The $4,000 GADA Watch

Last time around, I wrote about my favorite three “Go Anywhere, Do Anything” (GADA) watches under $2,000. As I expected and hoped, I received a lot of feedback, both positive and negative. It’s the exact reason I like to do these types of articles. For this one, I’m going to list my favorite GADA watches at the $4,000 mark. At first, I wanted to do below $4,000, but I found that my three picks were all just about $100 over. So, since I make the rules around here, I changed it. And for the few of you who thought Damasko should have made the cut under $2,000, I think you’ll be satisfied with one of the entrants here.

Bremont Solo and Solo 37

Bremont doesn’t need much of an introduction on our site, so I guess I can get right into it. Out of their full production models, the Solo is definitely the cleanest and dressiest. However, it no doubt retains Bremont’s aviation tool watch aesthetic, which I think makes it very versatile. You’ll find black and white dials on the Solo, but the applied numbers on the white are the clincher for me. That kind of dial detailing gives the perception that it’s more than a simple pilot’s watch.

The Solo 37, the 37mm version likely meant for women, also has black and white dials, along with additional variants containing red gold accents. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen the 37 in person, and it’s definitely not too small for men. It’ll feel lighter on the wrist than the 43mm Solo, and somewhat familiar for those used to smaller vintage watches.

Aside from good looks, the Solo family features Bremont’s hardened steel Trip-Tick case. The barrel on the Solo is black DLC coated, and the Solo 37 has a plain steel barrel, which is a different look for them. Both watches are COSC certified and feature 100m of water resistance. Bremont offers a bevy of strap options for the Solo, and frankly, it looks great on all of them. There is also a bracelet option, but that adds another $700 of so, which definitely throws it out of the competition here. Both the Solo and Solo 37 are right around $4,100, which is a competitive price if you’re looking at high quality pilot’s watches ($4,500 for IWC’s Mark XVII).

NOMOS Ahoi Atlantik

When I think of a GADA watch, NOMOS doesn’t typically come to mind. Having said that, their Ahoi line makes a good case. Utilizing their tried and true Bauhaus aesthetic, the Ahoi is the sportiest of NOMOS watches. After its release a couple of years ago with a white dial, the most recent addition is a blue dial version dubbed the Ahoi Atlantik. Just like the white dial made the Solo for me, the blue dial does the same for the Ahoi. I like NOMOS as much as the next guy, but I can handle only so many stark white Bauhaus dials.

Separating the Ahoi from the Tangente and Tangomat is its screw-down crown and crown guards, the latter of which is the major player in giving the sporty appeal. The screw-down crown affords 200m of water resistance, which is plenty for taking a swim (i.e., the most water it’ll see for 99% of us). NOMOS outfitted the Ahoi with its Epsilon caliber, which is one of their nicely finished automatics. Being a bit larger than their manual calibers, the Ahoi comes in a 40mm case, which makes it a bit more casual.

Completing the fun, sporty look are the luminescent hands and the textile strap. I believe the only other NOMOS with luminescent hands is the Club, so this is definitely not the norm for them. As for the textile strap, it’s a bit limiting for dressier situations, but luckily NOMOS sells a number of fantastic shell cordovan straps that can help out. The Ahoi Atlantik sells for $4,060 and proposes a fantastic value for a sport watch with an in-house movement.

Damasko DK101

Courtesy of Chrono24

As I mentioned above, a few of you commented that I should have included a Damasko in the under $2,000 category. That was fair enough, and I actually considered it, but what stopped me was that the designs were too far towards the casual side. I agree that Damasko over-engineers the hell out of their watches, and they’re worthy of any and all “rough and tumble” situations. That’s why I’m going with the DK101 for the $4,000 category.

I’ll just come out and say it; I think the DK101 – in its class – is the best looking watch that practically no one talks about. I mentioned it a while back in an article, but I’m having a hard time finding other websites giving it a mention. The DK101 is the anthracite-dialed version of their manual wind flagship watch, where the DK100 has a black dial. I would go for the anthracite, but that’s just a preference.

The DK101 is by far the dressiest watch Damasko makes, but because Damasko is Damasko, it features 100m of water resistance, and their patented ice-hardened steel. What’s more, the in-house caliber H35 features an anti-magnetic and oil-free escapement. It’s all very impressive for a watch priced at $4,165. It comes standard on an alligator strap, but I can picture it looking fantastic on any number of different leathers.

So there you have it, three near perfect GADA watches pinned right around the $4,000 mark. Feel free to add your picks in the comments below – we’d love to get the debate going. Sticking with the guidelines from the first article, I think the GADA watch discussion is quite interesting. These are the kinds of watches every collection should have, as they present a cornerstone to build around.

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