The best looking watches for men in 2026, in our view, range from the CHF 1,595 Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic to the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 at $35,500 and the price-on-request Breguet Classique Tourbillon. We rebuilt our 2016 list with models still sold today and checked prices on the makers’ own sites.
| Watch | Price (as listed) |
|---|---|
| Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Chronograph | CHF 3,410.67 |
| Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton | from about €5,700 |
| Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph | about $9,200 to $9,800 |
| A. Lange & Söhne 1815 | $35,500 |
| Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Thin 5367 | price on request |
| A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication | not currently sold |
1. Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Chronograph: CHF 3,410.67
Alpina dates to 1883, and its pilot chronograph is the vintage-styled entry on our list. The blue-dial reference AL-727LNN4H6 has a 42 mm steel case, sapphire crystal, an automatic chronograph caliber with a 55-hour power reserve and 100 m of water resistance. A simpler Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic in 44 mm is listed at CHF 1,595.
Price from Alpina’s site; it varies by region.
2. Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton: from about €5,700
The square case and open dial are the draw. The 41 mm Skeleton in Black Ceramic is listed at €6,400, the Grey Steel (limited to 250 pieces) at €5,900 and a steel version at €5,700. The Grey Steel has a 54-hour power reserve.
Prices from the brand’s EUR site; US prices for the non-skeleton BR-03 range from $3,800 to $4,300.
3. Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph: about $9,200 to $9,800
This 43 mm chronograph honors Nicolas Rieussec, who tested an inking chronograph in Paris in 1821. The collection is a modern take on that idea. Limited editions of 500 or 821 pieces exist.
US price range from Montblanc’s US pages; a UK listing showed £7,500.
4. A. Lange & Söhne 1815: $35,500
The 1815 in white gold is the dressy classic on this list, at $35,500 on Lange’s US site. The maker’s Lange 1 and Saxonia models are listed as price on request.
US price from the brand’s site for reference 235.026.
5. Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Thin 5367: price on request
The 5367 is a 41 mm round watch in platinum or 18k rose gold with an automatic tourbillon movement, a grand feu enamel dial and a sapphire caseback. Breguet was founded in Paris in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet.
Breguet’s pages direct buyers to a boutique for pricing.
6. A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication: not currently sold
Introduced in 2013, the Grand Complication is the most complicated wristwatch the maker has produced. The pink gold reference 912.032 was limited to 6 pieces and is marked as no longer in the current collection.
No price is shown on the brand’s page.
What happened to the 2016 picks?
This article started life as our 2016 list. Two of its five watches were replaced or retired. The Bremont Codebreaker limited edition is no longer sold, and the brand’s Australian site shows it as retired, with a price on application. At launch it was listed at £11,995 in steel and £21,950 in gold. Bremont announced a rose gold version for early 2025 shipping, but we could not confirm a price.
We could not verify that the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Rising Hours is still sold, so we replaced it with the current Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph. The Alpina, Breguet and Lange watches remain in the catalogs in newer forms.
How do you pick a good-looking watch?
These are our picks, not a ranking by price or sales. We look for a clean dial, case proportions between about 40 and 44 mm for most wrists, and finishing you can see. Pick the one whose dial you would still enjoy reading in ten years.
Keep reading
- 15 bestselling watches in the world: what people actually buy
- Most expensive watches in the world: the far end of the price scale
FAQ
What are the best looking watches for men in 2026?
Our picks include the Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Chronograph, Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton, Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec, A. Lange & Söhne 1815 and Breguet Classique Tourbillon.
What is the cheapest good-looking watch on this list?
The Alpina Startimer Pilot Heritage Automatic at CHF 1,595, followed by the Alpina Heritage Chronograph at CHF 3,410.67.
How much does a Lange 1815 cost?
The white gold 1815, reference 235.026, is listed at $35,500 on Lange’s US site.
Is the Bremont Codebreaker still available?
No. The limited edition has been retired, according to Bremont’s Australian site.
What size watch should I choose?
Most men find a case of about 40 to 44 mm comfortable. Every pick with a listed size here is between 41 and 44 mm.
Why do Breguet and Lange not list prices?
Both ask buyers to contact a boutique or retailer, as is common for hand-finished luxury watches.
How we put this list together
We chose watches for design and checked each against the maker’s own site for current models and prices. Prices change often and differ by region, so confirm before buying.
Last updated: October 2026.
