The luxury timepieces to buy now.

When it comes to watches, we imagine you fall into one of three camps.

1) You are a keen watch wearer, someone who owns one or more of the things, and fully understands their value both economic and sentimental.

1. You are more sceptical. You value the finer things in life, you enjoy looking good, but you have not yet mustered up the courage to open your wallet wide enough to swallow the cost of a fine watch.

2. You have an iPhone that tells the time perfectly well. Why on earth would you need a watch? This is maybe not the corner of the internet for you if you reside firmly in the latter group, but after seeing our selection of fine timepieces, perhaps even tech-oriented minimalists will understand the reason why so many men slip such a valuable, timeless asset around their wrist.

And what better time to do that than now, when consuming and gift buying is a competitive sport?

The clichés about certain items of clothing revealing the inner workings of a man’s personality are well-worn, and some are more convincing than others. Given the amount of investment a fine watch requires – this is no whimsical purchase – our horological friends are probably quite revelatory as to the wearer’s preferences. For example, a man who enjoys the traditional things in life may not be inclined to wear a stainless steel TAG Heuer. But someone who fancies himself as a bit more modern, maybe a man of action, might. A man who would appreciate the military-grade NATO strap, but also the Swiss-made movement. Oh, and the more palatable price point (nothing too flashy). Despite its sporty appearance, this timepiece would be just as welcome in a boardroom or a formal ball, for example, as a vintage Rolex. Let it stand out by wearing it with an elegant white Oxford shirt.

If you prefer the subtler things in life and like your timepieces definitively practical (and perhaps with a bit of history), you might prefer this watch by IWC Schaffhausen, a brand famous for its industrious engineering. The Pilot’s Mark XVIII refers to the brand’s past – it started providing watches for the RAF in 1949. To this day you can benefit from the same elements the pilots did, such as an arrowhead index and luminous indices. It’s also self-winding. This ease and practicality are reflected in the simple stainless steel design. For the no-nonsense but sophisticated watch wearer, we also suggest a pair of understated, well-made Derbies. These ones by Church’s ought to do the trick.

At the serious end of the watch-buying market, you can expect some serious return for your, well, serious investment. If you’re looking to spend this amount of money, the brand Jaeger-LeCoultre probably needs no introduction. But we will do that anyway, just in case. JLC engineers its renowned timepieces in Le Sentier, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1833. It makes some of the best watches money can buy. This particular piece offers 18-carat rose gold, a black alligator strap and, perhaps more impressively, the “duoface” mechanism, first conceived in 1931, which can display two time zones. This timepiece is likely to be something that is kept in the family as an heirloom so, while we of course recommend you wear it as much as you see fit (perhaps not on the school run, mind) you’d be well advised to look after it. Have Foundwell take care of that.