Which interesting dress watch under $1000 would you pick?

I voted for the Baltic because of the micro rotor. I have got to see both models in person and I would be happy with either so I went with the one with a feature that fascinates me.

An Orient Bambino

Great watches but the smaller 38mm is still a bit big on my wrist. Also these two options are definitely a step up in quality.

Yes, well, I don't wear dress watches so these 2 low-cost ones along with a Baume et Mercier Baumatic cover my need for a dress watch, the truth is that I prefer to pay 1000, 2000 or 3000 dollars for a sports watch that for one that is going to stay kept in its box

Lorier.

True two hand dress style, loads of art deco, and tonneau case.

Zephyr. Extremely well built and comes with 2 straps for go with any suit. Plus it’s movement is more reliable and has a great track record.

I’m a slut for Baltic. E-z pick

Heard some complaints about the MR01 movement (Hangzhou CAL5000a). So do your own research.

Not hating on Baltic, as I have & love the Hermétique ✌️

I have the Hamilton Boulton but am considering adding the Lorier as I love tonneau shaped watches. Here’s the Boulton as an alternative.

That makes sense! I like to wear my dress watches casually on different straps too so I don’t mind paying a bit more for one.

I vote Baltic because I’m a big fan of small second

Both look great on a smaller wrist, but the Baltic has the advantages of (i) being more versatile (easy to dress up/dress down, and has good bracelet options), and (ii) in my opinion, as far as micro-brands go, has more brand-status than Lorier (if that’s something that matters to you).

Those are fair points! I love the way the movement in the Baltic looks but the Lorier movement is still great and more reliable. So you own both? How do they compare on the wrist? Does one feel much bigger? Which makes more sense as a dress watch? The case of the Lorier seems more dressy.

I misread your original post (noting that this would be your dedicated dress watch), so my first point re: versatility is perhaps less relevant for you. Although I would say, if this is the only dress watch in your collection, I still think the Baltic is a better choice because of the bracelet options. Both feel similar size on wrist. The dial on the Lorier is great and the case shape is of course very unique, but on the other hand the texture on the Baltic dial, together with the small seconds micro-rotor and a lovely open case-back, are also all very alluring qualities. Get whichever speaks to you the most, both great options!

You can get a watch on AliExpress that uses the Chinese movement used in the Baltic for far cheaper. So avoid Baltic.

The watches I saw with the same movement on Ali are all 40mm which is way too big for my wrist.

That's not the point I'm trying to make- it's a cheap movement in a fancy outfit - style over substance!

Totally fair. But like most watches that aren’t on Ali, you are paying for the brand and its story. That means something.