What is a Dress Watch?

The etiquette of choosing different watches for different occasions can be a tricky one. Different watches are more suitable, or in some cases specifically designed for, use or occasions where other watches would simply not work. Obvious examples are tool watches, such as dive or pilot watches, where the form of the watch befits the function. However, one of the arguably more fluid categories is that of the dress watch. In this article we will look at some of the characteristics which make a dress watch for both men and women so.

Firstly, lets answer the question as to what exactly is a dress watch? Well, for men a dress watch is one worn for a formal occasion, with a formal suit or perhaps with a tuxedo for a black-tie event. As such, the general aesthetics of the watch should fit in with this style. For women, it is again worn for a formal occasion, however it would be likely paired with a cocktail or evening dress, and so it would more likely be clearly visible on the wrist.

The origins of the idea of a dress watch can be traced to before the Twentieth Century, when wrist watches were more of a jewellery item and worn for the most part by women of the time, whilst the men would tend to wear a pocket watch. This was, at least, until in the early Twentieth Century when military men started strapping pocket watches to their wrists as this was far more practical then having to check a pocket watch. During this era, wrist watches tended to be simple and small, leading us to looking at our first key characteristic of size.

For men, a dress watch is one which should discretely fit under the cuff of a shirt, and so they tend to be smaller both in terms of diameter and thickness. They embody a simplistic elegance whereby you can check the time without the watch drawing attention (it was historically considered bad etiquette to check the time at formal events, the implication being you have somewhere else to be). Generally speaking, in my opinion the maximum case size today would be up to 40mm, although admittedly for a dress watch that is on the larger size. Traditionally, as described above, dress watches have tended to be on the small side, and so a more common size would be between 36-38mm, although depending on who you talk to you’ll often find a different recommendation in terms of the ‘sweet spot’ for size. With a smaller case diameter, often will come a smaller depth of case, which also in turn makes it easier to slip under the wrist, and a preferable characteristic to look out for when choosing a dress piece.

For women, a dress watch is more likely to be on display, and as such would need to appear elegant as though a piece of jewellery. As such, dress watches for women tend to be of a much smaller size, perhaps up to a maximum of 32mm although you’ll likely find many exceptions to this. At this size, the case and dial of the watch are far less protrusive on the wrist, with a simplistic elegance which again serves to meet the same objective in so much as the watch not drawing attention. One addition in terms of decoration that is more likely found on a dress watch for women would be the subtle inclusion of diamonds, either on the bezel or perhaps the dial.

Check out my Watch Sizing Guide here for more.

What is a dress watch?

Another attribute to look for pertaining to the case alludes more to the elegance of the piece, and that is the material that it comes in. Now there is nothing to say that a dress piece cannot be made from stainless steel, in fact personally I would argue against that every day of the week, however it is not uncommon for dress pieces to have a case made from rose or white gold, or even platinum. Again, this trait is one which heralds back to the earliest dress watches when they were worn by the wealthy.

In keeping with the theme of simplistic elegance, a dress watch is not normally one adorned with a multitude of complications, instead often favouring a time only display, or perhaps the addition of a small date window. Today we can also find certain complications that fit with the ethos of a dress watch such as the classical moon-phase, too. However, complications such as a chronograph (especially with accompanying tachymetre), or a watch with a skeletal dial would not be an appropriate dress watch. Of course, there are a few exceptions to this, but it stands as a useful rule of thumb.

There is of course one final thing to consider with the aesthetics of a watch, and that is the strap. For both men and women, a traditional dress watch is more often than not paired with an elegant leather strap, although again I would argue that a metal bracelet is equally as at home on a dress piece, depending of course on the design of the bracelet. For men, strap types to avoid would be any kind of rubber or Nato straps, which would unlikely befit the formal occasion. For women, some dress pieces are presented on a fabric strap such as silk, which would be welcome.

Of course, given all this you might be forgiven for thinking that a dress watch is one which can only be worn in a formal situation. My opinion is that a dress watch can be worn for most occasions (excluding the obvious occasions like diving or going rock climbing!), but could you wear it with jeans and a t-shirt or a jumper? I do myself all the time, and equally I am sure many would disagree with me doing so! Ultimately, as long as you feel comfortable, that is far and away the most important thing.

So, working in the boundaries of what constitutes a dress watch, what kinds of examples are there in the world of luxury watches? There is a great array of watches out there, however I would probably start with brands like Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne, Patek Philippe, Breguet, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC Schaffhausen or Cartier, each of which produce some absolutely stunning examples of dress pieces as shown below:

A Lange & Sohne Saxonia

Breguet Marine Dame

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony

IWC Schaffhausen Portofino

Blancpain Villeret

TAG Heuer Carrera

I hope you have found this article useful in explaining what constitutes a dress watch for both men and women, and the different characteristics to look out for.

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