first dress watch. any suggestions?

[nemailin]

Good to see you here,
Can anyone share some insights about a good dress watch? I own some sports watches but I'm thinking of my first dress one. The market is full of options and I got stuck a little bit in them. A minimalist watch with a black or brown leather strap would be great for me. But not sure about the brand and type of movement I should opt for. As for the budget, consider the price range of 3-4k. Any good options available? Some pictures would be more than welcome, thanks a lot

 

[Nobbing]

Hi there,
Would be great to specify a few of your preferences about dial color, type of movement, quartz or manual, and wrist size. Take a loot at the Ronde Must de Cartier. It’s a mechanical watch with automatic winding. Caliber seems pretty reliable, 1847 MC. Water resistance up to 100 feet. Can’t say it’s a spectacular water resistance profile, but, you don’t need it in a dress watch after all. The case size comes in 40mm and I don't quite know your size preferences. At least, for me, this size would do.

Pretty minimalist, with Roman numerals, a distinctive cabochon crown, and a leather strap without animal materials. The strap bull has a pretty interesting construction also. As far as I know, you can ask for order customization including carat weight, dimensions, and stones number. On the whole, the brand is remarkable and the watch is all that a dress piece needs to be. as for the budget, the watch fits perfectly your budget range

 

[SwInEIGh]

so should it be black or brown strap?) I mean that you should consider the belts, shoes and all this stuff when u buy a formal watch

 

[AdESTORn]

Some details about your wrist would help a lot indeed )) for a small wrist, consider the Longines Conquest heritage. The case is only 35mm, but for a dress watch, it is ok. Features hesalite crystal and opt to 3 bar WR. The silver dial looks pretty fabulous along with the appliqué hour markers. Also has a date window at the 12 o’clock index.

For a medium size watch- consider the Junghans Max bill. Stainless steel case in 38 mm and 38 hours power reserve. This one has a matte dial, unlike the previous model, and has a better WR profile (up to 5 bars). So, it depends on how you plan to take your watch to swimming pools and showers… Lacks the date window and it’s even cheaper than your budget limits

As for the large version, consider the Oris Artelier Complication line. Steel, calfskin leather, automatic movement, guilloche dial, and 40 mm case. Also, 50m of WR.

 

[nemailin]

so should it be black or brown strap?) I mean that you should consider the belts, shoes and all this stuff when u buy a formal watch

didn't decide yet) ill adapt my outfit based on the watch ill find)) as for the wrist size, a medium dimension will do. Also, I would like something more valuable. Since the budget rage is 3-4K, don't want to consider 1k watches

 

[YellowSnowman]

Lucky u to have that budget available. You can get yourself some great formal watches. An Omega de Ville would be a great option I think. Omega is always a gut idea. For example, a Tresor Master Co-Axial chronometer orbit is about 5k. Also manual winding, stainless steel, sap lyre crystal, and very attractive looking by me. Minimalist and fitting all kinds of formal events. Also, the dark blue dial fits well in formal surroundings

 

[BrIerNAN]

Lucky u to have that budget available. You can get yourself some great formal watches. An Omega de Ville would be a great option I think. Omega is always a gut idea. For example, a Tresor Master Co-Axial chronometer orbit is about 5k. Also manual winding, stainless steel, sap lyre crystal, and very attractive looking by me. Minimalist and fitting all kinds of formal events. Also, the dark blue dial fits well in formal surroundings
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agree with the Omega. mine haven't not once let me down. maybe the 40 mm case its not the medium size you want, but it looks pretty great on al types of wrist sizes

 

[ObeisDexter]

Personally, I would focus on exclusively expensive watches, even if I had that money. I can buy a rather cheap dress watch only because I like it. Take, for instance, the Citizen Rolan collection. Is it really needed to spend more on an expensive watch, if these look pretty good and meet all the demands for a dress timepiece?! I wouldn’t mind adding some Rolans to my watch collections. These come with a 5 yrs warranty, so why should I worry? Gold-tone case, stainless steel, day-date function, eco-drive techno, and light-powered system. For the 5k I would have about 20 such watches

 

[blablablih]

Maybe a Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 for this money? A 42mm case, 100 m Water resistance, reliable stainless steel case, and 42 hours power reserve. And it’s a Breitling, a true statement piece. Just look at the bezel and the hour markers and how exquisite they look. Few watches come with a concave bidirectional ceramic bezel and a recycled strap. Also, the movement is a COSC0-certified, meaning you’ll have no issues with its functionality

 

[ObeisDexter]

Don't really see the Breitling `superocean as a dress watch. Can u imagine it at a formal event? I can agree about its technical specs and design as being indeed dishy. But it's impossible to name it as a formal watch. a casual one-yes. but never a formal

 

[blablablih]

No...it's not. it's a sports watch. but when u have the money for a phenomenal watch, you should have that phenomenal watch, be it a sports one. as for the formal, it's pretty possible to have a good-looking dress watch for about 300$)

 

[SwInEIGh]

No...it's not. it's a sports watch. but when u have the money for a phenomenal watch, you should have that phenomenal watch, be it a sports one. as for the formal, it's pretty possible to have a good-looking dress watch for about 300$)

agree so many times I was looking for a diver watch and got myself pilot ones instead u never know what you will come across) back on track, Vangaag has recently presented a new line with a pretty smooth looking. It’s a medium-sized dread watch with a 40mm case and a 46 mm lug-to-lug that could fit well on your wrist. It might be not as a “statement” piece as you look for, but it’s pretty clean and accurate. Worth to be considered I think.

