Zenith watches are remarkable for their creatively bold design and extraordinary precision. Here we take a look at the Swiss watchmaker’s history and its biggest breakthroughs, including Zenith’s signature El Primero, the world’s first automatic chronograph movement with an accuracy of 1/10th of a second.

The Beginning of Zenith Watches
In 1865, Georges Favre-Jacout, a 22-year-old watch apprentice, founded his own watch company in Le Locle, Switzerland. Although it would not earn the official brand name Zenith until 1911, from the onset, Favre-Jacout’s watch company was a very different type of watch brand.

At the time, watch artisans worked from different spaces and factories throughout the city. Watch components were then transported from their respective locations to a master watchmaker for final assembly. But Favre-Jacout consolidated Zenith’s watchmakers under one roof and, in turn, created the very first modern Manufacture. This fateful decision would facilitate and hasten Zenith’s technology research and development in its endeavors to produce some of the world’s most precise timepieces.

Zenith debuted its first pocket chronograph in 1899 and soon after, founder Favre-Jacot won the gold medal at the Paris Universal exhibition in 1990. Throughout the early 20th century, Zenith’s manufacturing plant steadily grew. In 1948, Zenith broke out with its Calibre 135, a chronometer movement with a small seconds hand, which ultimately received 235 watchmaking awards and prizes.

The Introduction of El Primero
In the 1960s, Zenith demonstrated its incredible precision engineering: first by introducing the Calibre 5011K which offered record-breaking precision and was used to power marine chronometers, table clocks and pocket watches. Then, in 1969, Zenith debuted El Primero, the very first ever integrated automatic chronograph movement. Today, El Primero remains the world’s most precise series-made caliber and is the only caliber that can measure short times down to the tenth of a second.

However, when the Quartz Crisis rattled the Swiss watch industry throughout the 1970s, Zenith’s parent company decreed the watchmaker would produce exclusively quartz watches to remain competitive. One audacious watchmaker, Charles Vermot, fearing they would be destroyed in the wake of the company’s mandate, hid away the crucial plans and tools needed to produce Zenith’s mechanical calibres.

Vermot kept these documents and materials under wraps until 1984. With the Quartz Crisis largely behind the industry and a nice uptick in commercial interest in mechanical watches, Vermot revealed his secret and Zenith began producing its signature El Primero caliber again.

In 1988, the El Primero movement was first used in Rolex’s wildly popular Daytona chronograph and remained the Rolex’s selection to power the Daytona until 2000.

Zenith Today
In 2000, Zenith was purchased by the LVMH group. Zenith remains one of the few Swiss watch manufacturers to produce its movements in-house, the most notable of which being El Primero, which remains in production today.

Throughout its long history, Zenith has developed 600 movement variations and filed 300 patents for its engineering marvels. In turn, the watchmaker has received 2,333 timekeeping precision awards since 1903, more any other watchmaker.

Raymond Weil watches came about during the Quartz Crisis, a time of great uncertainty for the Swiss watch industry. However, by deftly blending together the tradition of watchmaking and the modern technology, Raymond Weil has left its indelible mark on the watch industry. Here, we explore the fascinating history of Raymond Weil watches.

Setting the Scene: The Quartz Crisis
Before we can delve into the origins of Raymond Weil, we need to understand the precarious situation the Swiss industry was in before and during the infamous Quartz Crisis.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, a handful of international watch brands started introducing battery-powered watches, including the Bulova Accutron (1960), the Seiko Astron (1969), and the Hamilton Watch Company Pulsar (1970). While these innovative watches were met with some fanfare, it was the Japanese watch brand Seiko that took the biggest bite out of the previously unrivaled Swiss watch industry.

Throughout the decade, Seiko systematically converted its facilities to support its quartz technology by retraining staff, partnering with vendors for batteries and circuits, and buying up equipment to automate and scale production. By 1977, Seiko had built itself into the largest watch brand in the world in terms of revenue. Seiko dominated the market, thanks in large part to its split between analog and digital quartz watches, hedging out its competition from both sides.

