When you’re a watchmaker with over 1,200 patents to your name, you earn yourself a bit of a reputation. In the case of Jaeger-LeCoultre, that’s being known as the watchmaker’s watchmaker, suggesting not only that the brand supplies other watchmakers with its movements—which it has done to no less than Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Chopard, Panerai and Cartier—but has also earned their respect. But is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s reputation built on fixing problems that never existed? Here are three watches to answer that question.

Overhear a conversation about vintage Rolex and chances are the word ‘investment’ isn’t far behind. It’s such common knowledge, even in the wider world, that a Rolex keeps its value, that despite it being somewhat of a half-truth, it’s become a mantra akin to legend. So, what’s really going on?

The big news of Baselworld 2018, after thirteen years in the making, was the announcement of a stainless steel edition of the red-and-blue–bezelled Rolex GMT-Master II. Or, it would have been, had Tudor not undercut Rolex’s big story with a sneaky release of its own—the Black Bay GMT.

The Supermarine Spitfire and the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang are some of the most important aircraft to have ever existed, having dominated the skies during World War Two, helping to bring peace back to a world at war. But there’s another aircraft, one you’ve probably never heard of, that’s equally important in a very different way: the MB 3.

When you’re looking for the watch that’s right for you, it’s easy to be swept up in the hype of those top few default choices. Say you’ve set your heart on a chronograph; chances are your shortlist may contain a Speedmaster or a Daytona. Both superb watches, no doubt about that, but there are others that you might not know about—and they’re equally worth consideration.

What would you do if you inherited a family fortune? Buy yourself a nice manor in the country? A collection of exotic cars, a yacht maybe? That was the rather pleasant position Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont found himself in back at the tail end of the 19th century, and he could have spent that money on nice things, but he chose to do something else: he invented the world’s first powered, heavier-than-air flying machine.

In 1953, something strange happened. Two watches, by two different brands, materialised in quick succession: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Rolex Submariner. One was a special forces military project, the other a commercially available product that could be purchased by amateurs and professionals alike. Here’s the strange part: despite being released within just a few months of each other, they were almost identical. How is this possible?

‘It may not look pretty on the surface, but deep down it’s beautiful.’ Those aren’t my words—those are Omega’s. The people there tasked with building the brand’s most advanced diver yet knew their watch was no looker, but that didn’t matter. It wasn’t for strutting about with; it was for using. It was the Plongeur Professionnel, the PloProf—the Professional Diver.

The beauty of a mechanical watch comes down to the movement ticking within, and for the most part it’s completely hidden from view. Even with a sapphire case back, it’s a shame to hide the mastery of this centuries-old technology from plain sight, and that’s a thought shared by watchmaker to King Louis XV, André Charles, who cut open his dials to expose the innards. Here are five open-dialled watches that continue the tradition.

Watchfinder, the pre-owned watch specialist, has been announced as the first ever ‘Official Timekeeper of the EFL Play-Off Finals’.

In 1957, a legend was born: the Speedmaster. It went on to become NASA’s official watch for the Apollo missions, the first watch worn on the moon, the watch that timed the engine burn that saved the lives of the Apollo 13 crew—but we’ve heard all that a million times over. So, how about some Speedmasters you’ve not seen instead?

When a technology has been around as long as the mechanical watch has, it can be hard to think of something new—but that hasn’t stopped Maurice LaCroix from trying. Can we uncover the mystery of the aptly named Mysterious Seconds?

It seems that there’s a new high-end luxury company emerging every day, making diamond-covered mobile phones or clothes made out of crocodile faces or perhaps even yachts that turn into helicopters. It’s the clock-radio industry of the modern elite, creating desirability by combing two things that already exist to invent something that doesn’t—and more importantly, that you don’t already have. It’s no wonder, then, that so many of these brands disappear almost as fast as they materialise, so what does it take to stick around?

If you’re into your watches, chances are there’s a Rolex itch you’ve just got to scratch. Ten years ago, that would’ve been fine, with a Submariner setting you back around £2,500. But with today’s prices, that same Submariner now starts at over double that, and Rolex ownership is becoming more and more of a pipe dream—or so it seems, because all is not lost, not yet. Here are three ways to get into Rolex ownership without breaking the bank.

Two watch brands: one is founded half a century before the other, repeatedly obliterates accuracy competitions with clean sweeps and unbroken records, is selected by numerous global institutions to provide timekeeping—and the other is Rolex. With the five-pointed crown’s domination in this present era of watchmaking, it’s hard to believe that Rolex is, really, the new kid in town. Is it starting to show?

I’ll level with you—it’s hard to pitch a wristwatch that costs £40,000 as a bargain, but there’s a logic to the suggestion that an A. Lange & Söhne sitting in that price bracket presents something of a value opportunity—albeit to a very select few. Tell you what, let’s take this back a step and start by looking at a watch that just might be the quintessential endgame piece: the Patek Philippe 5146. All will make sense very soon.