Over the last decade, we've witnessed several trends in the watch industry: blue and then green dials, a return to smaller cases, integrated bracelets...
Most notably, brands have focused on everyday and even sports watches. Formal dress watches were forgotten for too long. However, they seem to be making a comeback. At the Geneva Watch Week 2024, we saw more dress watches than ever in the past decade, but there's one important fact to consider...
Dress watches are no longer classic; they now have color and a certain casualness. 2024 could be the era of sartorial watches (here I must credit the CEO of Parmigiani), and here are the 6 best dress watches we saw at the Watches and Wonders 2024 exhibition.
Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green
Calm luxury and effortless elegance at its best... These new Forest Green Chopard L.U.C XPS were among the watches I was eager to see in person at the exhibition, and they did not disappoint.
A perfect example of the new generation of dress watches that take things less seriously, these Chopard combine a high-polish Lucent steel case with a stunning dark green sector dial. Add to that a stylish cognac strap, and you have a breathtaking model.
Elegant yet not old-fashioned, they have personality and presence, modernity and classicism. Under the sapphire case back is a beautiful micro-rotor movement, the emblematic ultra-thin Chopard Calibre 96, presented here with a gold rotor and COSC certification.
Priced at 11,200 Swiss Francs or 12,700 Euros, the watch is certainly not cheap, but remains quite accessible considering the overall beauty and quality.
Quick Facts: 40 mm x 7.20 mm Lucent steel case - sapphire crystals front and back - dark green sector dial - in-house ultra-thin L.U.C 96.12-L calibre, automatic with micro-rotor, 65-hour power reserve, COSC certified - smooth leather cognac strap with buckle - ref. 168629-3001 - 12,700 Euros
Grand Seiko Hand-Wound SLGW003
Typically more expected in the sports watch category, Grand Seiko expanded its Evolution 9 collection this year by introducing a modern take on dress watches. And the SLGW003 model has much to offer. Housed in a compact and sharp titanium case, it retains most of the design cues of this collection but in a much more understated and elegant manner. The dial, in typical GS style, features a nature-inspired texture with streamlined hands and markers. But most importantly, there's a new hand-wound movement, noted for its innovative escapement, solid power reserve, and overall appealing looks and finish. Dress watches according to Japanese philosophy...
Also available in pink gold, limited to 80 pieces.
Quick Facts: 38.6 mm x 9.95 mm Brilliant Hard Titanium case - sapphire crystals front and back - silver-white birch textured dial - in-house calibre 9SA4, hand-wound, dual impulse escapement, 80-hour power reserve - leather strap with titanium triple-fold clasp - ref. SLGW003 (also available in pink gold version SLGW002) - on sale in August - 11,700 Euros
Parmigiani Toric Small Seconds 40mm
Betting on modernizing the brand with the Tonda PF luxury sports watch collection, Parmigiani Fleurier returns to its roots, presenting the Toric collection, which became the brand's first watches in 1996. Following its vision of sartorial elegance that combines Swiss precision and Italian sense of beauty, PF has updated the Toric emblem, making it supremely elegant...
Only crafted from precious metals (for the case, dial, hands, and even most of the movement), it is executed in a series of warm, soft colors combined with more restrained knurling on the bezel and a hand-grained dial finish. The case back reveals the new calibre PF780, hand-wound with original Côtes de Fleurier texture on the 18-carat rose gold bridges.
Extremely attractive, but not quite affordable...
Quick Facts: 40.6 mm x 8.8 mm rose gold or platinum case - Sapphire crystals front and back - Celadon grey or Sand-Gold solid gold dial with gold hands and markers - in-house calibre PF780, hand-wound, solid gold bridges, 60-hour power reserve - alligator leather strap with soft material buckle - 45,000 Swiss Francs in gold and 52,000 Swiss Francs in platinum
Raymond Weil Millesime Moonphase
In a completely different price segment, we must again credit Raymond Weil and its Millesime collection. While we have already praised the small seconds version for its modern approach to the classic sector dial, the brand has now added an elegant moon phase complication to its collection.
Fairly compact, housed in a Calatrava-style case with a flat bezel, they have undeniable charm (perhaps even more in the gold PVD version with a blue dial), and the additional moon phase indicator only adds retro style to these modern watches with a reliable Sellita automatic movement.
Quite worthy watches priced just above 2,000 Euros.
Quick Facts: 39.5 mm x 10 mm steel case (gold PVD available) - sapphire crystals front and back - silver or midnight blue sector dial, matte - calibre RW4280 (Sellita SW280-1), automatic with moon phases, 38-hour power reserve - calf leather strap with buckle - available from October 2024 - from CHF 2,125
Rolex Perpetual 1908 Platinum & Ice Blue Guilloche
One of the least expected new models from Rolex this year... but also one of the most attractive Crown models. Successfully launched last year, the Rolex Perpetual 1908 collection has already made a significant impression with its understated gold versions with matte white or black dials. But this year, Rolex introduced something unexpected yet very elegant - a platinum edition with... a guilloche dial.
And to add beauty to these watches, the rice grain texture (traditionally crafted on a turning lathe) is paired with the classic Rolex ice blue tone. The result stands out and possesses undeniable charm and elegance. The case back, where the in-house calibre 7140 is visible under sapphire glass, also impresses.
Priced at 31,000 Euros, it's not what I would call an affordable watch, but the price seems justified.
Quick Facts: 39 mm x 9.50 mm platinum case - sapphire crystals front and back - hand-guilloche ice blue with rice grain motif, gold hands and markers - in-house calibre 7140, Superlative Chronometer, automatic, Chronergy escapement, 66-hour power reserve - matte black or brown alligator leather, platinum folding clasp - ref. 52506 - 31,300 Euros
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Manual-Winding
This year, Vacheron Constantin updated one of its most classic and neutral models - the Patrimony Manual-Winding. In the past, I wouldn't have called it outstanding, but the update has added charm and elegance, making the watch exceptionally elegant.
Marking the twentieth anniversary of the Patrimony, Vacheron equipped the manual-winding Patrimony watch with a more compact 39-millimeter case. But most noteworthy is the new old silver-toned dial with a pronounced sun-brushed finish and domed profile.
Warm and lively, it pairs with a case in white or rose gold and colorful straps (something more neutral would surely fit as well). Inside the case, but hidden under a solid case back, is the Geneva calibre 1440 with manual winding, an ultra-thin movement (2.6 mm) with a small power reserve of 42 hours.
Quick Facts: 39 mm x 7.7 mm case in white or rose gold - sapphire crystal and solid gold case back - domed old silver-tone dial with applied rose gold indexes and pearl minute track, gold hands - in-house ultra-thin calibre 1440 with manual winding, 42-hour power reserve, Geneva Seal - olive green or azure blue alligator leather strap with gold buckle - approximately 25,000 Euros (to be confirmed)