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 →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 two directions 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 — and Breitling, Panerai and IWC make tool watches with real aviation and diving history behind them.
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. 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. 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. 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 →
Breitling
Chronomats and Navitimers — aviation chronographs with genuine cockpit history and the most legible dials in the category.
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 →
Panerai, IWC, Vacheron Constantin and more
Italian dive watches, a Big Pilot in bronze, ultra-thin Vacheron perpetual calendars, and a Richard Mille for anyone who has run out of things to buy.
Richard Mille · Ref. RM72-01
RM72-01 “Snow Leopard” Flyback Chronograph
Richard Mille's skeletonised flyback in diamond-set white gold on white rubber — the Snow Leopard, and it looks like nothing else on a wrist.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 38.4mm
$450,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Vacheron Constantin
Patrimony Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, Rose Gold
A perpetual calendar barely there on the wrist — Patrimony at its most restrained.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 41 mm
$41,700
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Vacheron Constantin · Ref. 5500V
Overseas Chronograph 5500V, Steel
The Overseas chronograph on its integrated bracelet.
- Condition
- Pristine
- Case size
- Steel
$35,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Leviev · Ref. 116613LB
Rolex Submariner 116613LB
A pre-loved two-tone Rolex Submariner with the blue dial and bezel.
- Condition
- Pre-loved
- Case size
- One size
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
IWC
Pre-Loved, Big Pilot, Big Pilot Top Gun Mojave Desert Edition
A pre-loved IWC Big Pilot in bronze.
- Condition
- Pre-loved
- Case size
- One size
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
Panerai
Luminor 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Watch 44
A pre-loved Gmt.
- Condition
- Pre-loved
- Case size
- One size
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
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.