If you’re getting serious about building a respectable watch collection, you probably started with a sporty diver watch. (Good choice, by the way.) But, when it comes to what to buy as your second or third watch, our experts recommend upgrading to a dressy evening watch.

Here are their five favorite watches to buy as your second or third watch. Or, if you’re paring down your watch collection, trade-in your tired models for these fashionable and coveted upgrades.

IWC Portofino
Our first recommendation is an IWC Portofino on a leather strap. You cannot go wrong with this elegant and minimalist design by the highly respected watchmaker. The crisp look of the Portofino makes it the perfect option for a dress watch and, as a part of your collection, is a slick counterpart to your sportier first watch.

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Rolex Datejust II
At first blush, the Rolex Datejust may look identical to the Rolex Datejust II. But, now that you’re turning into a real watch aficionado, you know that the differences between the former and later Datejust models are subtle but significant; the Datejust II’s larger size, wider bezel, and thicker lugs make it slightly more modern than its predecessor. And, as a budding collector, you’ll appreciate more the imperceptible updates to the caliber housed inside the Datejust II that makes it a fascinating piece to learn from and own.

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Panerai Radiomir
If you do not want as traditionally dressy a watch as the Datejust, consider the Panerai Radiomir. The Radiomir toes the line between sporty-and-spiffy, with a utilitarian look and feel and a minimalist design (complete with a leather strap, of course) that is usually reserved for special occasion watches. As a second watch, the Panerai Radiomir will fill out your collection nicely, both aesthetically and in terms of collection cred.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Collection
Like the IWC Portofino, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Collection includes handsome, classic timepieces that channel the brand’s vintage aesthetic without feeling tired or dated. We like this collection because there is the just right amount of flourish to make each of these timepieces unique without sacrificing the striking simplicity signature to Jaeger-LeCoultre. Unsurprisingly, this remarkable collection is a favorite among watch collectors and connoisseurs.

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Hublot Big Bang
The Hublot Big Bang is a bold departure from the other customary dress watches on the list. But hear us out. We love the Hublot Big Bang as a second watch because it played a crucial role in the greater luxury watch industry. When the (very appropriately named) Big Bang debuted in 2005, it essentially sky-rocketed Hublot from a quiet but respectable small watch brand into a disruptive game changer in the space when this upstart brand used “non-luxury” materials to outfit its high-end collection. This set off a radically new approach to fine watch design as brands tried to compete with Hublot’s signature and standout Big Bang model.

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Double-check that your watch collection’s bases are covered and review our post The 5 Watches Every Beginning Collector Must Own here.

 

 

Main image courtesy of Ryan Styles NYC.

Hublot was founded in 1980, making it the comparative newcomer in the watchmaking industry where centuries-old legacies are the norm. But since its inception, Hublot has exploded in the industry, earning its stripes with unprecedented design techniques and revolutionary materials.

Breaking From Tradition
Born in 1944, Italian watchmaker Carlo Crocco was the heir apparent for his uncle’s company, the Binda Group, a widely respected and decorated dynasty that specialized in crafting Breil watches. But in 1976, at only 32 years old, Crocco defied family tradition and boldly struck out on his own.

Crocco determinedly set about realizing his vision for a watch design unlike any he or his family had produced before. Over the next four years, Crocco raised $4 million (some of which was his personal wealth) to build a modest watch factory in Switzerland, the uncontested epicenter of watch manufacturing. And in 1980, Crocco opened MDM Geneva and introduced his Hublot watch at the prominent Baselworld watch fair.

Hublot’s Basel Introduction
The Hublot caused a sensation at Basel. Eschewing the usual gold, leather and exotic materials that were typical of a luxury watch band, Hublot’s band was made of rubber—more specifically a tempered, lightweight and durable rubber that Crocco had sunk an estimated $1 million into developing. The result was an elegant watch with a sporty flair, one that effortlessly straddled high-end design and casual everyday wear. The Hublot was a breakthrough in the luxury watch space but, on the commercial side, watch buyers were slow to buy into the Hublot’s then-radical design.

Customers’ Lukewarm Reaction
Throughout the 1980s, Crocco’s sales team had to campaign aggressively for shoppers to invest in a Hublot. Competing against incredibly well respected and long established brands, Hublot’s name recognition would slowly build (first across Europe and then in the United States) through the ‘90s. It was also a paradigm shift for some customers who had to under that the Hublot’s high price tag was because of the watch’s complicated design—not the unconventional rubber strap. Ultimately the uphill sales battle was won and by 1993 Hublot watches were a recognized favorite among celebrities including Prince Albert of Monaco, Giorgio Armani, Elton John and Candice Bergen.

Hublot’s Popularity Today
In 2004, with Hublot’s popularity waning, Jean-Clade Biver took the helm as CEO for Hublot. Biver left his post as president for Swatch Group’s Omega division and immediately shook up the Hublot collection with the introduction of the “Big Bang” Chronograph at Basel in April 2005. Like the original Hublot, the Big Bang thrilled Basel-goers—some who balked at the outlandish color-ways and others who were delighted in the refreshing break from staid traditionalist designs. The oversized watch was a major boon for sales and received numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Design Prize at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix.

Hublot has firmly rooted itself as a recognized player in the watch industry and one who is comfortable defying conventionality and industry norms and embraces spirited and groundbreaking designs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: hublot.com