For those prepared to invest a little money, a prestige watch buy will rarely be regretted, even if it’s something like a superbly-crafted 18-karat gold timepiece with a moon phase function costing $25,000 or more. It may seem a rash purchase, but the buyer will be joining a growing army of people who are happy to spend generously on watches worth coveting, knowing that they’re likely to bring years of ownership pride and enjoyment and perhaps even gain value as time passes.
Back in 1967, Omega introduced three iconic watches—the Seamaster 300, Railmaster and Speedmaster. Now they’re back with the latest horological technology and they can be purchased as a beautifully presented Trilogy set or individually. All three have mechanical handmade movements. Classic watches like this trio never become dated. At Omega Boutique Vancouver, The Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver, omegawatches.com
The Endeavour Moon from H. Moser & Cie brings us the difficult-to-produce and very desirable moon phase complication in a simple and elegant design. The movement is hand-wound; the case is rose gold and the strap, hand-stitched alligator. The handmade movement can be seen through the caseback. At Palladio, Terminal City Club, palladiocanada.com
The Lady-Datejust from Rolex is one of the most enduring classics in the watch business and variations on this theme have been popular for decades. The Oyster Perpetual movement is a super-accurate officially certified chronometer and our example is from a collection announced earlier this year. A Rolex bracelet is often the brand of choice for most buyers. At GWC, rolex.com
Longines’ Symphonette is a ladies' watch with an elegant oval-shaped diamond-embellished case that blends seamlessly with its rose gold and steel band. There are touches of pink on the very clear mother-of-pearl dial and Longines even found room for a second-hand subdial. A Swiss quartz movement tops off the spec sheet. At Lugaro.
Innovative watchmaker Hublot is celebrating its new Vancouver boutique by introducing a Canadian-themed wristwatch with a maple leaf subtly etched into one of the subdials. There’s also a Canadian flag symbol on the caseback of the Fusion Chronograph. This uniquely Canadian watch will be available at the boutique and buying one would be a great way to celebrate the country’s 150th year. At Hublot Boutique Vancouver, hublot.com
Vacheron Constantin is one of the most respected manufacturers in the Swiss watch industry and has a history going back to 1755. The Traditionnelle Collection features wristwatches that look to the past for inspiration. Restrained elegance was the design keyword and our example has a slate grey face, contrasting perfectly with the rose gold case. A transparent caseback reveals a movement crafted in the finest traditions of Swiss watchmaking. At Palladio.
Jaeger-LeCoultre has been manufacturing fine watches since 1833 and many of them are now priceless collectibles. The Master Control Date is another unstated design, aimed at combining classic features without unnecessary details. The hour-markers feature Super-LumiNova for excellent night vision and the movement is automatic. The Master Control date is among the more affordable wristwatches from an iconic watchmaker. At Boutique Jaeger-LeCoultre, jaeger-lecoultre.com
