Are you thinking of starting a watch collection? Or are you looking to expand your collection? The £5,000 bracket for watches can provide you with a great selection of watches.
You will not only find some great variation with the brands on offer but the models too. Here we give you a breakdown of the five best watches to buy now, under £5,000.
The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph 42 mm (311.30.42.30.01.006): £5,000
Image Credit: Chisholm Hunter
- Perfect for: The History Buff, The Everyone Needs a Speedmaster Collector, The Space Fanatic
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: Calibre 1863 (manual winding)
- Case Material: Steel
- Features: Chronograph, Small Seconds, Tachymeter, Transparent case back
I think most people could predict the first watch to be on the list. The Omega Speedmaster holds a place in the watch community as being one of the most historically important watches.
But aside from its heritage, the Speedmaster is a fantastic watch. The latest steel-on-steel model comes in right at the top of our budget, so you won’t have any spare change for strap changes.
That said, for £5,000, it is safe to say you’re getting a lot of watch for your money. It’s hard to think of another chronograph which offers so much at this price point.
What makes it special?
It boasts the infamous manual-winding chronograph movement, the calibre 1863, a distant relative to the calibre which was first worn to the moon.
Despite being manual-winding, which to some may be a deal breaker, the Speedmaster Professional does have a 48-hour power reserve. And after all, you buy a manual winding watch for the romanticism; the tactile feel you get when winding your watch before putting it on.
Size-wise, the Speedmaster Professional is not on the small side. Its 42mm case wears just that, no bigger and no smaller, and with fairly tapered lugs, it sits very well on the wrist.
Perhaps this is one of the options that suits bigger wrist sizes, but that said the profile of the watch is fairly slim, so can work on smaller wrists too.
The overall package that you get with the Speedmaster Professional is way above the £5,000 price point, yet it does sit within our budget. It is, irrespective of price, one of the best modern pieces on the market and will continue to be a staple of any collection.
The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue (17770761): £2,760
Image Credit:
- Perfect for: The Explorer, The Adventurer, The Value for Money Collector
- Diameter: 39mm
- Movement: Automatic calibre MT5402 (COSC)
- Case Material: Steel
- Features: Hours, Minutes, Rotating Bezel
Our next watch on the list comes in at just over half of the budget. In recent months, if you haven’t heard of the release of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue, you may have been living under a rock. It was a hotly anticipated and well-received upgrade for the Black Bay line.
There are blue dive watches for each price point on the market currently, including the Omega Seamaster at £5,450, and then going all the way to the new Submariner in white gold around the £30,000 mark.
What makes it special?
But the BB58 offers all the rugged capabilities of the other options, with a trusted name and a beautiful aesthetic, for the fraction of the price. This is a proper tool watch. It has a water resistance of 200m, a beefy 39mm case and a sturdy rivet bracelet.
Unlike modern Submariners, this BB58 wears well on most wrists. The lugs don’t feel intrusive and they taper away, giving it a sleek and streamlined aesthetic on the wrist.
Someone with smaller wrists could wear the BB58 equally as well as someone with larger wrists. Tudor has got the proportions just right with this line. The show-stopping feature, however, is the tone of blue on the bezel and dial. It is quite simply perfect. It isn’t as bold as modern Seamaster’s and therefore makes this piece somewhat understated.
By no means is this a dress watch, but it certainly is versatile. If you’re looking for a watch to accompany you through everyday life, this Tudor is a great option. It is a fantastic all-around piece for a very reasonable price.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire (IW326801): £4290
Image Credit: WatchTime
- Perfect for: The Pilot, The Military Buff, The Understated Collector
- Diameter: 39mm
- Movement: 32110 automatic calibre
- Case Material: Steel
- Features: Date display, 72-hour power reserve, central hacking seconds
Do you like military watch design? Do you like clean dials and well-proportioned cases? Well, I’m not sure it gets much better than this; the IWC Pilot’s Spitfire. This offering from IWC is one of the best watches under £5,000.
