Is a new golden age of dress watches upon us?
Andrew O'ConnorI love a good dress watch. For most of my life, I have needed to put on some variation of a collared shirt with a necktie and jacket on a regular basis. Even with that, some of my favourite watches are dress watches, or lean towards the dressy end of the GADA spectrum, and I often feel like the most confident version of myself rocking a smaller rectangular watch with jeans, a t-shirt, and my trusty leather jacket. Dress watches may not be the most versatile when it comes to specifications, but they are much easier to dress down than it is to dress a sport watch up, and can be your primary watch should your tastes and lifestyle make that possible.
There are obviously a number of things, though, that make having a dress watch as your primary watch not possible, or at least not ideal. Some have so little water resistance that being caught in a rainstorm might cause some anxiety, especially if it is vintage. If you’re a purist about your interpretation of dress watches, precious metals are soft and not only easily scratched, but dented as well. Leather straps usually hold up for a reasonable amount of time, but may not be the most comfortable and certain situations may cause them to deteriorate more rapidly. These concerns not only remove them from the running of primary watch for some collectors, but they also remove a dress watch from consideration entirely, as they do not fit into their lives in any capacity.
For me personally, most of my suit and tuxedo wearing happens when performing on stage, which is usually a hot and very sweaty environment that usually involves moving around of at least some equipment before and afterwards. Leather straps do get ruined, and being able to give my watch a quick worry-free rinse after a show is highly appreciated (both by me and probably my watch if it could talk!) I think the same can be said for people routinely running around cities in business attire, and long nights attending formal and semi-formal events.
Some people have an insatiable thirst for 15mm+ thick chunks of stainless steel to be strapped on their wrist at all times, and there is probably nothing I can say to convince them otherwise. But for those who just haven’t found the dress watch that fits into their lives, I would propose that we may be in the golden age of dress watches that can be strong candidates for daily wear. If we are comfortable ditching the conventional precious metal connotation, there are now a number of dress-oriented timepieces that are not only in steel or titanium, but also have usable water resistance.
While yes, there are plenty of dressier everyday watches, those still lean sporty, especially when on metal bracelets. This potential new era of dress watches are truly elegant timepieces that will be right at home at a black tie affair, fully satisfying the wearing experience of a dress watch while being able to handle the debatably fictional fall into the pool at the party, while looking more elegant than one climbing out of that pool with sopping wet formal wear. It gets even better in my mind, as most of the watches being discussed today are shaped dress watches.
Serica Ref. 1174 Parade
The first one comes from the French purveyors of modern interpretations of mid-century sport watches, Serica. From its first release, the W.W.W. field watch, to the 5303 Diver and 8315 Travel Chronometer, Serica have managed to combine vintage influences in a way that manifests in its own unique design language, especially considering its dials are completely devoid of large branded text. With compact dimensions and the right amount of polished surfaces, they can all be dressed up, but to truly have all facets covered in its catalogue, Serica released the Parade late in 2024.
With an elliptical shape influenced by ancient stadiums, the 35mm x 41mm case has a mixture of brushed and polished finishes that seem to be perfect for accentuating the different facets of the watch. The first dials released, and likely the best for versatility, come in either black or gold and feature a sunburst finish with a guilloché pattern coming from the centre of the dial. Earlier this year, we also saw some slightly less formal linen dials join the range, too. Small metal indices outline the periphery of the dial, making the time easily readable while maintaining focus on the elegance of the dial. In true dress watch tradition, inside is a manually-wound Soprod M100 movement with 42 hours of power reserve that helps keep the case svelte at 8.2mm thick.
Even with a push-pull crown, the Serica Parade has 100 meters of water resistance, maintaining the durability one expects from the brand. For those looking for a more elegant all-rounder, I think Serica truly nailed it with the Parade. Even with its model photos, they feature a man wearing a t-shirt, leather jacket, and casual pants while holding a bow-tie, visually representing the range of attire, and activity, this watch can handle. Price: US$1,789 from the Time+Tide Shop
Echo/Neutra Rivanera Piccolo
When echo/neutra debuted its Rivanera collection, it was a fresh take on the rectangular dress watch. With its mix of sandblasted and polished finishes on a grade 5 titanium case, it seemingly mashed together brutalist and Art Deco design cues in a way that not only works, but is incredibly visually compelling. This aspect is further highlighted with the variety of strap options, ranging from dressy shell cordovan to modern and tech-y black rubber. Alas, 30 meters of water resistance and a manually wound movement would remove it from the running for a convenient and capable allrounder for many (though the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso would have something to say about that!)