Both quartz and manual movement are available with a price difference of around $80. The line is pretty affordable for all wanting a formal watch. And far from the price range that u established @nemailin it's around $300 so don't blame me hard

 

[BLburNett]

It seems like everyone forgot what the author was talking about. It is about a formal watch with a leather strap up to 4k price. Why are u messing it all up?
@nemailin Have you thought about a pre-owned watch? A Cartier Tank might suit you greatly. Consider, for example, a pre-owned Tank Solo XL model made in 2000. It’s a self-winding automatic watch with a black leather strap featuring a deployant buckle. The case is perfect for your medium sized-wrist, 31mm *40.85. Silver dial contrasting greatly with the black strap. And the unconventional rectangular case shape. Also, apart from the basic hours, minutes, secs, it comes with a date index. 42 hour reserve and the price range u want. What else could u be looking for?)

 

[Twirejj4279]

Here are some recommendations that might suit u. THOUGH, not all of them come with a leather strap as u want, BUT don’t forget that bracelet watches also can be viewed as formal watches. Omega de Ville Prestige Co axial: 39,5 mm case, 44mm lug-to-lug, it’s the most affordable timepiece in the brand’s dress collection. It’s pretty minimalist, just as u want, and also has a strong exquisite charm.

Longines Master Collection L2.909.4.92.0, a little bit wider, 40 mm case and 46,6 mm lug- to lug. Comes with a Moonphase complication at the 6 o’clock index.

Another good choice from Longines is the Heritage Classic L2.803.4.93.0. On the internet u can find it as the Tuxedo chronograph, all links will lead to this model. Can’t say it is a minimalist watch, but it looks really nice. It has a vintage bi-compax layout and a tachymeter scale set against a white chapter ring. It’s a pretty “hard” accessory I would say, but it’s definitely an object to be highly appreciated.
I’d also recommend the Tank Solo XL but can see that some of the users have already suggested it to you. It’s a nice watch, indeed.

Another minimalist watch to consider is the Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Manufacture. 42 mm case and an in-house movement. The design has something similar to the Patek Philippe watches.

 

[nemailin]

if you were to choose between Cartier? would it be the Tank or the Ronde Must de Cartier?

 

[YellowSnowman]

id go for the tank from the two options available

 

[cheetahapple]

Why isn't anybody mentioning the Nordgreen watches? Personally, I see them as pretty nice and accurate. Perfect for a dress watch, I think. Danish nice watches, Infinity, or the Native, have an extremely minimalist design and are a good option to start with for a formal watch. `these are highly affordable. After all, maybe it’s not the case to spend a lot of money for the first formal watch. Maybe it makes more sense to go for a symbolic one for the first time and see how u resonate with it. Afterward, u can opt for smth more exquisite

As for the Cartier, I'd go with the Tank Cartier. It’s more unusual than the rest of the formal watches

 

[diaboliquerye]

My first dress watch was a Bering Classic Unisex Black Leather Strap Watch 15739-404. definitely, not the most expensive one. But I took what I could)

It was an extremely simple and clean watch, with a clear white dial, and tiny baton hour indexes in black. Quartz mechanism and conformable 39mm case. If I had the money, I would have a Portofino Automatic dark brown leather strap. The caseback looks phenomenal. As well as the dial.

 

[LIgHtere]

3-4K for the first dress watch?! You never know how frequently you are gonna wear it. Buying an expensive watch and keeping it in the closet isn’t the best idea, with all due respect. I’d suggest u have the first piece at a cheaper price. Test it, see how it comforts u or not, and if it lies ok on your wrist and on your heart, keep upgrading. Orient bambino Open heart, with a domed mineral glass and 30 m WR, automatic F6T22, or a Tissot steel T1274101604100 with a quartz movement and 100 m water resistance would be a good choice to begin with. `if u never had a dress watch before, u never know how you are gonna resonate with it. Ho, the first reasonable step is to start with something modest

 

[EmPoWeReD]

Dear author, could u be a little more concrete about the type of movement u prefer? And maybe there is a special watchmaking house u prefer?! Just to narrow a bit the selection array

Assuming that u embrace automatic movement, and fine horology, consider the Frederique Constant Slim Automatic Silver Dial. It’s a swiss watch with many functionalities. So, probably not the most minimalist one, but to make a statement, it’s just perfect. It comes with a moon phase, hour, date, month, and leap year included.
Brown leather and white dial- a great combination. 26 jewels movement and 38 hours of power reserve. Even though it has many functions, the dial looks accurate and clean, without being compromised by the wide array of features.