Dress watches are a peculiar category. There was once a time when the majority of watches produced—excepting field and military watches—were, by default, dress watches. And, the first ones were made for women. Although pocket watches were popular, the first wristwatch was commissioned from Breguet by Caroline Bonaparte, the Queen of Naples, in 1810, followed by a commission from Patek Philippe by Countess Koscowicz of Hungary in 1868. Caroline Bonaparte’s commission was a quarter repeater (a complication that chimes the hours and 15-minute increments) in an oblong or oval shape, mounted on a wristlet of entwined hair and gold thread. It’s a style that lives on in Breguet’s Reine de Naples collection — incidentally, an excellent example of a dress watch for women.
When it comes to the best dress watches for women, some might argue that most women’s watches are in fact dress watches. But while it’s true that the women’s watch market is less inundated with the deluge of sports and field watches that have swamped its men’s counterpart, not just any women’s watch constitutes a dress watch. Traditionally, dress watches were designed to allow their wearer to discreetly check the time, should be time-only or time-and-date, and were required to be slim enough to fit comfortably under the cuff of a shirt or jacket. Naturally, this definition likely presupposes the default consumer is male, but it can be applied to women’s dress watches too.
As a general rule, a good women’s dress watch should be free from complications (save for the date), have a legible and uncluttered dial, typically be presented on a leather strap, and have a slim profile with a relatively subdued aesthetic. It’s important to note that dress watches are indeed vastly different from cocktail watches — while the latter are defined by their drama and whimsy and offer a chance to play with interesting proportions, unusual bracelet design, and avant-garde gemstone adornment (a classic diamond bezel is ok, though), dress watches for women should be comparatively pared back and be at home in the office or a business formal event. So, save the Bulgari Allegra for cocktail affairs and try one of these dress watches on for size.
The best dress watches for women in 2026
1. Dennison ALD Midnight Aventurine
A cushion case paired with a visually arresting shimmery aventurine stone dial lends the Dennison ALD Midnight Aventurine a refined appearance that makes it one of the best dress watches for women (or men!) on the market. Reminiscent of vintage Piaget watches—the ALD case was designed by Emmanuel Gueit, son of renowned watch designer Jean-Claude Gueit, who was responsible for many of Piaget’s shaped and stone dial watches—the ALD Midnight Aventurine is kept ticking by a quartz movement, which allows the case to retain slim proportions and sit flush against the wrist. The two-handed design allows the beauty of the stone dial to take centre stage (and prevents it from being identified as a quartz watch at first sight), making for a clean yet visually arresting timepiece.
Price: $1011AUD
Model: ALD
Case size: 37mm x 33.5mm
Movement: Rhonda 1062 (quartz)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
2. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute
Since its inception in 1932, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has remained one of the most unique and enduring watches on the market. Originally conceived as a sports watch, designed to withstand the rigours of polo, the defining characteristic of the Reverso is the ability to flip (reverse!) the dial around to reveal a solid caseback, thereby protecting the dial from impact. Today, the solid caseback has been used to house métiers d’art like enamelling or even a second dial, but there’s a certain charm to the original blank slate. This iteration arrives in rose gold and is presented on an intricately woven milanese gold mesh strap that lends the art deco style a hint of glamour.
Price: $70,000AUD
Model: Reverso Tribute (ref. Q713216J)
Case size: 45.6mm x 27.4mm
Movement: 822 (manually wound)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Power reserve: 42 hours
3. Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Manual-Winding
A true ode to simplicity, the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony is the platonic ideal of a good dress watch for women. Slim, elegant, and understated, this iteration sees a 39mm case crafted from white gold and has a silver-toned sunburst dial with applied rose gold hour markers and a studded minutes track. While there are smaller variants of the Patrimony, they arrive with diamond bezels; this variant, released in 2024, remains true to the model’s ethos of elegant simplicity. The ultra-thin profile means it wears well on most wrists, while the olive green strap (or blue for the rose gold variant) adds a playful pop of colour.
Price: $44,600AUD
Model: Patrimony Manual-Winding (ref. 1410U/000G-H017 39)
Case size: 39mm
Movement: 1440 (manually wound)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: 42 hours
4. Bulgari Bulgari
The Bulgari Bulgari (also styled as Bvlgari Bvlgari) is a decidedly underrated dress watch for women. Originating in 1975, the Gérald Genta design was inspired by an ancient Roman coin and was originally named the Bulgari Roma, and was reserved for loyal clientele of the Italian house’s Rome store. Renamed the Bulgari Bulgari in 1977, the timepiece is distinguished by its coin-like case and the letters ‘BVLGARI BVLGARI’ engraved on the bezel. Refined in its simplicity, the Bulgari Bulgari has been worn by Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw and Charmed‘s Prue Halliwell, yet remains relatively under the radar. The yellow gold model above was released alongside a larger model (as well as role gold versions with white dials), with the 26mm yellow gold case paired with a black alligator leather strap making for the ideal dainty dress watch.