So, Seiko has the lion’s share of the market’s revenue and the traditional Swiss brands are finally coming around to the harsh reality that their floundering industry is in dire need of restructuring. And it’s in the midst of this incredible industry turmoil and uncertainty that Raymond Weil launched his breakthrough brand.

The Origins of Raymond Weil
Raymond Weil founded his namesake brand in 1976 and was wisely ahead of the Swiss watchmaking curve. Born in 1926 in Geneva, Weil cut his teeth working at the Camy Watch Company, which he joined in 1949. He became the company’s general manager and remained with the brand for 27 years. Then, at the age of 50, Weil left Camy Watch and boldly struck out on his own at the height of the Quartz Crisis.

But Weil took a totally novel approach to compete in this tumultuous arena. While his competitors either hopped on the bandwagon of cheap quartz watches or tried to hold out with their traditional watchmaking techniques, Raymond Weil introduced and effectively marketed the “entry-level luxury watch.”

Raymond Weil’s watches were (and most still are) powered by quartz crystals but leaned into the cachet of “Swiss-made” watches and incorporated the classic designs and touches of a traditional Swiss watch. This unique approach was a breakthrough at a crucial time in the industry’s history, appealing to both new and seasoned collectors. Alongside the Swatch Group, Raymond Weil is largely credited with sustaining the Swiss watchmaking industry until its mechanical renaissance in the 1980s.

Today, the brand Raymond Weil remains one of the last remaining independent, family-run Swiss brands. With the third generation of the Weil-Bernheim family at the helm, Raymond Weil holds steadfast to its identity that was built around such a cutting-edge approach: gracefully designed, Swiss-made watches at an affordable price point.

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Today, June 8 is World Oceans Day—designed to celebrate and protect our oceans and their sea creatures. Proposed in 1992, and officially recognized by the United Nations since 2008, World Oceans Day is celebrated by more than 200 countries, all geared toward raising awareness of ocean conservation, sustainability and preservation. The focus this year is on cleaning up plastic pollution and many global efforts will support beach cleanup. Additionally, certain watch brands agree that ocean conservation should be an every day occurrence, not just one day a year, and are taking steps in that direction.With water temperatures rising steadily for the past half a century, affecting currents and levels, and with the oceans becoming more acidic due to carbon dioxide levels, our oceans are taking a beating. The changing conditions have led some brands to try harder to save our oceans. Brands such as Oris, IWC, Audemars Piguet, Omega, Blancpain, Carl F. Bucherer and others are implementing programs that are helping to clean up our oceans, reforest coral, tag and study sharks, manta rays and other sea creatures, and so much more.

Scientific Exploration and Research

A host of watch brands go above and beyond when it comes to ocean life and several have started their own foundations, or have gotten deeply involved in scientific studies. Swiss watch brand Blancpain, for instance, is all about funding scientific expeditions to help expand the surface of marine-protected ocean areas, or to work with pioneering divers to help with research and other initiatives. In fact, Blancpain supports underwater scientist and photographer Laurent Ballesta, who has taken photos of some of the most unusual sea life imaginable. For the past few years he has focused on studying the bottom-dwelling sea creature known as the Coelacanth, or Gombessa. The nearly six-foot marine animal is considered the “transition” animal that connects back-boned fish to the earliest four-legged man. Three separate expeditions funded by Blancpain have helped to shed light on the creature. Like the other brands who create watches that honor the seas, Blancpain also creates special editions of its famed Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph Ocean Commitment watches to benefit the cause.

Similarly, Rolex supports exploration via its Deepest Dive and polar water expeditions, among others. This brand has long been associated with pioneers, and, in fact, was the inventor of the first water resistant watch in 1927. One of its key partnerships today is with James Cameron, filmmaker-turned-explorer. Cameron directed Avatar and Titanic – where he became enthralled with the oceans. Rolex supports Cameron’s DeepSea Challenger submersible scientific explorations, and even equipped an outside camera with a Rolex watch. That camera went to different depths, taking samples of the ocean floor for further study.

