A Blast From The Past: The 90’s Most Popular Watches

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Last Updated on June 30, 2021

Watches in the 90s aren’t that different from the ones today. They became popular due to the rich and famous, but many cost an arm and a leg.

We’ve touched on some of the most popular ones below. Get ready for a blast from the past!

Omega Sea Master 300 M 

Omega Sea Master 300 M
Omega Sea Master 300 M

The Sea Master is stunning. With one look at it, you’ll know that it costs thousands of dollars. It’s no surprise that James Bond wore it. In Pierce Brosnan’s debut as 007, he had the Sea Master by his side.

In his subsequent appearances, he wore a Sea Master too. But it wasn’t the original. It was the Mechanical Professional Chromometer. 

The timepiece became very popular with James Bond fans, becoming regarded as the “James Bond Watch”. The thing about the Sea Master is, Invicta has duped it well. You’ll see countless of them in the Invicta watches review guides. 

Panerai Luminor ‘Sly Tech’

Panerai Luminor Sly Tech 90s Watch
Panerai Luminor ‘Sly Tech’

Panerai was a watch manufacturer trying to make it big. Sylvester Stallone brought them to the limelight. He picked a Panerai watch up from a store in Rome. He wore it in the 90’s hit, Daylight. Ever since then, he’s been an avid fan. 

His followers made Panerai blow-up. He issued another run of the “sly tech”, and gave it to many of his friends. With the watch being on many A-lister’s wrists, it was everywhere.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off Shore

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off Shore
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off Shore

Audemars is very expensive. The Piguet ties close with the Panerai Sly Tech. Sylvester Stallone is said to have gifted the timepiece to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator was fond of the Piguet Royal Oak Offshore instead.

He was seen wearing it all the time in the 90s. This isn’t a surprise as it looks like a million bucks, yet it isn’t dainty. It’s a thick watch, made for muscular men. You can buy it here

Because someone of his caliber wore it all the time, the watch became extremely popular. 

Omega Speed Master Reduced “Schumacher” 

Omega Speed Master Reduced “Schumacher”
Omega Speed Master Reduced “Schumacher” 

Produced in the 90s, the watch is an alternative to Omega’s Speed Master Professional. It doesn’t look that different from its counterpart. It’s smaller, which is about it. This is a sigh of relief as its counterpart is huge. 

The watch comes with a sharp red dial. It’s eye-catching, to say the least. The fact that it has an almost neon-yellow hand makes it extra attention-grabbing. 

Quartz watches were popular up until the 90s. The Speed Master along with the other luxury watches on our list still used automatic mechanisms. This made them stand out. 

If you didn’t guess it, it costs a lot of money. Omega’s a luxury brand, which is why this watch was a favourite for the rich and famous. 

Nomos Ludwig

Nomos Ludwig Watch
Nomos Ludwig

European watches are the epitome of craftsmanship. Watches from Germany are especially great. If you’re interested in a piece from the region, you probably have your eye on a Nomos. 

The brand came into being after the reunification of Germany. They’re one of the 5 brands that put Germany on the map. Nomos’ Ludwig piece is what got the ball rolling. 

It’s uber minimalistic. It has thin hands and string-like Roman numerals. There’s a sub-dial for the seconds passed. You probably won’t notice it as it’s so small. 

During the era of quartz watches, the Ludwig stood out. It had the Peseux 7001 automatic movement inside of it. It moved like butter. Nomos automatic pieces don’t come with Peseux mechanisms anymore. 

Audemars Piguet Star Wheel

Audemars Piguet Star Wheel
Audemars Piguet Star Wheel

Take a look at the star wheel – it just has one. There are no hands on its dial. You’ll be reading the time with sapphire discs. They rotate, acting as its hands. It looks cool, but the watch is confusing to read. 

The watch is very quirky. More importantly, it looks like something from the 1700s. As you can imagine, this is what made it popular in the 90s. 

Being an Audemars watch, it isn’t a surprise that it costs as much as a car. The discs aren’t just any material. They’re sapphire crystal

Rolex Daytona 

Rolex Daytona watch
Rolex Daytona 

The 90s were huge on expensive watches. They especially loved vintage pieces. This trend started in the 80s, due to the Italians.

If you think of an expensive brand, Rolex would be the first thing that would come to mind. They fed the vintage crave with the Daytona. In the early 90s, it was at its height. 

When most people imagine a Rolex piece, they will be thinking about the watch. The thing is, it’s one of the most expensive timepieces ever made. It was especially popular with musicians. You’d see rappers flaunting it. 

A.Lange & Söhne Lange 1 

A.Lange & Söhne Lange watch
A.Lange & Söhne Lange 1 

Along with Nomos, A. Lange & Söhne is a popular German watchmaker. The brand has a better reputation than Nomos. It along with Nomos revived the German watch industry. One of their pieces that did this was the Lange 1. It was released in 1991 and is revered amongst watch enthusiasts. 

It was very common in the 90s as it signified craftsmanship. To this day, the watch is still an icon.

It’s minimalistic but not boring. It has sub-dials in unusual positions, with different textures. Is the watch expensive? Definitely, but so is every good thing in life. 

Author Bio: Everton Souza has always had a love for watches. Although he spends his time as a software engineer, he runs a watch-blog called Wrist Watch Pro during his free time. He’s an avid watch collector, so he knows what he’s talking about. When he’s not working on his blog or at work, you can find him with his second passion – photography.