Patek Philippe

First of all, that helps quite a bit.  

You really shouldn't be taking a Patek Philippe (and in general any high-quality watch) golfing (the topic of golfing with a watch is debatable, but in general many watchmakers advise against it), swimming, or stuff that would be considered athletic.  So that's something to consider if you plan on being athletic.  Taking this watch to the gym or to the tennis court is probably not a good idea.  I know of a lady who does exercising and kickboxing with her Rolex on the whole time and that watch needs a service every two years.  

Considering that you're coming from two Movado watches, this is really your first foray into the world of high-end watches.  And you're really going to the top of the top.  Like starting a game of Monopoly and hitting Boardwalk on your first roll of the dice.  A lot of people do this now, sometimes for the wrong reasons.  

Considering you don't really stay in an office and you're always on set, perhaps a Rolex may actually be a better watch for you.  

If you wanted to go for something classic, yet still complex, the 5110 WorldTime is a great choice.  You mentioned you enjoy traveling, but you won't benefit from this complication unless you're a serious greater than 50,000 airline miles traveler a year (or you have a tremendous amount of conference calls with people in multiple far-away timezones).  Still, regardless of whether or not you use the complication of the 5110, it's an extremely beautiful watch that you will enjoy.  

I'm going to say you should consider a Patek Philippe 5167A.  Aka "The Aquanaut" model.  It's a sportier-looking watch with a date, automatic winding, and supplied on a rubber strap.  They're in your budget new.  You may find the 5711/1A a good choice too, but warning, the 5711/1A is a huge scratch magnet.  Both the 5711 and 5167 are sportier classic watches.  

Also, consider the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.  It boasts an even more recognizable design and is also in your price range.  This is another sporty classic watch.  It's priced similarly to the above Patek Philippes and are just as well made.  In fact, the 15202 models of the Royal Oak series are even better than the 5711 Patek Philippe model in terms of movement design and movement finishing.  

Your next steps are to think this; 1, classic watch; or 2, sporty classic watch.  The beauty of the sporty classic watches I mentioned is that they're all quite thin and will fit under dress shirt cuffs and French cuffs so it'll really work with your lifestyle.  

And think hard Tom.  Many people are drawn to the brand Patek Philippe because they're label conscious.  I'd almost prefer you to fall in love with a watch and buy that (even if it's not a Patek Philippe).  But try them out and give it a shot.  I also would not hesitate to check out Rolex while you're at it.  Great watches, and at half the price of Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet.  The main thing is not to get target fixation on any brand.  The more you know and the more you'll see past the marketing.  

Do some research about Audemars Piguet (aka "AP").  AP is one of the "Big Three" in Switzerland.  The Big Three are; Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe.  These three brands have always been in the ultra-high horology field and have always offered the highest in terms of movement quality and complexity.  Vacheron Constantin is the oldest company, with more than 100 years of experience than Patek Philippe.  Audemars Piguet has an illustrious history with their repeating watches, arguably they have the most impressive history in repeating (chiming, ding dong) watches.  Out of these three, 150 years ago, Patek Philippe would've been considered the least impressive among the three brands.  Think of Patek Philippe like Audi when the other were Mercedes-Benz and BMW.  But today, Patek Philippe is the volume leader among the three.  

Lastly, just experiment with these two other watches; Blancpain Bathyscaphe and the Panerai.  These are more fun watches, but trust me, the Blancpain's movement has the quality of a Patek Philippe movement (I could even argue that the finishing of the movement is even better on the Blancpain).  Most Panerai watches have less elaborate movements but it's such a fun and lovable watch that you really should try.  

Check out these links...

blancpain.watchprosite.com

panerai.watchprosite.com

www.watchprosite.com

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