Sam and Mario go head-to-head as they draft five-watch teams in QLD red and NSW blue for the State of Origin! With a budget of $100,000, who has the better selection?
Today marks the 45th anniversary of State of Origin. Every year, Australia’s greatest rivalry is reignited as dream teams from Queensland and New South Wales square off in a best-of-three rugby league series. Even those who don’t follow rugby league often gear up in their state’s colours, looking to support their team for the year’s trophy and bragging rights.
With the kick-off fast approaching, competitive tension is building between residents of each state. It’s even spilled over into here at Watch Advice, with Queenslander Sam challenging Sydneysider Mario to a collection showdown. Each writer had to draft five watches in their State of Origin team colours across several categories: dress, dive, chronograph, GMT, and sport. The catch? They only had AU$100,000 to do it.
It’s a game of strategy: which categories offer the best bang for buck, and where do they want to place their heavy hitters? Most importantly, whose collection comes out on top? While Watch Advice is based in Queensland, we’re not here to judge — that’s where you come in! Read on, see what they selected, and tell us who won!
Sameera’s Queensland (Maroon/Red) Team
Going head-to-head with Mario on red versus blue picks for State of Origin was certainly fun, and with an AUD $100,000 price cap, it made things even more interesting. With five categories involved, we had to be strategic with our choices because this is a competition after all. Queensland will always be my team; however, in this case, I felt like I drew the short straw, as there are so many more blue dial options to choose from. That doesn’t mean we won’t put up a fight, though!
Dress: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds
So I’m starting off this State of Origin clash with a heavy hitter, and one that I think Mario and his NSW side will have a hard time trying to beat without blowing the budget! With a budget of AUD $100,000, there are so many choices on offer, but if you aren’t too careful, you can end up spending big on the first few watches and, before you know it, there isn’t much left to compete with. There are several heavy-hitting dress watches on the market, especially if you’re looking to spend around AUD $30,000 to $40,000.
Personally, I’ve gone for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most iconic watch, the Reverso, this time dressed in a beautiful pink gold case. This Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds screams elegance and luxury, and with it being a single-face model, it leaves plenty of room for some personal customisation on the caseback (perhaps the 2026 trophy?). The beautiful red dial is also hard to look away from, and combined with the pink gold hands, indices, and dial details, I knew this watch had to be in the collection as soon as I saw it!
What makes it even more special and relevant to this head-to-head competition is that the Reverso already has a sporting background, with the timepiece created specifically for polo players during the Art Deco period in 1931. So while this pick may look like pure refinement, there’s still a competitive spirit built into its DNA, which makes it a fitting opening choice for Team Queensland!
Reference: Q713256J
Price: AU$40,000
For more information: Jaeger-LeCoultre.com
Dive: Montblanc Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen Limited Edition
For the dive watch category, I’ve held back on the spending and chosen to keep it below AUD $10,000. There are still plenty of great choices within this limit, and I’ve decided to go with something that may not get the same spotlight as some of the more popular models in this segment.
I’ve always liked Montblanc’s Iced Sea Automatic Dive Watches. These timepieces feature dials inspired by the glaciers of the mountains surrounding Switzerland, usually around Mont Blanc, while also extending to other nearby landscapes. The models feature a clean, legible design, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and 300m of water resistance, giving them all the right characteristics that make up a reliable and easy-to-use dive watch.
This Montblanc Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen Limited Edition takes things a bit further, with the 38mm stainless steel case totally devoid of oxygen, allowing for accurate timekeeping even in the harshest cold-weather conditions. What makes this timepiece even more special is the glacial-inspired pattern on the dial, which was achieved using an almost-forgotten ancestral technique called gratté-boisé. As Montblanc states, this gives the impression of “looking into the depths of a glacier,” with the dial itself inspired by Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France. It doesn’t get much cooler than that for a dive watch! Pun very much intended.
Reference: MB135762
Price: AU$7,770
For more information: Montblanc.com.au
Chronograph: Breitling Professional Endurance Pro 44 IRONMAN® 70.3 World Championship 2024
For the sports-chronograph selection, I wanted to go with a watch that the players could actively wear during training or intense exercise, while once again, keeping the cost to a relative minimum. Breitling’s Professional Endurance Pro collection fits this criteria perfectly, with the timepieces crafted specifically for use during triathlon events. It is designed as the ultimate “athleisure” watch, combining high-precision athletic timing with extreme lightweight comfort.
I chose the IRONMAN® 70.3 World Championship 2024 edition specifically, as not only is this timepiece dedicated to the best of the best, but the red details on the crown, dial, and rubber strap make it perfectly suited to the Queensland Maroons.
