Best gift watches under $50,000
Borna BošnjakRounding out our holiday buying guides for the year, we go almost full out, with picks only limited by a lofty US$50,000 budget. Choosing only five is especially tough, so if you’re keen to discover more picks, head on over to the Time+Tide Shop and pick up the latest copy of our NOW Magazine, covering over 150 new releases of the latter half of the year. For more budget-conscious choices, also check out our under $500, under $1,000, under $5,000, and under $10,000 selections.
Cartier Baignoire Mini
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This darling little Baignoire was one of many Cartier models introduced at this year’s Watches & Wonders, and this Mini variant on the yellow gold bangle bracelet is the perfect example of what Cartier does best. The Parisian house combines jewellery and watches effortlessly, explaining their meteoric rise in popularity in recent years. The Baignoire Mini sports a quartz movement, adjusted by a crown with an embedded blue sapphire cabochon, and its many variants are here shown off by @dimepiece’s Brynn Wallner. Price: A$19,200, US$11,800
Omega Seamaster Ploprof Summer Blue
From a technical perspective, the new Summer Blue Ploprof offers the most novelty of any piece in the gradient collection. This relaunch of the model not only brings the discontinued line back into catalogue, but also a retrospective redesign of the case. The big technical change here is that the case has been brought back to the dimensions of the models of the ’70s, rendered in the brand’s proprietary O-Megasteel. Price: A$23,650, US$14,300
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Manual-Winding
As its name may suggest, the Traditionnelle is Vacheron Constantin’s collection most concerned with keeping the design of the maison alive, but up-to-date with modern expectations. With a small seconds indication and pink gold case, this Traditionnelle sums up the raison d’être of the model well, with a case size that has become synonymous with contemporary dress watches and a dial colour that has dominated over the last few years. Price: A$39,500, US$23,700
Bulgari Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic
We’ve seen it in steel, titanium, and precious metals, but the brand new Octo Finissimo CarbonGold looks back to 1993, the year Bulgari first launched the CarbonGold colourway. Bulgari opted for a swirly finish, similar to the chopped stuff that the likes of Lamborghini uses for their carbon fibre aero components. The dial, case, and bracelet are all carbon, with just the right amount of gold highlighting the monochromatic look. Price: A$41,900, US$26,800
Rolex Daytona Le Mans
Rolex knew what they were doing when they penned this future classic. Released to commemorate the centenary of the world’s most famous endurance race, the Daytona “Le Mans” isn’t just the first special edition Rolex in donkeys, but it also features the revered Newman sub-dials. It’s also cased in white gold, in case it needed to be any more special. Yes, it’s a little bit unfair given the budget, but I’m sure that, given the chance, you’d stretch that US$1,500 to pick one up. Need we say more? Oh yes, you’ll never get one. Price: A$76,100, US$51,400