To think that it wasn’t so long ago when online watch shopping sounded like an absurd idea. Who would be willing to spend thousands of dollars on a watch just like that? For the most part, no. But in truth, as people get increasingly accustomed to luxury shopping online, this is inevitably going to become the norm.

A lot of people today have also arrived at a high-enough level of familiarity with their favourite brands and therefore trust them to deliver on quality – which the brands generally do. Plus, if you’ve been shopping for certain luxury goods such as watches long enough, you’ll also have a pretty good idea as to how it would look on you.

Unless the item you’re interested in has specific features that need to be considered mano-a-watcho, buying it online saves you the hassle of any number of inconveniences.

These include and are not limited to: making a special trip into town, jostling with the crowds, dealing with traffic, battling the heat… And frankly, that last point can sometimes be a bit of a deal-breaker.

In fact, here’s another irrefutable reason to buy watches and jewellery via the Internet: Online exclusives. Of late, luxury brands have gamely stepped up to the challenges of the online economy, designing special editions for e-tailers. Here are five that caught our eye.