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You only need to buy the best watches once. So, in my years as a shopping writer, I’ve stayed on the hunt for the cream of the clock (sorry) – after all, ideally, you should live with your timepiece forever. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in that process, it’s that the sturdiest, most beautiful, best-designed watches don’t always come from the biggest names.

1) Take Dan Henry’s vintage offerings, for instance.

Thanks to part to their founder’s fixation with older timepieces, the company produces pieces like the 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph (based on vintage driving watches) with fanatic detail. 

For instance, that model has an engraving of the Aston-Martin DB5 on its back; its 38mm size is true to the era. 

Like the menu of a good restaurant, their product list is short and obsessively perfected ― their 1970 Diving Watch can withstand depths of up to 200m, and uses sapphire-coated double-domed mineral crystal to prevent unwanted reflections. 

“Many technologies are used to make watches water resistant, but the truly revolutionary step was adding an inner bezel that times the dive, and those timekeeping instruments became irreplaceable underwater,” their site reads. 

If you’re looking for the watch lover’s next favourite timepiece, Dan Henry is the place to go.

2) Tusenö’s classic design gives them nowhere to hide ― not that they need it.

Remember when I said a good watch should last a long time? Well, that’s a good reason to make sure you pick a future-proof design – and that’s exactly where Tusenö shines. 

Their aim is to do the classics so well, their Swiss-made watches (which are entirely mechanical) will look good on the wrists of as many generations as can get their hands on them. 

If you look at customer favourites like the Shellback V2 and the Blackwater SSRS diver’s watch, I think it’s safe to say they’ve fulfilled that brief.

3) If I had to pick one watch for myself, it’d probably be from VOID.

If you’re a fan of elegant, simple design, where better to turn than VOID ― a former Swedish design company turned watch brand, owned by ex-mechanical designer David Ericsson. 

Their sleek look takes inspiration from decades of watch design, and their products come with a two-year warranty. 

Their PKG01-GO has a thin, lightweight 7mm case; it comes with 19 differently-coloured strap options, but its bold design quietly shines above all of them; the classic look is consistent across their entire range.

Now that’s a (clock) face I could wake up to every morning...

4) Monbrey are masters of colour and design.

The brand has just released a new KENKYŪ collection, inspired by the angular beauty of Samurai weaponry and armour (as it happens, the new drop is 25% off at the moment). 

My favourite has a demure olive hue, but I can’t deny the prettiness of their shell-pink model either (both faces are made with machine-cut mother-of-pearl).

Then, there’s the constantly-selling-out MB1 Series, with failsafe choices like its ’70s-inspired L01 steel design. 

No wonder customers can’t get enough...