Easily one of Rolex’s biggest initiatives is its partnership with National Geographic. Together the two organizations are working on an enhanced partnership to raise awareness of Earth’s challenges in conservation, with particular attention on the oceans, the poles and mountains. Rolex has also implemented the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, wherein the brand helps fund scientists and explorers around the world.

Partnering With Organizations

Essentially, many of the brands involved in ocean conservation typically partner with organizations, foundations and other facilities to work together. IWC Schaffhausen, the first Swiss watch brand to issue a sustainability report, has been partnering with the Charles Darwin Foundation since 2009 to help preserve the fragile eco-system of the Galapagos Islands. More than a hundred researchers and scientists work from Santa Cruz Island to protect the fauna and flora of the Galapagos. To benefit the cause, IWC also regularly creates new Aquatimer watches, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Foundation and Research Facility.  Additionally IWC has been a long-time supporter of Jacques Cousteau and the Cousteau Society, which is dedicated to protecting marine life. The organization works to protect against over fishing and poaching.

Similarly, Omega has worked side by side with GoodPlanet Foundation since 2011 to raise public awareness about sustainability of our oceans. The brand has created several timepieces in honor of GoodPlanet, with part of the proceeds from sales helping to fund projects. Here, again, the brand creates a Planet Ocean watch, with a portion of the proceeds of sales of these watches helping to fund different causes, including preserving the mangroves and seagrass in Southeast Asia.

Oris also gets involved in ocean conservation and reforestation. Among its other projects, the brand has partnered with the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) to support its efforts to grow and replant coral reefs. Essentially, CRF harvests small pieces of strong local coral and relocates it to the organization’s underwater nurseries. In those nurseries, which are usually about 20 feet deep, divers track the growth of the new coral and, when it is strong enough, replants it on coral reefs. Oris also sponsors the Clipperton Expedition, designed to clean up one of the world’s most polluted atolls. A portion of the sale of the sales of the Clipperton watches help raise funds for initiatives that protect our oceans.

The list goes on, as well, and continues to grow as more and more environmentally conscious watch brands make concerted efforts to protect our oceans and our Earth.

 

Throughout the past couple of weeks, a number of important watch auctions by Christie’s, Phillips and Sotheby’s have yielded stellar results, proving that buying the right watch today could lead to nice profits tomorrow. However, what the auction houses never really talk about are the lots that don’t sell, and those that don’t sell for as much as expected – and they do exist. Just because you pay full price for a watch today does not mean that it will resell at the same price you paid for it. Sometimes, just like a car, it simply depreciates.

Experts agree that watches traditionally hold their value better than most other investments even in an economic slump, and they estimate that the right watch purchased today can appreciate in value as much as 10-30% in ensuing years. Generally, it takes a few decades for a watch to accrue value, though. Today, the most valuable watches on the re-sale market are vintage pieces made prior to 1980. Still, there are a host of reasons why some watches hold their value when others do not. And don’t be fooled, it isn’t just the precious-metal watches that sustain value; many a fine steel watch has captured six-digit figures at re-sale. In addition to the common-sense reasons such as constantly fluctuating global economies and geopolitical influences, there are five key reasons why a watch may appreciate in value over time.

1. Rarity

Rare watches will generally command more money at re-sale. This fact is the result of simple supply and demand. If only 10 models of a particular watch are made today, for instance, then when that watch comes up for resale, and if it is a high-demand watch, discerning collectors will be ready to pounce.

Watches made in limited editions are also coveted because of their scarcity. Additionally, if they are scarce now, just think of how much harder they will be to find in decades to come. (After all, not everyone will be re-selling his or her beloved limited-edition watch in years to come.) Recently, a white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, Ref. 6265 “Unicorn,” watch with black dial and a bark-finished white gold bracelet sold at auction by Phillips for $5.9 million because it was believed to the only one known of its kind.