Whether it was echo/neutra’s intention or not, the Italian brand’s follow-up with the Rivanera Piccolo makes for both a more dressy statement and a more versatile experience. The grade 5 titanium case with mixed sandblasted and polished finishes remains. New to the Piccolo are the two “Grain de Riz” guilloché dial options in white or black, and the Musou Black model that uses the blackest acrylic paint ever created, absorbing 99.4% of light, in case you need a dial that could be none more black. The compact 26mm x 33mm case measures 6.9mm thin, leaning more into the traditional rectangular dress watch territory.
At the same time, its automatic winding Sellita SW1000 movement and a date window offer some more practical features that would make this a great daily wearer that also makes a statement. With 20mm lugs and the supplied rubber and leather straps, there is a whole lot of fun waiting to happen with various strap options. The only downside that I see is that the water resistance is still only 30 meters, yet with modern build quality of watches being what it is, I’m sure a spilled drink and quick splash in the sink will be just fine. Price: US$1,980 from the Time+Tide Shop
Anoma A1 Optical
One wouldn’t think that a piece of furniture would serve as compelling inspiration for a watch design, yet leave it to Matteo Violet-Vianello to make it happen. Taking inspiration from a Charlotte Perriand-designed table from the 1950s, Matteo took that shape and inspiration from organically shaped river stones, and the modernist sculpture work of Constantin Brâncuși to create the Anoma A1. With a rounded triangle dial offset inside the rounded triangle pebble-like case, the juxtaposition of geometric shapes and fluid organic lines makes for what I think is one of the most charming watches recently released.
The 39mm case features a lug-less design, making the somewhat large for a dress watch form factor wear compactly. With an automatic Sellita SW100 and 50 meters of water resistance, it maintains a sense of practicality, despite how impractical the design may be. This is further emphasised with the currently available A1 Optical. The dial design of the Optical utilises an engraving of 50 offset triangles radiating outward from the centre (as if the cure for Matteo’s fever was more triangles). The dial is then sandblasted and lightly hand-polished, emphasising the desired optical illusion effect. The A1 Optical is stunning, but telling the time is secondary. That being said, I’m sure future releases from Anoma will more easily facilitate telling the time, should that be desired. Price: £2,200 (~US$2,935)
Furlan Marri Disco Volante Onyx Diamonds
Even though it may not look it, the Furlan Marri Disco Volante Onyx Diamonds is actually up for some eventful outings. Don’t let the semi-precious onyx stone dial and lab-grown diamond indices fool you: the 38mm lug-less stainless steel case is water-resistant to 50 meters, and the hands even feature BGW9 Super-LumiNova! The mesh stainless steel bracelet, especially with its herringbone-style weave, makes it as much a jewellery piece as it is a reliable timekeeping companion. Quick-release spring bars make strap swapping a breeze (although it does require curved spring bars), and the manually wound Peseux 7001 is a tried and true workhorse of an ultra-thin movement, measuring just 2.5mm thick.
Sadly for the many fans this watch has garnered, it is limited in production and the first run sold out rather quickly, but more will be coming. If you can’t wait, don’t fret. Truly, every watch in Furlan Marri’s catalogue would fit the bill of a reliable, dressy all-rounder. All of them are rated to 50 meters of water resistance and have svelte steel cases, ranging from the mecha-quartz chronographs to the higher-end manually wound flyback chronographs. With beautifully finished cases (both inside and out), should Furlan Marri’s offerings pique your interest, none of them will disappoint. Price: 3,500 CHF (~US$4,395)
Closing thoughts
I know I’m not the first to say this, but I will join the growing choir of people saying that right now is a very exciting time to be a watch enthusiast, especially with what microbrands are doing. The growing attention on dress watches is manifesting in many ways, and micros are doing what they do best: create compelling offerings with incredible value. Whether you are an avid collector of dressy timepieces are someone looking for their first “perfect” dress watch, I’d say now is a great time to be alive, as each of these watches takes the slim and compact dressy timepiece and makes it compelling, usable, and relatively accessible to modern collectors.
In making this list, I looked at these timepieces and thought I’d happily add each of these to my collection and wear them, and potentially wear them hard (in a loving way). If you’re lacking a dress watch in your collection, I’d say your excuses are running out. If you’re contemplating an entire sub-collection of dressy timepieces, there is no better time than the present, and I might be joining you.