4 Off-The-Beaten-Track Dress Watches from Panerai, Nomos, Hublot, and Grand Seiko
by Martin Green
The term ‘dress watch’ is as ambivalent as ‘ultra-thin.’ There are no fixed parameters to guide whether a watch is a dress watch or not, and thanks to James Bond, some have no problem applying the term dress watch to a dive watch.
Daniel Craig as James Bond wearing an Omega Seamaster in Casino Royale
So to avoid being spammed by readers who don’t agree with my suggestions I need to define what a dress watch is to me. The problem is that I also think that the term dress watch is ambivalent, however, for this article, I will only focus on watches that have a case made of precious metal and only tell time, with the date being optional.
I also think that dress watches should also look elegant, and by that, I mean that their height should be kept in check, as well as their diameter.
Here are four less widely known dress watches that I feel are worth considering.
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Panerai Radiomir Quaranta Yellow Gold
For as long as Panerai has existed it has been difficult, if not impossible, to associate the brand with ‘dress watch’. It is almost an oxymoron, but then Panerai started to reduce the diameter of its watches and make them slimmer. They took away two of their signature aspects, and in a twist of irony, the watches became a sort of concentrated Panerai.
As I have a relatively modest wrist, they wear better and more comfortable but I still get the look and feel I love.
Panerai Radiomir Quaranta Yellow Gold
It also brings Panerai in the dress watch territory, with my favorite model, the Radiomir Quaranta in yellow gold. Combined with the olive green dial with a sunburst motif, it has an old-school vibe that works very well with the cushion-shaped case. I could have done without the date, as it would then be even more classy, but at least Panerai made the effort to give the date disk the right color. What is also nice is that this Panerai is not only about looks but also has something to offer when it comes to its movement.
Caliber P.900 movement of the Panerai Radiomir Quaranta Yellow Gold
Caliber P.900 is pleasantly slender, with a height of 4.2mm, despite having a full-size oscillating weight. Although it has only one barrel, the power reserve is a generous 3 days. Another argument that it is a dress watch is that the water resistance is a mere 50 meters/5 bar, and I think that the frogmen of the Italian Navy would not have been too pleased with that. Price: $18,200
Panerai Radiomir Quaranta Yellow Gold
For more information, please visit www.panerai.com/us/en/collections/watch-collection/radiomir/pam01437-radiomir-quaranta-yellow-gold.html
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Nomos Lux White Gold Light
When talking about Nomos, many think immediately about minimalistic styled watches loaded with interesting details, offered in stainless steel cases, and offering a bang for your buck. Many don’t even know that the brand also sells gold watches, and even fewer know that some of those can rival their neighbor from across the street in Glashütte, A. Lange & Söhne, in terms of form and finish.
Nomos Lux White Gold Light
One of those watches is the Nomos Lux, which oozes understated elegance with its tonneau case made from white gold. It is in every way a Nomos, so its design is so timeless that you have no idea from which decade it comes, but the real candy is inside the case.
Nomos went through the trouble of creating a form movement, perfectly fitting the tonneau case. While there is normally already little to complain about with a Nomos movement, this one feels like their watchmakers pulled out everything they got. While it measures 3.2 in height, caliber DUW 2002 still boasts an impressive 84-hour power reserve.
Caliber DUW 2002 movement of the Nomos Lux White Gold Light
As it is a manual wound, there is no oscillating weight to cover the impressive decorations, which range from gold chatons secured with fire-blued screws, hand-engraved balance cock, and hand-beveled and polished edges. Price: $21,500
Nomos Lux White Gold Light
For more information, please visit https://nomos-glashuette.com/en/lux/lux-white-gold-light-921
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Hublot Classic Fusion Original
A Hublot as a dress watch? Many probably won’t think about this right now, mainly because the brand made such a strong comeback with large chronographs and complicated watches, but the first Hublot’s were both gold and utterly elegant. Hublot has not forgotten its past, and in its current collection the Classic Fusion is a homage to how the brand began.
