Best Dress Watches: Elevating a Stylish Look

It’s an open secret that there are a large number of watches in the world with different types and functions they carry. Sports watches with their robust and rugged appearance are great to stay stylish in outdoor activities. Dive watches with high water resistance and bezels are designed for those who love to dive. And when it comes to dress watches, it simply becomes an accessory every man and woman needs. 

The perfect fit of dress watches will give an elegant touch to your outfit every time you wear it. No matter what the models are, either classic or contemporary, this type of watch will take you to another level of classiness.

A brief history of dress watches

Watches were, actually, used by women as jewelry rather than timekeeper before the beginning of the 20th century while men still wore pocket watches. Nonetheless, at the turn of the century, men started tying their pocket watches to their wrists with a distinctive strap into the battlefield. Ever since that day, the new era of wristwatches has been started. Military watches surged in popularity and after the end of World War II, watchmakers set out more refined and elegant versions. That became one of the important eras in the watchmaking industry when the very first dress wristwatch was born.

Actually, the origin story of a dress watch can be traced back much further during the Regency period. It was a time when men’s tailoring ran into dramatic transformation, bringing out the two-piece suit as we know it today. With a more simple and understated look, looking fit became the most important thing for well-dressed men. Nevertheless, carrying a bulky pocket watch would destroy that clean silhouette. As such, watchmakers began to produce thinner and more discreet versions.

The thinner the pocket watch is, the higher the level of skill needed, which means it will come up with a higher cost. Therefore, a sleeker pocket watch wasn’t more than just about the style, but also implicitly showed their wealth.

What makes a watch a dress watch?

The best dress watches, like other watches, have their own characteristics to show. They called it a dress watch is for a reason and none other than the beauty in it. Dress watches are elegant, we know it. These are created to be worn for formal occasions and business attire, thus they must not disrupt the fit of a suit jacket. They should be less than 15mm thick to exude the perfect elegance of a dress watch. A slim profile, however, won’t ruin your looks, yet it is the most important attribute for this type.

Besides a slimmer design, a dress watch mostly comes in a simple design. A not-busy look will contribute to how beautiful the dress watch is. The key rests on the dial that looks minimal and flaunts a basic color like white, cream, navy, or black. You don’t need a wristwatch with big diamonds or a chronograph to look stunning with a dress watch in a meeting. The only function is to tell you the time with two or three hands and perhaps the date. Therefore, simplicity speaks best as in the sunburst blue dial of Mido Baroncelli Midnight Blue Gent. This one defines a great example of the best dress watch under $1000. It’s clean, sophisticated, and paired nicely with a multi-link bracelet.

A refined metal case is also another thing that makes a watch a dress watch. Since a dress watch is produced for special occasions, it came as no surprise that only the best materials will do. The case of a dress watch should be made of precious metal such as steel, platinum, or gold. If you own a watch with white metals like the Steinhart Marine Chronometer 44 Arabic, you can combine it with grey, black, or blue clothes. But, if your wristwatch is gold-plated, then earthy tones will suit them best.

Read Also: Top 5 dress watch under 500

An elegant rose-gold round piece on your wrist 

It’s hard to defeat this Seiko dress watch design for its classic and minimalism. With Seiko Presage Automatic Sharp Edged Susutake Rose Gold, you can go classy anytime whether at the office or at a bar.

From a brown calf leather strap to a rose gold coated case with an all-rounder built to give a perfect match to your earthy outfits. No wonder, everyone will constantly look at you. Combining a genius mechanism, it runs on the 24 jewels, 70-hour 6R35 automatic movement, which you can adore through the open case-back.

The grandeur of the old century within an elegant watch

Is there any best dress watch under $1000 for a lady? For sure, this Mido timepiece is one of my top favorites — the Mido Baroncelli Heritage Lady Rose Gold that wouldn’t make you draw much money on your saving account. This one of the best dress watch is as luxurious as you could ask for with its rose gold PVD coating, creating envious glances while you take it out and strap your look. With only $990, you take many benefits of sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, an elegant think case with only 7.15mm, and 30mm water-resistant to help you avoid wine splashes.

Read Also: Dress Watches for Women

The beauty of simplicity for an everyday look

Aristo is popular for its clean design and excellent workmanship. One of their collections, The Bauhaus, really applies the terms of minimalism, simplicity, and elegance. The Bauhaus 38 Fresh White 4H127 – Sapphire boasts the Arabic hour markers which are reminiscent of the 1970s watch face design. They don’t only offer exquisite looks and great mechanics but good quality materials are put on it — making it a good companion in every day look. At the heart of this watch, the Swiss automatic movement is proof to ensure the watch’s accuracy. With that being said, it’s hard to believe that this is the best dress watch under $500 Aristo ever introduced.

Elegance and simplicity are the points of every dress watch. Adding to that, a great watch performance would make a perfect fit for the best dress watches. This type of watch might not look robust but you, still, can rely on a dress watch to stay stylish throughout the day.