Dress watches for men: Less is more

For many watch lovers, a dress watch is an indispensable part of their collection. Whether you are looking for a chic watch for special occasions or just a stylish model for the office, a good dress watch lifts every outfit to a higher level.

‘But what exactly is a dress watch?’

A question that still often causes divided opinions within the watch world. Therefore, in this blog, we will take a closer look at the “dress watch”, and go into more detail about its characteristics, when to wear this type of watch and which brands are the right ones to go to.

What are the characteristics of a dress watch?

To determine the definitive characteristics of a dress watch, our watch specialists put their heads together and carefully considered what really makes a watch a dress watch. This included the size, case shape, dial and strap.

Size

A dress watch should be inconspicuous and well proportioned to the wrist. The diameter is usually between 36 and 40 millimetres (for round cases, a tank is traditionally smaller) and the case thickness is minimal, with a thickness of up to 10 millimetres. Which allows the watches to easily fit under the sleeve of your shirt or jacket.

Case

The classic shape of a dress watch is round, but designs like the Cartier Tank and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso have opened the door to rectangular case shapes over the years. Case materials range from stainless steel to precious metals such as gold or platinum.

Dial

The dial of a dresswatch exudes simplicity and class. Typically, they do not contain additional functions, such as chronographs or tachymeters. In addition, the hours are often indicated with a bar index or Roman or Arabic numerals are used. Popular colours are white, cream, black and dark blue, which, combined with narrow and simple hands, create a calm look. All this makes a dress watch look minimalist but elegant.

Watch strap

Dress watches are almost always equipped with a leather strap, usually made of calfskin and in the higher end of crocodile or even ostrich leather. Colours such as brown or black are common here and match the overall elegant look of the watch. A leather strap adds some classic sophistication, while metal straps are often considered slightly less formal.

Of course, the features we apply are only guidelines, and you certainly won't look foolish with a nice dresswatch fitted with a metal (mesh) strap or a chronograph function. As long as you keep in mind that with dress watches the rule is: “Less is more”.

When do you wear a dress watch?

Dress watches are often worn for formal occasions such as weddings, business meetings or dinners. It is also certainly appropriate to wear a dress watch to the office, for example with a jacket, shirt or neat polo shirt. For those people who prefer to overdress rather than underdress, a dress watch can basically be worn for any occasion, it remains a personal thing and there is absolutely no arguing about taste! However, at extremely formal occasions such as galas and black tie events, wearing a watch is considered inappropriate according to etiquette, as it may suggest that you are watching your time.

In short, a dress watch is appropriate when style and elegance are desired. Whether you opt for a business look or a chic evening look, this type of watch always adds a sophisticated finishing touch to your outfit!

Brands with popular dress watches

At Watch.co.uk, we have a wide range of dress watches, divided between various brands and price categories. So we have a suitable model for every person, and to make it a bit easier to find your perfect dress watch, we list a few popular ones:

More dress watches at hollandwatchgroup.com

View our full collection of dress watches on our product page here.