Unless you’re wearing formal clothes on the reg, you may not be aware that there are actually certain watches designed to pair nicely with formal clothing.
Enter the dress watch.
Dress watches are designed to pair perfectly with formal suits and tuxedos. Their simplistic style are to ensure they compliment your dapper look instead of distract from it.
You know, when you’re wearing an expensive (or even not so expensive) suit, you want people to notice it. You surly don’t want to ruin the effect by pairing it with a bulky timepiece that’s poking out from under your cuffs.
But don’t worry, we won’t let that happen to you.
In this guide, we’re going to discuss what makes a dress watch a dress watch. We’ll go over all the characteristics of these classy timepieces so when the time comes, you’ll know everything you need to in order to find the right one to compliment your look.
What Are Dress Watches?
Simply put- these are watches you wear when you’re dressing up. They’re designed specifically to go with formal attire. Guys, we’re talking long sleeve button down shirts, collars, and jackets here.
There’s nothing saying you couldn’t wear a nice dress watch with a high-end polo shirt and shorts either, but traditionally, these watches are paired with the fanciest of digs.
Depending on the formality of the event and the people present, you may get along just fine with a nice diver’s watch– you’re not breaking any rules by doing this.
But if you’re for the best watch to go with your suit, a proper dress watch is the way to go (especially for super formal events).
How do dress watches compare to all the other men’s watch styles? Well, there are a few characteristics that set them apart from the others. These include:
Simple Dial
A key feature of a dress watch is how simple the dial (or face) is. You aren’t going to find a bunch of extra features, like timers or rotating bezels on these watches.
Nope, usually just the bare minimum necessary for keeping time: numerals, an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand.
That’s it.
Some will also have a date window displaying the day of the month. But many don’t even have this.
The idea that less is more is integrated in the design of true dress watches. These timepieces are designed for 2 things- looking elegant, and keeping time.
Cartier’s Tank, which is one of the most popular (and oldest) dress watches around, is a prime example of how simple the dial on these watches can be.
Thin Case
Not only are the dials simple in design, but the cases are thinner as well. This feature is functional in design- thinner watches will fit better under buttoned shirt cuffs (and suit jackets).
Bulky sports watches and dive watches are thicker, making it harder to fit them comfortably under buttoned cuffs.
You might think a smaller watch would be more affordable. That’s not really the case. These watches are actually sometimes more expensive because they’re thinner.
Thing about it- the watchmakers have to fit all the mechanical components to keep the watch running into a smaller area.
This takes more precision and craftsmanship (which usually comes with a larger price tag).
Smaller Case
Not only is the case thinner, but it’s usually smaller in diameter as well. This goes hand in hand with the thinner case, allowing for better fit under clothing.
Many dress watches come with cases in the 34-36 mm range (diameter).
For the sake of comparison, men’s sports watches usually have cases that are 40-42 mm in diameter.
You might thing the smaller size could make it more difficult to tell time on these watches. Keep in mind all of this space is being used for keeping time- there aren’t any other extraneous functions on these timepieces.
Oh, I want to mention that dress watches can also come in different shapes. Many are circular like the watches we all know and love, but others may be square or rectangular (like Cartier’s Tank).
One shape isn’t any more or less formal than another.
Materials
Since dress watches are being worn for classy occasions, many will come with cases that are made out of precious metals. Gold and platinum are often found in high-end dress watches.
As you can imagine, watches that are made from these valuable materials come with higher price tags.
Speaking of price, if you’re looking for a legit dress watch, expect to spend 4 figures (at least). Like all varieties, dress watches vary greatly in terms of price- depending on brand and model.
You can get great looking dress watches for a couple thousand dollars. You can also easily drop 50 grand on a luxury model. All depends on what you’re going for.
The good news is though, you don’t have to drop thousands of bucks to get a great dress watch- there are plenty of great budget friendly dress watches available.
Straps
Traditionally, dress watches come with leather bands. The color of these bands can vary to match your style and budget, but leather is usually the material of choice for these timepieces.
Makes sense- a nice leather band looks great, especially when paired with a sleek, elegant watch case.
Leather straps tend to be understated too, going nicely with formal attire without standing out too much.
That said, you will find dress watches these days that come with metal bracelets (although leather straps are still usually considered more formal).
Final Thoughts
That about does it. Dress watches should be small and simple, making them easy to wear with long sleeve shirts with buttoned cuffs and jackets.
They should also have thin cases, so they don’t get caught up in your shirt or jacket sleeves.
Although a leather strap is usually the preferred manner to attach these devices to your wrist, you will also see formal dress watches sporting metal bracelets as well.
Now that you know what dress watches are, you really should ask yourself whether you need a dress watch or not.
This is, of course, a matter of opinion. If you find yourself dressing formally on a regular basis, either for business or pleasure, then it may make sense to invest in a nice watch to complete your look.
If you’re like me, and you find yourself dressing in a suit 1x every year or so, then a dress watch might not be the best style to go with.
Unless you just really like the look of these watches (or just want a simple, no BS watch to wear) – in that case, by all means, dress that wrist right on up.