In a world ruled by mobile phones, you may think the notion of a wristwatch is rather old fashioned. A relic of times past, a gift for grandpas and retirees.
Not so. Yes we know, your phone displays the time, but before you’ve fumbled around for your handset, you could have tilted your wrist and taken in the time in seconds.
Plus, a great wristwatch is far more than a functional tool. A fashion accessory in its own right, a nice watch can be an easy way to express your personality or inject a splash of colour to your outfit.
For those who like the idea of straddling the old and the new, a smartwatch offers the best of both worlds, functioning like your typical wrist watch but with features that are anything but basic. From monitoring your heartbeat to filtering messages, these little gizmos can do it all. Find our smartwatch roundups here.
There’s a world of watches out there, to suit all tastes, styles and budgets. While in the past the offering has been quite binary with dedicated designs for men and women, thankfully now the line has blurred to an appealingly androgynistic aesthetic. Chunky, bold, powerful: this is wrist candy that demands to be seen.
If you’ve been considering adding to your jewellery wardrobe, a watch can be a great addition and should stay in your rotation for much longer than a passing fad. That said, investment pieces needn’t cost the earth either.
We’ve curated an edit of the best watches worth spending your money on. From power watches and dainty straps to watches so bright they’ll send your dopamine-levels through the roof, here are the ones to watch.
Shop the edit below
Best beauty advent calendars for Christmas 2022
Best gold necklaces to take your jewellery collection up a notch
Best jewellery advent calendars 2022 to countdown to Christmas in style
Best sustainable lab-grown diamond rings and where to buy online
Thomas Sabo Women’s Watch Kaleidoscope Dragonfly watch
This stunning watch is ripe for gifting, whether that’s for a loved one or a nice treat for yourself. The dial is a piece of art all of its own, inspired by dragonflies suspended over an emerald green base. Coloured stones with differing cuts add to the feeling of treasure and makes the watch sparkle from various angles. The whole design sits on a gold-coloured metal mesh strap. One for those who like to admire every detail.
Buy now £439.00, Thomas Sabo
Apple Watch
It’s a classic for a reason – the Apple Watch is a great lifestyle all-rounder. The all-American brand’s flagship watch is unisex, but there are lots of lovely straps available, making it easy to customise to your style.
On test we found it had the most intuitive and simple menu to get to know. Fitness-focused? From pedalling in a spin class, getting your Om on in a yoga shala or hitting a HIIT session, the Watch will keep up with you effortlessly – and it can also do clever extras such as track your period and even connect with compatible gym equipment. We like the ‘three rings’ display, which motivates you to hit Move, Exercise and Stand targets daily.
There are models available at all price points from the more purse-friendly SE models to the latest Apple Watch 7.
Buy now £369.00, Amazon
Sekonda Ladies Watch Gold Case & Mesh Bracelet with Black Dial
Sekonda’s classic watch collection is crammed with gems, but we like this design best for its timeless appeal, as well as the black and gold palette which will pair well with most outfits. The dial features a minimal design with just the 12 and 6 shown as Roman numerals, adding subtle elevation to the accessory. Comes with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £49.99, Sekonda
Olivia Burton Wonderland 30mm Gold & Teal Leather Strap Watch
With vintage stylings and a colourful, pretty face, this watch is ready for whatever’s on the agenda, whether that’s work or play. Gold coloured marker details on the mother of pearl base add to the feel of timeless elegance.
Buy now £99.00, Olivia Burton
Armani Exchange Black Dial Gold Coloured Watch
Understated style found over at Argos, where you can get your hands on this timeless design from Armani Exchange. The black and gold look is water resistant to 50m.
Buy now £129.99, Argos
Sekonda Catherine Ladies Watch Silver Case & Stainless Steel Bracelet with Green Dial
The ‘masculine’ features of this watch are softened with clear crystal sparkles decorating the border of the face and standing in for the numbers. The green mother of pearl dial also houses a date display, offering up even more knowledge with just one look. The two-tone stainless steel bracelet is water resistant to 50m.
Buy now £49.99, Sekonda
Larsson & Jennings Norse Milanese 34mm Gold Satin-White
Slim and elegant, this chic square-shaped watch is the perfect finishing touch to any outfit, whether you’re off for a walk or meeting friends for a picnic. Comes with a two-year warranty.
