17 Best Dress Watches
Other than knowing what wrist to wear a watch, the first few things you learn when becoming a watch enthusiast are when were watches invented and the dress watch anatomy. The first type of watch you will most likely be familiar with is the dress watch.
This type of wristwatch can be worn for a variety of occasions. Everything from a typical day in the office to a luxurious night on the town deserves a high end luxury timepiece that actively reflects your eye for the finer things.
Aside from accentuating personal style, dress watches can also complement an ensemble by adding a splash of colorful contrast, a small sparkle in lieu of a piece of jewelry, or even as a larger, more accentuated piece of the outfit as a whole.
Whatever the occasion is for adorning your favorite dress watch, there is no greater feeling than slipping on brand new or used luxury watches that act as a gorgeous finishing touch and ties your whole outfit together.
In no particular order, here are 20 of our favorite dress watches from the CJ Charles Catalogue:
ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL BUBBLE BACK 18K YELLOW GOLD
This gorgeous dress watch for men comes with an aftermarket brown square scale semi-matte alligator strap and features an 18K yellow gold case to help accentuate even the most understated dress outfit. For a dress watch that will elevate your outfit without drawing too much attention, this watch is a must.
Adorn a visual representation of the sea with this dressed up dive watch ideal for a casual endeavor at sea or a black tie event where you want to add a splash of color. This watch features a gorgeous steel bezel, a deep blue leather band to match the face, and all of the mechanical functionality that makes Panerai such an iconically classic luxury watch brand.
PANERAI LUMINOR PERPETUAL CALENDAR PLATINUMTECH
Featuring a Green sun-brushed dial with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers, this dress watch for men counts days of the week, features the date at 3 o'clock, and marks seconds with an additional 24h indicator at 9 o’clock. Ideal for those who are looking for a daily dress watch to wear to work, this stunning piece from Panerai certainly does not disappoint.
CARTIER TANK MUST DE CARTIER WATCH
Say more with less with this unbelievable quartz movement, steel case dress watch for women. The gorgeous emerald green face and band explode off the wrist while the blank face is amplified by two crisp silver hands. The beaded crown (set with a synthetic cabochon-shaped spinel) sits over a green lacquered dial to ensure that this watch garners the attention it deserves.
CARTIER PASHA DE CARTIER WATCH
Introducing the Pasha de Cartier watch - a 41 mm chronograph manufactured with mechanical movement that features automatic winding, caliber 1904-CH MC. Housed in an 18K yellow gold case that features a fluted crown cap and push-pieces set with sapphire crystal, the blued-steel diamond-shaped hands and dark blue alligator leather strap make this a stunning classic dress watch for men.
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN BIG PILOT’S WATCH EDITION “LAS VEGAS”
This bold dress watch doubles as a Pilot’s watch with Automatic self-winding functionality that features a 52110 Caliber IWC-manufactured movement. Additionally, the soft-iron inner case offers protection against magnetic fields. This men’s dress watch features a 7 days power reserve, a large winding crown, and strikingly bold numerals.
JAEGER LECOULTRE REVERSO CLASSIC DUOFACE SMALL
For those who wish to take a more minimalist approach to their dress watch, the Duoface Small version of Jaeger LeCoultre’s iconic “Reverso” is a must add to the collection. This manual winding watch features two distinct and impressive faces wherein the front functions feature hours/minutes/seconds, while the back features a second time zone and 24-hour display.
NOMOS GLASHÜTTE TETRA GLASS BACK
Another understated favorite, this dress NOMOS Glashütte watch for men features a unique square face. The bold corners of this dress watch for men draws the eye to the watch face to reveal a striking contrast between the Galvanized white and silver-plated dial and the steel tempered blue hands.
CARTIER BALLON BLEU DE CARTIER WATCH
This women’s luxury dress watch features Quartz movement, steel case, an 18K pink gold bezel, and a fluted 18K pink gold crown; all set with a synthetic cabochon-shaped spinel. Additionally, a 12-zone flinqué dial sits atop a silvered lacquered sunray effect set with 11 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 0.05 carat for ultimate brilliance. For the woman who values a dress watch that doubles as jewelry, look no further than this stunning piece from Cartier.
