Top Luxury Watches Under 2 Lacs

Editor’s Note: Putting your best wrist forward, can lead to indulgent conversations amongst friends, peers or strangers alike, especially if one is fortunate to encounter the other; who is equally bitten by the horological bug or a creature of refined sensibilities. While the general assumption of prohibitive pricing; while acquiring fine watches, is a deterrent, Vidhyut Gadia in his pursuit of pure ‘value’, zeros in on some fine gems to budget with.

NOMOS 
Orion 384 

Nomos is a brand which has lately come to epitomise minimalism and exceptional craftsmanship like no other. Its ethos is inspired by the German Bauhaus movement of the early to mid-1900’s, a school of thought very widely regarded and accepted in various art forms.

But if you’re hearing of Nomos for the first time, it is perfectly understandable as it is a relatively newer watch company founded only in 1990 in Glashutte, Germany, one of the few places outside Switzerland revered for its fine watchmaking history.  For a watch brand barely 30 years old, Nomos is already turning heads of watch enthusiasts all over the world so much so that today a Nomos is soon becoming a staple piece for many.

For our first pick we have chosen the Orion which is a quintessential example of what brand Nomos represents. Nomos designs are known for their clean and modernist appeal, and Orion encapsulates that aesthetic beautifully in our opinion. We really love the clean dial which wears comfortably at 38mm with the blued hands small seconds adding to the beauty of the watch.

Aside from its superbly done minimalist design, it also packs a very impressive punch in the calibre department. It comes with a manual winding completely in-house “Alpha” calibre. As a bonus the Orion comes with a see-through sapphire case-back for you to enjoy the movement in its flesh. 

Retailing at INR 186,000, we feel that the Orion 384 from Nomos is a no brainer. 

LONGINES
1832 Moonphase.

For our second pick, we are going to go with the Longines 1832 Moonphase. Interestingly the Longines 1832 is a tribute to the company’s date of creation, so you do know that you are getting an impressive piece of watchmaking history with this particular time-piece.

We are going with the L4.826.4.52.0 model in black which comes with a scratch resistant sapphire crystal, a transparent case back with a sapphire crystal and of course one of the most sought-after watch complications - the moon phase. This watch wears well at a universally attractive 40mm and comes in on a very well-made alligator strap. We feel the applied and the silver polished hands on the black matt dial help the watch ooze a lot of class. But what really caught our eye was the stunningly finished sapphire case back flaunting the gorgeous Longines’ self-winding mechanical movement beating at 25’200 vibrations per hour, packing an impressive 64 hours of power reserve. 5/5 for the case back finish.

A moon phase watch from one of the most iconic watchmakers in the world at just over 150,000 INR. A bargain we say. 

BAUME & MERCIER 
Classima MOA10480

Let me start off by laying a few historical facts about this watch company. Started in 1830, Baume et Mercier was once very popular for its chronographs and grand complications models. The company has won several Grand Prix awards and recognitions at watch exhibitions across the world establishing itself as a solid global watchmaking force.

Today, Baume et Mercier stands as one of those once iconic Swiss brands that is on a path to reinvent itself with more contemporary offerings and what a way to do that with the Classima MOA 10480.

The watch we have chosen has a blue dial with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock and classic sun-satin finished Roman numerals and a sub-seconds dial accentuating the entire time-viewing experience on this one.

The movement on this one is a supremely reliable Swiss Sellita SW260-1.

The case size is a bit on the larger size at 42mm but it wears really nicely on most wrist sizes. 

We think the Classima moa10480 offers the ultimate blend of sophistication and style read as best of work and play and if you’re in the market to pick a watch which suits both these purposes Baume et Mercier is a brand you should definitely look at, especially the Classima. 

Retails at – 175,000 INR

TAG Heuer 
Aquaracer CAY111A.BA0927

You may resonate TAG Heuer’s history with mostly motorsport inspired watches, but the Aquaracer stands apart as TAG’s watersport and diving watch range. The Aquaracer was created with 6 essential features for all its watches under the series. The features - Water Resistant to 200m, Screw in Crown, double Safety Clasp, Unidirectional Bezel, Sapphire Crystal, Luminous Markings.

We want to talk about the Aquaracer CAY111A.BA0927.

It is a chronograph which comes in with a Swiss quartz movement on a stainless-steel strap. The dial is in black sitting under a sapphire crystal. As a divers watch, this Aquaracer has a water resistance of upto 300m. Although it comes in at a size of 43mm it makes for a solid everyday watch.

The Aquaracer inherits a rich pedigree from the Heuer brand and if you’re in the market for a dive watch with loads of impressive history and brand value, we strongly recommend the Aquaracer CAY111A.BA0927. The Aquaracer also comes in a variety on interesting variants, if this one doesn’t fit your bill. 

Retails at – 176,000 INR

TISSOT 
Heritage Chronograph T124.427.16.051.00

For our final pick we present to you the Tissot Heritage Chronograph T124.427.16.051.00.

Tissot is a Swiss brand that needs no introduction. Tissot has been producing exceptionally fine timepieces since the 1800’s and is renowned for not just keeping its watchmaking standards alive but exceeding them with offerings like this one.

We like this Tissot Heritage Chronograph for a multitude of reasons. Mostly because of its multitude of features some of which include a brushed silver dial with luminous black hands and index hour markers. Minute markers and Tachymeter markings around the outer rim. Chronograph - three black sub-dials displaying: 60 second, 30 minute and 12 hours.

This beauty houses the ETA-Valjoux caliber 7753 automatic movement, based upon ETA 7750, containing 27 Jewels, beating at 28800 vph, and has a power reserve of approximately 44 hours. The calibre can be enjoyed through a transparent case back which in our opinion is stunningly finished.

Although there is a lot going on the dial, we think everything has been executed really well on the Heritage Chronograph. We especially are big fans of the pop of orange on the seconds hand and on two of the sub dials which adds a fun element to this piece.

If you’re looking to get your hands on a sports watch with impressive heritage, we cannot recommend the Tissot Heritage Chronograph T124.427.16.051.00 enough.

Retails at 158,000 INR.

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