Like many on here I have a Breitling. Mine is the entry level Colt , and I've worn it everyday for 18yrs, still looks great. I chose the colt as the case is pretty small and I'm not a fan of the larger bodies.
For less common brands what about Audemars-Piguet, Patek Phillipe (not sure what you might find in your budget though) or Jaeger-Le Coultre (reverso classic is sub $5K)? Have you thought about Bulgari, I used to have a Rettangolo chrono (got stolen
, list is $4700), while not a watch maker per-se, they still have some nice pieces, depending on your tastes.