Six of the best watches for under £3,000

Rado is mostly known for dress watches, often with fancy high-tech ceramic cases. But in the Sixties Rado got into the diving craze with the Captain Cook. The modern iteration has a 42mm stainless steel case bracelet with rose gold coloured links and is 300m water resistant.

£2,200; rado.com

A German company that makes supercool minimalist watches. This model pays tribute to a Seventies sports chronograph. Automatic movement in 45.5mm stainless steel case. Water resistant to 100m. Leather strap with steel folding clasp.

£2,390; junghans.de

The German brand has made a speciality out of one-handers, figuring life is too short to spend fretting over every minute. This bold orange number is a limited edition of 50 pieces. Swiss automatic movement in 43mm stainless steel case, water resistant to 300m.

£2,390; meistersinger.com

With a fairly low profile in the UK, Oris watches are always worth a look. The elegant Artelier S has a green dial inspired by the forest next to the home of Oris in Switzerland’s Waldenburg Valley. Slender 38mm stainless steel case and water resistant to 30m.

£1,600; oris.ch

A few years back Tudor was only known by watch obsessed types. Now, it’s one of the most talked about brands. The Ranger is a lot of understated watch for the money. In-house automatic movement in 39mm steel case. Water resistant to 100m.

£2,420; tudorwatch.com

With a history going back almost two centuries, Baume & Mercier won precision tests for its watches in the 19th century. Automatic movement with GMT function for second time zone. Has a 42mm stainless steel case and blue fabric strap.

£2,650; baume-et-mercier.com