to the Op, have you thought of maybe a vintage watch? something like a 1960 ish 9ct auto omega in good nick would be a great watch, subtle compared to modern watches which tend to be overly big, and set you back about a grand.
I do support some of the previous suggestions though..IWC portofino, portuguese or the pilots mk Xvii or maybe a Stowa fleiger…cheaper and less obvious than the iwc, but with as much pedigree. or how about a ball trainmaster.
Neil
(Omega PO daily wearer, 1960 seamaster manual for occasional change, steinhart ocean 1 for diy and sport)