Watches

Go on, tick the boxes: here’s a handsome, Swiss-made mechanical watch, from a known brand, without an outrageous price tag. Certina is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, and has reissued this 1960s model as part of its current Heritage Collection. The company, which is now part of the Swatch group, has a unique local connection as former supplier of dive watches to the Royal Australian Navy. While the look and feel of this piece is a like-for-like reprise (albeit slightly scaled up) of the original, its ETA automatic movement is entirely modern. The 200m water resistant case measures 42.8mm and it comes on a well-matched NATO strap. Certina DS PH200M $1000 certina.com

Pulsar brought electronic digital watches to the world back in 1972, and offered the first watch with an inbuilt calculator after Seiko’s takeover in the 1980s. Today, it produces timepieces in a variety of different styles including a range of chronographs off the back of its partnership with the Supercars championship. Some wear more overt Supercars branding for die-hard fans, but there are other offerings, including this particular solarpowered model. Its large (44mm) stainless-steel case is water resistant to 100m and houses a quartz movement. Pulsar PZ6003X $299 pulsarwatches.com.au

Steadfast purists be warned, you may find it hard to cope with this TAG Heuer Monaco. George Bamford is a leading voice in the custom watchmaking sphere, and while some traditionalists shun the modification of highend timepieces that Bamford Watch Department does, TAG has now teamed up for an official, co-designed collaboration. Limited to 500 units, it uses a forged carbon case and actually costs less than a one-off Bamford Monaco made of regular steel. The distinct full black dial and aqua blue combo is unlike any other off-the-shelf version. TAG Heuer Monaco Bamford $10,600 tagheuer.com