How to Buy a Watch for Less Than $15,000
If this is your first exposure to our price-bracketed buying guides that cover some of the world’s best wristwatches, then welcome! If you’re a returning reader, then we have some exciting news for you: Unlike our first guide to entry-level pieces that topped out at $1,500—or even our second guide that summited the $7,500 mountain—this edition will really see us cooking with gas. Why? Because for $15,000, the great majority of the watch world’s classics become available. (Okay, maybe not in solid gold, but definitely in stainless steel!) And while certain luxury products are still unobtainable for under $15K—the Royal Oak, for example, and the Nautilus—favorites from Rolex, Omega, Girard-Perregaux, and many others are yours for the shopping.
What sort of watches are we talking about? The Rolex Submariner dive watch, for one, and ditto the Omega Seamaster. Speaking of Omega, the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional can be yours, as can the famous Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and even a hulking Pilot’s Watch from IWC. You can strap on a solid-gold Tank Louis Cartier for under $15K and even a Grand Seiko with an absolutely stunning dial and a movement crafted completely in-house. Truly, the options are incredible at this price. To make parsing them easier, we’ve divided this guide into different sections: Dress Watches, Dive Watches, Chronograph Watches, GMT/World Timer Watches, and Everyday Watches. We’ve also included some handy information that should make your shopping experience easier.
Why $15,000?
At $15,000, there’s no doubt about it: We’re in full-on “luxury” watch territory. At this price, highly desirable stainless-steel models are unlocked, but so are certain solid-gold models on leather bands. (Solid-gold models on matching bracelets will almost always run more than $15K, unless we’re talking about pre-owned watches.) Beyond this price point there are plenty of goodies to be coveted, but they’ll often cost multiples of $15K: The Royal Oak, for instance, can’t be had in its 41mm steel configuration for less than $28,600, while the Patek Philippe Aquanaut will still cost you a cool $24,750. The same should be said of watches with high complications—tourbillons, perpetual calendars, and the like. Don’t expect to cop these for less than several tens of thousands of dollars (or more).
The Watch Market at $15,000
Whereas the $1,500 watch market consists of lots of micro-brands and the $7,500 market counts mid-level as well as luxury brands, the $15,000 market is exclusively luxury brands. Most of these (with few exceptions) are owned by large conglomerates such as LVMH, the Richemont Group, and the Swatch Group. (While certain high-end independents do indeed play at this price point, many produce watches that are significantly more expensive.) Because many of these models are established classics, there’s ample information available about them online—especially on this very site—to inform your purchasing decision.
Where to Buy a $15,000 Watch
Securing a watch from most of the brands in this guide means visiting an Authorized Dealer or a mono-brand boutique. Some of the models—the Rolex Submariner, for example—will likely require a lengthy wait, while others might be more freely available. Furthermore, while some of these brands offer e-commerce, others do not, which means you’ll have to get yourself over to a boutique to make a purchase. (We highly recommend this anyway; you should always try on a watch in person, if possible, before buying.)
Dress Watches Under $15,000
Tank Louis Cartier
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There’s little arguing with the Tank Louis Cartier’s position as the world’s prototypical dress watch—at least of the rectangular variety. (The “circular” title probably goes to Patek Philippe’s Calatrava.) Designed during the throes of the First World War and inspired by the shape of a Renault tank as seen from above, the solid-gold case—along with the hand-wound movement, beautiful Roman-numeral dial, and timeless silhouette—of this classy model has endured for over a century. Personally, we recommend the small model in rose gold. While some men may decry its comparatively diminutive dimensions, this is the type of watch that was worn by men like Muhammed Ali. Who are you to argue with that?
SPECS:
Diameter: 22mm
Movement: Cartier Caliber 8971MC hand-wound
Water Resistance: 30m
Price: $11,700
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface
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The Reverso is the solution to a unique problem—namely that British officers playing polo in India in the 1930s were breaking their watch crystals through rough play. The Reverso’s case, which flips the dial over to reveal a solid-steel case back, solved this issue. Though sapphire crystals have since mitigated the issue, the Reverso is still a dress-watch staple, with a fresh midsize model reintroducing the world to its elegant profile. Powered by a hand-wound, in-house movement, its steel back is the ideal canvas for engravings, which Jaeger-LeCoultre can do for clients via a specialized department at its manufacture in Le Sentier.
