Specialist Picks: Shop the Best Luxury Watches to Buy Now
Explore this month’s specialist watch picks, from Patek Philippe and Rolex to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted, MB&F Aquapod and Greubel Forsey.
The watches worth a closer look this month take very different approaches to watchmaking. Some make their case through restrained proportions and traditional complications; others put the mechanics on full display, using unconventional architecture to rethink how a watch looks on the wrist. Handpicked by our specialists, this month’s selection brings together established references from Patek Philippe, Rolex and Audemars Piguet with more experimental haute horology from MB&F and Greubel Forsey.
The selection begins with a yellow gold Patek Philippe Complications reference 5015J-001, pairing a moonphase with a power reserve inside a 35.5mm case. Rolex takes a more streamlined approach with the white gold Day-Date 40, while Audemars Piguet transforms the surface of its Royal Oak through its distinctive Frosted Gold finish. MB&F builds the Aquapod around a central flying tourbillon, while Greubel Forsey approaches the complication through its inclined, high-speed tourbillon and three-dimensional movement architecture. Together, the five luxury watches show just how varied high-level watchmaking can be.
Patek Philippe Complications, Reference 5015J-001, $27,900
The Patek Philippe Complications reference 5015J-001 pairs traditional Patek Philippe styling with a dial that rewards a closer look. Its 35.5mm yellow gold case houses an automatic movement with moonphase and power reserve indications, adding visual and mechanical interest without overwhelming the watch’s compact proportions.
The asymmetrical display gives the reference much of its character. Rather than arranging its complications around a conventional central axis, Patek Philippe positions the moonphase and power reserve within a more distinctive dial composition that sets the 5015 apart from simpler dress watches. The smaller case also reflects the proportions associated with an earlier era of complicated Patek Philippe watches, while the yellow gold construction reinforces its classic character. It is a sophisticated example of how the manufacture can introduce useful complications without sacrificing the restraint expected of a traditional dress watch.
Rolex President Day-Date, Reference 228239, $49,250
The Rolex President Day-Date reference 228239 offers a more understated interpretation of one of Rolex’s signature precious-metal watches. Crafted in 18k white gold, the 40mm case has the cool appearance of steel while retaining the weight and presence of gold. The dial preserves the defining Day-Date configuration, with the day displayed in full at 12 o’clock and the date positioned beneath the Cyclops lens at 3 o’clock.
Introduced as the larger evolution of the classic Day-Date, the 40mm format gives the reference a stronger wrist presence without departing from the model’s established design language. Its President bracelet continues the white-gold construction across the wrist, creating a cohesive profile from case to clasp. For someone drawn to the Day-Date but looking beyond its more traditional yellow-gold expression, reference 228239 offers a distinctly restrained approach to the model.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Frosted’, Reference 67653BC, $69,300
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Frosted’ reference 67653BC takes the Royal Oak in a more decorative direction through its distinctive Frosted Gold finish. Crafted in white gold, the 33mm case and integrated bracelet are covered with tiny hammered indentations that catch and reflect light across the surface. The technique gives the metal a shimmering appearance while leaving the geometry of the Royal Oak clearly defined.
That contrast is central to the watch. The sharp lines of the octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet meet a surface that changes continuously with movement, giving the white gold considerably more texture than a conventionally polished finish. At 33mm, the proportions keep the effect concentrated on the wrist, while the quartz movement and date display allow the exterior treatment to remain the visual focus. The result is a Royal Oak that approaches precious-metal watchmaking through texture rather than added ornament.
MB&F Horological Machine N°7 ‘Aquapod’, Reference 70.TGL.B, $76,875
The MB&F Horological Machine N°7 ‘Aquapod’ reference 70.TGL.B challenges the conventional layout of a wristwatch from the inside out. Inspired by the organic structure of a jellyfish, the 50mm titanium watch is organized vertically around a central flying tourbillon. Concentric indications display the hours and minutes around it, creating a three-dimensional construction in which the movement becomes the dominant visual element.
Even the bezel departs from convention. The green unidirectional rotating bezel appears to float around the case rather than forming part of its main structure, reinforcing the sense that the Aquapod was conceived as an independent mechanical object rather than a traditional watch with an unconventional dial. Produced in a limited edition of 50 pieces, reference 70.TGL.B captures MB&F’s approach at its most ambitious: using serious mechanical watchmaking as the foundation for a design that could belong to no other manufacture.
Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Seconds Contemporain, Reference P00289
The Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Seconds Contemporain reference P00289 puts its defining complication at the heart of the design. Housed in a 43.5mm rose gold case, the manual-wind watch features Greubel Forsey’s tourbillon inclined at 25 degrees and completing a rotation every 24 seconds. The faster rotation and angled construction were developed to limit the effects of gravity on the regulating organ across different wrist positions.
Just as important is the way Greubel Forsey presents the mechanism. The dial is built around depth rather than a flat arrangement of indications, opening the lower portion of the watch to reveal the tourbillon beneath a sapphire bridge. A power reserve indication adds another mechanical element without drawing attention away from the movement architecture. Produced in a limited edition of 99 pieces, the Tourbillon 24 Seconds Contemporain shows how Greubel Forsey turns a technical solution into the organizing principle for the entire watch.
A Closer Look at This Month’s Luxury Watches
This month’s selection shows how differently watchmakers can approach mechanical and aesthetic complexity. Patek Philippe keeps its moonphase and power reserve within the restrained proportions of a traditional gold watch, while the white gold Rolex Day-Date and Frosted Royal Oak explore precious metal through two very different design languages. At the other end of the spectrum, MB&F and Greubel Forsey make the movement architecture central to the experience of the watch.
That range is part of what makes contemporary luxury watches so interesting to explore. A complication can sit quietly within a 35.5mm dress watch or become the structural foundation for an unconventional three-dimensional design. Viewed together, these five watches offer distinct perspectives on proportion, mechanics and how much of the watchmaking itself should be visible on the wrist.
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