Owning an everyday luxury watch is one thing, but owning a watch that you can take travelling is another. You can have the most amazing everyday luxury watch, but maybe you don’t own a timepiece that is versatile enough to be taken on holiday too. Luckily, there are so many watches on the market which are made specifically for travelling, but they also can be an everyday watch too. Every single one of the watches we’re going to list can be taken travelling, but can also be worn on home turf too.
Why is a watch an important travel accessory?
Like your favourite necklace or ring, your watch may be one of those staple items that you never remove. So why should travelling abroad change that? You might pack your essentials like your phone charger, hairdryer and foreign currency, so don’t forget about your travel watch.
Choosing a luxury watch to travel with
It’s best to choose the luxury watch you’re travelling with carefully. It’s a good idea to not travel with a watch that is super flashy or easily recognisable as pricey. Also, colourless metal is also the preferred option, rather than a metal that is a little louder, like gold. Pick a watch that will be able to slip under the radar, rather than a watch that screams ‘LOOK AT ME.’
Are there any safety concerns when travelling with a luxury timepiece?
There is an ongoing debate about whether there are any safety concerns you should be mindful of when travelling abroad with a luxury timepiece. Saying that, by using caution and your common sense, you should be okay to travel with a designer watch. A key thing to take into consideration is the destination you are travelling to. There are certain places where it may be best to leave your watch behind, like Brazil, which is a country often associated with daylight robberies.
If your watch has excessive value, we’re talking £30,000 and above here, it may be the sensible thing to leave it at home. That’s unless you know the place you are travelling to really well. For example, you may have a holiday home or family in an abroad destination. If this is the case and you know the place well, then it’s probably safe to bring your luxury watch with you.
Are there luxury watches on the market which are waterproof and can withstand high altitudes?
Of course, there are some of the watches on the list which are waterproof and can withstand high altitudes. Take the Rolex Explorer as an example, it is a watch that has been proven to withstand high altitudes. Most modern luxury watches are waterproof, as more and more customers are demanding for their watches to be able to withstand water.
Our favourite watches that make for the perfect travel accessory
There are some watches which are just made to be taken on holiday, so make sure you’ve got the perfect one for your trip away. Whether you’re on a snow escape, city break or sunny getaway, we’ve got just the travel watch for you.
Patek Philippe World Time watch
The World Time watch was debuted in the 1930s and since then these watches have been a staple for travellers across the globe. Patek Philippe’s World Time watch has a hand-painted dial and visuals of Europe, Africa and North and South America. The main hand points to the local time, and the inner ring displays both the daytime and nighttime and a 24-hour indication for every possible time zone you could find yourself in. This watch can be pretty expensive, which means its resale value is always high too. A bonus if you’ve got a World Time watch to sell, but a con if you’re looking to buy one.
Rolex GMT Master
The Rolex GMT Master is a watch that is a symbol of luxurious travel. It has elements of both status and practicality. This watch has been worn by absolutely everyone, in every single profession. From astronauts to actors to pilots, the GMT Master is a watch that can adapt to any situation. When this watch was originally created, Rolex teamed up with Pan American Airlines and it was a big deal for Rolex. It was the first watch of its kind which could simultaneously track two time zones at the same time. Perfect for anyone wanting to have their current time zone and their home time zone on the bezel.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore
The Royal Oak Offshore is a chunky timepiece that does appeal to men more than women. Nevertheless, this watch is still extremely wearable. Because of its slightly chunkier nature, this is probably a better luxury timepiece to wear in a place you know. This watch is certainly robust, and sporty, which is why it could make for the perfect companion if you’re looking for a functional watch to take with you. This watch is, of course, water-resistant, thanks to the large rubber gasket lining underneath the bezel.
Rolex Explorer
As the name suggests, the Rolex Explorer is the perfect watch to take on holiday with you. In fact, its purpose is to be taken on holiday. The Rolex Explorer was most famously worn by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary on their expedition to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. As Rolex demonstrated here, the Explorer can definitely withstand high altitudes. When travelling, you might want something a little simpler than a bold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, and we believe the perfect alternative is the Rolex Explorer. It’s certainly a watch you can wear with a suit, shorts and a t-shirt, and with swimming trunks.
Now you’ve got the perfect watch, all you need is the perfect vacation
There are so many travel watches out there. There are also so many watches which aren’t necessarily made for travelling but can be used for that due to their versatile nature. So now, you’re all set with your travel watch, you’ve just got to find your perfect holiday.