What is a "dress watch" today?

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TimeODanaos

·Jul 14, 2020

SkunkPrince

Sort of curious which of my watches might be considered a "dress watch". I would wear any of them with jeans or business casual. With a suit? Perhaps any of them again, but not likely...
1. Lemania rose-gold maual wind
2. Croton Aquamatic
3. Omega Railmaster LE
4. Omega CK 2390 with 30T2
I would consider any of these a dress watch. How about you?

"Dress" watch is not the same as "doing business, wearing a suit" watch. 1 and 4 are the former IMO, and 1, 2, and 4 are the latter. And your Railmaster is a wonderful choice 😎 for "doing business, sleeves rolled up", as well as "non-dress" leisure.
On the gold point, there are ways to do it. If you are a Brit, then you should appreciate the virtues of "shabby chic" (and I mean that as a compliment). Your clients don't resent you, muggers don't target you, and you can still manage to pass quick and easily from jeans to office to dining out (whatever that last one is, I forget). Of course, your 1 and 4 don't have the shabby, but they've got the potential for understated chic - English gent style!

 

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DaveK

·Jul 14, 2020

SkunkPrince

I would consider any of these a dress watch. How about you?

Assuming you mean a dress watch for Vancouver, well, none of these go with yoga pants and flip flops

 

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arkman

·Jul 14, 2020

While I have certainly worn sport watches at black tie events, I would not consider those dress watches. If were thinking about which of these constitutes a "dress" watch, I would suggest thinking about which of these would you wear if you were getting married in a suit/tuxedo/morning suit. For me, that would be either the Lemania or the CK 2390 on a leather (or reptile) strap.

 

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Spruce

·Jul 15, 2020·Sunburst dial fan

My days of dinner jacket legal dinners are long past but if I were to go to one, these are what I’d class as dress watches.

Naturally, if I were in @JwRosenthal’s neck of the woods, I’d have to spend a bit of time deciding which went best with my Ed Hardy T-shirt 😉

 

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STANDY

·Jul 15, 2020·schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector

1 My Rose Gold Zenith would be my top choice for dress at the moment

2

3

4

5

6

7,8,9,10,11,12 You get the drift....

 

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base615

·Jul 15, 2020

Today?

 

K

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killer67

·Jul 15, 2020

^^ Nothing says dressy like a gold laurel bezel

 

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Amg786s

·Jul 19, 2020

I'd say 1,2 and 4. Number 3 looks that much more sportier due to its size and presence. All imo.

 

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Redwes25

·Jul 19, 2020

I have a Nomos Tangente 38, which I think is a great modern dress watch. Fairly affordable with a nice in house movement. Honestly, think tough to beat if looking for a modern dress watch.

 

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Canuck

·Jul 19, 2020

Amongst my regular watch rotation, there isn’t a watch I would not wear on the rare occasion that I dress up. Elsewhere on the MB, there was a discussion recently about other people commenting on the watch you are wearing. The prevailing opinion is that people generally don’t notice the watch you are wearing. In an era of “cheap chic”, I have seen sneakers worn with dress suits. Is there such a thing as a “dress watch”? Not where I live.

 

C

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ChiefMark

·Jul 19, 2020

base615

Today?

I just threw up in my mouth a little - but you do you.
Yes, I openly admit that in this instant - and I’ll say it’s due to design and aesthetics rather than brand - I’m engaging in a little watch snobbery.

 

C

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ChiefMark

·Jul 19, 2020

On the topic:

the Lemania and the Omega (not the RM).

I have a 60’s gold Seamaster DeVille I’d wear, and for understated I’d likely wear a Junghans Max Bill in stainless with a silver dial, no date.

 

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cicindela

·Jul 19, 2020·Steve @ ΩF

base615

Today?

FIFY

 

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Dr.Sascha

·Jul 19, 2020

If we are following the classic rules of style, "formal," would means something modest in size, plain in colour, simple and unadorned. IMHO, this discounts any tool watch (e.g. a diver), anything with a bezel, and _most_ (but not all) chronographs. Black dials are dressier than white dials (simply b/c black is the standard colour of formal wear), gold is dressier than steel, but steel is still fine. Also, smaller is more formal than larger. Bands also matter, and follow the same rules. A plain, flat black calfskin band without pattern or stitching is the most formal of all, though a steel or steel and gold bracelet is perfectly acceptable with a suit (e.g. a Cartier tank). Following these rules, a Speedie is an informal watch, De Villes are dress watches, Connies and Seamasters can be either (depending on colour, band, and details). Wearing honking big steel chronographs with suits is a transgression of all of these rules, and is akin to showing up at a black tie dinner in a Hummer. The Brits, who are the masters at both formality and understated men's style, would never dream of doing either.

Informal

More formal

Formal

Edited: Jul 19, 2020

 

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amcclell

·Jul 19, 2020

How about this one?

 

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amcclell

·Jul 19, 2020

Or this one?View attachment 1

 

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sdre

·Jul 19, 2020

I been into old Seiko dress watches recently.

 

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gbesq

·Jul 19, 2020

Dress watch:

Not a dress watch:

I enjoy wearing them both.
As for which of the OP’s watches are dress pieces by today’s standards (which I don’t entirely agree with), 1 and 4, yes; 2, borderline; 3, no.

Edited: Jul 19, 2020

 

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gbesq

·Jul 19, 2020

I make a distinction between a “dress” watch (which I associate with formal occasions and attire) and a “business” watch. Here’s my 1964 Constellation. I do not consider it to be a dress watch because of the stainless steel case and BOR bracelet, but I wouldn’t hesitate to wear it with a suit.

 

C

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ChiefMark

·Jul 19, 2020

Dress watch, but I’d swap the strap for a flatter, black or brown lizard strap.

not a dress watch: