It’s hard to imagine that only a few years ago, the term “smartwatch” was not part of our vocabulary. Now, many watch companies are making tech watches, and the technology and interface continues to improve.
There are smartwatches in every price range. And while a higher price tag doesn’t always mean a better watch, it often equates to better quality, nicer design features, better durability and more. So when it comes to fancy smart watches, you may want to look in the higher price range.
When choosing the best smartphone watch for you, there are many considerations, including the features most important to you. Do you need GPS, or would you prefer to be able to download maps to your watch? Do you want to receive smartphone notifications?
Would you like features specific to a sport, like hiking or sailing? Or maybe you want to know about tech watches that have it all. A smartwatch is capable of doing so much, basically performing like a smartphone on your wrist.
Let’s take a look at our picks for the most expensive smartwatches, and what to look for when choosing yours.
Best High End Smartwatches
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| 1
Best Overall
1Movado Gold Smartwatch
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| 3
Best For Low Budgets
3Casio Pro Trek Smartwatch
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| 5
Best For Higher Budgets
5Breitling Exospace B55 Smartwatch
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1. Movado Gold Smartwatch
- Features the Movado iconic black, minimalist face and single sun dot dial
- Pair it with an Apple iPhone or Android device to view phone data and prominent functions, like incoming phone call notifications, text and social media messages, e-mails, Google Fit data and your favorite music and apps
- Wi-fi and bluetooth connectivity
- 24-hour battery life
There’s no mistaking this as anything but Movado, with its iconic black, minimalist watch face and the single sun dot dial.
You can change it up with customizable Movado dial designs. The round digital dial is stainless steel, with a LED 400 x 400 resolution display.
Connect to your smartphone to get emails, texts, and control your music.
You can also use Google Assistant on the watch to get answers to questions, perform tasks, control apps and devices, receive commute information, find directions, and more.
Connect to Google Fit to use it for sports and fitness. Use it to make secure payments from Connect with Android Pay.
It’s compatible with iOS or Android technology and has Wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The watch also has 512 MB of memory and 4 GB of storage. Battery life is 24 hours and is charged with the included charging cable.
Specifications
Pros
- Syncs with either Android or IOS devices
- It’s like a smartphone for your wrist, with a multitude of features
- Great display with LED 400 x 400 resolution
- 512 MB of memory and 4 GB of storage
Cons
- One-day battery may not be enough for some users
- The style is more dressy than sporty
2. Garmin MARQ Captain Smartwatch
- Dual-color nautical design with advanced nautical features
- Domed sapphire lens
- Display is always on
- Features a 1.81-inch regatta timer bezel
Garmin’s GPS technology combines with advanced nautical features to bring you the “Captain” of watches for sailing and much more.
The GPS sailing features include speed, distance and heading. There’s a virtual starting line function, man overboard function and time-to-burn calculator.
Combine it with a compatible sensor to get tack assist. There is also preloaded marine mapping that includes GPS navigation, maritime profiles, weather forecasts, home port conditions and more.
The water resistance to 328 feet means you can enjoy time above and below the water without worrying about your timepiece. A regatta timer bezel surrounds the watch face, and a Quick Fit mechanism makes the jacquard-weave nylon strap easy to adjust.
Specifications
Pros
- Water resistant to 328 feet (100 meters)
- Offers a multitude of GPS sailing features, including speed and distance, heading, a virtual starting line, tack assist, and more
- Also has preloaded marine mapping with GPS navigation, maritime profiles and weather forecasts, and more
- Strap features Quick Fit mechanism
Cons
- Tack assist requires a separate compatible sensor
- Multiple sailing functions may be overkill for those who don’t sail
3. Casio Pro Trek Smartwatch
- Durable resin case and resin strap
- Analog watch face
- Connect to your phone via Bluetooth to receive all of your notifications, or connect with Wi-fi to get additional notifications like email or access to apps
- Sunrise, sunset and tide information
Casio, the company that brought us calculators, continues to expand its repertoire of watches, and with this watch it pushes forward.
The timepiece has GPS and color map functionality that can be used offline. Use it for almost any outdoor activity, with its water resistance, GPS and activity tracker.
You can utilize the easy-to-read map data from Map box, which is used worldwide, and the Location Memory app lets you customize maps by adding markers and notes.
You get the ABC capacity of an altimeter, a barometer, and digital compass, and there’s also sunrise, sunset and tide information. When you’re on a particularly long adventure, you can adjust the settings to preserve battery life. It’s also rugged with military standard 810 gram durability.
Specifications
Pros
- Adjust the settings to get one month of battery life in Timepiece mode, or use GPS and get 25 hours
- Features the ABC functions of an altimeter, barometer, and digital compass
- Activity tracker with activity apps to provide you with stats on your favorite activities, including map tracking, for trekking, paddling, skiing and snowboarding, cycling and fishing
- Location Memory lets you track your route and note locations on the map
Cons
- Water resistant to 165 feet (50 meters), which makes it suitable for short periods of time in the water, but not suitable for diving or snorkeling
- No heart rate functionality with the activity tracker
4. TAG Heuer 45 Men's smartwatch
- Scratch-resistant Sapphire crystal
- Bluetooth and Wi-fi connectivity
- Compatible with Android 4.4 or higher devices and IOS 9+ or higher
- Has a gyroscope with tilt detection, chronograph, alarm, and timer
Luxury meets sporty functionality with this premium smartwatch from TAG Heuer.
