Steel sport watches have dominated the market for decades as modern lifestyles have become ever more casual. But has the time come for the return of the elegant dress watch? We like to think so.
On special occasions that call for dressing up, no bulky steel brute can compete with a slim and refined dress watch that smoothly slides under your shirt cuff.
While each year presents some beautiful new dress watches, this year seems to hint that in a time of quiet luxury, dress watches could make a quiet comeback.
Here are six that stood out this year:
Rolex Perpetual 1908
Recalling the megabrand’s phased-out Cellini dress range, the Perpetual 1908 kicks off the new Perpetual collection with four versions in 39mm white gold (US$23,300) or yellow gold (US$22,000) cases with a choice of white or black dials.
Named for the year that Rolex was registered as a brand and inspired by one of the first Rolexes fitted with a Perpetual winding rotor, the 1908 is defined by a Deco-infused dial and subtle details that endow it with classical character. The slim case is crowned with a subtly domed, half-fluted bezel; the sleek dial is appointed with the Arabic numerals 3, 9 and 12 and faceted index hour markers; and the hour hand is distinguished by an open circle just before the tip, while the minute hand is shaped like a two-edged sword.
A clear sapphire crystal case back shows off the new caliber 7140 equipped with the brand’s Chronergy escapement, Syloxi hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers.
Cartier Privé Tank Normale
Perhaps no other watch has achieved icon status like Cartier’s Tank, originally envisioned in 1917 by Louis Cartier, who was inspired by the overhead view of the Renault FT-17 tank used during World War I.
Over the decades, the timeless Tank has assumed many forms and interpretations, such as this year’s Tank Normale, the seventh edition in the maison’s exclusive Cartier Privé collectors’ collection.
Borrowing the square proportions and beveled sapphire crystal of the original, Tank Normale comes in six distinct designs, including a pair of monochromatic, satin-finished metal bracelet versions in warm yellow gold (US$46,400) and cool platinum (US$53,500), each limited to 100 pieces.
Bovet 1822 Virtuoso XI
Nothing shows off the intricate engineering of a mechanical watch movement like a skeleton, which eliminates as much material as possible to expose only the essential, captivating inner workings of the mechanism.
Not only does Bovet’s Virtuoso XI (CHF 375,400, about US$438,000) showcase a spinning flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, the skeletonized movement is impeccably hand finished and conceived so that it can be extravagantly engraved on both sides, a first, according to the brand.
Bovet’s signature Fleurisanne motif was inspired by the tree-leaf pattern on ancient Greek columns, and the free-hand engraving of the movement and case takes about 60 hours to complete.
Breguet Classique Répétition Minutes 7637
Underneath its ultra-refined dial, Breguet’s Classique Répétition Minutes 7637 (US$248,800) has a secret instrument—a minute repeater that musically chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes. Just activate the slide lever on the left side of the case and the musical mechanism translates the time into a resonant song with tiny hammers striking wire gongs inside the 42mm case, available in rose gold or white gold.
There’s also more than meets the eye when it comes to the minimalist Grand Feu enamel dial, the result of a painstaking process that requires each layer to be fired at temperatures exceeding 800 degrees Celsius. Ultimately appointed with Breguet Arabic numerals, a minutes track, and the Breguet logo all in a powdered silver color, each dial is the culmination of several weeks of work.
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Platinum Celestial Blue
Arnold & Son’s Perpetual Moon has always left us feeling moonstruck, but this year’s substantially redesigned 41.5mm Platinum Celestial Blue version (US$48,300) really shines—from the subtle gleam of the platinum case to the radiant mother-of-pearl moon to the maison’s “Stellar Rays” decorating the dial.
Placed on the backdrop of a midnight blue sky, the large white mother-of-pearl moon is realistically rendered with hand-painted shadows and coated with luminous Super-LumiNova. The Big Dipper and Cassiopeia constellations are also hand-painted and coated with luminescent material.
Inside, the hand-wound caliber A&S1512 is capable of tracking the lunar cycle so precisely that if it were kept regularly wound, it would take 122 years to accumulate a single day’s difference from the celestial reality.
H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack
What started as a concept piece in 2019, is now part of H. Moser’s Endeavor collection, which added two new Vantablack pieces last summer—a maximally minimalist tourbillon and its more approachable three-handed sibling.
The stuff of cutting-edge astrophysics telescopes and stealth military gear, Vantablack is the darkest substance in the world, absorbing 99.965% of light that reaches its surface. Composed of carbon nanostructures, Vantablack creates a veritable black hole of stunning intensity on the wrist, particularly when paired with the warmth of the 40mm red-gold case and accents.
Devoid of any marking on its pure black dial, the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack (US$82,500) draws all eyes to the spinning flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock.
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