A small history of watches and several tips for purchasing the perfect watch. LUC XPS 1860 Officer Royal Arms of England 40mm 18k white gold case, black alligator leather strap. Beneath its demure Swiss dial, Chopard’s new special edition LUC XPS has a supremely English core. Created to commemorate the new flagship boutique on New Bond Street, London, it features a hinged case back covering engraved with a Richard I lion motif, which swings open to reveal an ultra-thin movement powered by a 22k gold micro-rotor. The 40mm watch comes in 18k white gold with a dial decorated with hand-guilloché detailing, contributing to the receipt of its Poinçon de Genève hallmark, a rubber-stamping of horological excellence. Only available in the UK and limited to eight pieces, you’ll need to mount your own crusade to get your hands on one.

Let’s move on to the under 1000 USD category. Though any number of great Timexes could’ve made this list, we’re particualrly enamored with the newly reissued MK1 — a recreation (of sorts) of a short-lived 1980s military-issue watch. While the original was meant to be disposable and had a mechanical movement inside and a plastic case protecting it, this version swaps both with a more reliable quartz engine and a higher-quality case made from anodized aluminum. A direct descendant of the original G-Shock from 1983, the modern G5600 version and similar watches are as tough as ever. For under $100 you get some nearly indestructible wrist gear that is more accurate than any luxury mechanical watch, and no need for battery changes with solar power. Just make sure you get one that says “Tough Solar” on it, and has a positive display for the best legibility. Further, G-Shocks are just fun, unpretentious, hassle-free, and extremely comfortable to wear.

Chunky, luxury watches don’t suit everyone’s style, but this sleek-looking beauty carries the elegance and swagger needed to stand out from the crowd. The steel blue-like dial with its mix of distinctive leaf hands and Roman numerals exudes an air of class appropriate to a watch brand founded in Geneva in 1830. At 40mm it’s on the upper end of the medium size scale. Strap it on your wrist and see why celebs like David Duchovny and Kiefer Sutherland are huge fans. Chotovelli, a brand founded in the 1920s in Turin, derived and inspired by Italian aviators, is a name you probably haven’t heard before. Which just means it qualifies as a ‘find’. For the price, this handsome oversized chrono is by far the biggest bargain on the list, and the opportunity it affords to give each admirer a mini history lesson is just icing on the cake. The saddle leather strap will only get better with age, but caveat emptor: at 47mm, this is one big watch.

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