Bhanu and I have made our pick of some of the most recent and desirable watches occupying the tough to choose low to mid-price market, priced low enough in most cases to be bunged on a credit card without causing too much post-Christmas financial indigestion. Whether as a treat for yourself, or as a link to be subtly sent to a loved one, our choices cover many sectors including dress watches, divers, pilots, and chronographs.

BHANU CHOPRA'S PICKS



When he is not being naughty, (which he is most of the time), and Santa is smiling upon him, these are the watches Bhanu would love to have on his Christmas list.

Tutima M2 Seven Seas - My "Divers'" Watch



I think this is a great diver watch and a worthy alternative to Tudor, which is on Christmas list of many folks. Bonus to me is that M2 Seven Seas is half the cost of Tudor. It has a lightweight titanium case, AR coated sapphire crystal, and good dive rating - all of these features makes this watch my choice for mid-priced divers. From $1,900.00 (on strap)

Mühle Glashütte ProMare Chronograph - My Sports Watch



All-rounder sports watch with two register chronograph. Mühle offers some of the best mid-priced tool watches ( read our report ) with great legibility, comfort for outdoor activities; you can even dive with it; and appreciate the details of the movement which has a patented woodpecker neck regulation - all of this packaged in a stylish dial. $4,399.00 on a stainless-steel bracelet.

Seiko Presage "Urushi Dial" Chronograph - My "Satisfy My Collector's Sweet Tooth" Watch



This is a Seiko 60th anniversary limited edition and makes you really appreciate the art of dial making. Great overall chronograph and certainly very collectible. Art of Urushi painting, Breguet hands, reliable in-house Seiko movement - all ingredients for a timeless classic. Japanese perfection packaged in mid-priced watch. Around $2,640.00

Stowa Flieger Klassik Sport Ikarus- My Hipster Gangnam Style Watch



There are a lot of watch companies from Switzerland and Germany offering flieger watches. Ikarus is a very unique dial and versatile enough to wear as sports or smart business attire, although you will see me wear this while hanging out in Gangnam or in Shinjuku. All the watch components come from the the top German or Swiss parts manufacturers, including reliable ETA movement. If you are looking to not put down a stack of cash for IWC brand name, Stowa will not only meet your flieger expectation, but exceed it. After all Stowa was one of the 5 original flieger manufactures along with IWC. $1,175.00

Glashütte Original Senator Excellence -My at a Stretch Christmas Bonus Dress Watch



If I am in splurging mood and Santa thinks I was not very naughty, I would ask Santa for the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence. One of the best designed and produced dial ( read our report ) from Glashütte Original, new slim movement with 100-hour power reserve, and 24 days of thorough testing. It is a great dress watch and sure to get you a compliment, even from a Patek collector. Around $9,700.00

MICHAEL WEARE'S PICKS



And here are some excellent but affordable watches I have seen this year and would be more than happy to receive if anyone should deem to be so generous.

Ralf Tech WRX "A" Night Automatic -My 'Get Your Hands Off My Diver' Diver



Precision, legibility, and smoldering good looks from a diver capable of following you 500 meters underwater. Powered by an RTA002 movement based on the trusty ETA 2824-2, the watch is limited to only 100 pieces so exclusivity is guaranteed. Around $2,285.00

Hamilton Broadway Auto Chrono - My All-American Chronograph



On show at Baselworld earlier this year, the Broadway collection celebrates Hamilton's illustrious American heritage taking its inspiration from the New York skyline. The Broadway Auto Chrono combines a classy case design with a sporty tachymeter scale. With Day/Date at 3 o'clock, I'll have mine on a triple-row stainless steel bracelet to go. Approx: $1870.00

Gerlach Bomber Pilot's watch - My 'I Wish I Could Fly' Pilot's Watch



The chocks were recently pulled away on Polish brand G. Gerlach's new bomber pilot's chronograph, dedicated to the Polish bomber of the 1930s, the PZL 37B. The mechanical chrono runs on a Seagull ST1902, a movement with a great reputation among all collectors. The watch has a rotating inner bezel, and the dial has all the machismo and derring-do a bomber pilot would want. Around $466.00

Casio Edifice EQB700 - My "Constant Traveler" Watch



With just the press of a button and the download of the Casio Watch app, you can link the EQB700 to your smart phone and auto correct the watch in over 300 cities worldwide. You can also swap your specified home time and world time with the press of a button, as well as update alarms and other time settings, including automatic adjustments for Daylight Saving Time. A 3-dimensional World Time Dial near the 8 o'clock position displays the current time in a second location. All this for only $380.00

Perrelet Turbine Pilot Grand Raid - My 'Bit of a Stretch But Available on Credit' Pilots Watch



Released a couple of months ago and based on the runaway (or should that be runway) success of the Perrelet Turbine series, the Turbine Pilot Grand Raid is a limited-edition piece of just 100 units, which pairs deep black with a tactile warm beige strap to great effect. This Turbine Pilot model couples the turbine with a circular slide-rule, a technical feature that gives pilots' watches their instantly recognizable style. It's a 48mm watch powered by the P-331 Perrelet Manufacture automatic movement. Produced in-house, this movement offers a power reserve of 42 hours and is water-resistant to 5 ATM. Priced at £5700.00 in the UK, but available on monthly installments.