Personally I just buy what I like, mostly under 500 bucks. The only time I ever really looked for something specific was the last watch I bought, where I really wanted a diver with lumed numbers on the bezel and spent some time searching options.

I like Barton for silicone.

CNS has a great selection of NATOs. I especially like their paratrooper straps

My general rule is to only buy what I can get without impacting legitimate financial needs.

If Rolex availability improves in the future you MIGHT be able to get a GMT II for 11k but right now probably not. That is one of the hardest to get. You’ll wait years to get one at retail from an AD and may not get one at all without a purchase history. Used ones are 12k and up, grey market more like 18k. It’s a classic for sure, but in your shoes, I’d look for something else to scratch the itch

I think the best bets for what you describe are the orient bambino or seiko cocktail time.

I’m not a real stickler for what constitutes a dress watch it’s not traditional, but a Hamilton khaki or a diver with a black dial would be fine for whether you describe too

You’re not going to buy a bad watch for 4k. They’re mostly high quality but have different styles. It would help to get a feel for what style you like. Diver? Dress? Chronograph? GADA (go anywhere do anything)?

I guess since this is a gift, you’re on a bit of a tight timeline. My advice was going to be to buy 3 cheap watches, live with them for a while, figure out what you like and don’t like about each and use that to inform your 4k watch purchase.

Barring that, get a Tudor black bay 58 and call it done

I dig it. You clearly like color, which is a nice change of pace

My Hamilton has a big ding in the bezel. I wonder if it is made of softer steel than some of my other watches. I have some with scratches and such (I just wear them) but none of the others have dents in them

Bulova mil-ships

https://preview.redd.it/vzj2qnp4dk1c1.jpeg?width=2239&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4fb717c5454f669b641ecede319f3d15f01db9c

Hamilton Murph 38

They’re very good inexpensive watches

Thinnest is a quartz skagen (none of my mechanicals are thin). Thickest is my Bulova Mil-Ships

A strat. Probably his signature one. No idea on the watch

Most of the gripes are with alignment of the chapter ring and honestly most of the ones I’ve seen posted as awful don’t bother me very much. The movements in their cheap watches aren’t super accurate but they are pretty durable

I’m not sure one crystal is inherently better. Mineral glass is easier to scratch, sapphire is easier to shatter.

I have a Hamilton and the lume is not very good.

A left field suggestion- Steinhart ocean vintage gmt. It’s a 70s Explorer II homage. The original was developed for spelunkers (though since it isn’t a Rolex is doesn’t have a true claim on the heritage). About 500 bucks, GMT, good lume and nicely built

It’s a king khaki. I just wore mine yesterday. Nice watch. Mine came with a lighter strap. As others have said, no great loss to replace the stock one, they aren’t great.

Nodus has a really cool looking orange sector.

In the cheap, you can get orange natos with black stitching, black natos with orange stitching, and Barton does a two tone orange and black silicone strap (I have the black top orange underneath version.

You should get insurance. That is worth enough that you’ll need a separate rider on your renters insurance for it. A safe might protect against party guests but probably not against burglars (it’s easy to carry off a small safe)

They are the same case and movement with different cosmetics. Most obvious is the numbers vs. indicies, but they have different hands, bezel fonts, and bracelets as well. Neither is nicer. Personally I mostly prefer the Ray because I don’t like numbered watches where the 3 is removed for the day/date, but that’s a personal hang up. I do like the look for the mako bracelet better (they Ray has some shiny bits on it)

Sinn 856

That’s really great