We’ve highlighted seven watches that have taken this simple version – the dress watch – forward in leaps and bounds. From pink gold to an “Aero Classic” rubber strap, these designs are a notch above the rest when it comes to standing out in a crowded room.
MINIMALISTIC YET FUNCTIONAL
IWC Ingenieur Automatic
The Ingenieur Automatic is a simple three-hand watch with a date window at “3 o’clock” and a diameter of 40 millimetres. Adopting a minimalist yet functional look, the simple dial is characterized with luminescent dots and a polished bezel, resembling Ingenieur models of the 1950s.
This model has a silver-plated dial and a black alligator leather strap. While IWC is known for its complicated functions, it is the Ingenieur in its simplest form that is most appealing here.
The Ingenieur Automatic is also well worth its price point without giving too much for too little. It runs a calibre 35111 automatic movement with reliable architecture, beating at 4Hz and off ering 42 hours of power reserve.
Reference number: IW357001
Rs929,000
Available at Chatham Luxury Watches
THE TUXEDO WATCH
ROLEX Cellini Dual Time
In the world of wristwatches, Rolex is undoubtedly a leader. With each watch identified by its distinguished features but with an overall elegance that is encompassed in every variant and model, owning a Rolex says more about the wearer than about the marque. From among its highly acclaimed variants, the Cellini is often classified as Rolex’s dress watch, or tuxedo watch. The Cellini collection is a contemporary celebration of classicism and the eternal elegance of traditional timepieces, combining the best of Rolex know-how and its high standards of perfection with an approach that heightens watch making heritage in its most timeless form. Th e Rolex Cellini is all about the details – from the slightly domed casing that is a smooth fit on the wrist, the 18k Everose gold (Rolex’s own pink gold) case or the double-stepped bezel with a coin profile for a more discreetly classier look.
Reference number: 50525
Rs3,124,000
Available at Chatham Luxury Watches
PERFECT VARIATIONS
BREITLING Superocean Heritage II Chronograph 44
Released in 2017 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Breitling’s fi rst Superocean dive watch, the Breitling Superocean Héritage II comes in a variety of options, from the flagship stainless steel case with an “Aero Classic” rubber strap to a blue dial and an Ocean Classic steel bracelet. The one pictured here, the Superocean Héritage II Chronograph 44 features a 12-9-6 subdial configuration and a 3 o’clock date window. It contains the self-winding Breitling Caliber 13, an integrated chronograph function and a 42-hour power reserve.
This version comes in three options, like the black dial on a steel bracelet (pictured) that is perfect for black tie events.
Reference number: A13313121B1A1
Price on request
Available at Colombo Jewellery Stores
THE PILOT’S WATCH
Santos De Cartier
Securing itself a place in the history of flight, the Santos De Cartier was crafted in 1904 by Louis Cartier, who wanted to make a special watch for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviator, who needed a timepiece he could check without taking his hands off the controls of his early aircraft.
This “pilot’s watch” features rounded angles on the dial, a seamless curve of the horns, and exposed screws made for an iconic watch that would inspire countless reinterpretations. Th e 18K pink gold case featured a seven-sided crown in 18K pink gold set with a faceted sapphire, and a silvered opaline dial with blued-steel sword-shaped hands in sapphire crystal. It is available in two strap options.
Reference number: WGSA0011
Rs3,958,000
Available at Chatham Luxury Watches
PERFECT SIMPLICITY
HEUER Heritage Calibre Heuer 02
The TAG Heuer Autavia 2017 – officially known as the Heuer Heritage Calibre Heuer 02 – is a tribute to both aviators and motorists. The name is a contraction of “Auto” (automobile) and “Avia” (aviation). The main strengths of this timeless timekeeper may be in its dial and movement (Heuer 02), while the larger case (42mm) might be a deal breaker for some. Because this watch is part of the Heuer Heritage line, the word TAG is also absent from the dial, replaced with the ‘Autavia’ printed over the Heuer logo.
Th e gauge-esque sub-dials stand out against the black opaline, and the brown camel strap with its white stitching adds a stylish touch to the otherwise perfectly simple watch.
Reference number: CBE2110.FC8226
Rs787,500
Available at Colombo Jewellery Stores
THE SLIM FIT
HUBLOT Classic Fusion Classico Ultra Thin
Th e 42mm Hublot Classic Fusion Classico Ultra Thin is a bold step away from the marque’s usual heavy, bulky timepieces; but it works! Th e slim profile and part-skeleton case is made of titanium and can easily slip under the cuff , giving a sneak peek of the wearer’s stylish taste. One small-seconds subdial at 7 o’clock speaks volumes of the wearer’s professional lifestyle, as most Hublot watches feature many such complications.
The watch is a “fusion” of strap materials, made of black alligator leather on top stitched to black rubber on the underside, and attached to a polished, satin-finished, black PVD steel.
Reference number: 545.NX.0170.LR
Rs2,280,000
Available at Colombo Jewellery Stores
A DISCERNING TIMEKEEPER
OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch
With 9 variations in a number of colours and strap options, OMEGA’s Speedmaster range comprises professional chronograph timepieces, of which the manually-wound Moonwatch was the watch that landed on the moon in 1969; some others in the range were part of other lunar missions. Th e Sedna Gold version (pictured) has a Ceragold (ceramic and gold composite) bezel insert, while the steel version has a Liquidmetal tachymeter bezel insert (Liquidmetal is a general trade name for a group of zirconium-based alloys that off er very high strength – about twice the strength and hardness of comparable titanium and aluminum alloys).
The watch has a 60-hour power reserve, with a column-wheel-controlled, vertical-clutch chronograph; a date and running seconds at 9 o’clock; and a combined hour and 60-minute register at 3 o’clock. This is in addition to the very detailed moonphase, the highlight of the watch.
Reference number: 304.23.44.52.13.001
Rs1,971,000
Available at Chatham Luxury Watches