These six watches are set to turn into classics

Wearing a high-end watch is often seen as the ultimate sign of elegance, and if you choose carefully, owning such a watch can be a conscious investment.

Although collectors often choose Rolex as their first choice, experts suggest there are many lesser-known luxury alternatives that can provide an even better financial investment over time.

Mark Blowers, owner of Blowers Jewelers in Kingston Upon Hull in the East Ridings of Yorkshire, says: ‘There is a concern that many people are paying too much for Rolex because it is a big name. While some dealers set prices very high, you can get better value by exploring other great manufacturers.’

While Rolex may seem like the most popular choice, all may not be as it seems. This is because it is the world’s most counterfeited watch brand, with an estimated 50 million counterfeits in circulation. That dwarfs the one million original Rolexes believed to be sold each year, according to researcher Watches of Espionage.

Blowers adds: ‘Increasingly, people don’t want to play Top Trumps by wearing a Rolex like everyone else in an expensive restaurant or be mistaken for a fake. But watch enthusiasts still want a highly desirable horological watch.’

So which luxury watches could be a smarter investment for every budget? We learned.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 250 £595

It was described by GQ fashion magazine as one of the ‘cutting edge entry-level watches’.

And the special edition 250, released this year in a limited edition of just 1,776 pieces to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States on July 4, has a cache of collectibles that could increase its value.

The watch is based on a 1970s US Air Force military model, which is considered the ‘grail for collectors of classic American military watches’.

Top examples of the Vietnam-era Hamilton FAPD 5101, on which the watch is based, can sell for more than £5,000.

GQ says: ‘This watch does enough to update the formula… but leaves the core character intact.’

‘Complication’: This year’s newly released 308 watch is ‘an extraordinarily strange thing’

Sinn Spezialuhren 308 Hunting Watch £2,200

‘The trick is to discover the next great fashion watch,’ says Charles Tian, ​​founder of WatchCharts, and that can mean taking a chance.

GQ believes German manufacturer Sinn may have come up with just that.

He describes this year’s newly released 308 watch as ‘an extraordinarily strange thing’. The 40 mm cased watch has a green dial with an unusual extra feature known as ‘complication’.

Every day at 6pm there is a moonlight indicator that shows the brightness of the moonlight that evening and whether you can go out without a torch.

Royal approval: Prince William bought this model for Princess Catherine for their third wedding anniversary

Cartier Balon Bleu £5,900

Prince William bought this model for Princess Catherine’s third wedding anniversary in 2014. With such approval from the heir to the throne, this steel strap watch with a 33 mm case could be a solid investment.

William had a sapphire added to complement Kate’s engagement ring.

You can buy a diamond-studded example for £11,400. These can fetch up to £16,000 on the second-hand market.

Auction house Sotheby’s says: ‘The Ballon Bleu is widely regarded as the symbol of Cartier’s luxury watchmaking, seamlessly blending elegance with functionality.

‘Widespread fascination with this model has led to a thriving secondary market.’

Ince: His name may be on the tongue, but his legacy is intriguing

Czapek Antarctic Passage de Drake glacier blue £24,000

His name may not be on the tongues, but his legacy is interesting.

Founded in 1845, the company disappeared in 1869 following the death of its founder François Czapek. However, the Czapek & Cie brand was revived in 2015, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign by three entrepreneurs and watch enthusiasts.

“These watches offer unobtrusive sophistication,” says Blowers.

‘Micro brands like Czapek focus on quality rather than how many watches they can sell, attracting the attention of those who admire horology, the scientific study and art of measuring time.’

Drake refers to Sir Francis Drake and the Drake Passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans above Antarctica. The color Glacier Blue represents water.

Quality favorite: These watches feature a ‘date complication’ that automatically delivers dates for months with 30 or 31 days

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar £54,300

The skill of the watchmaker is the key to adding value.

“Patek Philippe produces watches with transparent backs where you can admire all the watch movements,” says Blowers.

‘They’re made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, so they don’t get damaged. ‘The Annual Calendar is a quality favourite.’

These watches feature a ‘date complication’ which automatically presents dates for months with 30 or 31 days and only needs to be corrected once a year at the end of February. The calendar model was introduced in 1996.

The price of the best examples increased by up to 18 percent in one year.

No expense was spared: This Swiss watchmaker only produces two or three of these ultra-rare watches a year

Greubel Forsey Handmade 1 £725,000

When the watch is on the wrist of a billionaire like Facebook founder Meta mogul Mark Zuckerberg, you know it won’t come cheap.

This Swiss watch manufacturer produces only two or three of these ultra-rare watches per year. Each one takes 6,000 hours to make; The manufacturer says that ‘the most demanding approach in watchmaking is the only approach worth pursuing’ and adopts ‘an uncompromising standard applied to every component’. There are no shortcuts. ‘No compromise’.

That’s why the issue of who bought them, or “entrusted” them, as the company puts it, is not very pleasant.

Vintage watch expert Tom Bolt, who is also the founder of addiction charity Steps 2 Recovery, says buyers won’t see much change from £1 million when it comes to the second-hand market.