What even is a dress watch these days? With Rolex Submariners, Cartier Santoses (Santoe?), Tag Heuer Monacos, and Omega Speedmasters regularly spotted on the wrists of attendees at black tie events, the concept of a dress watch seems almost outdated. However, the glitterati don’t always have it all figured out, and for the rest of us, there is still a time and place for dress watches.
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A dress watch refers to a timepiece intended to be worn with a suit or tuxedo. They take on a slimmer profile than divers or chronographs, allowing them to fit comfortably under the cuff of a shirt or jacket. While historically dress watches were time-only or time-and-date (i.e. devoid of complications like a small-seconds counter or second time zone), contemporary dress watches see complications like moon phases and occasionally chronographs come into play. In addition to their slim proportions and uncluttered dials, dress watches are usually presented on a leather strap, however metal bracelets do sometimes come into play. Speaking of metals — traditionally, a dress watch for men constituted the use of precious metals (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum), however, manufactures have also embraced stainless steel.
The best dress watches for men in 2024
On that note, these are the best dress watches for men. Comprising timepieces that adhere to traditional notions of what a dress watch is as well as atypical interpretations that are nonetheless dressy enough to wear with a tux, there’s something here for every taste (and, every wrist).
1. Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse ref. 5738R
While sitting solidly in the traditional category, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse marked a deviation from the dress watches of its time. Neither round nor square, its elliptical shape was inspired by the principle of the ‘golden section’ discovered by the ancient Greek mathematicians. Equal parts striking and timeless, it remains a classic to this day.
Price: approx. $54,000AUD
Model: Golden Ellipse ref. 5738R
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 34.5mm x 39.5mm
2. Rolex Perpetual 1908
Now we’re talking. Introduced this year, the Rolex Perpetual 1908 is, put simply, beautiful. If there’s one dress watch to rule them all, it’s this one. Uniting traditional watchmaking style and expertise with the Rolex aesthetic of today, the Perpetual 1908 manages to toe the line between classic and contemporary. The minimalist dial features Arabic numerals at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock and faceted hour markers, with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Crafted from either white or yellow gold, the 39mm case leans towards vintage proportions, without being too small for modern tastes.
Price: from $31,100AUD
Model: Perpetual 1908
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 5ATM
Case Diameter: 39mm
Related: Sayonara Cellini, Rolex Has Introduced The New Perpetual 1908 Dress Watch
3. Cartier Tank Louis
The advent of the Art Deco movement in the 1920s saw notions of dress watches expand to include square and rectangular forms. With its rose gold construction, time-only functionality, elegant Roman numerals, and blue cabochon on the crown, the Cartier Tank Louis is the platonic ideal of a rectilinear dress watch.
Price: $21,200AUD
Model: Tank Louis
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 33.7mm x 25.5mm
Related: Be There & Be Square; The Best Square & Rectangular Watches For Men
4. Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral
While it doesn’t adhere to staid dictums of what a dress watch should be (hello, small seconds!), the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral is most at home worn under a suit cuff. A beautiful display of classic watchmaking, its Dauphine hands and coffin-shaped hour markers contribute to its refined elegance. The rose gold with white dial configuration is presented on a brown alligator leather strap, however we also like the contemporary feel of the black dial and black strap version.
Price: approx. $26,800AUD
Model: Manero Peripheral
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 40.6mm
5. H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds
Traditional? No. Dressy? Hell yes. The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds plays with what it means to make a dress watch in the 21st century. Devoid of hour markers, the Swiss manufacture’s fumé prowess is on full display, with the minimalistic dial adorned with nothing but leaf-shaped hour and minute hands and a stick-shaped seconds hand.
Price: approx. $36,000AUD
Model: Endeavour Centre Seconds
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 40mm
Related: Essentialism Incarnate; The Best Minimalist Watches For Men
6. Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori
Now, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone touting the Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori as a viable Cartier Tank alternative. However, we’d like to think that’s simply due to a lack of imagination. The ultimate horological conveyor of BDE — come on, it’s literally a snake — donning a Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori is a baller move. With its slimline proportions and bracelet presentation, this rose gold and black iteration exudes modern charm and is perfectly at home paired with a tux. Let’s see more snake heads on the red carpet.
Price: $10,700AUD
Model: Serpenti Seduttori
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 33mm
7. A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin
Skinny legend! Billed as the German manufacture’s ‘flattest watch so far’, the A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Thin pares the timepiece down to its essential functions with a time-only display sans second hand. The white dial iteration is available in either rose or white gold, however our favourite is this limited-edition model with a silver dial faced with dark-blue gold flux that resembles the starry night sky.
Price: from $37,000AUD (for non-limited versions)
Model: Saxonia Thin
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 37mm or 39mm
8. Grand Seiko SBGD201
The subtlest of flexes. Part of the Grand Seiko masterpiece collection, the SBGD201 houses the calibre 9R01 Spring Drive, an automatic movement with an unparalleled eight-day power reserve. Belying its understated appearance, the Grand Seiko SBGD201 is crafted from platinum and utilises a unique polishing technique to achieve a sharply defined edge and sophisticated finish. Meanwhile, in person the white dial has a diamond-dust effect redolent of icy winter mornings.
Price: $93,000AUD (for non-limited versions)
Model: SBGD201
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 10ATM
Case Diameter: 43mm
9. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Duoface Small Seconds
The only thing better than one dress watch? Two. Featuring both a black and white dial, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Duoface Small Seconds is laden with functionality; each dial showcases two time zones as well as a small seconds subdial. A true art deco icon.
