From his very first, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf wanted his watches to be the very best, and that could only be true if the very best professionals used them. How much more professional can you get than the armed forces?

Think of steel and gold and you may well think of white suits with rolled-up sleeves, the Ferrari Testarossa and awful, awful haircuts, but it may well be that the association is a little unfair. As easy as it is to picture a bi-metal watch worn on an incredibly loose bracelet around an over-tanned wrist, shrouded in cigar smoke, perhaps it’s time to give the plain and precious metal combo a second chance—with one small alteration.

If you want a chronograph from Rolex’s stable, you can part ways with about £10,000 and get yourself the latest and greatest ceramic 116500LN—or you could pay a quarter of a million for one of these instead: the ‘Paul Newman’ 6263. How can it be worth 25 times more?

Not everyone has the means or desire to shell out the increasing amounts of money for a Rolex Submariner, but that doesn't mean that an exceptional dive watch need be off the cards. The entry-level Oris Divers Sixty-Five is a vintage-inspired treat starting at £1,270—but twice the price will secure Tudor's Black Bay. Is it worth it?