Buy now £189.00, Larsson & Jennings
Fitbit Luxe Special Edition
We love the delicate chain strap of Fitbit’s Luxe, which lives up to its name. The style combines all the sporty know-how of a Fitbit with jewellery-level looks that is smart enough to wear to work, the gym and your packed social schedule.
This Fitbit really shines when it is time to get sweaty, though, monitoring heart rate, pace and distance and even giving a ‘daily readiness score’ that shows when you should give your all and when you should focus on recovery. The sleep stages and slumber mode will keep an eye on your kip, too.
Buy now £179.00, John Lewis
Jasper Conran London 32mm Watch with a Champagne Dial and a Black Leather strap
There’s not an outfit in your wardrobe that won’t pair well with this simple, elegant design from Jasper Conran. Working on a palette of duo-golds and a chic black imitation crocodile strap. The dial is protected by scratch resistant sapphire glass and the design fares well in most conditions as it is water resistant to 50m.
Buy now £169.00, Watchshop
Tommy Hilfiger Women’s Kenzie Chronograph Crystal Bracelet Strap Watch, Silver
Loved for its clean, preppy aesthetic, Tommy Hilfiger’s watch collection stays true to the brand’s DNA. Pleasingly weighty, the silver-coloured face and strap is highlighted with a smattering of crystals while the dial features chronograph details as well as a date display window.
Buy now £169.00, John Lewis
Casio Unisex Vintage Bracelet Strap Watch
Offering bucket loads of unisex appeal, the classic Casio shows not only the time but the date, a stopwatch and an alarm on its digital face. There’s also a backlight to illuminate when light is sparse.
Buy now £45.00, John Lewis
Olivia Burton Celestial 34mm Emerald & Gold Mesh Watch
Jewellery label Olivia Burton has a serious following amongst the teens and twenties age group thanks to its stylish designs. This Galaxy Watch is a fine example, mimicking cosmic stardust with a blend of navy and emerald on the display, lifted by a scattering of glitter. The markers are a mix of baguette crystals as well as round clear stones, adding to the starry look.
Buy now £115.00, Olivia Burton
Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Dive Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch
Like the oversized look? This Citizen timepiece may say it’s for men but trust us, your wrist won’t know the difference. Sporting a jewel green face, this watch operates through light - natural or artificial - so never needs a battery change. It also shows the date and is water resistant to 200m.
Buy now £219.99, Argos
Abbott Lyon Gold Pearl Link Nueva 40
Catering for him and her, jewellery and accessories brand Abbott Lyon is all about tasteful designs that you’ll continue to wear for many years to come. With a faux mother of pearl face, you could easily dismiss this round watch as just a pretty face, but the chic multifunctional details means it’s so much more. Water resistant to three metres.
Buy now £149.00, Abbott Lyon
Daniel Wellington Classic Bristol
Available in 36mm and a large 40mm size, bookish types will like the simple, functional style of this watch. The leather strap, Japanese Quartz movement and fresh face make it one to reach for time and time again.
Buy now £195.00, Daniel Wellington
Honor GS 3
Rather an elegant take on smartwatches, Honor’s GS 3 looks like a classic wristwatch – and on test we found it really comfortable to wear all day long.
We appreciated the different watch faces available to suit all tastes, including a gorgeous night sky screen. The GS is ready for action, too, with over 100 workout modes and route tracking built-in. There’s also an accurate heart rate monitor and even a blood oxygen monitor that vibrates if yours happens to get low.
The menu is intuitively easy to use on-the-go for taking calls, setting reminders and navigating.
Buy now £209.02, Amazon
Skagen Jorn Gen 6 Hybrid
The Danish-designed Skagen Jorn is a hybrid watch, so it’s a simpler but sleeker option than a full-blown smartwatch. That said, it’s still packed with lovely stuff – a heart rate sensor, a good sleep tracking sensor and Amazon Alexa, ever-ready to answer your queries or to make your life a little bit easier.
The ‘wellness dashboard’ that you’ll notice on the linked phone app is a great way to check in with (and improve) your daily habits, too. Our favourite feature on test was the long battery life – the Jorn only needs charging once a week or so with regular use, which saves a lot of the recharging faff.
Buy now £209.00, Skagen