While many of us don’t have the wallet for the haute horology one-of-a-kind pieces on the market, those will definitely hold value. Similarly, anniversary watches that celebrate a significant milestone the brand or the style’s history are also considered good choices.

2. Brands and Lines

There is no denying that certain brands have a particular cache and retain their value better than others. Most of those brands are the cream-of-the-crop luxury Swiss watch brands including Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, A. Lange & Sohne, Richard Mille and Greubel Forsey. Moreover, certain lines or collections from these particular brands are more sought-after than others. For instance, a Patek Philippe Calatrava may command a higher price than some of the brand’s other lines. Similarly, the Daytona is the most sought-after collection from Rolex.

3. Genres

Typically in the world of watch collecting, certain genres of watches are particularly sought after; the most popular “sects” being pilot or aviation watches, diver watches, military watches and auto-related watches (such as the Rolex Datyona). Additionally, alarm watches and highly complicated watches that are produced in smaller numbers are highly coveted.

4. Dials and Aesthetics

While every collector will tell you to buy what you love, there is no way to gauge resale value or value retention of a piece bought just for looks. Sometimes collectors buy styles they like but with a theme (think: all blue dials, all diver watches, or all gold watches) and can resell later at a premium as a complete collection. Additionally, new watches with a dial color that the brand rarely uses, or with a new or unusual motif or material can appreciate in value faster than watches with the more common dial color. A. Lange & Sohne, for instance, frequently releases dials with a white dial, so an A. Lange & Sohne watch with a rare blue or gray dial will be more coveted.

5. Celebrity 

Certain watches are more valuable simply because of who owned them. Note: Unless you are truly the master of your destiny, you never know if you’re going to become famous one day, so this is not exactly an investment strategy– but it is worth noting that past owners will inflate a watch’s resale price tag.

For instance, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona fetched $17.5 million last year at Phillips auction. That watch’s incredible value was due in large part to the fact that it belonged to and was worn by the famed Paul Newman, who made the “Paul Newman Daytona” reference famous. Similarly, an Omega watch once owned by Elvis Presley and featuring a dial co-branded with Tiffany & Co., sold for $1.8 million – making it the most expensive Omega watch sold at auction.

 

Time is the single constant in life. We all strive to track time, measure time, make the most of time, or, sometimes, to stop time. This may well be why clocks and watches play such a significant role in our lives. They are the devices by which we witness the seconds, minutes, hours and days move forward. Of course, let’s get something straight right up front: Nobody needs a watch. With clocks on our computers, dashboards, cell phones, and countless other devices, we can read the time in an instant. Additionally, the onslaught of smartwatches has led many a consumer to don a timepiece that is more of a connected device than a traditional watch. But don’t let those smartwatches fool you. They are not the death of the traditional watch, but instead, the catnip. Let me explain.

Interestingly enough, the Apple Watch, unveiled in April 2015, was not the advent of the smartwatch. In fact, the smartwatch had been invented in a primitive form nearly 20 years earlier. Quietly, certain technology companies and even watch brands were creating “smart” watches in the late 1990s. In fact, Seiko unveiled its Message Watch in 1997 as a sort of wrist computer, and, in the ensuing years, anyone visiting the annual Consumer Electronics Show could find an “intelligent” computer sort of watch being offered year after year that could show messages and display various information. Over the years, we witnessed brands such as Pebble and Martian make their debut. However, there was no fanfare surrounding these first few generations of smartwatches, and most watch pundits in the industry considered the smartwatch to be a minor player.

However, that was all about to change. In 2015 when Apple’s smartwatch hit the market, it did so with a boom. Big announcements were made globally, and the anticipation by Apple followers and techies had mounted to the point that there were tens of thousands of people around the world standing on waiting lines.

