Dress to Impress: The Perfect Dress Watches for Your Tuxedo

The early 20th century saw the shift of watches from pockets to wrists, setting the stage for today's watch-wearing culture. Dress watches have been a menswear staple ever since, and how men wear them in formal settings has become a hallmark of refined style. Any serious watch collector knows that a dress watch is a must-have. Whether for important events or everyday office wear, these timepieces epitomize understated elegance and a minimalist design that eschews unnecessary embellishments.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection

Visually stunning, with innovative clockwork and impeccable execution, all Grand Seiko timepieces are imbued with Japan’s natural environment and climate. The new dress watch from the Evolution 9 collection in a rose gold case is a limited edition featuring the first hi-beat hand-wound movement designed by the Japanese brand in the last 50 years. The timeless design is charming, elegant and subtle, while the visually stunning dial is inspired by the lines of the white birch tree from the lush forests near Grand Seiko's Shizukuishi studio in northern Japan.

H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar Concept

The independent Swiss brand H. Moser & Cie, founded all the way back in 1828, has always been guided by the 'less is more' philosophy, in which there is no place for any unnecessary ornaments on watches. The Streamliner Perpetual Calendar Concept is a modernist, minimalist sculpture that focuses exclusively on essential elements through its simple but quite ingenious design. There are no indices and logos, and the main star is the smoked salmon-colored dial. Lighter in the center and darker towards the outer rim, the game of contrasts produces different tones, from chocolate-brown to refined gold.

Piaget Polo Date 150th Anniversary Edition

With the new edition of the Piaget Polo model, this renowned Swiss house is celebrating 150 years of well-established tradition and innovation. When the Polo model was launched in 1979 under the helm of Yves Piaget, it became a symbol of the sport- chic era and established a firm link between the brand and the royal sport - polo. The refined elegance of the warm beige dial bears a distinctive pattern of horizontal grooves, and the ultra-thin steel case fits any style perfectly. A true example of the horologic quiet luxury in the body of one of the most charismatic watches of all time.

Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Second

Through a fascinating journey into its own past, the Parmigiani Fleurier has brought to life its first model designed in 1996 by brand founder Michel Parmigiani. Called simply the Petite Seconde, the new Toric pays homage to the minimalism and aesthetics of the 1960s dress watches. The simple dial is decorated with only twelve tiny markers elegantly arranged around the bezel and a subtle sub-dial. For this model, Parmigiani introduced leather straps that are finished with a double-point stitch called 'Punto a Mano', reminiscent of the sartorial hand stitching from Neapolitan tailors.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59

The Code 11.59 launch event was called the biggest in the brand’s history since 1972, when the legendary Royal Oak was launched. The obsession with detail and craftsmanship is evident in the dial surface developed in collaboration with Swiss guilloché craftsman Yann von Kaenel. Hundreds of concentric circles engraved by hand resemble the ripple pattern of water and look especially effective in the combination of the sky blue and a rose gold case. Another interesting detail is the octagonal case center as a tribute to Royal Oak.

Text Dubravka Tomeković Aralica

Photos Grand Seiko, H. Moser & Cie, Piaget, Parmigiani, Audemars Piguet