6 watches few men can resist

For gentlemen persuaded by the charms of a Swiss timepiece, here are 6 horological sirens that few men would be able to resist.

OMEGA – Seamaster Aqua Terra Bond

James Bond’s November return heralds the arrival of a raft of commercially available super-spy accoutrements, and few are more style-conscious or indeed more Q-Branch than Omega’s new 007 watch. The 41.5mm stainless steel piece deploys the brand’s ingenious Master Co-Axial technology, which makes the watch’s moving parts resistant to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss (useful, we can assume, in a big fight with an electro-magnet-wielding bad guy). The aesthetic twist on the civilian Aqua Terra is the repeating Bond family crest motif, which appears on the dial and seconds hand counter-balance. It’ll be made in a limited run, albeit one that stretches to 15,007 pieces – one of the longest on record. (£4,630)

PATEK PHILIPPE – Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

Much to the surprise of seasoned horological observers, Patek Philippe’s latest assortment of wristwatches includes this, a vintage-looking pilot’s watch. Patek is not known for its historical ties to the skies, although the famously dressy brand does cite a couple of flyboy timekeepers from its Geneva museum as the influence behind the new 5524. In contrast to the old-school vibe, the vital statistics of the piece are alive with contemporary luxury – the 42mm case is in white gold, the dial is dark navy blue lacquer, and the movement contains a number of high tech silicon parts. It also has Patek’s ingenious second time zone function, adjustable in one-hour jumps both forwards and backwards via the pushbuttons on the left-hand side of the case. (£34,460)

BURBERRY – The Britain Icon Check

Burberry’s ‘The Britain’ watch still feels like watchmaking’s interloper – in its defence, it is only just over two years since its introduction. Its credentials are sound, though. The watches were originally designed by the company’s chief creative officer Christopher Bailey (now also chief executive), they’re Swiss Made, and the higher-end pieces in the collection have ETA movements, as found in numerous quality Swiss mechanicals. With its 45mm anthracite DLC-treated titanium case, this year’s extension to the line continues the brawny, military, Royal Oak-like looks of previous models, but stands alone because of its ‘Check’ dial, a lattice motif lifted from the lining of 1920s Burberry trench coats, and because it’s limited to 20 pieces.(£11,900)

HARRY WINSTON – Midnight Feathers Automatic

Mardi Gras is the traditional proving ground of feather-related accessories aimed at men, but if Harry Winston’s latest ‘plumasserie’ creation is anything to go by, not any more. This year’s addition to the brand’s Midnight collection of dress watches has a marquetry dial made of brown and black domestic goose feathers. The pattern this creates is designed to look like finely woven fabric, but has something of the Anglerfish about it too. Underneath this artful dial is a slimline automatic movement, which in turn is wrapped in a 42mm 18-carat red gold case shaped around the crown to mirror the three arches of Harry Winston’s iconic 5th Avenue salon. (£POA)

BREITLING – Transocean Chronograph 1915

It is 100 years since Gaston Breitling made the first watch with an independent chronograph pushpiece – before that, chronos were operated through a pushpiece in the crown. Marking the centenary of Monsieur Breitling’s eminently influential innovation is this 43mm stainless steel Transocean Chronograph, a timekeeper geared by the latest product of Breitling’s in-house movement programme, Calibre B14. That gives the watch its USP – a forefinger-operated start, stop and reset chronograph pushpiece at 2 o’clock. The 1915 is daubed in vintage touches, from the Breitling signature on the dial to the vintage lume in the hands and hour markers, and finished off with a mesh bracelet. (£TBC)

BULGARI – Bulgari

Forty years ago, Bulgari, that great house of decadent Roman luxury, made a watch it loved so much it named it after itself. The Bulgari Bulgari turned in this year with a sumptuous sapphire-blue dial reported to be the product of no fewer than 20 layers of lacquer and a whole week of a master craftsman’s time. Under that is the brand’s own ‘Solotempo’ calibre, its endearingly Italianate way of describing its time-and-date-only Swiss Made movement. The watch is 41mm in diameter, made of stainless steel and comes on a blue alligator leather strap. A dandy’s muse. (£4,500)

By Robin Swithinbank