Citizen Eco Drive
It is made in Japan, it is not the center of world watchmaking (which is Switzerland), but it is still a country known for making high quality watches.It also has a sapphire crystal, which means that the front part (transparent part) of the watch is very strong and not likely to be very fragrant. The water resistance rating is 200 m, which is higher than Seiko 5 and means that should be fine for diving.
Instead of a battery, it works with a small solar panel on the watch face (the 'Eco Drive') and thanks to 'Atomic Timekeeping' you can claim that it is the 'most accurate watch in the world'. Does it matter if other clocks go by a couple of seconds every week? Not really, but it's still an attractive feature.
Tissot
Tissot is one of the cheapest high-quality Swiss watch brands, with its cheapest models. However, if you want luxury features, you will have to spend.
I chose one of their Le Locle watches, which is a range named after the Swiss town where they are made. For the money, you get an automatic watch (so it doesn't need a winding and it doesn't need a battery) that also has a sturdy synthetic sapphire front (the 'crystal' if you want to be technical).
Unlike most of the watches on this list, it has a leather strap. If you want to be truly traditional, you should wear a watch with a metal strap at work and a leather strap as sleepwear. In the real world, you can use it whenever you want.
It is waterproof up to 30 meters, although just to confuse you does not mean you can take it to a depth of 30 meters. I personally would avoid getting it wet, in addition to the strange splash from the sink.
The Swiss brand Rado manufactures some quartz watches and some automatic watches and in my opinion they have some really nice designs that have personality without looking strange.
I personally like your Centrix and True ranges for men and have chosen this one. It's a quartz model, which won't appeal to everyone, but it has a sturdy sapphire crystal, so hopefully it won't scratch the screen five minutes after opening it.
This model is only splash proof, I would not test it in the pool unless you like to live dangerously.
Gucci is one of the leading names in much of the watch market that includes elegant designs along with decent build quality. You'll find that their watch designs are often more extravagant than traditional watchmakers, so they appeal to modern men who don't want to follow the crowd with familiar Omega, Rolex or Tag Heuer designs.
Gucci has the added attraction of making watches in Switzerland, which is the center of the watchmaking world and is a badge of honor.
Tag Heuer
Tag Heuer watches meet many requirements for me, as a) they regularly win prestigious awards b) they have a legacy as an excellent Swiss watchmaker and c) they start at prices that are comparable to a week's vacation rather than a townhouse in Middlesbrough (see Patek Philippe at the bottom of the page).
Thanks to their sponsorship of Formula One, they have a range of watches that will appeal to motor racing fans who like to talk about downforce and diffusers.
Other quality features include a sapphire crystal (that means the front of the watch is stronger than Ray Winstone). It is waterproof for diving, if you are in the mood.
Omega
If your heart is set on Omega, I would personally choose between a Speedmaster and a Seamaster.
The Speedmaster is famously the watch worn on every mission of NASA, so it has reached the moon and back.
The Seamaster is the main watch worn by James Bond as Omega raised huge amounts of money (presumably) to convince 007 to wear Rolex in the mid-90s.
So you can choose whether you prefer your watch to be bonded or buzzed (connected to Lightyear instead of Aldrin). I would say that Seamaster is the most popular of the two (based on Google data around searches).
Personally I'm a sucker for anything that's good enough for NASA (remember the Space Pen?) So I've chosen Speedmaster. Both Seamaster and Speedmaster have loads of variations.
Rolex Submariner
The Rolex Submariner is probably the world's most famous watch by the world's most famous watchmaker. It is also one of the few watches that does not collapse massively on the second hand market.
It built its reputation as a diving watch (as you may have deduced from the name), but it remains popular with those of us who wouldn't know which end of a snorkel to fly. During the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era, the Submariner was the James Bond watch, until the mid-1990s, when Omega paid 007 to rebrand (the Seamaster). Today, Bond movies look a bit like a long-running ad for global brands ... but I'm rambling.
The Submariner has been around since the 1950s with various tweaks and improvements over the years, such as increasing the depth to which you can dive with it. In terms of technical characteristics, most Rolex submarines are chronometers, which means that they have been tested for several days by independent watch nerds in Switzerland. It's also an automatic watch, which means you'll never need to buy a battery and it's as tough as old boots, so it should last for decades.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
The Patek Philippe Nautilus is one of the most coveted watches by (arguably) the most elegant of all watchmakers in the world. They have been making versions of the Nautilus since the mid-1970s, apparently after taking inspiration from the shape of a porthole (I honestly thought portholes were rounder but I'm not a sailor). At the time, it was considered a big problem that the watch company supplying Queen Victoria and Albert Einstein was making a sports watch.
Unsurprisingly, it has most of the elegant features that you would associate with a luxury watch. Obviously it has an automatic movement (if you pay that much for a quartz watch, I would worry a bit ...). Most are waterproof to 120m, which means it would be fine for a pool.