The traditional watch industry could not deny that a new wave of technology was crashing in on their territory. At first, there was a quiet panic among traditional watch brands. Could the new generation of connected watches – those that teamed with sophisticated platforms such as Intel and Google – be their downfall? Having struggled with (and nearly been defeated by) the evolution of quartz technology decades earlier, some watch brands opted to embrace the smart concept. They would not resist smartwatch technology only to be left in the dust by the rest of the industry again.

As such, some watch brands, including big names such as Louis Vuitton, Breitling, Montblanc, Movado, Guess, Fossil, and others have – in the past few years – unveiled their own connected watches, and certain brands such as TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Frederique Constant, have released hybrids that feature real dials but with connected capabilities via alternative dials, or that have modular construction and can later be converted to a traditional watch.

However, not one of the traditional watch brands embracing the smartwatch concept has ever abandoned production of the traditional watch. That may be because once the initial panic and knee-jerk reaction to the massive influence of the Apple Watch subsided, a new reality took hold. These watches are not a threat to the survival of the luxury watch industry. Instead, they are a channel for growth.

While the smartwatch has definitely reached outside of the tech world and onto the wrists of many consumers whom the watch world once thought would never be interested, it simply cannot obliterate the traditional watch. In fact, once the consumers who embrace the smart watch – those with active lifestyles, techies, and others – have been wearing one for a while, they will most likely become hooked on the idea of looking to the wrist for information – including time indication. Discerning smartwatch wearers will become bored with the limitations (chargers, battery life, etc.) of the watch, and maybe even with the singular look of a smartwatch. They will eventually aspire to own traditional watches that convey their narrative and message more precisely. Smartwatch wearers will become traditional watch collectors.

Five Reasons Why the Smart Phone Won’t Obliterate Watch Collecting

In addition to the traditional watch world gaining a new clientele of smartwatch wearers, it just isn’t feasible to think that smartwatches could decimate the art of traditional watch collecting. Here are five reasons why traditional watch collecting will live on ad infinitum.

1. Traditional watches have their own raison d‘être.

The point of a traditional watch is to tell time in a manner that is consistent with one’s own personal narrative. While smartwatches are fairly singular in design, require charging and have very limited battery life, a traditional watch faces none of those obstacles. Sure, a quartz watch may need a small battery replacement in five years or so, but there is nothing in a traditional watch that tethers someone to an outlet. In fact, traditional timepieces are quite the opposite. Their entire reason for being — to display the time – enables great innovation in terms of design. Watch brands eager to display time in new and different ways have turned to three-dimensional architecture, various creative case shapes or dial looks, and unusual materials or even noble materials to tell their story. Because many aspects of life often inspire traditional watch designs, there are so many choices of genres on the market, from aviation watches to artistic watches, chronographs and more. I highly doubt that the sophisticated, meticulous character of James Bond would select anything other than a mechanical watch (in fact, Omega has been the watch of choice for James Bond movies for years) to accessorize his dapper attire. Even Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) wears a traditional Urwerk mechanical watch in his most recent films, most likely because the most reliable “gadgets” are mechanical.

2. Watch collecting is an art.

While watches enable you to tell your own story in terms of colors, materials, design appeal and more, collecting watches also helps you create a complete story about yourself. Today, collecting watches has become a true art, an expression of who you are and what you like. Today’s collector typically buys at least one watch a year, sometimes many more, depending on the price of the watch and annual income. This may be because there is something very special about the act of watch collecting: from going into stores to try on watches, to educating yourself on line about vintage and pre-owed pieces, following the auctions and shopping on line. There is personal gratification in comparing the virtues of a watch, its design, its function and prices, whether or not it will hold the value and more that makes the process of collecting more interesting. Believe me, when it comes to watch collecting, there is a watch out there for every wallet size, including million-dollar watches for those with a wallet the size of a house.

