Don't bow down to the financial crisis, there are some things too fine to deny… too well made to skimp on. Gentry look into the very best watches worth investing in.

A watch isn’t just for autumn, it’s for life. You’ll need to be convinced of that before buying our favourite watches, because they’ll set you back thousands of pounds. Credit crunch? Take the long view. Invest in history. Think of it this way: if you live another 40 years and you buy one of these watches, then you’re really only paying about £100 per year or so. A watch would cost you more. We’ve chosen watches you can wear everyday with most things and we’ve chosen watches that are all about artisanal manufacture rather than the drab mass market. If you have another favourite, do let us know.

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The Paul Newman of watches.… Panerai:  Designed for the Italian Navy in the 1940s, this is about as classically functional and as all-out cool as they come, but we had a difficult time deciding whether we like the Luminor Base or the Luminor Marina best. As it happens, we like all Panerai watches, so you might as well check our the Radiomir in steel, too.  

Here’s a rather beautiful little video of moving inner anatomy of a Panerai Luminor. Weirdly captivating and mesmerizing.

The Terence Stamp of watches… Patek Phillippe: The obvious choice from this family-run Geneva company is the Calatrava in white gold (the 5127G model). Designed in 1932, it’s got a sleek, silvery gray deco quality to it, without being overly stylized. One of the finest watches in the world.

Also check out the Patek Phillippe video with lots of cool shots of the insides of watches. No really, it’s better than it sounds.

The Steven McQueen of watches… IWC : Launched in 1868 by an American in Switzerland, the International Watch Company makes stunningly beautiful watches. We recommend two – the Pilot’s Watch Hand-Wound in platinum with a black buffalo strap, with a cock-pit feel, or the more elegant Portuguese Hand-Wound in platinum with a black crocodile strap and a 1939-designed face with alternating Arabic numerals and markers.

The Alain Delon of watches… Audemars Piguet:  Lots of people like the Royal Oak best, but we’re besotted by the Edward Piguet watch. An elegant timepiece with a bit of twist, this watch has a white gold frame and a black face with wavy lines all over it. It’s like a mini Bridget Riley painting that tells time. 
 

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