The Watchlist: up to £3000

Traditionally a chronograph, the Carrera works just as well as a three-hand date watch. With its combination of a steel and rose gold case with a grey dial and alligator strap, this Calibre 5 automatic is playboy-pretty.

£2,895; tagheuer.co.uk

The minimalist German brand's rise continues with the Metro, which was penned by Berlin's Mark Braun. Inside its 37mm case is Nomos's most recent in-house calibre, which gives the watch its power reserve and date functions.

£2,390; nomos-glashuette.com

Oris's collection of high-functioning tool watches is now home to this, the world's first automatic mechanical watch with a built-in mechanical altimeter. The 47mm steel watch can gauge altitude up to 14,500 feet.

£2,350; oris.ch

Sadly, Raymond Weil the man passed away this year. The firm he founded in the Seventies carries on, making watches like this auto chrono, encased in titanium.

£2,650; raymond-weil.com

In the Fifties, Baume et Mercier made some of history's most beautiful chronographs. This 43mm Clifton model picks up the baton, its stately stainless-steel case and black-leather strap pepped up by its blued steel hands.

£2,650; baume-et-mercier.com

Burberry's role as a maker of serious watches gains traction with this black-plated-titanium dual-time watch (also chronometer-certified for accuracy). It's
limited to 100 pieces.

£2,775; burberry.com