SPECS:
Diameter: 24.4mm
Movement: Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 822 hand-wound
Water Resistance: 30m
Price: $8,900
Galshütte Original Senator Excellence
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While it may not have the brand recognition of its neighbors A. Lange & Söhne and Nomos Glashütte, Swatch Group–owned Glashütte Original nevertheless makes several lines of beautiful luxury watches that deserve your attention. The Original Senator Excellence, for example, is informed by classic pocket-watch designs—think black Roman indices against a silvered dial, a chemin de fer minute track, and blued steel hands—yet measures a modern 40mm in diameter and is powered by an automatic movement with a hundred-hour power reserve. (With its versatile design, it can also be worn on a fabric strap for a much more casual look.)
SPECS:
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Galshütte Original Caliber 36-01 automatic
Water Resistance: 50m
Price: $9,200
Dive Watches Under $15,000
Rolex Submariner
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Since its debut in the early 1950s, the Rolex Submariner has been the byword for waterproof tool watches. Hewed from a block of 904L Oystersteel and outfitted with a scratch-proof Cerachrom rotating bezel; a COSC-certified, in-house, automatic movement; and a black dial using the brand’s Chromalight lume, the “Sub” will happily accompany you three hundred meters underwater. In addition to its build quality, part of the appeal of the Submariner is its included, multi-link Oyster bracelet, a mainstay of the collection for more than seventy years that features a folding Oysterlock safety clasp with the Rolex Glidelock extension system.
SPECS:
Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Rolex Caliber 3230 automatic
Water Resistance: 300m
Price: $9,100
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “007 Edition”
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Omega’s Seamaster has featured in the brand’s collection since 1948, but the coolest entry in the model family is also one of the most recent. The 2019 Seamaster Diver 300M “007 Edition”, made for No Time To Die, features a delightfully light 42mm grade 2 titanium case, a “tropical” brown aluminum bezel insert with vintage-style lume, and a matching “tropical” dial with skeletonized sword hands, applied luminous indices, and a fun callout to 007’s Royal Navy background: the “broad arrow” symbol, which indicates British Crown property. Beyond its Hollywood credentials, it’s also a wildly capable dive watch with three hundred meters of water resistance and a helium-escape valve.
SPECS:
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Omega Caliber 8806 automatic
Water Resistance: 300m
Price: $8,900
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe
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Launched in 1953 alongside the Rolex Submariner and the Zodiac Seawolf, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is one of the world’s OG dive watches. The Bathyscaphe, a Fifty Fathoms named for the type of craft in which one could explore the seafloor at depth, represents a smaller take on the dive-watch staple. Measuring 38mm in steel and featuring a beautiful blue ceramic timing-bezel insert, its sunray blue dial with applied, luminous indices, lumed syringe hands, and subtle date window at 4:30 instantly recalls the tone of the Côte d’Azur, where the Fifty Fathoms was invented and perfected. An automatic, in-house movement with a hundred-hour power reserve and a matching blue NATO strap seal the deal.
SPECS:
Diameter: 38mm
Movement: Blancpain 1150 automatic
Water Resistance: 300m
Price: $10,200
Chronograph Watches Under $15,000
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional
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This fresh take on the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional is the first regular-production, white-dial version of the famed NASA-approved chronograph in the collection’s history. For just one hundred dollars more than the “sapphire sandwich” version of the Moonwatch—which comes with a sapphire crystal on both the dial and case back, for you non-nerds out there—you get a particularly fresh take on the space-going chronograph that features a white lacquer dial with red “Speedmaster” printing, plus an anodized-aluminum “dot over 90” bezel and the brand’s hand-wound Caliber 3861 movement. Paired to Omega’s latest-generation bracelet with brushed and polished links, it’s one killer chronograph.
SPECS:
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Omega Caliber 3861 hand-wound
Water Resistance: 50m
Price: $8,100
Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow
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The automatic El Primero movement has been powering incredible chronographs since 1969 but perhaps none quite so cool as the Chronomaster Revival Shadow. Done up in micro-blasted, blackened, matte titanium and outfitted with a matching “ladder” bracelet inspired by vintage models, its blocky 37mm case houses a matching black dial with an outer tachymeter scale in white and gray; a triple-register chronograph readout with thirty-second, twelve-hour, and running seconds displays; and a set of lumed sword hands. The El Primero Caliber 282 ticking away beneath the A385-shaped case, meanwhile, beats at five hertz and features a power reserve of fifty hours.
SPECS:
Diameter: 37mm
Movement: Zenith El Primero Caliber 282 automatic
Water Resistance: 50m
Price: $9,800
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert
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The International Watch Company’s expertise with materials innovation means that it can craft colored ceramic cases in-house—something that not many brands tackle. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert, part of the subline produced in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, is a fresh-faced take on the company’s famous “Big Pilot” line of watches for flyboys. Measuring 41.9mm in sand-colored ceramic and paired to a beige rubber strap, it features a screw-down crown for one hundred meters of water resistance and dual chronograph pushers flanking a brown, luminous dial. With triple-register chronograph functionality—plus a day-date display—it’s a supremely useful tool watch.
