Category: Watches

I love a watch when it comes with a heritage, especially when it’s as stylish as the Mondaine Swiss Railway Watch.

This watch is modelled on the Swiss Railway Station Clock which has been displayed in every Swiss railway station since the 1940s – an d originally designed by a Swiss Federal Railways employee – Hans Hilfiker. He designed the face to be easily readable from a distance, with a red second hand to enable passengers to judge precisely when trains would arrive and depart.

With a quartz movement and water-resistance, you can pick one up for £98. A women’s version is also available in a slightly smaller size.

Find out more at the Design London website

To celebrate what would have been Steve McQueen’s 75th birthday, TAG Heuer has reissued one of the most famous and iconic watches in the world – the TAG Heuer Monaco – as a special limited edition.

The Monaco was the world’s first square-cased chronograph, designed to match McQueen’s suit in the movie Le Mans, which itself was a replica of the first driver sponsored by TAG Heuer  – Jo Siffert. Being on Steve McQueen’s wrist created the legend, but technically, it’s remembered for being the first watch with a microrotor for automatic rewinding – the revolutionary “Chronomatic Calibre 11.”

The new version differs slightly in looks, featuring a white (instead of blue) dial, along with red, white and blue bands to match the McQueen/Siffert suit, blue alligator bracelet and push button buckle – but still packing the class of the original. The limited edition is 4,000 and the price is around £2,400. Well, did you expect it to be anything less?

Find out more from the TAG Heuer website

I love watches from the 70s – forget understated charm, these are watches that are big and bold, representing a time in watch design when innovation and forward thinking was at a peak.

There are various websites that specialise in timepieces from this period, my personal favourite right now is Watch Odyssey, which has some great designs and clear visuals so you know what you’re buying. Many of the watches demand a hefty price, but if you want a good starting place, check out the Spaceman Oval (pictured) in green. A design classic created by André Le Marquand and inspired by an astronaut’s helmet.

It will set you back £185 – a small price to pay for such an iconic watch.

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