Hublot Classic Fusion Original
Just like the original, they offer the Classic Fusion as a three-hander in yellow gold, with a date function. It is available in three sizes, and for this article, I picked the middle one, which is 38mm. This gives it character on the wrist without becoming too overpowering, as the 42mm, the largest size, can be.
Hublot Classic Fusion Original in 33mm, 38mm and 42mm
The Classic Fusion is also available in 33mm, and that would have been my initial choice. However, where the original design from the 1980s was quite smooth, the current one is more angular. That makes it look more dainty in a smaller size than it looked before, hence my preference for the 38mm version.
While we can argue if a dress watch can ever have a rubber strap, this material is so intertwined with the birth of the brand that I feel that it is almost mandatory for this model. Where some Hublots used a movement based on the Elite-caliber from Zenith, this Classic Fusion features caliber HUB1110, which is a reworked Sellita SW300.
Caliber HUB1110 movement of the Hublot Classic Fusion Original
I might be a bit of a snob, but this watch is too ‘elite’ to be powered by a movement that can also be found in watches that cost 1/10th the price of this Hublot. Yes, I know that there are also great stories about noble British, French, and even Italian cars powered by rather common American engines, but Hublot would have pleased me more with a Zenith Elite-based movement. Price: $20,500
For more information, please visit www.hublot.com/en-us/watches/classic-fusion/classic-fusion-original-yellow-gold-38-mm
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Grand Seiko SBGZ003
Many focus on Swiss brands when it comes to dress watches, forgetting or not knowing that the Japanese also have decades of experience in this field. Especially Grand Seiko, which has made dress watches into an art form and is, in many ways, redefining understatement.
Grand Seiko SBGZ003
While Grand Seiko still don’t have good-sounding names for their models, which is perhaps also a way of being understated, reference SBGZ003 is a favorite. Made from platinum, the 38.5mm case oozes pure elegance and is perfectly polished, as it is Grand Seiko, of course.
The dial might be a bit boring at first, with only a dash of color from the blued seconds hand that glides over the dial thanks to the Spring Drive movement, but it is sheer perfection that you are looking at. Everything is right, and that’s why the SBGZ003 is so satisfying on the wrist.
Back of the Grand Seiko SBGZ003
I did break my earlier set of rules, as this Grand Seiko does have an additional complication, as the movement features a power reserve indicator. In my defense, it is on the back side of the watch where it is visible through the sapphire insert in the platinum caseback.
Caliber 9R02 is quite novel, featuring two mainsprings set in parallel within a single barrel, giving the watch a power reserve of 84 hours. Thanks to the Spring Drive technology, its precision is as perfect as it looks, with an accuracy of +/- 15 seconds a month. Price: $57,000
For more information, please visit www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgz003j
You might also enjoy:
No, Watches Are Not Jewelry: Cutting Through the Million-dollar Question, One Layer at a Time
Why a Dive Watch Should Never Be Haute Horlogerie
The Death of the Dress Watch: Is it Time to Write its Obituary?
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Four interesting options, each with their own appeal and a well written article. Two demonstrate why you’d want an exhibition caseback, to see the touch of an artist (which also justifies the cost), two others show why the trend for adding them can’t end soon enough. That being said I’d still struggle to look past the Panerai given the dial, which I didn’t expect with a GS in the mix! Which would the author choose I wonder…
Thank you for your kind words! Choices, choices, they are part of what makes the world of watches so much fun but also so challenging, as money can only be spend once. Like you I wonder what the author would choose, as I haven’t made up my mind yet.
Excellent piece offering thoughtful analysis of the brands to “make” your list. The Panarai in particular, caught my attention. And agree, the date window could go. In general Grand Seiko has multiple candidates for any short list and for less money without the platinum stealth. Would enjoy seeing a Part II in a continuing series.
I have to agree with you, GerardAnthony, that GS has several models that would fit the bill, so I used my writers liberty and picked my favorite. I am happy to read that you enjoyed this article, and I will take your suggestion and start working on a part II.