Autumn is our favourite time of year: the cool nights, the hillsides explode in colour (sometimes), the sweaters (sorry, jumpers), the hearty stews to be enjoyed. And soon a cavalcade of holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, NYE. Get in. we say!

Shall we turn this into a watch-buying opportunity? We shall indeed. So here are five that will help you rock the solstice in style.

Marloe Watches hails from Sonning Common near Henley-on-Thames, a place that could scarcely sound more English if it tried. We've put this first because orange is not only the new black, it is quintessentially autumnal. Marloe, a proper British watch superstar, is offering this watch at a great price.

This is a diver (the rescue in the name references water rescues), and it's a decent size: 42mm, 48 lug-to-lug. Marloe focuses on original designs, and the Solent diver is no exception. Simple yet elegant, an autumn watch for all seasons.

42mm stainless steel case, 48mm lug-to-lug, Miyota 9039 movement, a choice of straps (orange silicon here, as it fits the theme).

Oh, Seagull. When you first stumble across Seagull’s pilot watches (offered by countless online vendors—some entirely trustworthy, others less so), the thought is, ‘Cool, a genuine slice of Chinese aviation history.’ Then, inevitably, Reddit dismisses Seagull as just another AliExpress brand, barely worth a second glance.

Until, of course, you realise that A., some of those Ali brands are rather good; B., they're often made in the very same factory as your favourite microbrand; and C., Seagull movements consistently punch above their weight. Which is to say the 1072 deserves a recommendation without hesitation, not least because those colours channel the spirit of autumn so well.

43mm stainless steel case, Seagull ST25 automatic movement, nylon strap (tan, as it fits the theme).

We'll just say it: we love Dan Henry. Sticking to the $500 mark and forever suckers for a good backstory, DH has become a staple for us. The 1937 arrives with proper Art Deco flair; Jay Gatsby himself might have worn one had the novel not been set in 1925.

Anywho, Dan Henry calls it a dress chronograph, and we're happy to go along with that. The meca-quartz movement makes it a smooth operator, and the colour palette could not be better for autumn.

38mm stainless steel case, 46.1 mm lug-to-lug, Seiko VK61 meca-quartz movement, leather strap (brown, as it fits the theme).

We never quite get over the Bambino. Orient has an endless supply of riffs on the theme, and the Sun and Moon are among the most charming of the lot. This version comes in Bordeaux, a reddish-purple tone that feels like peak autumn in the Appalachians, paired with a brown leather strap that completes the look.

At 41.5mm, it is not small, but the dressy case and dial details keep it elegant enough for most wrists. It is mechanical, affordable, and that day-night indicator? It is an entirely useless yet otherwise essential complication that tells you 3 pm is 'day', and 3 am is 'not day'.

41.5mm stainless steel case, 47mm lug-to-lug, Orient F6B24 automatic movement, leather strap (brown, as it fits the theme).

Baltic is a brand that has made the transition from plucky micro to legitimate marque in its own right. Sadly, once that happens, we usually stop seeing watches below our $500 ceiling (Christopher Ward, take note). Fortunately, Baltic has not forgotten us, and the HMS 003 is proof. HMS stands for Hours, Minutes, Seconds, an entirely uncomplicated watch for our complicated times.

And the colour? Call it salmon if you must, but we think it evokes the yellowish brown of the season. Another throwback, this time to the 40s, the HMS is very much a watch for every season.

36.5mm stainless steel case, 46mm lug-to-lug, Myota 8315 automatic movement, 'stitched lion' leather strap (as it fits the theme, but we don't think it's actual lion, as cool as that might be.)

From the great Bill Evans. Canadian; our lad saw his fair share of beautiful Octobers.

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