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</p>
<p>I think there should be “tiering” as well when discussing these watches. The first group should be the very highest quality watchmakers (both Swiss and German) that produce timepieces with extremely complicated movements (e.g. watches that incorporate moon phase movements, repeaters, etc.) and are at the cutting edge of watchmaking precision and engineering:</p>
<ul>
<li>A. Lange Und Sohne</li>
<li>Audemars Piguet</li>
<li>Blancpain</li>
<li>Franck Muller (quasi-jeweler see below)</li>
<li>Patek Phillipe</li>
<li>Jaeger LeCoultre</li>
<li>Vacheron Constantin
etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>Many of the watches made by these makers are not for mass consumption, the high end pieces are extremely expensive and are not really practical for a daily wearer (I mean you could, but it would be like taking either a Maybach or an F1 car out to your local burger joint).</p>
<p>Then you’ve got very high end watches with superb movement which are produced at a much higher production level (and have a higher level of immediate brand recognition):</p>
<ul>
<li>Rolex</li>
<li>IWC</li>
<li>Breitling</li>
<li>Panarei</li>
</ul>
<p>You also have “jewelry” pieces, i.e. traditional jewelers that also produce watches which incorporate precious stones in many of their pieces:
- Franck Muller (though this maker is a bit unique since it also produces high end complications)
- Chopard
- Harry Winston
- Tiffany’s
- Van Cleef and Arpels</p>
<p>At another level, you have watches that are high end “fashion” pieces (not to say that they don’t have solid movements, but they are more known for high end apparel and other accessories – in other words, you’re not going to be purchasing any Patek Phillipe handbags and scarfs any time soon):
- Bulgari
- Cartier
- Chanel
- Hermes</p>
<p>Then you’ve got watches which are at a lower level in terms of prestige, movement and target market:
- Omega (people might argue, but I’m not a fan of Omegas)
- Tag Heuer
- Tissot</p>
<p>And then you’ve got watches that are everywhere in between those “tiers”. I happen to be a huge watch lover. I’ve got a number of watches in any number of those tiers. After a while, as a frequent traveler, I’ve found a watch with a GMT function to be extremely valuable – and also the ability to change time quickly. That’s why for most business trips I almost always opt for either the Explorer II or GMT Master II simply because the ability to change the hour hand independent of minute movement makes changing time a breeze (and you can do this in real time with no stop in the movement) as well as the second 24 hour hand which keeps track of a second time (and in the GMT Master II’s case you can utilize the rotating bezel, so you can technically track a third time). The oyster casing is virtually indestructible, I have dropped them more times than I’d like, banged them up (since I worry less about it being a fragile piece) and they run like a charm – i.e. if I were wearing a Patek, I take much more care where my hand and wrist are moving and take care not to put unnecessary stress on the piece. Lastly, in terms of sheer wearability, its hard to beat the comfort of the oyster bracelet – I like the weight as well – not too heavy and not to cumbersome (like a Panarei can be). As a daily wearer, I find myself going back to a Rolex most frequently, they are reliable, not too flashy and most importantly, they are comfortable – I’ve worn one in boardrooms and in the back streets of Bangkok.</p>