While I'm not in the market for a 10,000 dollar Rolex or Panerai, I was in the market for an upscale Seiko with bold design, large lume markers and sapphire crystal. Enter the Seiko SNDA59, which I consider the jewel of my collection. With a 50mm bezel, this Seiko plays big on the wrist yet at the same time has a nice sophisticated Rolex vibe going on. My neighbor, who wore a Rolex, while fitting my Seiko for my wrist, loves it and I didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him what was going on in my head: My Seiko looks ten times' better than his Rolex.

With my 7.5 inch wrist, two links were removed and my neighbor used a paper clip to shorten the length of the bracelet. With the large crown, you don't want too loose a fit; otherwise, the crown will dig into your hand. With a perfect fit, I now wear the SNDA59 comfortably.

While the usual price of this watch, $450-475, isn't cheap; it's far less than the aforementioned Rolex and Panerai and provides a lot of bang for the buck at the low luxury level. Highly recommended. Please look at photos.