SPECS:
Diameter: 41.9mm
Movement: IWC Caliber 69380 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $11,700
GMT/World Timer Watches Under $15,000
Rolex GMT-Master II
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There are many types of travel watches, but the Rolex GMT-Master family is so iconic, so ubiquitous, that it transcends the horological world and has entered the pop-culture vernacular. Available in the well-known blue-and-red “Pepsi” bezel as well as numerous other configurations, the latest is a black-and-gray variant launched at Watches & Wonders 2024. It measures 40mm in stainless steel and is available on both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets, and we recommend the slightly more refined Jubilee version. Either way, however, you’ll get a COSC-certified Rolex movement, one hundred meters of water resistance, and the ability to easily track a second time zone via a green-tipped twenty-four-hour hand and a rotating twenty-four-hour bezel.
SPECS:
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Rolex Caliber 3285 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $10,900
Bulgari Octo Roma WorldTimer
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Unlike a GMT watch, a world timer displays the timer in twenty-four time zones simultaneously via a rotating city-name ring. The Bulgari Octo Roma WorldTimer adds the Roman-founded jeweler’s particular charm: The octagonal, black DLC stainless-steel case with its smooth bezel flanks a matte-black, sandblasted dial with an outer city ring in white printing, plus an inner twenty-four-hour ring in ceramic, luminous indices, and a set of luminous sword hands. Inside, the Bulgari Caliber BV L257 automatic movement features a forty-two-hour power reserve and a beat rate of four hertz. Paired to a textured black rubber strap with a stainless-steel pin buckle, it’s water resistant to one hundred meters and ready for international jet-setting.
SPECS:
Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Bulgari Caliber BV L257 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $9,100
Cartier Santos de Cartier Dual Time
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Looking for a more elegant way to track two time zones? Cartier’s Santos de Cartier Dual Time, introduced at this year’s Watches & Wonders, is just the ticket. Housed in the collection’s famed rectangular case with screw-adorned bezel, it’s paired to a matching bracelet that provides it an almost industrial look. (It also comes with a gray alligator-leather strap.) This utilitarian aesthetic is balanced, however, by an anthracite-gray sunray-brushed dial with applied rhodium-finished Roman numerals, luminescent sword hands, and a date indicator at three o’clock. At six o’clock is the watch’s raison d’être, a second time-zone indicator with a diminutive day-night indicator. With automatic winding and one hundred meters of water resistance, it’s the perfect companion for first-class travel.
SPECS:
Diameter: 40.2mm
Movement: Cartier Caliber 1847 MC automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $9,150
Everyday Watches Under $15,000
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 SLGN021
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Japanese horological stalwart Grand Seiko makes some of the most stunning dials in the business. Thankfully, the vertically integrated company doesn’t just make a pretty face but also marries these with serious movement technology. The SLGN021 from the Evolution 9 collection, for example, features the Caliber 9SA5 automatic hi-beat movement to offer ultra-accurate timekeeping with an eighty-hour power reserve. But this reference’s chief appeal is indeed in its beautiful dial: a light-green molded pattern echoes the Genbi Valley in the Iwate Prefecture, designated a Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. Applied indices and sword hands with a handsomely framed date window finish the appealing package.
SPECS:
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: Grand Seiko Caliber 9SA5 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $10,400
Girard-Perregaux Laureato
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Launched in 1975, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato is one of the original class of “luxury sports watches” that includes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, and the Vacheron Constantin 222. This modern version, in 42mm with an octagonal bezel and a matching, integrated bracelet, features a handsome black textured dial with luminous indices and sword hands and a color-matched date window at three o’clock. Powered by the in-house Girard-Perregaux GP01800 movement with fifty-four hours of power reserve and automatic winding, it boasts one hundred meters of water resistance and is available in several other colors.
SPECS:
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Girard-Perregaux GP01800 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $14,300
Piaget Polo Date
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With its polished-steel cushion case, satin-brushed bezel, and matching multi-link bracelet, the Piaget Polo Date is yet another “luxury sports watch” whose serious build quality is matched by an equally handsome design. Its deep-blue dial with horizontal guilloché pattern is striking yet versatile, while a sapphire case back reveals Piaget’s in-house Caliber 1110P automatic movement. This new caliber, with its anthracite-gray oscillating weight, measures just 4mm thick, yielding a total watch height of just 9.4mm in keeping with the maison’s ultrathin tradition. Streamlined and unobtrusive, the Piaget Polo Date is perfect for daily wear.
SPECS:
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Piaget Caliber 1110P automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Price: $14,500
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