Tim Mosso's "Watches Tonight" investigates luxury watches you should consider "hot" and others you should consider "hype." Today's show includes guidance on how to collect watches without becoming fixated on Rolex watches, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and F.P. Journe. For watch buyers who prize originality and durability, Tim also shares his favorite luxury watches that resist scratches and never require refinishing.

The Rolex Daytona is a legend. It's also an unhealthy fixation. Current preowned pricing for the standard steel-ceramic Rolex Daytona 116500LN ranges from $33,000 to $40,000, and that's unreasonable for a sports chronograph that retails for $13,150 when new. Obviously, the Cosmograph Daytona is shrouded in legendary history and its allure as the flagship chronograph of Rolex. But look beyond the brand name and social media saturation, and appealing Rolex alternatives become apparent.

As an alternative to the Rolex Daytona, consider the new 2021 Bulgari Octo Finissimo S Chronograph GMT in stainless steel for $16,500. This dual time chronograph builds on the success of 2019's Octo Finissimo GMT Chrongraph by adding a lumed dial, a stainless steel case, and 100-meter water resistance. The ultra-thin Bulgari caliber BVL318 provides 55 hours of power reserve via a platinum peripheral rotor, and the 3.3mm thick movement was derived from the caliber BVL288 in the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatique. Moreover, the new Bulgari Chronograph GMT includes a sharp inverse-panda dial in silver and blue.

A 2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-014 recently auctioned for over 320,000 euros at Antiquorum in Monaco. That's insane money for a stainless steel Patek 5711 with a green dial and... nothing else to justify this kind of money. That Nautilus retails for $34,890, and thousands like it -- albeit with blue and silver dials -- exist in circulation. Social media loves the Nautilus 5711, and that's not helping the situation. It's time to look at the princely haul of watches and wheels you could obtain for the cost of this mollusk-inspired sports watch.

The Patek Nautilus is a watch design landmark, but we're at the point where you could buy with the same money a Patek Philippe 5070J chronograph, a Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self Winding 4500V, a Jaeger LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater in platinum, and a 2009 Bentley Brooklands coupe. At that point, you have an entire vault and garage full of lifestyle accessories to help you forget about the Patek Philippe.

Audemars Piguet watches are hot right now. Correction: Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks are hot right now. And the Royal Oak Jumbo 15202ST is the hottest Royal Oak of them all. Based on Gerald Genta's 1972 Royal Oak 5402, the "Jumbo" is AP's definitive watch. It's also in its final year, and the original Royal Oak is about to be discontinued. Translation: AP Royal Oak "Jumbo" prices are too high. What could you get for $100,000? instead of a preowned stainless steel Royal Oak?

How about replacing that overpriced Audemars with a magnificent complicated timepiece. How about making that replacement a true grand complication? Thanks to the 1990-2010 IWC Grande Complication 3770, this unlikely swap is possible. 42mm in platinum or rose gold, the IWC Grande Complication includes a chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar. Moreover, it includes automatic winding and a moonphase disc made of aventurine glass. Even better, all versions of this watch can be purchased used for under $100,000, which leaves money for factory mechanical service down the line.

Buy hot watches, not hyped watches; WatchBox shows you how! This episode also includes watch collector wrist shots from our global audience.

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