LANGE & SÖHNE 1815 TOURBILLON PLATINUM
This simple but elegant men’s dress watch features a dial that gives a glimpse into what makes this luxury watch manufacturer so incredible. The 185 Tourbillon Platinum allows the world to get a glimpse of the marvel that is the complications behind this Tourbillon watch, making it a fantastic conversation starter and an absolutely incredible dress watch.
MONTBLANC STAR AUTOMATIC WATCH
This intriguingly tasteful men’s luxury dress watch features an automatic wind, a stainless steel 44mm case, and a black leather strap with a deployment buckle. Among stainless steel watches, this particular model stands out for its fine craftsmanship and attention to detail. The watch features a twelve hour dial with two sub-dials (30 seconds and 60 seconds) and is water resistant up to 30 meters. The stark contrast between the black leather band and striking stainless case make this an excellent daily dress watch.
CARTIER MAILLON DE CARTIER WATCH
This luxury women’s dress watch is equal parts stunning jewelry and luxuriously decadent timepiece. The gem-encrusted band is set with 301 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 4.85 carats, and set with an additional 96 tsavorites.
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN PORTOFINO AUTOMATIC
Luxury men’s IWC watches are an ideal choice for a dress watch featuring elegant simplicity in a beautiful round case. The 34 mm stainless steel case and silver-plated dial feature 12 diamond hour markers and a brown alligator leather strap. This watch is as reliable as it is striking, thanks to the IWC in-house automatic movement caliber 35100, which ensures precise timekeeping and holds a power reserve of up to 42 hours.
MONTBLANC HERITAGE CHRONOMÉTRIE QUANTIÈME COMPLET VASCO DA GAMA SPECIAL EDITION
This automatic men’s dress watch comes on a stainless steel case with a black alligator leather strap. The bold dial is silver guilloche with a silver stick and Arabic markers for striking optics that make this a “can’t miss” dress watch. The moon phase located at the 6 o'clock position adds an intriguing softness to the watch helping to tone down the otherwise rigid and striking contrasts.
JAEGER LECOULTRE MASTER ULTRA THIN 41
For those devoted to stunning luxury dress watches, this new and refined model from Jaeger LeCoultre combines reliability, precision, and quality with a timeless, understated design. This particular dress watch features the Jaeger-LeCoultre 896 mechanical automatic movement beats at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour indicated by two dauphine hands moving over a clear eggshell-coloured dial and perfectly completes the brand's collection of ultra-thin watches.
CARTIER TANK LOUIS CARTIER WATCH
One of the best mens dress watches of all time, this watch was worn by Louis Cartier himself. The "Tank Louis Cartier" watch truly sets the standard for all Tank watches originally made with a modern style that has since become iconic. The famous rounded lugs emphasize the gorgeous 18K white gold casing set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Mineral crystal, silvered grained dial, Roman numerals, blued-steel sword-shaped hands all contribute to the stunning dial that is beloved by luxury watch enthusiasts.
LANGE & SÖHNE ZEITWERK STRIKING TIME WHITE
This luxury men’s dress watch boasts 78 jewels and 528 moving parts, complete with an 18k white gold case on a hand stitched crocodile strap. The white gold pin buckle sits in perfect contrast to the black strap, which matches the solid silver, black dial. Hours and minutes are displayed with jumping numerals with a subsidiary seconds and power reserve indicator.
For our entire selection of dress watches, view our online catalog or contact us to make an in person appointment. A reliable dress watch is a vital piece for any collector, connoisseur, or casual watch wearer and our wide selection of the world’s top brands ensures that we have a dress watch perfectly suited to your style and preferences. Whether you are searching for popular brands like Rolex, Panerai, IWC, MONTBLANC and Cartier in San Diego, we can help you find the perfect women and men luxury watches at CJ Charles.
For additional questions, please reach out to our well-qualified team of dress watch experts who can help you with all of your questions and concerns. At CJ Charles, we make the watch buying process as easy as possible so that purchasing your next luxury dress watch is as simple as telling time.