Filing these status watches under “affordable luxury”

If you are looking for quiet luxury, Longines is your brand. It’s subtle, it’s safe, it’s Swiss. Why is this piece such a sound investment? The Conquest collection just celebrated its 70th birthday, so it’s definitely been tried and tested over the years. While the newer makes come at a higher price point, the entry-level pieces from the permanent collection start at ₹82,000, enough to get your toe in the door.

Since 2022 the hype-y and hugely popular Swatch collabs with bigshots like Omega and Blancpain have disrupted the watch industry by giving buyers access to gatekeeper heritage brands at a tiny fraction of their price. That’s why they are a great starting point, or addition, to any watch collection. The pieces in the range, co-branded with Omega, are named after the planetary system, from the Mission to Venus, which comes in a powdery pink, to the baby-blue Mission to Uranus. Each piece boasts a Bioceramic bezel, the iconic Speedmaster logo, and glow-in-the-dark hands and hour markers, all starting at just ₹22,000. If you are lucky enough to get your hands (literally) on any one of these bad boys, run—don’t walk.

Tissot is another status Swiss brand that rates high on the affordability list. It comes with several sporty tie-ups (think NBA, Tour de France), a Bollywood connection (Deepika Padukone was an ambassador), and a bestselling smartwatch (the T-Touch is still a crowd-pleaser). But for long-term vision, nothing beats the PRX Powermatic 80 that retails at ₹69,500. It offers a 35mm dial for slender wrists (if you like things chunky, try the 40mm instead), a fun waffle pattern, and a sleek steel exterior. PRX stands for ‘Precision and Resistance’ and the Powermatic 80 calibre stays true to its name with an 80-hour power reserve and a mechanical self-winding movement that checks all the boxes.

This timepiece is as retro as it gets. First launched in 1962, the DiaStar was a legend in the making. The distinctive oval dial was definitely ahead of its time back then, as was the “scratchproof” tagline it came with. Crafted from sintered carbide tungsten powder, Rado was, and still is, innovative with unconventional materials, and the original versions still retail for around ₹61,000. Bursting with charm and character, this classic is one you can dust off and buckle on after years, or decades, and it’ll transport you to back to the sixties.

This one is for the fashion girlies. It’s giving peak 1990s. It’s giving baroque glam. It’s screaming Versace with the iconic Medusa head at 12 o’clock, the signature Greca motif, and the combo of black and yellow gold. While some horology snobs may not take a fashion timepiece like this seriously, Versace’s strong design identity and relevance in pop culture, season after season, is enough for this approximately ₹1,10,000 watch to hold its ground.

Japanese manufacturer Seiko made a name for itself with the first-ever quartz watch back in 1969. Over the years, it has maintained its reputation by creating in-house movements with competitive pricing that appeal to both first-time buyers and veteran collectors. While it’s been churning out dive watches since the 1960s, today’s version is decked with two specs that are a big deal: a 300m water resistance and a three-day power reserve (both facts are proudly etched on the dial). Whether you’re a diver a not, this is a solid watch at a solid price, the range beginning at ₹90,000.