Cartier · Ref. HPI01356
Revelation D'une Panthere HPI01356 Black 18k White Gold
Cartier's panther — the house's animal, rendered in gold and stones.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 37mm
$229,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →Style, travel & hobbies · /cartier-and-dress-watches/
Cartier, Breitling and the rest of the watch box
Not every good watch is a Rolex or a Royal Oak, and the houses below cover the ground the big three do not. Cartier makes the best dress watches in the business — the Santos was arguably the first wristwatch designed for a man, in 1904 — while Breitling, Panerai, IWC and Omega make tool watches with real aviation and diving history behind them, and Vacheron, Piaget, Breguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre make the complicated, ultra-thin pieces collectors move on to last.
This is also the most accessible page in the luxury range. Several pieces here sit below ten thousand dollars, which is entry level in this company.
Build a Boyfriend earns affiliate commission from Amazon and from The Luxury Closet via CJ Affiliate. Prices and availability are the retailer's and can change at any time. How this works.
Cartier
The Santos and the Santos-Dumont. Square cases, exposed screws, and the only dress watch that works with a suit and a t-shirt equally.
Cartier · Ref. WHSA0016
Santos de Cartier WHSA0016 Skeleton
The Santos skeletonised, its bridges shaped into Roman numerals — rose gold.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 39 mm
$59,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WT100012
Tank Anglaise WT100012 Pink Rose Gold, Diamond 39 x
The Tank: Cartier's rectangle, drawn from the shape of a Renault tank seen from above.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 29mm
$49,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. HPI00635
Rotonde de Cartier HPI00635 White 18K Rose Gold
A Cartier shaped case — the house's quieter, more collectable register.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$46,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. W1556223
Rotonde De Cartier Mysterious Hours W1556223 Silver 18k Rose Gold
A Cartier shaped case — the house's quieter, more collectable register.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$45,700
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WGSA0060
Santos-Dumont WGSA0060, Platinum
Santos-Dumont in platinum, green strap, Eastern Arabic numerals.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- Platinum
$41,700
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WGSA0018
Santos WGSA0018 Silver Rose Gold
The Santos — the wristwatch Cartier made for an aviator who could not check a pocket watch mid-flight.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 39mm
$38,100
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WJBB0038
Ballon Bleu WJBB0038 White 18K Rose Gold Diamond
The Ballon Bleu, with its sapphire cabochon tucked into the case — Cartier's roundest idea.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$35,400
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WA506451
Tortue WA506451 Silver Dial 18k Rose Gold
A Cartier shaped case — the house's quieter, more collectable register.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 34mm
$34,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WE902019
Ballon Bleu WE902019 White 18K Rose Gold
The Ballon Bleu, with its sapphire cabochon tucked into the case — Cartier's roundest idea.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38mm
$34,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. W3010551
Pasha W3010551 Blue Stainless Steel
Cartier at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38mm
$34,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WE902019
Ballon Bleu WE902019 White 18k Rose gold II
The Ballon Bleu, with its sapphire cabochon tucked into the case — Cartier's roundest idea.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38mm
$34,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. W2020057
Santos Dumont W2020057 Silver 18k Rose Gold x
The Santos — the wristwatch Cartier made for an aviator who could not check a pocket watch mid-flight.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38.7mm
$33,700
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WGSA0082
Santos-Dumont WGSA0082, Platinum
Platinum Santos-Dumont on alligator — the flattest, quietest watch Cartier makes.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 33 mm
$32,100
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WE9009Z3
Ballon Bleu de Cartier WE9009Z3 Silver 18k White Gold
The Ballon Bleu, with its sapphire cabochon tucked into the case — Cartier's roundest idea.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$32,100
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WHSA0044
Santos-Dumont Micro-Rotor WHSA0044 Silver Stainless Steel
The Santos — the wristwatch Cartier made for an aviator who could not check a pocket watch mid-flight.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 31mm
$32,100
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WJBB0057
Ballon Bleu WJBB0057 Silver Dial 18k Rose Gold Diamonds
The Ballon Bleu, with its sapphire cabochon tucked into the case — Cartier's roundest idea.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 40mm
$30,500
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. W69006Z2
Ballon Bleu W69006Z2 Silver Rose Gold
The Ballon Bleu, with its sapphire cabochon tucked into the case — Cartier's roundest idea.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$30,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WHSA0026
Santos Skeleton WHSA0026
The Santos with nothing to hide — skeleton dial, steel and ADLC.
- Condition
- Excellent
- Case size
- 40 mm
$21,900
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WA503951
Tortue WA503951 Silver 18k Rose Gold x
A Cartier shaped case — the house's quieter, more collectable register.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 43mm
$19,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breitling
Chronomats and Navitimers — aviation chronographs with genuine cockpit history and the most legible dials in the category.
