For the Fashionista
Oozing old school nostalgia, the TAG Heuer Heritage Monza hypnotizes at first glance, as it seamlessly transports one back to the 1970s, to the north of Milan in Italy, where the world’s greatest races including Formula 1 have been hosted for almost a century – at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza racing track.
Replete with vintage appeal, the cushion-shaped case is cast in grade 5 titanium, coated with black titanium carbide. Across the wide expanse of charcoal-black dial, its faux patina treated indices, hour and minute hands emit a halcyon glow in the dark. Its inner bezel features a dual Pulsometer/Tachymeter function, and is complemented by subtle red accents from the classic racing-style chronograph minutes sub dial display and hands.
The trusty wrist companion of the race car driver of yore is armed with vintage pump pushers to activate the chronograph of the TAG Heuer Calibre 17. Strapped to the wrist by a black perforated strap that screams yesteryear racing DNA, the only thing missing is your full body ivory-white racing suit.
Get the TAG Heuer Heuer Heritage Monza here.
For the Watch Lover
The Maurice Lacroix AIKON Automatic Skeleton flaunts its lavishly skeletonized movement with much pizzazz. Boasting a new movement architecture, the manufacture caliber ML234 has been reworked to showcase as much of its inner workings as the individual parts can allow, and it is fabulous.
Gazing into its soul from the dial side, one may be able to intuitively guess that only a thin piece of glass separates the hands and indices from the elaborate movement, where the escapement, pallet fork, hairspring, barrel, mainspring, cogs and gears all lie exposed in plain sight. Clad in stainless steel, the 45mm masculine AIKON case offers a balanced complement to its intricate innards.
Flip the mechanical marvel over, and the other window into its soul does not disappoint – in fact, some may argue that the view from the rear is even better than the front, as the moving parts can be seen with less obstructions, where the transparent timepiece’s organs all work together in unison, co-existing in perfect synchronicity.
Get the Maurice Lacroix AIKON Automatic Skeleton here.
For the Outdoor Enthusiast
Although the M2 Seven Seas does not bear a hint of green, this matt titanium timepiece packs a tonne of military might. Once the wrist weapon of choice for the German Armed Forces, Tutima has remained a well-respected marque of quality and toughness for several decades.
The M2 Seven Seas is a no-fuss, 100% reliable tool watch that is proudly made in a small town called Glashutte in Saxony, Germany, where many other well-known brands of uncompromising quality also hail from. Offering excellent legibility, white SuperLuminova tipped hands and indices grace the arctic-blue dial, where a succinct “50 BAR” is printed at the bottom, rendering it impervious to water up to 500m.
Its raised inner bezel provides additional depth to the crisp dial, where a red seconds hand sweeps across. The unidirectional rotating bezel allows for quick timing of either seconds or minutes, depending on how much of a rush you are in. The pearl-blasted titanium bracelet will guarantee supreme lightweight comfort when you strap on this tactical timepiece for your White Christmas party.
Get the Tutima M2 Seven Seas here.
For the Travel Junkie
Over the years, there have been many different types of GMT and World Time watches, but the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture from Frederique Constant offers an excellent value proposition, easily striking out any mechanical contender in this price bracket.
Its FC-718 Manufacture caliber is developed completely in-house, and is adorned with 42 hours of power reserve. The generous 42mm stainless steel case (also available in rose gold plated stainless steel) allows the 24 cities to be well-spaced out, and along with the black and white dial tones, offer exceptional functionality when it comes to setting and telling the time across different continents.
There are also no pushers for advancing the world time discs. Instead, the cities and the 24h time zone ring are rotated via the thick crown only, thus preserving the sleek contemporary lines of the case. And with an unusual 50m rating of water resistance, there is no need to worry about moisture permeating into your trusty travel companion while you fly long haul to reconnect with your family this Christmas.
Get the Frederique Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture here.
For the Modern Woman
If you’re looking for a ladies’ watch that is suitable for daily wear yet exudes elegance, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Ladies Watch is the watch you’ll want.
Its white mother of pearl dial and rhodium-plated polished, facetted applied indexes gives it that extra flair without being over-the-top. Its fine-brushed and polished steel bracelet ensures that it sits comfortably on your wrist and at 27mm, it’s a good size for most women.
The Aquaracer’s superb 300m water resistance and screw-down crown lets you take a dip in the pool wearing it without fearing that it will malfunction. You could even shower with the watch on your wrist if you must, just be sure to secure the crown.
Get the TAG Heuer Aquaracer here.