a friend is seeking to begin collecting vintage chronographs, and he has started with a Heuer Carrera (re-issue, shown below, on the right).

so now he asks the question, if he wants a sampling of brands, eras and "looks", what might the top five be ? ? ? The chronos can either be vintage or re-issues that are true to the originals; must be wearable / reliable, rather than museum pieces; under $5K per chrono, even better if under $3K. He is looking for the icons, the chronos that are considered to be the "classics".

I have suggested an Omega Speedmaster as the next addition to his collection; perhaps a Breitling Navitimer after that . . . so what do the experts recommend?

Thanks for your responses.

Jeff