The dive watch, despite relying on some tightly standardised attributes, has proved over the last 70-plus years to be the most malleable template for watch design. Today, if you want a watch that’s water-resistant, sturdy, luminous when called upon and blessed with an overall character of adventure, your choice is well and truly spoilt. Here are five that bring a huge dose of colour, texture, shape and personality to the role.

It can be easy to think the world of watches is all about money and hype. Which celeb has been spotted with a Tiffany Nautilus? How much – how much?­ – did that Rolex fetch at auction? A world of waiting lists and cold, quiet boutiques can feel intimidating for outsiders and depressing to those operating on a real-world budget, but spend any time with watch enthusiasts in real life or on social media and you soon realise the reality is very different. A shared interest in watches is the foundation for a real sense of community, and a much more egalitarian and charitable approach than you might at first expect from the world of luxury goods.

In our My Three-Watch Wardrobe series, we challenge collectors to pick their three dream watches from MR PORTER, money no object. Fresh from hosting the Oak Collection – arguably the biggest and best collection of rare watches ever seen – we welcome Mr Tim Marlow, formerly director of the Royal Academy of Arts, and now heading up the Design Museum in London.

Glasto is back. It’s been three unintentionally fallow years (just imagine how lush that grass beneath your groundsheet will be), but much to the Worthy Farm cows’ chagrin, it’s finally time to reunite with 202,999 other delirious revellers and churn up a mud pit to the merry sounds of Ms Billie Eilish, Mr Kendrick Lamar and Fontaines DC. Which means digging out that crumpled packing list from your beloved Eastpak and reminding yourself of the unlikely essentials.

The dive watch, despite relying on some tightly standardised attributes, has proved over the last 70-plus years to be the most malleable template for watch design. Today, if you want a watch that’s water-resistant, sturdy, luminous when called upon and blessed with an overall character of adventure, your choice is well and truly spoilt. Here are five that bring a huge dose of colour, texture, shape and personality to the role.

It can be easy to think the world of watches is all about money and hype. Which celeb has been spotted with a Tiffany Nautilus? How much – how much?­ – did that Rolex fetch at auction? A world of waiting lists and cold, quiet boutiques can feel intimidating for outsiders and depressing to those operating on a real-world budget, but spend any time with watch enthusiasts in real life or on social media and you soon realise the reality is very different. A shared interest in watches is the foundation for a real sense of community, and a much more egalitarian and charitable approach than you might at first expect from the world of luxury goods.