Certina’s illustrious history stretches back to 1888. Its racy “DS” line features the latest generation Precidrive movement and times laps to 1/100th of a second. £640, certina.com
Seiko, famous for innovative Japanese tech, made its first watch in 1895. This diver’s watch has a battery that is charged by the kinetic movement of the wearer’s wrist. £479, seiko.co.uk
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This homage to the RAF Red Arrows features atomic clock synchronisation with world time in 43 cities. The slide rule bezel converts kms to miles (and calculates restaurant tips). £499, citizenwatch.co.uk
Zodiac made its name in 1928, when its movement was used in the world’s first flat pocket watch. Today the Swiss firm is better known for this diver’s watch (water resistant to 100m). £1,200, zodiacwatches.com
This mechanical marvel features a pop-up anemometer. Four tiny hemispherical titanium cups spin around to gauge windspeed. Invaluable when racing a yacht. £35,585, breva-watch.com
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Ball’s watches helped keep time on US railroads in the 1900s. This modern Engineer Hydrocarbon makes a great sports watch thanks to its anti-shock system, resistant to 7,500Gs. £2,560, ballwatch.com
Founded in 1853, Swiss brand Tissot is now the official timekeeper of the Tour de France. This split chrono times staggered finishes and is water resistant to 100m. £490, uk.tissotshop.com
Tudors are famously robust; in 1953, a stone cutter tested one by wearing it while operating a pneumatic drill for 30 hours. This new diving watch is rated to a depth of 500m. £2,840, tudorwatch.com
Luxury Swiss maker Hublot is known for its sports-fusion watches. This chrono was made in honour of Usain Bolt and features a second hand shaped like a lightning bolt. £14,679, hublot.com