Breitling · Ref. RB0910371B1X1
Navitimer Chronograph RB0910371B1X1 Black Rose Gold
Breitling's pilot chronograph, with the slide rule aviators actually used.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 41mm
$22,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breitling · Ref. UB0134
Chronomat UB0134 Grey, Rose Gold & Steel
Breitling's Chronomat in two-tone, grey dial, rouleaux-style rubber.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- 42 mm
$9,600
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breitling · Ref. UB0134
Chronomat UB0134 Blue, Rose Gold & Steel
The Chronomat in blue — rose gold bezel on steel.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- 42 mm
$9,300
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breitling
Top Time B01 Green
Breitling's Top Time chronograph with the green dial.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- 41 mm
$7,500
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breitling
Navitimer 1 B01 Black
The Navitimer B01 — slide rule, in-house chronograph.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 43 mm
$7,500
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Hublot, Omega, Vacheron and the rest
The houses that do not fit a single page. Hublot's Big Bang, Omega's Speedmaster and Seamaster, ultra-thin Vacheron and Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Breguet complications, and a Richard Mille for anyone who has genuinely run out of things to buy.
Piaget · Ref. G0A34054
Dancer G0A34054 Silver 18K White Gold, Diamond
Piaget at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38mm
$24,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Blancpain · Ref. AC02-12B53-63B
Air Command AC02-12B53-63B Green Titanium
Blancpain at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$22,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Hublot · Ref. 0123.VR
Big Bang Ferrari 401.MX.0123.VR Silver 18K Yellow Gold
Hublot's Big Bang — the fusion of gold, ceramic and rubber that made purists furious and everyone else curious.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 45mm
$20,900
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Van Cleef & Arpels · Ref. ARM93600
Charms ARM93600 Cream Rose Gold, Diamond
Richard Mille: a skeletonised movement suspended inside a case built like a chassis.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38mm
$20,400
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Hublot · Ref. 6110.RX
Spirit of Big Bang 642.CZ.6110.RX Silver Ceramic
Hublot's Big Bang — the fusion of gold, ceramic and rubber that made purists furious and everyone else curious.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- 42mm
$20,100
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Omega · Ref. 3689.30.31
Speedmaster 3689.30.31 White Gold
The Speedmaster — the chronograph that went to the moon and never changed its face.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$19,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Panerai · Ref. PAM00671
Luminor Submersible PAM00671 Blue Bronze
Panerai: a cushion case and a crown guard, drawn from Italian navy frogmen.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 47mm
$19,800
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breguet
Marine 4400Bb/12/B70 Silver 18K White Gold
Breguet at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 33mm
$19,500
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Breguet · Ref. 3810BR/92/9ZU
Transaltantique Type XX 3810BR/92/9ZU Brown 18K Rose Gold
Breguet at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$17,600
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Hublot · Ref. 0170.RX
Spirit Of Big Bang 642.NM.0170.RX Silver Titanium
Hublot's Big Bang — the fusion of gold, ceramic and rubber that made purists furious and everyone else curious.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$17,600
See It at The Luxury Closet →
IWC · Ref. IW5445-05
Schaffhausen Portuguese IW5445-05 Limited Edition 69/500 Platinum
IWC at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 44mm
$17,400
See It at The Luxury Closet →
TAG Heuer · Ref. CAR5A90.FC6415
Carrera Tourbillon CAR5A90.FC6415 Ceramic
TAG Heuer at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 45mm
$16,400
See It at The Luxury Closet →
IWC · Ref. IW5001-01
Schaffhausen Portuguese IW5001-01 Silver Dial 18K Rose Gold
IWC at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- 42.30mm
$16,200
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Ulysse Nardin
Marine Chronometer 266-66-3/62 Black Rose Gold
Ulysse Nardin at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 41mm
$16,200
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Panerai · Ref. PAM00008
Black Mare Nostrum PAM00008 Stainless Steel Watches
Panerai at full complication — a watch built to be kept, not replaced.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 42mm
$15,600
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Chanel · Ref. H3827
J12 H3827, White Ceramic
White ceramic J12 with a blue-tipped bezel — the watch that made ceramic luxury.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38 mm
$3,500
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier & Dress Watches FAQ
What is the best Cartier watch for a man?
The Santos, in the modern case with the QuickSwitch bracelet. It is the most versatile Cartier made — square enough to read as a dress watch, robust enough to wear daily — and the Santos-Dumont is the thinner, dressier alternative.
Is Breitling a luxury watch brand?
Yes, in the tool-watch tradition rather than the dress-watch one. Breitling holds COSC chronometer certification across the line and the in-house B01 chronograph movement is one of the better automatic chronographs made at any price.
What is a good luxury watch under $10,000?
A Breitling Navitimer or Top Time, a Panerai Luminor, or a Chanel J12 in ceramic. All three are genuinely well-made watches from established houses, and all three sit well below where Rolex and AP start on the secondary market.