Watches 2015: the best watches you can buy between £500 and £1000

A chunk of Swiss goodness from Frédérique Constant’s outdoorsy sister brand. The Seastrong case is beautifully engineered into a classy cushion shape.

£890; alpina-watches.com

The organic ‘bio-design’ here is beguiling and tactile, with a real heft to that PVD-coated steel case, all adding up to a complex mechanical package for under a grand.

£995; dietrich.luxury

Autodromo is a US firm making rose-tinted throwbacks to Seventies motorsport. But there’s substance as well as style: powering the chrono is a mechanical Seiko module, hybridised with a quartz base movement.

£505; autodromo.com

Damasko, in Barbing, Germany, is a real word-of-mouth hidden gem. Every piece is researched and made with close input of five family members; 90 per cent of components are made in-house.

£990; damasko.de

A Stateside success story that keeps on giving – literally, in fact, thanks to Shinola’s efforts getting Detroit kids off the desolate streets to craft its retro-tinged, hipster-friendly, utilitarian timepieces.

£645; shinola.co.uk

No, it’s not mechanical, but when you understand the complexity behind this hybrid chronograph and multi-time-zone worldtimer, you’ll understand the pricetag.

£995; hamiltonwatch.com