Breitling Colt

If you’re gonna spring for a quartz-powered tool watch, a Breitling Colt should be at the top of your list.  Launched in the 1980s, the Colt was intended as a military timepiece, but its good looks, practical feature set, and myriad styles and sizes has since made it a favorite of civilians everywhere. Available in both quartz and mechanical versions, the former are truly excellent value for money —  especially if you can find a cool model from the 1990s or early 2000s. This particular variant, a Reference A17388, dates to the circa 2010s. Housed in a 44mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, and a steel unidirectional timing bezel with Breitling’s famed ‘rider tabs’ for easy grip, it features a matte white dial with applied luminous indices, a matching handset with a red-tipped seconds hand, an inner 24-hour scale, and a date window at 3:00. Fitted to a stainless steel slant-link bracelet with a signed fliplock clasp and a robust automatic-winding movement within, this is a watch that’s truly ready for anything!