The top 6 best types of watches to own

If you’re in love with watches, all the different styles, brands, colours, straps, mechanics and more, then you’re likely building yourself up a collection or thinking about it. There are so many different types of watches to choose from which can get confusing even if you consider yourself a watch enthusiast. The next watch you want is always round the corner. If you truly can’t keep you mind off of watches then read on to find out about “the top 6 best types of watches to own” or see what’s missing from your collection. Find out everything you need to know about 6 key types of watches you need in your collection.

Dive Watches

Dive watches are described simply as the best type of watch to have in a “one watch collection”. These types of watches are extremely versatile and robust as they were created initially for divers. They were created as a diver tool for professional divers who needed the security and accuracy of a watch that would perform underwater.
The dive watch was developed by Rolex and is still one of their most popular types of watches. The Rolex submariner is one of their most sought after watch types and is well known and respected for both exceptional water resistance and providing good visibility for looking at under the water.

One of the defining elements to a Rolex Submariner is the rotatable bezel. The rotatable bezel on a Rolex is what helps to tell divers underwater how much oxygen they had left in their tank, you can see now where the name comes from.

Overall ‘dive watches’ is the perfect type of watch to own in a one watch collection. They’re waterproof, robust and come in a huge array of variations. Choosing the right dive watch for your lifestyle can ensure you use a dive watch across all aspects of your lifestyle and make sure it also matches a majority of your outfits.

Chronograph Watches

If you’re wondering what a chronograph watch is, it’s one of the most popular type of watches you’ve likely come by. They’re the watches whereby you have two buttons on the side of the watch casing, these types of watches are chronograph watches. The most famous type of chronograph watches would likely be the Rolex Daytona or the Omega Speedmaster. Chronographs were originally created to time artillery shells and velocity, now they’re used by anyone where precision timing is required, for example pilots, mariners, or anyone timing a race where distance travelled and speed need to be measured.

Quartz chronograph watches tend to be more affordable however some mechanical chronograph watches can be vastly more expensive.

A modern quartz chronograph watch can set you back as little as a couple of hundred pounds, however, a mechanical chronograph made by one of the top manufactures such as Rolex, IWC, Omega or Breitling will represent a significant investment.

Overall, they make for great everyday watches regardless of the watch movement they operate on.

Dress Watches

There are no regulations to what constitutes as a dress watch however they tend to have various and specific characteristics which include, they’re relatively thin in size, they tell the time and are often complimented with a leather strap. Dress watches are simply a type of watch that goes extremely well with a tuxedo or type of formal occasion or a dressed up night out. They tend to be extremely simple in design not being too flashy.

If you’re someone who attends events on a regularly basis whereby the dress code is formal whereby, you’re wearing suits, blazer or tuxedos then a dress watch should definitely be part of your collection. There are a variety of brands who offer dress watches however the most popular quality watches are likely to be made by Omega, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Patek Philippe who make the top end of the dress watch category.

Pilot Watches

This type of watch was originally created for the type of personnel mentioned in the name, pilots. However, you don’t need to be a pilot to own or to want one of these watches. The design of pilot watches was designed specifically with pilots in mind so they’re extremely legible. When a pilot was flying an aircraft the purpose of the watch was to ensure they wouldn’t have any issues viewing the time. They tended to have certain characteristics such as they’d be huge, oversized watches and extremely clean, this way a pilot can look at the watch and see right away what they wanted to see.

Today, pilot watches are practical, simplistic timepieces that can come in many shapes and forms. They’re not just for captains flying planes anymore. They for someone who ideally likes cleanly designed time pieces. Top Pilot watches are manufactured by IWC.

GMT Watches

The first GMT watch ever produced was done so by Rolex which was named the Rolex GMT ref 6542. The purpose of GMT watches is to help read and tell the time across different time zones and the idea for the creation came about when an airline “Pan American Airways” requested such watches for their pilots to be able to tell the time between two different time zones when flying.

A watch that was designed with a purpose. Fast forward decades later and GMT watches are considered great watches to those that travel frequently. Not only do they help you read the time from different time zones, atheistically they look fantastic, however many brands have not got involved in creating such an elegant purposeful watch despite the fact it’s design has large amounts of history.

Digital Watches

Ensuring you have a digital watch amongst your collection can truly enhance your collection. A digital watch enables you to wear a timepiece that has the ability to record time elapsed and distance travelled. As time continues to move forward digital watches are being given more and more functionality including the ability to measure certain body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.

Coming in a large variety of options you can find digital watches for as little as £20 for a simple Casio digital watch leading all the way up to astronomical figures for luxury digital watches such as Hublot Big Bang. Brands such as Timex, G-Shocks, Breitling, Tag Heuer and more create digital watches. Digital watches provide us with functionality for a purpose, for example hiking, working out and more.

Watch Insurance

If you’re a luxury watch enthusiast who is just reading up on watches or you are definitely looking at your next addition to your collection, then we recommend considering watch insurance for your valuable timepieces. Watch Insurance from Assetsure ensures you are fully protected against theft, loss damage and includes worldwide cover. Assetsure are a specialist jewellery insurer who are able to provide insurance for Rolex’s, Omega, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer and more.