What makes it special?
It sports an IWC-made automatic movement, with a 72-hour power reserve. One thing which isn’t apparent at a quick glance is the subtle date window at 3 o’clock. I think that’s the common theme with this watch, its overall design language is very ‘under-the-radar’.
At 39mm, it isn’t small, but it’s by no means a large and intrusive watch. With a NATO strap as well, this watch could quite easily wear well on many wrist sizes. Aside from a solid movement and a well-reputed brand, the main selling point for this watch is the overall aesthetic.
The case shape and the lug design are so sleek and IWC have done well to maintain as much symmetry on the dial as possible. One perhaps contentious point would be the faux-tina (faux patina) on the hands.
That said, I think it only adds to the military, almost historic feel of this watch. It’s a fantastic and subtle timepiece, that would definitely be a great starting point, or addition, for any collection.
The Grand Seiko Heritage (SBGA201) – £4,750
Image Credit: TwoSecondsWatch
- Perfect for: The Movement Geek, The Japanese Watch Brand Fans, The Unconventional Collector.
- Diameter: 41mm
- Movement: Spring Drive
- Case Material: Steel
- Features: Power reserve display, screw case back, date display
You may have noticed recently the rise in popularity of Grand Seiko. The Japanese brand is known as one of the best watch brands outside of Switzerland. What is the hype around the Grand Seiko all about? Well, quite simply it’s their movements.
Grand Seiko makes some of the best movements out there. The Spring-Drive calibres offer the complexity of a regular mechanical watch with the accuracy of any quartz movement. To prove just how accurate they are, take a look at how the second hand sweeps, it’s probably one of the smoothest second hands on the market.
The Grand Seiko Heritage line is their flagship line and boasts the Spring-Drive. Our suggestion from Grand Seiko is the SBGA201, coming in at £4,750. The cream dial is something you don’t see very often so not only are you getting a unique movement, but also a rather unique dial. The dial also sports a power reserve, which despite not being the most interesting functionality, adds a bit of depth to the design.
The overall package you get with any Grand Seiko watch is a great value proposition. Ultimately, this particular model should sit way outside of the price range in question, so you’re getting a lot more watches for £4,750.
The Nomos Tangente (101) – £1,460
Image Credit: Escapement Magazine
- Perfect for: The Dress Watch Collector, The Visual Collector, The Value for Money Collector
- Diameter: 35mm
- Movement: Alpha Calibre (manual winding)
- Case Material: Steel
- Features: Sub-seconds dial, sapphire crystal, time-only display.
Coming in at the lowest price on our list is the Nomos Tangente, reference 101. So far, we have looked at sports watches and tool watches, but there are also dressier options under the £5,000 mark.
Many would think of Cartier when they think of dress watches within this price bracket. However, the curveball that is the Nomos Tangente is one of the coolest watches out there.
What makes it special?
This Nomos Tangente is subtle but striking at the same time. The subtlety comes from the smaller proportions, at 35mm. It’s a watch that can be worn equally well by a woman as a man. But the striking element of this watch is certainly the design.
Nomos have the strongest design language in the industry, according to some, and their art deco approach is very tastefully applied to the Tangente. Nomos, with the Tangente, are epitomising German horology, clean and minimalist but very contemporary at the same time. The movement is made by Nomos as well, which is rare for a watch at this price point.
The design and minimalist proportions won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t think it’s possible to find a package similar to what Nomos are offering for a similar price.
The Verdict
So, we have offered five of the best, but if we really had to pick one watch, which of the five would it be?
It’s very tough, and most would lean towards the Speedmaster for the heritage or the Nomos for the price point. However, for the overall package and the price on offer, the Grand Seiko Heritage is probably the best option here. Although the budget is under £5,000, this watch should certainly be priced higher.
The exquisite movement and well-designed case make this watch a great allrounder. This half-dressy, half-sporty watch is definitely a ‘Datejust Destroyer’ and proves to be a perfect starting point or addition to any collection.