The 44mm case is crafted from Breitlight®, helping keep the watch incredibly light, while the 100m water resistance, SuperQuartz™ movement, and 1/10th-second chronograph make it more than capable of handling the intensity of training or game-day preparation. Most importantly, it gives the collection a fun and practical sports-watch option without eating too heavily into the overall budget.
Reference: X823107C1M1S1
Price: AU$5,890
For more information: Breitling.com.au
GMT: Grand Seiko SBGJ273
For the choice of GMT, I once again had to be a bit restrictive (I’m really hoping this strategy pays off!), as I wanted to save my second heavy hitter for last. We have to be strategic here! But that doesn’t mean I can’t find a GMT that still puts up a fight. While Mario’s Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante is an incredible timepiece and the more obvious luxury flex, with its rattrapante complication and guilloché dial, I’m keeping things sharp for Team Queensland with the Grand Seiko SBGJ273.
Known as the “Yuka Momiji,” this GMT features a stunning red dial that Grand Seiko describes as a “red stripe pattern polished to a bright sheen, bringing to mind a quintessentially Japanese scene of the autumn leaves being reflected in lacquered flooring.” Beyond the beautiful colour, this is also a serious travel watch. The stainless steel case measures 39.5mm in diameter, while inside sits Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat 36000 GMT Calibre 9S86, an automatic movement with a 55-hour power reserve and an independently adjustable hour hand for easy time-zone changes while travelling.
What I love about this choice is that it brings together beauty, functionality, and proper watchmaking. The Parmigiani certainly has the name and luxury appeal, but this Grand Seiko gives Queensland a red-dial GMT with serious mechanical substance, a travel-friendly movement that is also incredibly accurate, and just enough elegance to hold its own!
Reference: SBGJ273
Price: AU$10,900
For more information: GrandSeiko.com.au
Sports – Chronoswiss Evolution ReSec Vertical Red
It’s down to the last category, the decider. With me being a bit conservative for the last three choices, it has left me some wiggle room to spend on this final timepiece, with approximately AUD $35,440 available for a sports watch. Now, you may think that with this amount I should be able to find something quite easily, but as I started to research, it quickly dawned on me that this was much, much harder than it seemed.
Firstly, my main roadblock was finding a red-themed sports watch, whether through the dial, bezel, or even strap colour, that could compete with Mario’s Baume & Mercier. Then I had to make sure I spent as much of the remaining budget as possible. If anything, this whole exercise showed me that brands need to do more red dials! With this criteria, it narrowed my search field quite a bit, but after some time frantically searching for the “right” watch, I came across the Chronoswiss ReSec Vertical Red Manufacture.
I wanted something bold, red, and completely different from the usual choices. An “ace up my sleeve,” if you will. The Chronoswiss ReSec Vertical Red Manufacture may not be a traditional sports watch, but with its Grade 5 titanium case, red rubber strap, 100 metres of water resistance, and striking red CVD-coated dial, it has enough sporting credentials to make sense, while giving Team Queensland a serious independent-watch wildcard!
My total budget for this State of Origin clash came to roughly AUD $89,000 of spending. I still had $11,000 left over, which means it’s going to be an epic party if we win!
Reference: CH-6923T.1-ARDB
Price: € 14’800,00 (Approx. AUD $24,056)
For more information: Chronoswiss.com
Mario’s New South Wales (Blue) Team
When we first discussed this State of Origin idea, I told my initial picks to Sam, who immediately looked to counter with his admittedly strong collections. That’s why, unbeknownst to him, I’ve made a few changes to my $100,000 lineup, pushing it as close as I can to the red line. Either way, my selection of watches should prove to him – and all of you – that the Blues are best.
Dress: Tutima Patria
I’d originally set an easygoing budget piece as my dress watch pick; an honourable mention goes to the Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase. But really, it came down to a toss-up between my love of the quartz dress watch and my desire for something a little more… well, German.
Meet the Tutima Patria: a 41mm premium dress watch from the highly underrated Glashütte brand. It’s a purist’s watch in every sense of the word, from the architectural lines to the onion crown, all brought together by a contemporary ice-blue dial. The Patria is further modernised by its grade 5 titanium case construction, delivering an unparalleled lightness on the wrist.
By all accounts, it’s the polar opposite of Sam’s red Reverso: lightweight, sleek and, of course, round. By no means is it any less mechanically accomplished, though, with the manual-wind Calibre Tutima 617 showcasing some of the very best elements of German watchmaking design.
