Nice Times Twice: Automatic chronographs, $11,200 each at Louis Vuitton.

Watches Directory

Aaron Faber Gallery
666 Fifth Ave., nr. 53rd St.
212-586-8411
aaronfaber.com
These masters of the hard-to-find usually have a strong selection of styles from companies like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Omega in stock. One recent find: a two-tone mint-condition Rolex from the thirties ($7,350). If they don’t have what you’re after, they’ll do their best to find it.

Around the Clock in Soho
54 Macdougal St., nr. Houston St.
212-475-3820
Everyone will find something to love in this quirky neighborhood shop. A pre-owned IWC Chrono piece will run you as much as $2,500, but a British military watch will set you back a mere $395.

Asprey
723 Fifth Avenue, at 56th St.
212-688-1811
asprey.com
At Asprey, they love all things 1890s. The No. 8 Collection takes the retro look and applies some modern technology; one of the models can be wound just once a week. To go with your wedding-day formalwear, the No. 8 Rectangular Automatic ($8,900) is a lean watch that oozes class.

Bloomingdale's
1000 Third Ave., at 59th St., main fl., arcade, and balcony
212-705-2000
bloomingdales.com
This bustling department store is pushing fancier brands than it used to-Coach and Burberry are edging out Kenneth Cole, Guess, and Fossil-so prices now top out at $2,100.

Bulgari
730 Fifth Ave., at 57th St.
212-315-9000
bulgari.com
For attention-grabbing timepieces, look no further. From the diamond inlays to mother-of-pearl detailing, Bulgari watches demand to be noticed. Reach for the slightly more understated Amphiteatro (from $5,800), which makes an elegant wedding-day choice.

Cartier
653 Fifth Ave., at 52nd St.
212-753-0111
828 Madison Ave., at 69th St.
212-472-6400
cartier.com
In certain rarefied circles, a Cartier watch is as essential as an Hermès tie or an Armani suit. The classic leather-strapped men’s tank starts at $1,850; the sporty Roadster style runs from $3,800.

Cellini
509 Madison Ave., nr. 53rd St.
212-888-0505
The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel,
301 Park Ave., nr. 49th St.
212-751-9824
Cellini is known for its world-class selection of handcrafted watches. For $4,400, you can get a Panerai Luminor Marina automatic; if you’ve got money to burn, a rectangular steel Parmigiani Kalpa will set you back $17,000.

Central Watch Band Stand, Ltd.
Grand Central Terminal
212-685-1689
centralwatch.com
This tiny shop (more of a stall, really), filled with vintage Rolex, Cartier, and Gruen watches ($275–$4,000), isn’t easy to find—it’s in a corridor of Grand Central, next to the entrance to Track 38—but when you consider the large selection and relatively low prices, you’ll find that it’s well worth the effort to get there.

David Yurman
729 Madison Ave., at 64th St.
212-752-4255
davidyurman.com
Yurman may be best known for his fabulous women's watches-many of which have diamond bezels, pastel hues, or snazzy alligator straps-but his men's watches are just as elegant. From $1,800 to $15,000.

Fendi
720 Fifth Ave., at 56th St.
800-336-3469
800-953-3634
Classic Italian elegance on your wrist. The Zucca chronograph comes rimmed in bold stainless steel (from $595), while the Grand Tonneau, with its rounded oblong dial in shiny black, blue, or gray ($695), lives up to its laudatory title.

Fortunoff
681 Fifth Ave., nr. 54th St., second fl.
212-758-6660
fortunoff.com
This massive jewelry-and-silver emporium is a great place to browse for high-end European watches—Movado, Rado, Concord (the Saratoga starts at $1,890), TAG Heuer, Ebel, and other top makers. The selection of timepieces is so massive, it takes up an entire floor of the shop.

Fossil
530 Fifth Ave., at 45th St.
212-997-3978
103 Fifth Ave., at 18th St.
212-243-7296
541 Broadway, nr. Spring St.
212-274-9579
fossil.com
Fossil has been selling traditional, reasonably priced American watches ($39–$295) for more than twenty years. All are water-resistant to depths you’ll probably never experience, and come with an eleven-year warranty just in case you do.

Kenjo
40 W. 57th St., nr. Fifth Ave.
212-333-7220
40 Wall St., nr. William St.
212-402-7000
These stores carry high-end watches, like models from the hard-to-find Dubey & Schaldenbrand line with tonneau faces and oversize numerals ($3,000 and up). Other big sellers include Omega, IWC, and Breitling.

Lord & Taylor
424 Fifth Ave., at 39th St.
first fl.
212-391-3344
lordandtaylor.com
Among the sparkling, mirrored columns at this dependable department store, you'll find dozens of classic men's watches from affordable lines like Fossil, Kenneth Cole, and DKNY ($65-$195).

Louis Vuitton
1 E. 57th St., at Fifth Ave.
116 Greene St., nr. Prince St.
866-884-8866
vuitton.com
Vuitton’s Tambour watch collection hews to the classic LV palette: sand-colored dials, yellow second hands, and tan leather straps accented with yellow stitching ($2,000 and up). The Tourbillon justifies its enormous price tag ($200,000) by using the Earth’s gravity to keep ultraprecise time.

Photographed by Kenneth Chen.