A luxury watch is a fine gift for a man on almost any occasion, and not just because they tend to be, shall we say, costly. In fact, what's more impressive than the price tag of a well-made watch is the fact that it will last you for life. As such, watches make particularly good gifts for the occasions that you'll want to remember. Having said that (and assuming you're feeling particularly generous), there's still always the problem of exactly which watch to buy to celebrate a particular occasion, whether it's for yourself or someone else. Below, we go through some of the major milestones, and provide some timely recommendations.

At this point, a man is starting to know his place in the world. You have probably landed on a career path, no matter how meandering, and have left youthful missteps behind to develop a sense of your own personal style. But you're not set in your ways just yet. Watch-wise, you've probably got at least one decent one that does the job (and maybe the wedding watch as well). This is the perfect time to try something a bit different, to embrace a watch with real character. To that end, the right watch could be anything from a Bell & Ross BR 03 to a TAG Heuer Monaco, an Officine Panerai Radiomir or an Oris Chronoris. Think about what you haven’t got – in terms of colour, complications, size or shape – and pick something that fills a gap.

Those early-life milestones are a little bit further away in the rear-view mirror and the watches that came with them – if they did, of course – might have given you the collecting bug. If that’s the case, you'll know what’s next on the agenda, and probably have a lengthy shopping list, but might we humbly suggest this is the time to remember the classics? This will also work for anyone getting into the watch game at 40. If you’re going to have one serious watch at this age, it should be something that will summon universal respect. That means an IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s watch, a Zenith El Primero chronograph or an Officine Panerai Luminor 1950.

The half century is a difficult one. On the one hand, retirement is probably starting to figure in your long-term plans. On the other, you have no intention of feeling or acting like an old man any time soon. Two courses of action present themselves. First, embrace the mid-life crisis and invest in something a bit racy, a chronograph, naturally, although it will pair well with the inevitable sports car you've also had your eye on. It could be a Bremont Jaguar, a Zenith El Primero Classic Cars or a Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Shelby limited edition. Alternatively, why not take the opportunity to properly surprise people? Buy a Ressence – any model, they're all fantastically interesting – and you'll knock those stereotypes squarely on the head.