GUILTLESS PLEASURES

Finding the sweet spot between desire and budget, we present a curated list of six watches that punch above their weight...including a perpetual calendar

- WORDS RUCKDEE CHOTJINDA AND ASHOK SOMAN

After a segment that saw the editors go all out, objectivity be damned, we tone it down a touch in an attempt to find sobriety.

The title says it all and we think these watches really do not break the bank or leverage you like an Al startup. The modern market is teeming with what we call “guiltless pleasures” — timepieces that offer robust engineering, historical significance, or impressive complications without the extra zeroes. Whether it is the pragmatic durability of Super Titanium, the retro charm of a TV-shaped case, or the technical marvel of a perpetual calendar that will not put your BTO dreams on hold, value is the order of the day. Here, we curate six standout mode.s that prove you can build a serious collection with a clear conscience.

CITIZEN ZENSHIN AUTOMATIC SMALL SECONDS

We begin with the first model for this article: the Citizen Zenshin Automatic Small Seconds. It is heartening to see Citizen giving this model a proper name, rather than just a string of letters and numbers, as it helps establish a distinct identity for the watch. This is seriously an issue with Japanese makers and we confess to being intimidated by the reference numbers. Rest assured though that even the brand executives do not recall all the references nor what they might mean. Happily, we can tell you that, in Japanese, “Zenshin” means progress, a fitting reflection of Citizen's forward-thinking vision. This brand was, after all, one of the first watchmakers to pioneer the use of titanium in timepieces, if not the first. That was way back in 1970.