3. Traditional watches offer form and function via mechanics. 

Inside a traditional mechanical watch are hundreds of tiny parts that work together via teeth and gears and wheels in a fascinating way to track time perfectly. What’s more, many of today’s watches offer a variety of incredibly useful functions (ok, not Instant Messaging, but then you have a Smart Phone for that) thanks to advanced mechanics and technology. You can opt for a watch with a moon phase display that is accurate for 122 years or more, or for a watch with a perpetual calendar, multiple time zones, and even the ability to calculate speed or distance. Today’s dive watches can go to incredible depths that no smartwatch could fathom, and pilot watches fight magnetism and its effects on accuracy with ease.

4. Traditional watches offer unparalleled craftsmanship. 

Easily one of the main reasons watches have enjoyed collector status for centuries is craftsmanship. Sometimes, it is difficult to believe that an item slightly larger than an inch in diameter can hold hundreds of parts that work together like a carefully orchestrated dance of precision. Each watch has its own meticulously finished parts, often visible via an aperture on the dial or a transparent case back, lending an air of marvel to the piece. Just knowing that somewhere a single master craftsman toiled for hours hand polishing components and hand assembling a movement is enough to really appreciate the passion that goes into each watch made. Watch collectors understand and value that craftsmanship.

5. Traditional watches can be traded in, traded up or kept as heirlooms.

One of the main reasons that auctions and re-sales of second-hand watches are so strong is because watches are works of art that have a physical– and sometimes an emotional — value. It is not unusual for a parent or grandparent to pass down a watch to the next generation. Watches track time; therefore, they hold a history from the moment they make their first tick. They are often purchases that celebrate or symbolize a special event, an important moment — one that is worth holding on to and passing down to the next generation. Additionally, a traditional watch can be traded in and re-sold as a gently loved watch, so that the owner can trade up to the next level or to a different type of statement. While smartwatches may be sold on the second-hand market, they are less likely to continue to hold value because their technology becomes obsolete.  Certainly, a quartz or mechanical watch never becomes obsolete, nor does building a watch collection. Simply stated, the smartwatch will never obliterate the traditional watch or watch collecting.

 

This past Friday and Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, nearly 160,000 people – including me — converged on Churchill Downs racetrack for the 144^th running of the Kentucky Derby — where Longines was on board once again as the Official Timekeeper. With a Longines clock stationed at the finish line nearby the race clock, and in the sloppiest rainy weather conditions, a very muddy 3-year-old colt named Justify raced to the finish of the Run for the Roses – taking the near $2 million purse. According to the Longines timing clock, 52-year-old jockey Mike Smith rode Justice around the 1-1/4-mile track in 2 minutes and 4 and 1/5^th seconds.

The entire weekend was a huge festival of fun, fashion and feverish betting (approximately $200 million was bet this weekend at Churchill Downs). Even the relentless rain on Sunday – the actual derby day – couldn’t keep people away. Gift shops sold tens of thousands of plastic raincoats, food stands sold hundreds of thousands of hot dogs and barbeque ribs, wings and more, and visitors sat on water-drenched bleachers or on wet grass and even mud out in the infield – all to witness the “fastest two minutes in sports.”

Of course, there is also a truly elegant side to the Kentucky Derby, where women don big, beautiful hats, men dress to the nines and celebrities galore walk the red carpet. In addition to “Millionaires Row” where the owners sit, Churchill Downs has built impressive structures on the property that house suite after luxury suite for viewers to watch the race in style. There is even a six-level “Mansion” trackside, with each level boasting its own incredible atmosphere.

Over the weekend, Longines made one level of the mansion “home” and invited a few select journalists (myself included) to indulge in the weekend’s festivities. With multiple roles over the weekend, Longines was the Official Timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby and of the Kentucky Oaks race held on Friday, as well as the Official Watch of the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks race. The brand is also the title sponsor of the fashion show held on Friday, as well, as it reinforces its philosophy “Elegance is an attitude.”

