There is something reassuring about the enduring appeal of the wristwatch for men. The 21st century has seen so many of the accessories that attend to our lifestyles be dramatically replaced by digital and technological developments that the humble watch feels like it is making an important stand.
A large part of men’s fashion in the 21st century was informed by functional identity with formal suits, overcoats, hats and luggage displaying status in subtle and almost microcosmic hints of the highest quality. It was therefore through the accessories applied to work with these outfits that more overt presentations of style and flair could be added. This may have been in the choice of ties, cufflinks or even the brand of pen taken from concealed pockets in business meetings. However, it was always the wristwatch that acted as the defining accessory. The watch is a combination of wonderful engineering, housed in beautiful design with a purpose that is recognised all over the world and in every situation.
A New Beginning
In 1904, Louis Cartier was commissioned by the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont to design a watch to replace the pocket watch for pilots. Louis understood that it was impractical to have to take a watch from a garment every time it was required. The Cartier Santos-Dumont was created in a flat design that could be worn on the wrist and read without moving a hand from the controls of an aircraft. Since then, the sky has been the limit for men’s wristwatch designers and brands to stake their own claim for high status and fashion immortality.
Here is a collection of the very best of those brands at work in 2026.
Rolex
Rolex is renowned all over the world as the most famous of all watchmakers. However, the brand is more akin to an engineering company, with precision and innovation at its core throughout its history. The founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, had a philosophy that maintained wristwatches should be accurate, waterproof, legible and worn daily without protection. This still acts as the guardrails for everything the brand does.
Rolex watches are the control variable that all other watches are measured against in auction houses all over the globe. The exquisite manufacturing is matched by the highest quality materials that are chosen with functionality at their heart – the Oystersteel that resists marine corrosion better than any other similar product is perhaps the greatest example of this.
The Rolex Submariner is a landmark watch that has evolved over the decades in tiny increments that often leave experts with a challenge to date them. A Rolex speaks as loudly and as confidently in 2026 as it ever has.
Also Read: Most Expensive Rolex Ever Sold
A. Lange & Söhne
The incredible story of A. Lange & Söhne is worthy of its own great book or film. In 1845, Ferdinand Lange created his company in the impoverished town of Glashütte by convincing the Saxon government that watchmaking would rescue the people from poverty. This became a family operation with his 2 sons carrying on the legacy, hence the Söhne part of the name, meaning ‘son’ in German. Lange wanted to impose order, education and discipline with a culture of exacting standards in his factory that still applies to German watchmakers.
Lange believed that every component on the watch should be arranged logically with the utmost precision. And that the beauty within his creations was a result of the functions it provided. That is why the movements of these watches look so much like architectural drawings or engineering blueprints in a thrilling style.
The factory and the company were effectively destroyed by a bomb that fell during the final year of World War Two. Three years later, the East German State took over operations and the name disappeared for almost half a century. In 1990, Ferdinand’s great-grandson, Walter, re-founded the company, and the family name was restored in the history of horology. The Lange 1 wristwatch that marked this return signified a break from Swiss symmetry in watchmaking to redefine the craft for a new century with geometric precision. Since then, A. Lange & Söhne has set bold new standards for all others to follow.
Patek Philippe
The Polish nobleman Antoine Norbert de Patek brought his own unique lens of aristocracy and wealth into the world of watchmaking when he partnered with Adrien Philippe in 1830. Adrien had invented a keyless winding system for watches that transformed the industry in an instant to create the basis for modern mechanical watches that would eventually appear on millions of wrists.
Their combination of technical innovation and social prestige immediately set new standards for production that continue at Patek Philippe to this day. The serviceability of their watches is guaranteed indefinitely, with all movements designed for lifespans of well over a century. During the mid 1990s, their brand statement was applied to marketing stands as testament to this driving ideology: “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.”
The Patek Philippe Calatrava that was introduced in 1932 remains a fine example of everything this brand wants to achieve. Its modest design prioritises function over decoration with a deliberately slimline feel of perfect proportions. The 2025 white gold and rose gold contemporary models hold almost a century of excellence in every case, movement and component.
Also Read: Best Patek Philippe Watches
Cartier
The cultural authority and history-making essence of Cartier are still very much at play for this timepiece brand in 2026. It represents a watchmaker that has been embedded in the highest levels of society for hundreds of years, with design for the elite at the very heart of everything they do. It has long been the brand favoured by European Heads of State and Royalty, with cultural icons such as Muhammad Ali and Andy Warhol providing a 20th century heritage to accompany them too.
The Cartier Tank watch acts as a thread that takes the brand through two centuries following its creation in 1917. Originally conceived and named after the shape of Renault tanks that fought in World War I, it is an absolute design classic without peer. The outer casing holds bold Roman numerals that act as architectural structure for the entire face, with its signature blue hands offering a subtle flash of style. In a world increasingly marked by oversized sports and diving watches, the modern interpretations of the Cartier Tank deliver something different. It is masculinity without aggression and the quiet confidence that comes through classic design.
Personal taste and evolving preferences will always have the final say on which wristwatch brand to invest in. However, understanding the heritage, history, prestige and provenance of these top-tier examples lets you know that a timepiece from their great minds will always keep you in safe hands.
