ALL watches say something about their owners. The Timex might indicate a fondness for design but a lack of regard for conspicuous consumption. The Patek Philippe can tell of wealth and appreciation of engineering and beauty. The very fact someone chooses to wear a watch at all is telling – there is no functional need these days to wear one.
The buyer of a watch needs to decide what kind of a statement he wants to make. Does it relate to his wealth, his style or his taste? Or is it his sophistication or his love of the intricacies of mechanics? It could be one, all or any combination of these things.
At Chrono Hunter we know one of life’s great pleasures is the perusal of timepieces in the anticipation of the expansion of a watch collection. To aid you in that process, we are pleased to advise you on the choice of a statement watch.
Flamboyant
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grand Tourbillon in pink gold with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds around the bezel and exposed tourbillon under the separate seconds dial is stunning. The slate-coloured main dial contrasts beautifully with the gold case and, in a cursory nod towards understatement, it sits on a black alligator skin strap. Jaeger LeCoultre lists this watch at £75,000.
Functional
The Rolex Daytona will never let you down. The chronograph is accurate up to an eighth of a second and the bezel is a tachymeter to measure average speeds. The three sub-dials have made the Daytona instantly recognisable and are often imitated. The one owned by Paul Newman sold for more than £13million last year, but new ones are available from £9,000.
Sporty
The Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial is a modern re-interpretation of a design classic which has endured for more than 50 years. The simple look of the dive watch has aged beautifully and, as you would expect, it is waterproof to 1,000 feet. Omega lists this watch at £4,800
Subtle
The Piaget Altiplano in white gold achieves its elegance with the bare minimum of features. It does not even have a second hand. The diameter of the face is a discreet 38mm and the hours are marked by simple batons. The case is an almost impossibly thin 6mm and it has a black alligator skin strap. Piaget lists this watch at £15,200.
Stylish
A Lange & Sohn’s Lange 1 in white gold has an asymmetric display with the hour and minute hands featured in an off-centre dial and on oversized date window at what would be the two o’clock mark on most other watches. The seconds dial is at five o’clock and there is a power reserve indicator on the face’s right-hand side. It is listed at £27,300.