I must admit that I was smitten by the elegance and excitement of the Derby. Each day I was decked out in cocktail attire and big-brimmed hats or fascinators. I imbibed in the official drink of the derby, helped contribute to the $200 million plunked down on the ponies, and got up close to the valuable trophy and generally had a blast with Longines. I believe that everybody should attend a Kentucky Derby– always held the first Saturday of May and never yet canceled for inclement weather – at least once in their lifetime.

Here, in addition to all of the above information, are 10 fun facts about Longines and the Kentucky Derby so that you can convince your friends that should all attend next year’s Derby.

1. The Kentucky Derby is referred to as “The fastest two minutes in sports,” or “the most exciting two minutes in sports” for obvious reasons.

2, It is also lovingly called “The Run for the Roses” because of the huge blanket of roses given to the winner. It is made using more than 400 roses and weighs about 40 pounds.

3. The Derby is the longest continually running sporting event in America. Started in 1875, it also commands the largest audience of any other sporting event in America, including the Super Bowl.

4. The official drink of the Kentucky Derby is the mint julep, which costs about $11 at Churchill Downs and more than 100,000 are sold during the weekend. There is also a very exclusive limited edition of the cocktail made by Woodford Reserve costs $1,000.

5. The Kentucky Derby Trophy is 22 inches tall and is made of solid 14-karat gold. It takes 2,000 hours to make and consists of 29 parts, including an 18-karat gold jockey on a horse at the top. The base is jade. It is estimated to be valued at $200,000.

6. Longines has been the official timekeeper and the official watch of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for seven years, since 2011.

7. There are 5 single-faced Longines clocks and 1 triple-faced clock on the ground level of Churchill Downs. There are another 5 Longines clocks in premium dining areas.

8. There is one main Longines chronometer that actually times each race and does not display the actual time of day.

9. The Official Watch of the Kentucky Derby this year is the Longines Conquest V.H.P. (very high precision) with a blue dial and red accents. The 43mm men’s version is crafted in steel and retails for $1,050. The owners, the trainers and the jockey of the winning horse all receive a Longines Conquest V.H.P. quartz watch. Longines has one of the longest histories in quartz technology, dating back to 1954, when it developed a quartz clock that set precision records at the Neuchatel Observatory.

10. Longines has been inspired by and active in the equestrian world since it created a chronograph pocket watch engraved with a horse and jockey in 1878 that quickly became a coveted watch amongst horse lovers and jockeys.

 

Omega endears itself very quickly to fans of horology thanks to its one-two combo of beautifully crafted timepieces and an illustrious history lined with a dose of grandeur. With timepieces that have seen outer space, timed Olympic games, and helped James Bond ice some bad guys, Omega boasts an impressive collection tied to groundbreaking moments in history. While some of the brand’s pieces have all the bells and whistles that attract veterans of horology (for example, this DeVille Co-Axial Rattrapante), new collectors will be drawn more to signature Omega timepieces without the high-priced accoutrement. We’ve rounded up the 5 Omega models that won’t break the bank for new collectors who want their own essential Omega.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M
For new watch collectors who are intimidated by a mechanical movement, the quartz movement in the Seamaster Aqua Terra is perfect. This model’s classic, nautical design is a perfect representative of the Seamaster line in general without the lofty price point. The Aqua Terra collection is quite new, having been released in 2002, but it has retained the subtle dressiness of vintage Omega timepieces that has faded into the background with their newer, sportier models in other collections. Its sleek formality and understated sporty edge has a practical sensibility that new horologists will appreciate.

 

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Omega Seamaster Diver Co-Axial 300M
The Omega Seamaster Diver, unlike its Aqua Terra cousin, falls closer in step with the other sporty watches that the brand offers. This model has a more significant presence on the wrist, with a ceramic bezel and a helium escape valve at 10 o’clock that lends to its striking design. Built for professional divers, this watch is resistant to 300 meters. For new collectors who are up for the maintenance of a mechanical watch, this model is the natural choice. The Seamaster Diver has a mechanical movement with a 48-hour power reserve at a price point that won’t break the bank.

