, the integrated bracelet. Unlike the rest of the ‘70s pieces, however, the Laureato debuted as a quartz model—powered by one of the first in-house quartz movements ever made.
That changed on the watch’s 20th anniversary in 1995 when it was reborn as a fully-fledged mechanical luxury watch, going on to evolve with the Evo³ in 2005 as a larger and sportier collection with chronographs and complications.
Another birthday in 2016, this time Girard-Perregaux’s 225th, saw the brand return to a Laureato which more closely resembled the original, bringing in 34mm, 38mm and 42mm sizes, manufacture automatic movements, skeleton and tourbillon variants, ceramic and titanium editions and a host of others, making the watch the company’s flagship sports model.
That’s where we come in. The current 42mm Laureato, with its trademark octagonal bezel sitting atop its circular plinth, its tonneau case and integrated bracelet, comes with the choice of four dial colors. Take your pick between silver, blue and black, each with a lovely Clous de Paris textured finish, or my favorite, the striking Sunray Green reminiscent of Perregaux’s recent collaboration with luxury car marque Aston Martin.
All are powered by the extraordinary Calibre GP01800, a 4Hz motor granting a 54-hour reserve and measuring just 3.97mm high, leading to the ultra slim profile of the watches themselves; each is only 10.68mm thick.
Of all of those game-changing watches from the ‘70s, it is the Laureato which is perhaps the least lauded. Personally, that is a point in its favor in my book. There is something particularly elite about exclusivity—yes, the GMT-Master II is a magnificent watch, but the status symbol that whispers rather than shouts is filled with quiet class. If you want to set yourself apart, the retail price is currently exactly $15,000.
The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe
Speaking of setting yourself apart…
Think luxury dive watch, think Rolex Submariner. But think a little harder and you’ll undoubtedly fall on the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.
Depending on the version of events you believe, this was either the watch that actually beat the Sub to the punch in 1953, or it was the one which came along very soon after. In the end it doesn’t really matter, the Fifty Fathoms is a fabulous watch in its own right.
That first generation was aimed squarely at the professional diver, and mostly military. However, in 1956, Blancpain decided on a smaller, more refined variant for the recreational market and the Bathyscaphe was born. Coming in with case sizes of around 37-38m, with slimmer proportions and cleaner dials, this became the civilian equivalent of the full fat FF, but even so retained the rotating bezel and strong underwater performance of the original.
The collection evolved throughout the ‘60s, with numerous bezel and dial designs and a distinctive crosshair pattern which would become a signature design element.
The Quartz Crisis meant the Bathyscaphe died a death in the latter part of the 20th century, but the model was revived with an all-new take in 2013.
Still understated, the new collection included 38mm and 43mm case options, satin-brushed finishes, ceramic bezel inserts with Liquidmetal® hour markers, domed sapphires and modern movements such as the manufacture Calibre 1315 providing extraordinary 120-hour reserves via three series-coupled mainspring barrels.
Our choice for the $15k buyer is the 43mm steel piece with black bezel, sunburst meteor grey dial and black sail canvas strap. Although not a small watch, its slim lugs and clean lines, as well as its restrained aesthetics make it a superb everyday wear.
As with the Submariner, it has the sort of versatility which enables it to be worn with just about anything while retaining the level of strength necessary to mark it as a true tool watch. On the aforementioned strap, it comes in at $13,700. If you had your heart set on Blancpain’s excellent steel bracelet, you’ll blow your budget as it costs more than $17,000 (that must be some bracelet!)
But just as with the Laureato, the Bathyscaphe is for those with no desire to follow the herd, but who still want one of the finest watches of its type you can buy.
Featured Photo: Mixed art by Oriol Mendivil for BKT Archive.
