1.10.100.

Three Watches. Three Budgets. No Compromises.

There has never been a better time to be a watch enthusiast.

Manufacturing capability has accelerated at an astonishing pace over the past decade. CNC machining, advanced metallurgy and movement production have reached levels once reserved almost exclusively for Switzerland. It's no surprise then that Chinese manufacturers have entered the conversation in a serious way.

We've spent considerable hands-on time with the Agelocer Schwarzwald and, frankly, we're still scratching our heads. An automatic movement with this level of finishing, an 80-hour power reserve, sapphire crystal and ceramic construction for under US$300? Astonishing. It doesn't diminish Swiss watchmaking—it simply raises the bar for everyone.

Here are our picks at three very different budgets.

$1K

Agelocer Schwarzwald

Price: US$289 / approximately AU$415

This is the watch we'd point almost anyone towards if they wanted to experience genuine mechanical watchmaking without spending a fortune.

It feels completely over-engineered for its asking price. The skeletonised automatic movement offers an impressive 80-hour power reserve, the sapphire crystal shrugs off daily wear, while the ceramic bezel and beautifully executed case make it feel far more expensive than it has any right to.

We've had this watch in hand and still can't quite believe it exists at this price. If this is where affordable mechanical watchmaking is headed, every enthusiast wins.

$10K

IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XX "Le Petit Prince"

Price: AU$9,400 / approximately US$6,540

Few watches have earned icon status quite like the IWC Pilot's Watch.

The Mark XX is everything a daily wearer should be: beautifully proportioned, immensely practical and built with the sort of confidence that encourages you to wear it everywhere rather than lock it away. The in-house movement delivers an excellent 120-hour power reserve, while the engineering throughout feels absolutely bulletproof.

If someone told us we could only own one watch for the rest of our lives, this would be very close to the top of the list. Versatile enough for a suit, rugged enough for adventure and timeless enough to still look relevant decades from now.

Quite simply, no one does pilot's watches better.

$100K

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Ceramic

Price: US$54,600 / approximately AU$78,500

The Laureato should be spoken about alongside the great integrated sports watches of all time.

Its debut actually predates both the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Vacheron Constantin 222, making it one of the true pioneers of the genre. Yet somehow it remains the connoisseur's choice rather than the obvious one.

This latest Skeleton Ceramic is everything Girard-Perregaux does best. The ceramic case and bracelet offer near-infallible scratch resistance while giving the watch a wonderfully modern presence on the wrist. Peer through the beautifully skeletonised GP01800 movement and you're reminded why the manufacture's famous Three Bridges architecture remains one of the great achievements in Swiss watchmaking.

It's haute horlogerie without shouting.

Whether you're spending $416.22 AUD or AU$78,446, the fundamentals never change. Great design. Honest engineering. Mechanical ingenuity. Price doesn't dictate passion—it simply changes the way it's is expressed.

At Denver & Liely, that's something we can always raise a glass to.