 

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Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph
First introduced in 1957, the Omega Speedmaster is one of the most iconic watches on the market. This is the model that accompanied Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 mission and became the first watch to operate on the surface of the moon. Surely, with such impressive credentials, this classic would bring any collection to new heights. Featuring a tachymeter bezel that the wearer can use to measure speed and a chronograph function for measuring time, this functional watch comes at an excellent price point for new collectors who are attracted to the pioneering spirit that made Omega famous.

 

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Omega DeVille Prestige
Omega’s DeVille collection is made to appeal to horologists with more formal tastes: it features dress watches with all manner of accoutrement, from tourbillon mechanisms to chronographs. Each different iteration of the DeVille is unique and presents its own prim dash of charm, and the DeVille Prestige is no different. The Prestige line offers a clean, uncluttered face with classic, pointed hands and unobtrusive markers. This affordable model has a timeless, dressy look that will complement any formal ensemble.

 

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Omega Constellation
For the collector interested in sleek, versatile pieces, the Constellation collection from Omega would serve the purpose of understated dress watch and impeccable everyday timepiece. Its low-key bracelet blends in seamlessly with the body of the watch, giving it an air of elegance without seeming too flashy. The design’s incorporation of thin lines, roman numerals, and a clean dial brings a retro feel to this simple watch. This timepiece has a price point that matches its modesty, but it never sacrifices the signature look of an Omega or the brand’s excellent timekeeping technology.

 

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Learn more about the fascinating history fo the Omega Seamaster and how it grew in popularity to become the watch-of-choice for James Bond here.

Breitling was founded in 1884 and from its onset was fastidiously focused on producing the absolute best precision chronographs and timers. And with that central goal constantly driving the brand, Breitling has churned out some of the most impressive and precise timepieces with a particular emphasis on aviation watches. We take a quick look at the history and significance at Breitling’s most popular and breakthrough models.

Navitimer
The Navitimer was released in 1952 and specially designed for pilots and aviation crews. Its most distinguishing featured is its slide rule bezel, used to make crucial in-flight calculations like fuel consumption, air speed and distance. Breitling is largely credited with making the slide rule bezel incredible popular with the introduction of the Navitimer. Today, the Navitimer is a highly sought after watch, prized for both its practical design and first class performance.

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Superocean
The Breitling Superocean marked Breitling’s—the longtime premier manufacturer of aviation watches—foray into diving watch design and production. The Superocean debuted in 1957 when diving watches were enjoying their heyday. But the Superocean stood out from its competitors with a water resistance of 200 meters. Today, the Superocean’s practical and recognizable features are its large Arabic numerals and oversized hands which were originally designed for ease of reading under water.

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Super Avenger II
As its name would suggest, the Breitling Super Avenger II is super-sized. The Super Avenger was recently introduced to the Breitling lineup in response to modern tastes’ preference for robust and hefty watch sizes. Even still, this contemporary addition upholds the core tenets of the Breitling brand: superior precision and an emphasis on utility. Breitling fans are particularly drawn to the Super Avenger for its dramatic size and enjoy it as a bold statement piece.

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Colt
The modern-day Breitling Colt was inspired by the Colt Military, a watch originally introduced in the 1980s and designed for military operations. The updated design was renamed simply the Breitling Colt and was distinguished for its broad, uni-directional bezel with four engraved rider tabs. The Breitling Colt is incredibly popular with new collectors as a signature and reasonably priced model.

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Breitling for Bentley
In 2002, Breitling partnered with Bentley, the British car manufacturer internationally renowned for its luxurious and posh cars. Breitling naturally borrowed inspiration from Bentley’s sophisticated fleet of vehicles and translated that allure into a mesmerizing collection of fine timepieces. The Breitling for Bentley collection includes mesmerizing conversation pieces and exquisite watches, decidedly worth of its namesake luxury brands.

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If this piqued your interest in Breitling watches, learn more about the Swiss watchmaker’s impressive history and how they grew into the premier manufacture of aviation watches here.