Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore? Quality is the most precious resource at Patek Philippe. The entire company is designed to support it. With the introduction of the Patek Philippe Seal in 2008 the company imposed rigid standards that often exceed normal industry standards. But the commitment to quality does not just apply to the watches themselves. Patek Philippe places the highest standards on employee training – from the watchmaker to the salesperson, including customer support that extends from sales to service.

If you just wanted to spend $70 or so on a good-looking quartz watch, you could do a lot worse than the Nokia Steel (formerly the Withings Activité). But this being a “hybrid” smartwatch, you get more than just the time of day. The watch connects to your phone via Bluetooth to give you simple sleep and fitness tracking info that, while not super-comprehensive, is helpful in tracking and motivating healthy behavior. Braun’s minimalist aesthetic is perfect for someone looking for a wardrobe accoutrement rather than a showpiece. What’s more, graphic elements like the yellow seconds hand and austere font are sure to call to mind the brand’s legacy of Bauhaus-inspired product design.

Whereas Rolex is the most internationally recognizable luxury watch brand, AP is not a household name to your average layman. AP is certainly recognized in the watchmaking community as a better brand than Rolex but because of the exclusivity an AP, the average layman will not realize that your watch is considered superior to a Rolex. For example: let’s say you just want to make a statement with what you are wearing on your wrist. You may want to make that statement to a select few …or even to everyone. In this type of situation, you want to compare the two in the context of brand recognition. Find more information at Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

Chunky, luxury watches don’t suit everyone’s style, but this sleek-looking beauty carries the elegance and swagger needed to stand out from the crowd. The steel blue-like dial with its mix of distinctive leaf hands and Roman numerals exudes an air of class appropriate to a watch brand founded in Geneva in 1830. At 40mm it’s on the upper end of the medium size scale. Strap it on your wrist and see why celebs like David Duchovny and Kiefer Sutherland are huge fans. Chotovelli, a brand founded in the 1920s in Turin, derived and inspired by Italian aviators, is a name you probably haven’t heard before. Which just means it qualifies as a ‘find’. For the price, this handsome oversized chrono is by far the biggest bargain on the list, and the opportunity it affords to give each admirer a mini history lesson is just icing on the cake. The saddle leather strap will only get better with age, but caveat emptor: at 47mm, this is one big watch.

You need to be very cautious of where you purchase your wooden watch. For starters, if you want an outstanding timepiece – never buy one from a temporary retailer or a small kiosk. Some of these shops sell cheap and often overpriced watches. Although some of these watches might look similar to higher-quality ones – they are usually made of low quality wood and are quite bulky. There is no measure of standard for these type of watches and the small retailer could disappear overnight. Purchasing online from a well-known and established brand is always the best move to take. However, you should always do proper research of the company you want to purchase from. Do this by reading customer ratings and reviews. Moreover, don’t be afraid to contact customer care if you have any queries about quality or pricing of the wood watches.

Black Bay P01, 42mm satin-finish steel case, brown leather, rubber and steel hybrid strap. Based on a 1967 prototype watch for US Navy divers codenamed the “Commando” which was not accepted into service, Tudor has now raided its archives to expand its ultra-successful Black Bay range with this unusual tool watch based upon that blueprint. Uniquely built for the world aquatic where underwater and surface exploration merge, the hefty P01 is rated waterproof to 200m while its bi-directional bezel is marked off in hours for navigating sailors to time their chart courses. The crown being set lower at 4 o’clock offers it protection from the rough stuff under or above the waves, but the watch’s most notable feature is the hinged end link system on the leather-rubber strap which locks into the bezel’s teeth to prevent accidental movement from bashes and knocks. If extreme water sports are your thing, this is your watch. Discover even more info at www.hmwatches.ae.