Reference: 6612-11
Price: AU$14,500
For more information: Tutima.com
Dive: Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver
Sam’s Montblanc was certainly an inspired pick, but when it came to dive watches, there was only one choice in mind for my State of Origin team. That watch is none other than the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver, Ref. SLGB023. Not only is it a mouthful to say, but it’s also a world-beater in both mechanics and design.
Now, the term “Sub-killer” is heavily overused, and about as believable as the boy who cried wolf. But when I first saw and read about this watch, my eyes were opened. This is a “Sub-killer” in every sense of the word. Between the 40.8mm case in high-intensity titanium, the stunning blue dial finish and the refined case silhouette, this Grand Seiko diver feels almost entirely faultless.
And I haven’t even mentioned the movement yet. U.F.A. stands for “Ultra-Fine Accuracy”, and this watch absolutely lives up to the name. Some of the world’s best mechanical accuracy standards, such as METAS’ Master Chronometer and Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer, operate within whole seconds-per-day tolerances. The Calibre 9RB1 U.F.A., by comparison, is rated to an astonishing three seconds per month, or 0.1 seconds per day. Perfect timing is important, both in horology and in State of Origin – and you can’t get better than this.
Reference: SLGB023
Price: AU$17,700
For more information: Grand-Seiko.com
Chronograph: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox
Okay, Sam’s Breitling Endurance might be my favourite pick from his team. It makes sense: it’s a sport-oriented watch that can take on just about anything. But I didn’t even think about trying to counter it when I landed on this classic. Or, more accurately, this modern classic.
Having experienced their watches for years, who was I to turn my back on TAG Heuer? We at Watch Advice have already sung plenty of praise for the Carrera Glassbox line, as have watch lovers around the world. At a Goldilocks case diameter of 39mm, it’s an easy-wearing watch that brings all the hallmarks of a proper racing chronograph into a compact, stylish package.
The brand’s major repositioning has perhaps been the best thing to happen to TAG Heuer in years. Its renewed focus on both mechanical excellence and refined, heritage-inspired design has made it a serious competitor in the watch space. The Calibre TH20-00 is a perfect example of that, delivering a whopping 80 hours of power reserve and cementing the Carrera Glassbox as a cool and capable chronograph, making it the perfect nomination for my State of Origin squad.
Reference: CBS2212.FC6535
Price: AU$10,850
For more information: TAGHeuer.com
GMT: Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante
This is the watch I’ve been building towards the whole time. Like Haumole Olakau’atu on the Blues, I wanted a heavy hitter that could stand alone, but shine within its State of Origin team. And I didn’t need to search far; I knew the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante was the one.
Though it’s one of my favourite watches of all time, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante also gave me the biggest headache. At CHF 29,300 (AU$52,218), it takes up more than half of my team’s entire budget. But every time I look at it, I know it’s absolutely worth it. The 40mm steel-and-platinum case, integrated bracelet, Grain d’Orge hand-guilloché dial and deep Milano blue finish make this watch an elegant yet modern centrepiece among my draft picks.
And then there’s the movement. The Calibre PF051’s GMT Rattrapante complication is perhaps the most intuitive interpretation of a GMT ever put into practice. Hidden beneath the hour hand is a tertiary golden hand, which can be adjusted to track a second time zone before snapping neatly back into place at the push of a button. It’s a wonder nobody thought of it sooner, but it’s exactly the kind of innovation that makes Parmigiani Fleurier such a compelling name in haute horlogerie. For that reason alone, it had to make my State of Origin team’s collection.
Reference: PFC905-1020001-100182-EN
Price: CHF 29,300 (AU$52,218)
For more information: Parmigiani.com
Sport: Baume & Mercier Riviera 36mm
In out State of Origin draft, the term ‘sports watch’ is a very freestyle category. But to me, it meant reasonable water resistance, easy wearability and versatile aesthetics. With just about AU$4,700 left, I had to be conscious about where I went for my final pick for the Blues.
But then I looked at the Baume & Mercier Riviera and realised the answer had been staring me in the face the whole time. If I was to have a versatile sports watch, it had to be one I’d be comfortable wearing every day. The 36mm Riviera is exactly that: bold in design, but delicately restrained by its smaller case size.
It’s not as dressy as the Tutima Patria, nor as robust as the Grand Seiko Ushio. It’s not as complex as the TAG Heuer or as extravagant as the Parmigiani Fleurier. But it can be everything in between. And if I’ve got four strongly themed watches in my repertoire, the fifth was always going to be an adaptable piece like the Riviera 36mm. As the saying goes, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” And having a versatile player in my State of Origin team would only strengthen my team composition overall.