Of all the inventions to emerge from WWI that are still in widespread use today – zips, trench coats, paper tissues, sanitary towels, stainless steel – perhaps the most unexpected is a dainty luxury wristwatch from probably the world’s most famous jeweller.

What makes a good travel watch? Unexpectedly, perhaps, the period in which travel all but vanished from our lives has produced a slew of watches aspiring to answer that question. While the pandemic left most of us grounded, watches designed to accompany us across the time zones and far away have been touching down with the regularity of 737s on Heathrow’s pre-Covid runway.

You may have recently read Mr Josh Sims’ excellent essay on the notion of a watch as status symbol. If not, please do. It’s a fascinating read, drilling into just how the nuances of modern life, complete with the performative structures of social media and changing stereotypes about professional and social hierarchies have had an effect on what message we’re sending out when we strap a timekeeping device to our wrists. It prompted us to suggest some watches from MR PORTER’s current collection that speak to the various new “types” of status watch: here are five timepieces that broadcast quite different signals – from the unabashed to the understated.

Of all the inventions to emerge from WWI that are still in widespread use today – zips, trench coats, paper tissues, sanitary towels, stainless steel – perhaps the most unexpected is a dainty luxury wristwatch from probably the world’s most famous jeweller.

What makes a good travel watch? Unexpectedly, perhaps, the period in which travel all but vanished from our lives has produced a slew of watches aspiring to answer that question. While the pandemic left most of us grounded, watches designed to accompany us across the time zones and far away have been touching down with the regularity of 737s on Heathrow’s pre-Covid runway.