While there are watches much more expensive than 10,000 dollars, I will hit upon those watches individually. There will be no need to group all the 100,000 dollar watches, and quite frankly, how can you bunch a handful of 100 thousand dollar watches and still be able to do them justice.
So, for this list, I am going to try to introduce a few new brands that we have not talked about yet, in order to familiarize you with more options. So, even if you do not find the exact watch you might want on these lists, maybe you have found a brand that interests you. That is my hope, as much as anything. Considering, many watch choices can be summed up to personal prefrence.
The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 10,000 Dollars
Rolex
Datejust II 41mm
Model: 116334
Case: 41mm, Steel & Gold
Band:
Movement: 3136
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance:
Rolex was founded in London, England, in 1905 under the name, Wilsdorf and Davis. The trademarked the name Rolex, in 1909, and set up offices in Switzerland. Then, quickly moved their headquarters to Switzerland in 1919. The company has made some of the best watches in the world for over 100 years.
Classic is the best word I can come up with for the Datejust. It is a classic Rolex watch, minus all the gold and bling. Its 40mm stainless steel case has smooth lines, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position. The dial face is white with gold inlaid hour markers, and silver polished hands, and a date window. Along with the trademark crown at the 12 o'clock position. The Oyster, polished stainless steel 3 link band with the oyster clasp.
The Datejust II features include a magnified cyclopes lens to magnify the date window, HH, MM, and second hands. Gold Inlaid hour markers, and the Rolex crown... Ok, that is not a feature, but carries weight.
The Rolex 3136 calibre, self winding mechanical movement is what powers this Rolex. The movement features center hour, minute and second hands along with date wheel.
The Datejust II features include a magnified cyclopes lens to magnify the date window, HH, MM, and second hands. Gold Inlaid hour markers, and the Rolex crown... Ok, that is not a feature, but carries weight.
The Rolex 3136 calibre, self winding mechanical movement is what powers this Rolex. The movement features center hour, minute and second hands along with date wheel.
The Datejust collection of watches are solid luxury watches that, while expensive, are not even in the same stratosphere as some watches. It's a Rolex, it has a water resistance of 100M and it has a very tough movement. It is a great watch, and you should expect to get a great watch for the 10,000 dollar watch list. I have found this watch ranging from 6,500 to about 7,300, so it falls well under the 10,000 price limit.
Panerai
Radiomir 8 Day Titanio
Model: PAM00346
Case: 45mm, Titanium
Band: Alligator
Movement: Manual Wind P.2002/9 calibre
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance: 100M/330ft
Officine Panerai is a Swiss watch manufacturer, that was originally founded in 1860 in Florence, Italy. Currently their headquarters is still located in Italy, but manufacturers all their watches in Switzerland.By 1900, Panerai became the official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy, with cases that were manufactured by Rolex, and Movements supplied by Cortebert. They also produced wrist worn diving instruments, along with watches for the Italian Marina Militare between 1938 and 1993, but the company ceased this production due to cost and the fact that they no longer met naval specifications.
After that, they moved to launch products to the civilian market. In 1995 Sylvester Stallone bought a Panerai Luminor and wore it during the shooting of Daylight. The brand quickly gained popularity, and caught the attention of Richemont, which aquired Officine Panerai in 1997, and rebranded Panerai as a luxury brand.
The Radiomir looks old, but in a good way. For some reason it looks like a watch that was originally made in the 50's or 60's and has never changed. That's not true, but I love the look. It has the mid-century mod feel. The watch has a large, 45mm square titanium case, with a sapphire screw down back, and its crown located at the 3 o'clock position. The dark brown dial face has dashes for the hour markers, all except the 12 and 6, those positions are occupied by actual numbers. The dial also has a date window at the 3 o'clock position and a small second at the 9 o'clock position. The hands are white, and the alligator band is brown as well, with a buckle style clasp.
The Panerai features Sapphire lenses on the front and back, along with titanium construction. It also includes a date window, and a power reserve meter located on the back of the watch. Luminous hands and hour markers, and a quick second reset feature for easy syncing.
The Panerai P.2002 calibre is a manual wind, mechanical movement that has an 8 day power reserve. The movement has center hour and minute hand, a small second hand, and a date wheel. It also includes a power reserve indicator, and the ability to quickly zero the second hand for easy watch syncing. The movement is a 21 Jewel, 28,800 BPH movement, with anti shock and has been in production since 2002.
I really like this watch. I know I say that a lot, because I really do like the watches, but this watch is one of my favorites I have come across so far. I love the mid century mod look and love the manual wind movement with the 8 day power reserve. It looks like a great watch to me, and you will pay for it. I have found it for just a hair under the 10,000 price point, so do not expect to find this one cheap. There are others in the series that you might be able to find a little cheaper though, you will just have to look around. Amazon has a lot of Panerai watches though, so it is easy to look.
