Four Watches for the Super Rich

Watches for Lottery Winners 

[This article is adapted and updated from an article I published on the now defunct Yahoo Contributors Network and on this blog many years ago. However, it is still fun to dream. I've updated some of the watch picks so that they are still out there to add to your collection.  They are all just a lottery ticket away.]

Watch making is an art. It reaches it's pinnacle in watches for the world's wealthiest people. If I were one of those people, here are five watches that would definitely be on my shopping list.

Every week the Megamillions and Powerball lotteries get bigger and bigger. When they do, they give everyone something to dream about. If I were to win a big lottery or become super wealthy, here are five watches for the super rich that would join my watch collection:

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver 

As a man of wealth and means, I would enjoy yachting again. Of course, I'd have to step up from the 19-foot Flying Scot sail boat of my youth. I'd have to buy a much larger yacht with steeped in teak and tradition. I'd also need a watch to go with it. For yachting, I'd have to go with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Diver. According to Audemars Piguet, the Offshore Diver is made of exotic materials including "black ceramic case, glareproofed sapphire crystal, glareproofed sapphire crystal caseback, black ceramic bezel and crowns."I like the octagonal bezel that evokes the looks of a nautical portal.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Diver

Breitling Bentley Super Sports Watch

Of course, if I were super rich, I wouldn't spend every waking moment on the yacht. I'd have to drive around some too. Thus, I'd need a watch to go with my car. That would leave me with no choice but to buy a Breitling Bentley Super Sports watch. A certified chronometer, the Bentley Super Sports watch features a Breitling automatic movement, a date window, and three subdials. You can see one here on Amazon.com. It is price at just over $10 grand. For now, I'll just keep looking for a Toyota Highlander watch.

Breitling Super Sports Watch (Amazon Photo)

Constantin Vacheron

One can't join the ranks of the super-rich and not wear a suit from time to time. I'd at least have to don a sport jacket to sit with my skybox friends for big sporting events. For those formal occasions, the perfect dress watch would be the Constantin Vacheron Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. According to Constantin Vacheron, this 43mm diameter watch has a manually wound 1142QP movement with a 48 hour power reserve. But, the workmanship and materials make this watch amazing. There is something special about the platinum case, white gold hands and indices, the fine alligator strap, and a happy or sad moon gracing the dial depending on the moon phase. Plus, at only $117,671.40 on watchxnyc.com, it's a bargain. When a company has been making fine watches since 1755, they must be doing something right.

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (VC Photo)

Wait, isn't salmon the same thing as pink? I might have to choose another watch. 

RGM Pennsylvania Tourbillon

Of course, being super-rich doesn't mean you stop being patriotic. I like watches that are made in America and one of the finest is the RGM Watch Companies Pennsylvania Tourbillon. It has a movement that is made in the United States of America. That's a tremendous accomplishment for a small watch company. Plus, the watch is simply a stunning handmade work of art. Pictures on the RGM website reveal an exhibition side window on the case as well as an exhibition case back. Starting at $125,000 at RGMwatches.com, it is a truly awesome watch that should make the watchmakers of Europe a little nervous.

An RGM Pennsylvania Tourbillon (RGM Photo)

When I look at these watches only one question remains: Is it too late to buy a lottery ticket today? If I were a rich man, I know exactly which watches I would buy!

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?