The 13 Best Watches for Men in 2024

As icons go, it’s hard to beat the watch so good they took it to the moon. “Although there are numerous variations, the Speedmaster Professional is the model certified by NASA for manned space flight,” says Brett Nicholas, reviewer at Ben’s Watch Club. “The Omega is also not only the watch that has been to the moon the most times, it was the first timepiece on the lunar surface, worn by Buzz Aldrin.” He notes that it also stood up to raw cosmic radiation, being worn on the outside of the astronaut suit.

“It was first introduced in 1957 to meet the needs of professional race car drivers, but it soon gained fame as the first watch worn on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission,” confirms Eugene Tutukinov, CEO of Atlanta-based retailer SwissWatchExpo. “The Moonwatch is considered the quintessential Speedmaster model.”

Nicholas agrees, calling the Speedmaster Professional a painstakingly crafted classic with dependable fortitude underpinning a timeless design. “Omega also offers you a choice of crystal material and type of case back (solid vs. see-through),” he says.

Competition was fierce in this category, as most of our experts each picked a different winner from the wealth of steel watches. But Tutukinov makes the case for this model as the tide change that started it all. “The Royal Oak was first designed by the legendary watchmaker Gerald Genta in 1972. It was considered revolutionary at the time due to its distinctive design and the use of stainless steel, which was not commonly used in luxury watches,” he says. “It’s widely credited for creating the genre and for disrupting the industry that was reeling from the quartz crisis.”

With our watch selected, it’s time to pick a reference. Rustin Yasavolian, CEO at Masina Diamonds, argues for 15400ST as the preferred edition to showcase Genta’s awesome stature. “I personally like the 15400ST because of its thinner hour markers,” he says. “With its sharp angles and perfectly matte polished case, it’s hard not to love Gerald Genta’s design.” And there are plenty of reasons to do so.

The Orient Bambino is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Its classic, simple design fits most aesthetic needs, and it carries on the Orient-quality build at a decent price, unlike the many five-figure entries on this list, sitting firmly in the affordable category without feeling cheap.

“The great thing about the Bambino,” says Nicholas, “is that it’s so readily available, relatively affordable and comes in so many agreeable dial configurations, strap options and choice of date vs. no-date function. The movements are excellent quality and the aesthetic can range from casual to formal. In short, there is definitely a Bambino for everyone.”

Really, most watches are leather strap watches if you want them to be, but I still salute the Cartier Tank, which offers a steel band but is primarily sold with lush, gorgeous leather in any color you like. Although the 1918 design was inspired by the World War I Renault tank, it’s the thinnest watch on this list, as well as being one of the rare unisex timepieces in the luxury space. Numerous variations of the Tank exist, and many favor the Tank Louis, but for your first Cartier, we think this model is your must-try.

“The Cartier Tank is a classic watch that has been a symbol of luxury and elegance for over 100 years,” says Tutukinov. “The watch was designed to be a departure from the traditional round watch shape and was intended to be both practical and stylish.”

“Longines has been batting a thousand the past few years,” Nicholas says, “as every new piece has been timelessly designed and crafted with longevity, beauty and legibility in mind. The Spirit Zulu Time offers a chronometer-grade automatic GMT movement with a rotating bezel and a gorgeous dial layout.”

Aesthetically, Nicholas is also a fan of the symmetrical date placement and the customizability of the Spirit Zulu Time’s numerous dial colors. This could be an endgame time piece for world travelers looking to keep a few time zones on deck.

“The timeless design of the Rolex Datejust is not only incredibly good looking but also allows the user to dress up or down for any occasion,” says Ben Johnson, head of digital at Milton’s Diamonds. “It looks fantastic with a sweater and jeans, and just as good with a tuxedo.”

While our experts agreed on a Datejust, there are numerous variations, so we ended up split between reference M126233 (at 36 millimeters) and the M126334 (41 millimeters). In the end, the slightly less demure 41 feels more like the classic. It’s a Rolex — it can handle big and bold with aplomb and elegance.

