TGIF: What Do You Consider a Prestigious Timepiece?

What do you consider a prestigious timepiece?  

It's an interesting question.  We often let the very rich define what is prestigious.  To them, watch brands like Blancpain, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, or Zenith might be considered prestigious. While each of these brands produces exclusive watches and masterpieces of watch engineering and mechanical craftsmanship, these watches are far too expensive for most middle class people.  Perhaps, for most of us, a Rolex is destined to always be something we see high upon a far off billboard?

A Rolex on a Jewelers Billboard in Atlanta

Do middle class people get prestigious timepieces?

If we can't have a Rolex, can we have prestigious timepieces? I'd argue that we do.  I'd also argue that we, middle class people, get to come up with our own definition of "prestigious."  For the vast majority of people, a nice Seiko or Bulova timepiece is classy, elegant, and prestigious enough for most special occasions.  We forget that $500 to $1000 is actually quite a bit of money for a watch.

What are my most prestigious watches?

For prestige, I'll just focus on three of my watches: my Seiko University of Florida watch, my Bulova Precisionist, and my Tissot Carson Powermatic 80.

One of my most prestigious timepieces is the Seiko Watch my parents gave me when I graduated from college.  It's from a great watch company and, since it is aimed at a small market, it's probably a relatively rare watch.  It's also meaningful since it was a gift.

I'd also consider my Bulova Precisionist watch to be a prestige watch.  It has an interesting 26kHz quartz movement that allows for a continuously sweeping second hand.  Since a Bulova watch actually went to the moon on Apollo 15 in 1970, the brand has a storied history and a bit of mystique for me.  That actual Bulova worn on the moon fetched over $1.6 million at auction back in 2015.

My Tissot Carson Powermatic 80 brings a bit of European exclusivity and panache to my collection.  It's a true Swiss-made watch with an automatic movement.  It also has old world style in the form of Roman numerals.  You can read my full review of this great watch right here.

All of these watches bring quite enough prestige to my wrist. If I win the lottery or do incredibly well with my investments, I won't turn down a Rolex. But, I've got prestige covered.  Now, it can be about fun and about being interesting.  What are your prestige watches?