For watch enthusiasts, getting the best watches that come out each year can be a harrowing experience. If you are invested in one brand, and if that brand charges tens of thousands of dollars for a watch, you’ll need a sizable capital to collect.
Every collector will jump from a brand obsession to a watch-type obsession over the course of their collecting. For example, most watch enthusiasts will start their collection with mechanical watches. They’ll get the watch that they can afford at the time, then set their sights to another one in a couple of months or so. After this, they’ll go for classics, like Rolexes, Omegas, and other big Swiss brands.
One of the “phases” that enthusiasts will undergo in this journey is the technologically-advanced watches phase. This is when they start to get interested in watches that have the best and latest technologies, whether it’s a smartwatch, an automatic, or high-frequency quartz. Here are the best watches under this category:
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Apple Watch Series 5
There’s no denying it. When it comes to watches that have the best technologies, smartwatches have the edge over the other categories. Suffice it to say, the Apple Watch Series 5 is the standard for smartwatches today – the integration to iPhones, plus the breadth of dedicated watch apps you can download on the App Store, is second to none.
The smartwatch era is in the offing; that’s why mechanical watchmakers like Hublot have started to make their own take on smartwatches. You can see it on other Swiss watchmakers as well, such as Mont Blanc and Tag Heuer. While they’re still ways behind the Apple watch, it will just be a matter of time for these watch manufacturers to keep up.
Casio G-Shock Gravity Master
Japanese watchmaker giant Casio is one of the leading brands when it comes to digital watches. The G-Shock line from the company is one of its bestsellers for a reason. But among the numerous and funky G-Shocks out there, one stands out because of how high-tech it is. The aptly-named Gravity Master has its own GPS antenna, is solar-powered, and can withstand time zone changes through radio technology.
The Gravity Master’s watch face is a solar panel in itself, so when you go out, the watch will harness the sun’s energy, outfitting the watch’s movement to last for at least quite some time. This is the watch you need when you want to navigate the great outdoors, or you want to go travel the world. It’s rugged, lightweight, and can be worn with any get up.
Seiko Astron Solar GPS Chronograph
From the company that popularized spring drive movements comes one of the premier GPS Chronograph watches that’s ever made. The Astron line from Seiko is legendary as it is since it’s the first watch to have the Japanese quartz movement. Still, the latest iterations of the watch now rely on a caliber movement that’s based on the company’s proprietary GPS solar technology.
The Astron Solar GPS Chronograph has so many complications that you’ll wonder how the company has put all of it on a very thin form factor. At just 14.6mm thickness, it’s like your typical quartz watch, with titanium, sapphire glass with super-clear coating, and a screw case back. Although Seiko is famed for affordable watches, this Astron will set you back thousands of dollars.
Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial
While most people won’t see the importance and the technology behind a mechanical watch, watch connoisseurs know that the movements and calibers that powers mechanical and automatic watches today are outfitted with technology that still is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Mechanical watches can last a lifetime, with the right care and proper storage, without the need for periodic battery replacements.
Omega is part of the big three in the Swiss watchmakers, alongside Rolex and Tag Heuer. Since its conception, the brand has been at the forefront of innovating its in-house movements. The Master Co-Axial technology in the latest Omega Seamaster 300 is a wonder to behold, and it can withstand magnetic fields greater than 15,000 gausses.
The accuracy, reliability, and precision of Omega’s co-axial movement is the stuff of legends. That’s why it’s constantly rated as one of the best calibers in the world. Not only it is certified by the COSC, but the company also went one step further to house-certify it through more rigorous testing. What more can you expect from the company that created the first watch to go into the moon, really?
Takeaway
The smartphone era has paved the way for more people to get their own smartwatches. In fact, the smartwatch industry has been steadily increasing its presence alongside the two other watch categories in the market: mechanical and quartz. In the next decade or so, it’s expected that demand for smartwatches will come to a peak as the technologies that will be put into it will ripen.