Price: $40,200AUD (for non-limited versions)
Model: Reverso Classic Duoface Small Seconds
Movement: Manual winding
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 47mm x 28.3mm
10. Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921
Many would cite the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony as the Swiss manufacture’s men’s dress watch of choice, and while that’s always a safe bet, we’d wager the Historiques American 1921 is the one to watch. Inspired by an archival model launched during the roaring twenties, the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 sees a cushion case house a diagonally oriented dial that allows the time to be read without needing to turn the wrist, while the crown is atypically placed on the top right corner between 1 and 2 o’clock. Details like Breguet numerals and lugs reminiscent of old world architecture lend it a feel that’s simultaneously retro and timeless, resulting in a dress watch that’s just as elegant today as it was in 1921. Here’s to another hundred years.
Price: €44,900 (approx. $73,300AUD)
Model: Historiques American 1921
Movement: manually winding
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 40mm
Related: A Guide To The Different Watch Case Shapes
11. Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronomètre
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronomètre was the debut release when Michael Parmigiani first launched his brand in 1996. Here, a slate grey spiral guilloché dial is adorned with rose gold Arabic numeral appliques. While it’s slightly larger than the typical dress watch sweet spot, its sober design, restrained colour palette, and if-you-know-you-know credibility makes it the ideal refined timepiece.
Price: $29,000CHF
Model: Fleurier Toric Chronomètre
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 40.8mm
12. Berneron Mirage
A Cartier Crash for the thinking man. In all seriousness, the Berneron Mirage does something few new watch brands—established or emerging—can; in a market often reliant on familiarity, it carves out its own unique design language while nodding to both the Patek Philippe Calatrava and the Cartier Crash. Designed by watchmaker Sylvain Berneron (who also moonlights as chief product officer at Breitling), the Berneron Mirage sees an asymmetrical pebble shaped case that follows the lines of its similarly shaped movement. The surrealist ‘melted clock’ approach continues onto the dial, with the hands, hour indicides, and small seconds subdial distorted in a curvilinear fashion. The golden construction extends beyond the case and dial, with the movement crafted from 18k gold.
Price: $55,000CHF (approx. $96,370AUD)
Model: Mirage
Movement: hand-wound
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 34mm x 38mm
13. Tiffany East West
A rectilinear dress watch for the horological contrarian. The Tiffany East West takes the classic tank watch and rotates the dial 90° to create a horizontally oriented timepiece. Simple yet impactful, and a surefire conversation starter.
Price: $6750AUD
Model: East West
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 46.5mm x 27.5mm
14. Laurent Ferrier Square Micro‑Rotor Rétro
Contemporary yet nostalgic, the Laurent Ferrier Square Micro‑Rotor Rétro draws upon the design codes of timepieces from the 1930s to create a timepiece well-suited to the current day. A rose gold cushion case is complemented by a glossy black opaline dial which features white Arabic numerals and an hour circle, with a railroad minutes track on the periphery and a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The stepped case and knurled onion crown contribute to the throwback feel. While it boasts a touch more heft on the wrist than the traditional definition of a dress watch, the urbane mein of the Laurent Ferrier Square Micro‑Rotor Rétro recommends it to refined occasions.
Price: $57,500CHF (approx. $100,700AUD)
Model: Square Micro‑Rotor Rétro
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 41mm
15. Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80
Finding style in restraint, the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 sees a slimline case play host to a silver stamped textured sector dial with Roman hour numerals and leaf-shaped hands. A purist design language places emphasis on the details, with tapered lugs and a smooth polished stainless steel case contributing to the unfussy elegance of this dress watch.
Price: $1095AUD
Model: Le Locle Powermatic 80
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 39.3mm
16. Struthers The Kelso
For a truly unique dress watch, the Struthers The Kelso is a timepiece we can guarantee (almost) nobody else will have. Hand-crafted by husband-and-wife team Craig and Rebecca Struthers (who only make two to three pieces a year), The Kelso is built around a vintage mechanical movement from the 1960s with aesthetics to match. With a 20mm case size, it’s positively diminutive by contemporary standards, however that’s what makes it stand out. An octagonal case houses a sterling silver dial that features a textured sunburst finish achieved through a traditional rose engine. A surefire way to stand out in a sea of Royal Oaks and Submariners.
Price: from £35,000 (approx. $66,200AUD)
Model: The Kelso
Movement: manually wound
Water Resistance: N/A
Case Diameter: 20mm
17. Baltic MR01
Calatrava energy on a college budget. The Baltic MR01 delivers refined aesthetics and elegant finishings at an eminently affordable price point. A matte grained dial—we’re partial to the salmon iteration, though the black dial with gold PVD case is also a solid contender—plays host to applied Breguet numerals and leaf-shaped hands, with the timepiece distinguished by its off-centre small seconds subdial at 7 o’clock. The timepiece is housed within a minimalist stainless steel case; defined by its purity of lines, it features a thin profile thanks to the use of a micro-rotor movement which is visible through the exhibition caseback.
Price: €545 (approx. $880AUD)
Model: MR01
Movement: Automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Diameter: 36mm
Enjoyed this article? Check out our Ultimate Guide To Watches here; covering everything from the types of watch movements to watch styles and complications.
Words by Theo Rosen