“Both the 36mm and the 41mm are beautiful and timeless,” says Nicholas. But in the constant debate among the watch-loving community, “the undefinable choice is squarely on the prospective owner, like Pepsi and Coke. One thing is for certain: When buying a Rolex or any luxury piece, it would be extremely foolish not to put it on your wrist first before deciding.”

Johnson agrees, but for another reason: “Being one of the most popular luxury watches ever made, it has become one of the most counterfeited watches. This adds to the uncertainty when buying secondhand. Purchasing from a trusted dealer is essential.”

Counterintuitively, while Cartier’s Tank Must is actually refined, the slightly older design of the Santos reference WSSA0029 looks more like an armored tank, right down to the threadlike steel links with exposed screws. As with the Must, this aviator-intended timepiece comes in numerous iterations, all of which mean business. “The watch was considered revolutionary at the time, when pilot’s watches and men’s wristwatches weren’t the norm,” says Tutunikov.

While it’s common for high-end watches to have highly accurate chronographs, El Primero combines precision, classicism and high style with its sexy thrice-gray dials to measure time in tenths of a second. This movement formed the basis for Rolex’s Daytona, but costs about five grand less.

This was an easy one, with three watch experts in a row affirming that the Rolex Submariner continues to reign supreme for a reason. “The watch has carved out its own spot in the history of horology,” says Yasavolian. “It was the original James Bond watch. Who doesn’t want to be seen rocking that?”

When you’re renowned for your quality, it becomes a point of pride to live up to it. The Rolex Submariner is waterproof to depths where you’re more likely to malfunction before your watch does. “Over the years, the Submariner has made leaps and bounds in terms of technology and aesthetic,” says Tutunikov, referring to its original groundbreaking 100-meter max depth and the present 300 meters allowed by its 41-millimeter case, “and yet it remains a classic and highly sought-after timepiece.”

This Porsche collaboration with Garmin is pricey for a smartwatch, but cheap in the context of most of this list. Leave it to Porsche to design one so power-efficient you can get 16 days of life out of it. (Granted, it’ll go faster if you use it, but hey, that’s true of Porsche vehicles, too.) Given that it’s water-rated for twice as deep as some of the five-figure steel pieces on here, this computer is an achievement.

Occupying a similarly versatile space as the Orient Bambino 4, the Shinola Mechanic will run you 10x as much, but covers a lot of use cases and still comes across as a steal next to most of the prices on this list. Patrick Burch, owner of men’s goods store Cave + Post Trading Co., goes big on Shinola watches, and nominates The Mechanic across multiple categories for an all-purpose, good-looking accompaniment to most of the outfits you’ll wear throughout the year.

What’s the real meaning of casual? Is it just cheap and discardable, or is it the relaxation of not checking whether your watch goes with your tuxedo? If it’s the latter, gear up with a Timex Weekender. There are a variety of diameters and strap materials and colors, but we’re sticking to the classics that come with the 38-millimeter so you don’t ever have to take it off. “You can wear it to the gym or a wedding,” says Nicholas. “It works with everything.” Still, you’ll appreciate how easy it is to flip the band to better suit your suit.

I’m wearing one as I type these words. Shortly after receiving it, I met an acquaintance who showed me her own, excitedly welcoming me to the F-91W fold. It’s hard to say the F-91W has a cult following given that Casio makes 3 million of these watches a year to produce Earth’s most popular watch, but it’s hard to imagine a world where everybody doesn’t own one eventually given their stamina-to-price ratio.

The F-91W is long-lasting with a fortitude that’s not indestructible, but sure can take a punch or a shower. Anyone who has ever wrestled with the egregious setup and sync on most smartwatches will find this a refreshingly straightforward accessory. It’s a marvel of simplicity that does everything you want a watch to do and nothing you won’t need: Clock and date, alarm, stopwatch with laps, nightlight and options for 12- or 24-hour clock.