Great Watches Under $5,000
Longines Avigation BigEye
The Longines Avigation BigEye is a faithful remake of an iconic vintage chronograph. The brand seems to be on a roll with their vintage rereleases. After the incredible success of the Legend Diver, Longines has continued to deliver wonderful heritage models. Divers, time-only pieces, and chronographs are all part of this current wave. The Avigation BigEye, as its name suggests, pays tribute to the masterpieces Longines has created for pilots and other friends of aviation. The second part of the name, BigEye, is a nickname that collectors gave the original model due to its subdial at 3 o’clock, which is much larger than those at 6 and 9 o’clock. The watch has an automatic movement and no date feature. This is something purists love about the model and, honestly, kind of makes sense, seeing as it’s a remake. The Avigation BigEye has a modern, 41-mm case, which makes it easily wearable for watch fans with smaller and larger wrists.
Enthusiast’s Corner: Rare and Exceptional Timepieces
Chronoswiss Régulateur
Chronoswiss is one of those brands whose timepieces are instantly recognizable by watch fans. Their designs are not necessarily unique, and they definitely have a look shared by few other companies, but Chronoswiss is probably the best-known name among the group. While the brand has pieces displaying the time more traditionally, regulator watches are in Chronoswiss’ DNA. Thus, it should come as no surprise that this model is named the Régulateur. This is a simple time-only model with a twist. Both the hours and minutes are on regulator displays. The minute display has a long hand and features a scale going around the dial, while the hour hand and scale are in the small subdial at 12 o’clock. Just above 6 o’clock is the small seconds display in yet another subdial. Chronoswiss offers an incredibly wide selection of mind-blowingly beautiful timepieces in its collection. It is well worth your time and – dare I say – money to take a look if you want something special.
Iconic Timepieces: Great Value for Money
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Day-Date Moonphase
I sometimes wonder if watch fans think every Audemars Piguet Royal Oak model ever released is an icon. I personally can’t say; however, what I can tell you is that most of them have something exceptional to offer. Whether it’s the dial, movement, or complication, you can be sure you are making a safe bet with a Royal Oak. This AP Royal Oak Day-Date Moonphase a prime example of overall excellence. It has all the useful features one needs in a watch and more. While this timepiece dates back to the 1980s, its two-tone case looks super contemporary. The day and date complications on the subdials are more than useful, and the moon phase aperture at 6 o’clock adds a touch of class to this already stylish timepiece. I think we can all agree that this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Day-Date Moonphase is a rare piece that you don’t see for sale very often nor in the wild.