Price: $8150USD
Model: Bulgari Bulgari (ref. 103897)
Case size: 26mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
5. Tissot Le Locle
When it comes to automatic watches for women in smaller case sizes, the options are rather limited. Presently, Rolex and Tudor are the only luxury watch brands for women that offer automatic movements in their smallest watches, however Tissot is a quiet achiever here. Each reference within the Swiss watch brand‘s Le Locle line—named after the city Tissot was founded in—is powered by an automatic movement, down to the teeny tiny 25.3mm variants. Our pick for the best dress watch for women is the Tissot Le Locle Gold; a 29mm two-tone rose gold and stainless steel case complete with a fluted bezel is teamed with a navy blue guilloché dial topped with rose gold and diamond hour markers. It has a see-through exhibition caseback that lets you watch the automatic movement at work and is presented on a navy blue strap — a sophisticated style that pairs equally as well with a suit and loafers as it does with cocktail attire.
Price: $2715AUD
Model: Le Locle Gold (ref. T932.207.46.046.00)
Case size: 29mm
Movement: automatic
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power reserve: 48 hours
6. Longines DolceVita
While traditionally metal bracelets were verboten for dress watches, there’s more nuance here. As such, they deserve to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The five-link two-tone bracelet on the Longines DolceVita passes with flying colours, with the rectilinear shape of the timepiece seamlessly extending into the bracelet and resulting in a timepiece suffused with jewellery codes. Housed within a 32mm x 20.80mm case (there are smaller and larger options available too), the Longines DolceVita has a silver flinqué guilloché dial with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock and elegant Roman numerals on the periphery surrounding the railroad minutes track. The blued sword-shaped hands further contribute to a women’s dress watch that punches above its price point.
Price: $3675AUD
Model: DolceVita (ref. L5.255.5.71.7)
Case size: 32mm x 20.80mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Power reserve: N/A
7. Cartier Tank Américaine
Cartier has no shortage of stylish dress watches for women, with many of them working well on those with smaller wrists. While the Cartier Tank Louis and Tank Must are failsafe choices, there’s a certain charm to the Tank Américaine, a daring take on the rectilinear style that plays with elongated proportions and accentuates the Tank’s art deco appeal. This iteration is hewn from yellow gold and has a silver satin-brushed dial topped with delicately curved Roman numeral hour markers and blued sword-shaped hands.
Price: $20,800AUD
Model: Tank Américaine (ref. CRWGTA0356)
Case size: 35.4mm x 19.4mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
8. Rolex Perpetual 1908
For those who can pull of slightly larger case sizes, the Rolex Perpetual 1908 is the platonic ideal of a good dress watch (for men and women). Simultaneously traditional and modern, it sees 39mm yellow gold case with a finely fluted bezel surround a black or white dial with Arabic numerals at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock, interspersed with stick hour markers and a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. It’s powered by the in-house calibre 7140, an automatic movement with a 66-hour power reserve, visible through the exhibition caseback. Exuding vintage flair, it’s a dress watch that’s set to transcend generations.
Price: $46,000AUD
Model: Perpetual 1908 (ref. 52508)
Case size: 39mm
Movement: 7140
Water resistance: 5ATM
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Power reserve: 66 hours
9. Raymond Weil Toccata Heritage
Another example of a dress watch for women that punches well above its weight, the Raymond Weil Toccata Heritage exudes Patek Philippe Ellipse charm without the requisite trust fund. The golden tones of the stainless steel oval-shaped dial are complemented by a satin-brushed silver sunburst dial topped with applied gold PVD stick indices. Its moderate 36mm x 31mm case size means it sits well on pretty much every wrist, offering a classic yet original dress watch for women.
Price: $2350AUD
Model: Toccata Heritage (ref. 5280-PC-64001)
Case size: 36mm x 31mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
10. Piaget Sixtie
The Piaget Sixtie is one such style that toes the line between dress watch and cocktail watch. Its 29mm trapezoidal case and the trapezoidal links on the five-link bracelet certainly bestow it with enough whimsy and flair to be considered a cocktail watch, but it has the gravitas to serve as a dress watch too. Particularly if you opt for the gadrooned bezel over the diamond-set one.
Price: $52,500AUD
Model: Sixtie (ref. G0A50302)
Case size: 29mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 5ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
Words by Arabella Johnson and Esmé Duggan
