The dress watch — elegant, timeless, and traditional — has always been viewed with a sort of reverence and romanticism. While in the modern era a significant stylistic push has occurred within the industry and the broader fashion space towards casual attire and accessories, dress watches continue to thrive, albeit alongside different outfits. It is no longer uncommon to see a full gold, wafer-thin, manually wound watch alongside a t-shirt and jeans. As crazy as this sounds on the surface, dress watches are resilient, and when fashion changes, dress watches somehow remain. Few can deny the beauty of a dress watch, even in contemporary environments. Today, we will analyze 10 of the greatest dress pieces you should consider adding to your collection.
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Platinum “Stealth”
The Lange 1 is a perfect example of the philosophy behind dress watches. Pure aesthetics in precious metal, with nothing superfluous or ostentatious, the Lange 1 is the iconic dress watch from Germany, with its balanced yet asymmetrical dial and oversized Teutonic-style date. The Lange 1 is the perfect piece to be both simple and intriguing since it calls attention to itself subtly, without the use of bling or flashy metal. Instead, it is the dial layout and beauty of the movement that make the piece stand out, even among other dress watches prized for similar characteristics. This particular variant is made from platinum, and named the “stealth” for its under-the-radar aesthetics.
Cartier Privé Collection Tank Chinoise
Yet another classic dress piece, the Tank was first introduced in 1918. Over 100 years later, the collection retains most of its original design. The Tank Chinoise is one of the more contemporary interpretations of the Tank, with influences from Asian culture providing a modified case design and aesthetic. The platinum Chinoise has some serious heft for its size, which contributes to an overarching feeling of quality that emanates from the piece. Yet another source of enjoyment on this piece is the well finished case which contrasts brushed and polished elements to naturally enhance the aesthetics of the timepiece.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph 403.031 “Dufourgraph”
Lange’s “Dufourgraph” is not only a great example of a dress chronograph, but also a reference that is essential to the modern industry climate. The first gen Datograph (403.035 and 403.031) was the first chrono from a premier brand to feature a fully in-house movement. Although Lange had only released its inaugural collection in 1994, by 1999, they had released the Datograph, a piece that has since inspired the shift within the high end market towards full in-house movement manufacturing. Significance aside, the Datograph reference 403.031 in rose gold was considered by Philippe Dufour to be the finest chronograph ever made. Since this endorsement, the Lange 403.031 Datograph has been affectionately dubbed the “Dufourgraph”. Its gold case, polished Roman numerals, big date, sword hands and perfectly finished manually wound movement are all hallmarks of quality that help distinguish this piece in a market of intense competition.
F.P. Journe Quantième Perpétuel Boutique Edition
Journe is one of the greatest dress watch manufacturers, and there are a serious number of offerings we could cover, but the Journe Quantième Perpétuel is one of the more traditional and underappreciated options within Journe’s collection. The piece is especially noteworthy as a result of its incredibly simple perpetual calendar layout. Perpetuals are often very cluttered with sub-dials and registers all designed to help convey the various complications of the display. On the Quantième Perpétuel, Journe used aperture displays in place of sub-registers, allowing quick and easy reading of the indications while preserving dial real estate for guilloché and other beautiful appointments. This particular variant of the Quantième Perpétuel is a boutique edition in rose gold with a blue dial, a beautiful variant with added scarcity. Although the Quantième Perpétuel receives less press than the Resonance and Tourbillons, it remains one of Journe’s most beautiful creations.
Patek Philippe 3940 Perpetual Calendar First Series
Yet another take on the classic perpetual calendar, a bit more traditional in layout than the previous Journe, the 3940 remains one of the most respected watches in high horology. In 1985, Patek Philippe launched the 3940 perpetual calendar, an 8mm thick reaffirmation that in spite of the quartz crisis, Patek Philippe would remain committed to what they did best. The micro-rotor caliber 240Q helped facilitate the thickness, lending well to the refined slimline aesthetic that perfectly exemplifies the dress watch philosophy. Petite indexes and hour dots are fashioned from gold, delicate hands are hand finished, and the sub-dials are slightly recessed for depth. As is the case with many of the greatest dress watches, the beauty of the piece lies in its details, the subtle refinements that help make the 3940 reside in a class of its own.
Patek Philippe Reference 2526 Tiffany Stamped
One of the simpler Patek models, the reference 2526 is incredibly important to the historical Patek brand development. Patek’s first automatic winding timepiece, the 2526 was quite contemporary at the time at 36mm. The Calatrava has been the benchmark for fine dress watches since the introduction of the reference 96, and no compilation of dress watches is complete without at least one. This particular example of the 2526, from Albert Ganjei’s personal collection, is especially notable, bearing a Tiffany stamped dial. There are few dress pieces that better capture the impact of the automatic winding caliber on the industry; this piece serves as a shrine to mid-century Patek Philippe, with its simultaneous classiness and revolutionary technological advancements in the story of horology.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Reference 30020
One of the single most brilliant watches ever made by Vacheron (at least in my opinion), the Patrimony Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar 30020 combines two of the most exceptional grand complications on the market — the minute repeater and the perpetual calendar. While each of these complications is independently amazing, here Vacheron has coupled them within a single, beautiful, pocket watch style case. This watch is in every sense pebble-like. It is soft in its curves and warm in hand, with considerable heft for its size. The dial of the Patrimony Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar reference 30020 is a work of art on its own, with complex multidirectional graining and contrasting subsidiary dials rimmed with thin gold framing. It’s an incredibly sophisticated execution, yet the reference 30020 doesn’t receive nearly the attention it deserves.
The Starry Varius DB25
One of the more innovative watchmakers in the independent game, De Bethue has quickly established a strong reputation for unique designs and executions. The Starry Varius DB25 is one of their more reserved designs, yet it still maintains the defining lugs and case profile that make their watches instantly recognizable. The unique starscape dial is made of blued titanium, with 24k gold flecks embedded on the surface. An intriguing level of customization is available in that customers can have De Bethune building their watch with the unique cross section of the Milky Way that’s visible from their home location. This watch gives a taste of what boutique level watchmaking looks like within the dress category.
F.P. Journe Chronomètre Optimum Rose Gold Boutique Edition
Yet another Journe classic, the Chronométre Optimum was conceived as the end all watch for Francois-Paul. A friend of his had asked if he could make one watch to summarize his philosophy, what would it look like? Journe subsequently built the Chronométre Optimum with a variety of refinements made to the function of the movement. Notably, the caliber 1510 incorporates two barrels, a constant force remontoir, and a brilliant bi-axial escapement. These refinements make the watch supremely accurate, and the bi-axial escapement helps to all but eliminate the use of lubricants. This particular edition of the Chronométre Optimum is particularly valuable since it is also a boutique edition with black dial. This watch is both beautiful and mechanically complex.
A. Lange & Sohne 730.079F 1815 Tourbillon Enamel Dial
To end off, I’d like to highlight yet another watch that is significantly more complex than initial impressions may let on. The Lange 730.079F 1815 Tourbillon features a solid colored dial, arabic numerals, and sword hands, but the aperture display at 6 o’clock alludes to the complication that the otherwise pure design conceals. This piece has a sizable tourbillon, exquisitely hand finished and proudly displayed, and the refinements don’t end here; additionally, the creamy dial is made from enamel, one of the most notorious and difficult materials to work with as a watchmaker. You may notice the theme of Lange within this assemblage of dress watches. Lange understands the fundamental facets of luxury dress watches: a simple design and prioritization of elegant presence and premium finishing help to generate the aesthetics of a successful watch design.