Everyday Dress Watch?
Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!
I've been looking for a watch for a while and thought I would ask you all for some help. I've been consolidating my collection and desiring to have fewer, more luxury watches.
I work as an engineer with a dress code of T-shirts and shorts. I rarely dress up, but I want a watch that I can wear when I do.
My hope though is that the watch is vercitile enough that with a different strap or bracelet, I could enjoy the watch in my rotation casually. All the other dress watches I've owned always seem too dressy to wear to the office. And I don't want to spend more money on a watch that will just sit in my box.
My Sinn 104 with arabics is too toolish in my opinion and while I enjoy dressing up my Doxa Sub 200 Divingstar, it is a little loud with its yellow dial for every occasion.
I would like to keep this purchase around or under $2,000 USD. And would like the watch to have some yellow gold tones. Any suggestions?
I like the Tudor 1926 in 39mm but am curious for some other suggestions.
Thank you!
How about this? Tag Heuer Carrera, simple watch that can go with almost any attire.
What about an oris pointer date? Not really a dress watch but it'll dress up and down really well.
1926 Blue Opaline is the one!
What about an oris pointer date? Not really a dress watch but it'll dress up and down really well.
I'd second the Oris Pointer Date suggestion. Goes well with my sartorial stuff as well as with shirts and jeans.
How about a Seiko DressKX and then save the rest for another watch 😂
Max bill
https://www.junghanswatchesusa.net/products/max-bill-automatic-9
Junghans Max Bill which comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and configurations.
Seiko Presage or Grand Seiko are also prime possibilities.
I would suggest one from Ball Engineer III series.
My suggestion is the Longines Spirit: a little above budget so tru to buy on sale or pre-owned. The watch is incredible for the price and just dress & sport enough to look elegant while being tough. You have a few dial options as well.
I saw the post title and then came to suggest the 1926, then I saw you already mentioned it. That was the watch I bought for the same scenario you wanted. On the bracelet or a dressy leather strap you could wear it with anything up to black tie. But it also works casually on single pass fabric or single pass leather. I'm wearing it right now on light grey suede and it can bridge anything from casual to a suit.
I have the opaline dial, which I think is the most casual of the range.
I also considered the Nomos Club Campus Neomatik when I was looking for a watch to fill this need. It's a little more expensive but I think it feels a little dressier than the hand wind Club Campus models just due to the color.
First of all, I highly recommend you to try smaller watches. I know, I know, but hear me out. Elegant small timepieces are awesome pair to a chill casual attire. Gave off that nonchalant vibe and look. And it's so easy to dress it up.
I'm a huge fan of Max Bill, specially in 34mm. It's all dial, no bezel watch, with a white dial, so it looks really big on a wrist. I like those models without numerals, but if you like Arabic numerals they got you covered as well. And you can take a look on a whole Junghans lineup.
I think a 33mm AP Royal Oak is a perfect dress watch. Now, 2k$ can't buy you a Royal Oak, but it can get you the similar vibe with a 90s Omega Constellation.
It might be terrible advice to go with this particular 32mm quartz Omega, but you will find a lot of those in your price range in 36mm with an automatic movement.
The whole constellation family is a great pick for a dressy casual watch.
For a modern watches, Frederique Constant provides decent options, quartz and mechanical for a price range. Seiko Presage line, if you want something a bit more colourful (but I would rather go with a vintage Grand Seiko). If you interested in a Tank style watches, Oris Rectangular might be a great pick. You can try to find a Tank Must for an under 2k$, but it's a bit of a stretch. Also Pointer date and Artelier are a nice Oris models.
Nomos Orion is a good idea
Get a Bambino, and keep the rest to put towards your next watch. I have the 38mm gold one...
I love what Pitemann makes.
The Pitzmann 2 is more sporty but the 1 is dressy with a 100m WR, which is quite practical https://www.pitzmann.com/shop/p/lloyd-jean-5pfjg-4jxt9-wg76h
York and Front has a cool affordable one too https://yorkfront.com/products/the-burrard-series-001-swiss-made
And Cinncinati Watch co has the Cincinnatus in the same vibe. Good hunt !
Many watches could do this. Any simple understated sportswatch, flieger, field and even diver will transform with the right straps 😊
You can try the Seiko SRPE60K1
It is a two tone dressy watch but sporty looking at the same time. Especially if you change straps (leather, suede or silver bracelet). I use mine for similar occasions. You keep the rest of the money and you buy something else. My personal and totally subjective opinion of course 👇🏻
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f--jjlPEhns
My votes are Oris BCPT or Tudor 1926. There’s a lot of color variations for both watches, just examples of what I have here. The Oris is definitely more casual, but dresses up nicely when you need it too. I would say the Tudor 1926 is too dressy for shorts and a Tshirt with the bracelet, but would be fine if you put it on a leather strap.
If you’re going for casual that can be dressed up, I would go Oris. If you want to have a dress watch but be able to tone it down a bit, go Tudor. The Tudor has gotten me tons of compliments when I’m dressed up in a suit, actually more compliments than other much more expensive pieces!
Lorier Falcon, Lorier Zephyr, or the upcoming Lorier Astra.
Heck do all three, and then buy some sick strappage for drip. 🤘🏻🤙🏻😎
Junghans max bill!