The Panerai features Sapphire lenses on the front and back, along with titanium construction. It also includes a date window, and a power reserve meter located on the back of the watch. Luminous hands and hour markers, and a quick second reset feature for easy syncing.
The Panerai P.2002 calibre is a manual wind, mechanical movement that has an 8 day power reserve. The movement has center hour and minute hand, a small second hand, and a date wheel. It also includes a power reserve indicator, and the ability to quickly zero the second hand for easy watch syncing. The movement is a 21 Jewel, 28,800 BPH movement, with anti shock and has been in production since 2002.
I really like this watch. I know I say that a lot, because I really do like the watches, but this watch is one of my favorites I have come across so far. I love the mid century mod look and love the manual wind movement with the 8 day power reserve. It looks like a great watch to me, and you will pay for it. I have found it for just a hair under the 10,000 price point, so do not expect to find this one cheap. There are others in the series that you might be able to find a little cheaper though, you will just have to look around. Amazon has a lot of Panerai watches though, so it is easy to look.
Breitling
Chronograph Unitime
Model: Varies
Case: 46 mm
Band: 20 mm, Leather, Canvas or Ocean classic
Movement: Breitling 05, self wind, world time
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Chronograph, Date, World time
Water resistance: 100M/330ft
Breitling is a privately owned Swiss luxury watch maker that was founded in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1884. Breitling designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes chronometer watches, know for being precision made and used often by aviators.Breitling also makes several of their own movements, but from time to time, will use ETA or Valjoux movements instead. The Chronograph Unitime uses an in-house movement.
I did not want to limit the Breitling to one single model. There are a few watches in this collection that all look very similar, with the only changes being the band, the face color and the case itself. With that being said, the watch has a large, 46mm case that comes in either stainless steel or 18k red gold. It has a crown at the 3 o'clock position and the auxiliary, chronograph buttons at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions. The screw in back is stainless steel as well. The face of this watch is busy. And that may be putting it lightly. There are two outer rings on the face, listing major cities in different time zones, the next ring in, is a 24 hour disk that adjusts with the city disks for easy time change. The next ring in is the standard clock with large dash marks on the hour and smaller ones on the minute, along with the 3 chrono dials and the picture of the Earth in the middle... Well, it's a busy face. The band is also something that comes in different material, depending on which model you choose. Stainless steel, Leather, or canvas are available.
The Transocean Unitime has a few features on it. It includes the HH, MM, and second center hands, along with the chronograph dials, 1/4th second, 30 minute, and 12 hours. Along with that it has an easy time zone change. with a simple turn of the crown you can change your time zone accordingly to the outer rings. Sapphire lens on the front and a 100M water resistance, make this watch pretty well packed with features
The Breitling B05 Calibre movement is a self winding, mechanical, world time, chronograph movement. It has 56 Jewels, and a 70 hour power reserve. The chronograph includes 1/4 second, 30 minute and 12 hour dials, and the movement runs at 28,800 vph.
While the watch may take a bit of getting used to with all the information on the dial face, and the time zone setting features, I do think that it is a great watch, especially for those of us who find themselves traveling through and to different time zones for work or fun, on a regular basis. The Breitling watches are quality built and they are a old company. Generally I see the Transocean Unitime watches for around 6500 dollars, so it too will fall well under the 10,000 dollar price range of this list.
The Breitling B05 Calibre movement is a self winding, mechanical, world time, chronograph movement. It has 56 Jewels, and a 70 hour power reserve. The chronograph includes 1/4 second, 30 minute and 12 hour dials, and the movement runs at 28,800 vph.
While the watch may take a bit of getting used to with all the information on the dial face, and the time zone setting features, I do think that it is a great watch, especially for those of us who find themselves traveling through and to different time zones for work or fun, on a regular basis. The Breitling watches are quality built and they are a old company. Generally I see the Transocean Unitime watches for around 6500 dollars, so it too will fall well under the 10,000 dollar price range of this list.
IWC
Portugieser Hand Wound 8 day
Model: IW510203
Case: 43mm, Stainless steel
Band: Alligator
Movement: IWC 59215 mechanical
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Water resistance: 30M/100ft
IWC (International Watch Company) was founded in 1868 by an American engineer and watchmaker named, Florentine Ariosto Jones, who had been a director for E. Howard & Co., the leader in American watch making. Jones started his company in Switzerland, hoping to meld American technological advances with the precision craftsmanship of the Swiss watch makers. Initially, he received some push back at the idea of opening a factory in Switzerland, being that most of the watch makers at the time were working out of their homes, and they were concerned about their own careers by the idea of mass producing watches near their homes.
In 1880 the company was taken over by the Rauschenbach family, and stayed in their possession for four generations, until 1905. The Portugieser Hand Wound 8 day is a perfect example of the longevity and quality of the IWC.