The all-black design features a titanium case, matte black ceramic bezel and durable black rubber watch strap. The screen has exceptional clarity with an AMOLED touch display.
It connects via Bluetooth or Wi-fi.
The watch has a multitude of functions, including date, alarm and timer, chronograph, GPS, accelerometer, a gyroscope with tilt detection and an ambient light sensor. It comes with 512MB of main memory and 4GB of storage. It’s water resistant to 165 feet (50 meters).
Specifications
Pros
- The AMOLED touch display provides exceptional clarity
- 512MB Main Memory with 4GB Storage Memory
- Durable design with a titanium case and rubber strap
- GPS functionality
Cons
- Water resistance to 165 feet (50 meters) may not be enough for some users
- Battery life is dependent on features being used
5. Breitling Exospace B55 Smartwatch
- Electronic and analog LCD digital display
- Pair it with your smartphone
- Durable construction, featuring a black titanium case and blue rubber strap
- Multitude of features, including a backlight, date, chronograph with lap and flight times, an electronic tachymeter feature, a countdown timer and more
Just because this watch is a top-of-the-line model doesn’t mean it’s intended for only evenings out or black-tie events. In fact, it’s built for your outdoor adventures with a durable design that includes a black titanium case, a rubber strap, a scratch-resistant Sapphire crystal and water resistance to 330 feet (100 meters).
Pair it with your smartphone, with Bluetooth connectivity. Enjoy the multitude of features, including coordinated universal time, and read it easily with the luminescent hands and hour markers. Features an electronic, analog and LCD digital display.
Specifications
Pros
- UTC Worldtime (coordinated universal time) feature
- Water resistant to 330 feet (100 meters)
- Luminescent hands and hour markers
- End of life indicator
Cons
- Even among luxury watches, the price tag may be too steep for some
- Not everyone will like the bright blue rubber strap
Luxury Smartwatch Buying Guide
Type
Many smartwatches have digital functionality, particularly those that display maps, allow for location tracking and more. But there are still those smartwatches that are the analog type.
Smartwatches that connect to phones are almost always built to work with either Android devices or Apple iOs devices. Some have specific features like connection to Google Fit, Google Assistant or Google Pay.
The type of smartwatch you choose may be driven by personal preference for a specific brand name. Expensive smartwatches are also a fashion statement, and an expression of wealth and prestige, so a brand name that packs that kind of punch may be the type of high tech watch you choose.
Design & Style
Our choice of expensive smartwatches includes those that are sporty, including one with a nautical design. Others may have the functionality of a smartwatch but are first and foremost a fashion watch.
There are analog and digital options. Those with more functions generally have a digital style screen to display the many features, including maps, GPS, activity tracking and more.
Color of the case and band may be important to you, in which case there are many options from which to choose among expensive smartwatches.
Materials
The price of an expensive smartwatch usually equates to quality materials. Durable smartwatches are made with titanium. Most have scratch-resistant and/or anti-reflective crystals protecting the watch face. Some have AMOLED touch displays that provide exceptional clarity on the digital screen. Strap materials also vary but are often durable rubber, silicone or resin to handle some adventure.
Your choice of materials on your watch may be a function of the look of the watch, but could also be based on what you’ll be doing with the watch. If you plan to do some extreme sports, your choice of materials may be different than if you’ll basically be wearing it to the office.
Some are traditional and dressy looking, and others are sporty looking with more durable materials that let you do more with them.
There is a variation in water resistance among smartwatches, so it’s important to know if you need a watch with enough water resistance for a few splashes, or if you need even more resistance to allow for swimming, or even diving.
Features
The features and functions on an expensive smartwatch can vary, just as with any other watch type. But generally a smartwatch will have added capabilities beyond a simple timepiece. They usually have Bluetooth connectivity and often Wi-fi as well. They connect to a smartphone, allowing you to receive calls, texts, emails and calendar reminders.
Some expensive smartwatches have specific features, like a nautical watch that includes sailing functionality like a virtual starting line, man overboard function and more. GPS is common, and some allow you to download maps, mark locations and more. Some allow you to download apps to your watch, or connect to Google Assistant to let you ask questions of your wristwatch.
Some of them have what’s known as ABC capability, which means the watch has an altimeter, a barometer, and a compass. And some of them are music players. Some have activity trackers, with functionality for specific sports. There are also those with UTC Worldtime, the coordinated universal time that ensures accuracy.
The specific features of an expensive smartwatch are as varied as the users who are wearing them.
Pricing Range
Even the definition of “expensive” has a wide range. The cost of a smart watch in our reviews goes as high as several thousand dollars. And then there are those available that don’t cost as much, but still deliver the luxury and functions of a more expensive option. The choice is up to you and your budget.
Our Verdict
Expensive smartwatches are made by a variety of high-end watch companies. In some instances, the brand name itself denotes luxury and a bigger price tag.
With others, the features and functions of the watch, along with the design and materials, result in a higher cost.
When you’re choosing among the best fancy smartwatches for you, you can consider design, materials, and of course features and functions. Some have an analog display, others are digital, and others have watch faces that can be customized. With Wi-fi and bluetooth capacity, smartwatches can do even more.
The brand name may even be important to you. And then there may be specific needs, such as functionality for sailing, or for hiking.
Whatever you choose from our list of the best expensive smartwatches, you won’t go wrong with these choices.
