I have a milestone birthday coming up and have just begun the recon mission on finding a piece that will complement, but not directly compete with anything I currently have. Not into overly dressy or rectangular watches. 39-43mm range under $10k. No Rolex, I've had a few and I didn't like the attention they got. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
The only people that have noticed my Sub in public are also watch lovers and it led to a nice conversation. It's only happened a few times. You should buy what you like and not worry about public perception.
If you want to stay away from Rolex regardless, I think a Grand Seiko or maybe Tag's new Skipper would be nice adds. Bring in some more color. I'm not big on Tag Heuer, but that Skipper is nice!