The IWC Portugieser has a very vintage look to it. The 43mm Stainless steel case has a very clean look to it, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position, and a sapphire lens, see through, screw down back panel. The silver plated dial face has the numeral hour markers, and a date window at the 3 o'clock position, and a small second dial at the 6 o'clock positions. The black alligator band has a tri-fold clasp, that is also stainless steel.
The Portugieser has a 8 day power reserve, and reserve gauge on the back. It also has a date window, along with the small second dial. Sapphire lenses on the front and the back along with the alligator band round out the features for this watch.
The IWC 59215 is a manual wind mechanical watch that has a power reserve of 8 days. Yup, 8 days. The Movement is a 30 Jewel, Second hacking movement that runs at 28,800 VPH. It also includes a power reserve gauge on the back of the movement, see through the back cover.
Personally, I like the vintage look of the IWC. I like the 8 day power reserve, and I like the history this company has. It is an expensive watch. I am finding it for around 9500-9800 dollars, so it will stretch your budget if you choose this one, but I feel like it is a great watch.
Cartier
Ballon Bleu de Cartier Chronograph
Model: W6920052
Case: 44mm, Stainless steel
Band: Leather
Movement: Self Wind, Cartier 8101
Functions:HH, MM, SS, Chronograph, Date
Water resistance: 30M/100ft
Cartier Is a world renowned Jeweler and watch maker that was founded in Paris, France in 1847 by Lous-Fracois Cartier, and remained under family control until 1964. It was in 1904 that they produced their first wrist watch for the Brazilian aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, when he complained about the impracticality of using pocket watches while flying.In 1907, Cartier signed contract with Edmond Jaeger to exclusively supply the movements for Cartier watches, during a time when Cartier was becoming one of the most successful watch companies in the world.
In the early 1920's Cartier formed a company with Edward Jaeger to produce movements soley for Cartier, called the Eauropean watch and clock company, but Cartier continued to use movements from many different watchmakers.
In the late 1990's Cartier realized they needed in house movements in order to maintain their prestige, and set to work on creating wholly Cartier designed and built movements with as few outside parts as possible. They achieved this and today make most of their watches movements, in house.
The Cartier Ballon Blue Chronograph is a pretty stylish looking watch, the 44mm case is big, but not over large, with a matte polished stainless steel finish, and the crown guard, it has a bit of a different look thank lots of watches we look at here on The Best Men's Watches for Under... The aforementioned crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and as sleek, profile following auxiliary buttons for the chronograph functions, and sapphire lenses on both the face and back. The dial face itself is a dark gray, and uses roman numerals for the hour markers. It has the chronograph at the 3 o'clock and a small second at the 6 o'clock position. It also has a date window at the 9 o'clock position. The alligator band uses a stainless steel, buckle style clasp to round out this package.
The Ballon Bleu is a chronograph, mechanical self winding watch with Sapphire lenses on both the front and the back. It has Small seconds and a date window, and a crown guard. The crown itself has an inlaid synthetic spinel cabochon, and, the alligator band.
The movement for the Cartier is a Cartier 8101. It wad designed and produced in tandem with Jaeger-LeCoultre. It is an automatic movement with 30 jewels, and runs at 28,800 vph. It also has about a 42 hour power reserve.
I was leery about putting a Cartier watch on my list. Before I started researching them, I had assumed they were high end designer watches that just were Frankensteined from a bunch of other watch companies. While they are not necessarily a completely in house watch company, they do a lot of their own work. And they have been making watches for a very long time. It was almost required for me to include them after I gave them a chance. This watch should be available for around 9,000 dollars, and is a nice watch for the price.
The Ballon Bleu is a chronograph, mechanical self winding watch with Sapphire lenses on both the front and the back. It has Small seconds and a date window, and a crown guard. The crown itself has an inlaid synthetic spinel cabochon, and, the alligator band.
The movement for the Cartier is a Cartier 8101. It wad designed and produced in tandem with Jaeger-LeCoultre. It is an automatic movement with 30 jewels, and runs at 28,800 vph. It also has about a 42 hour power reserve.
I was leery about putting a Cartier watch on my list. Before I started researching them, I had assumed they were high end designer watches that just were Frankensteined from a bunch of other watch companies. While they are not necessarily a completely in house watch company, they do a lot of their own work. And they have been making watches for a very long time. It was almost required for me to include them after I gave them a chance. This watch should be available for around 9,000 dollars, and is a nice watch for the price.
Wrap up
The best men's watches under 10000 dollars was probably the funnest review I have written so far. These watches are really nice. They are beyond nice. When I started the best men's watches under, I have to say, I assumed I would start getting to these more expensive watches and just not see any value in them. It's just not true. These watches are so far and beyond a 500 dollar watch, it cannot even be quantified.
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