The “dress watch” is no more. It used to be so simple: a gold case, a clear, uncluttered dial and a leather strap for the office, then a sporty steel chronograph on a bracelet for the weekend. Of course, this cliché hasn’t rung true for a while, but today it really doesn’t — the most appealing watches for life these days are chunky, technical, sport-inspired timepieces. This aesthetic dominates all the big brands’ offerings — Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Omega — and is the aesthetic of Tudor, Hublot and Tag Heuer.
So how to stand out? Look for unusual materials like titanium or aluminium; opt for a fabric strap such as the Tudor Pelagos FXD designed in collaboration with the French navy; or choose colour, like the shaded blue on the dial of the new Tag Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200. My favourite? Breitling’s best-looking launch for a while, the Top Time Triumph. The sporty swagger of its sub dials and a gorgeous icy blue face, but crucially on a smart leather strap, make it wearable any time, anywhere.
● Pelagos FXD in steel on a fabric strap, £3,000; tudorwatch.com
● Aquaracer Professional 200 in steel, £2,300; tagheuer.com
● Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph in stainless steel, £28,500, Audemars Piguet; audemarspiguet.com
● Top Time Triumph in stainless steel with a leather strap, £4,500; breitling.com
● Pasha de Cartier in steel, £8,350; cartier.com
● HydroConquest XXII Commonwealth Games in steel, £1,600; longines.com
● Oyster Perpetual 41 in Oystersteel, £4,850; rolex.com
● Big Bang Integral Time Only in titanium, £14,700; hublot.com
● Diver 300m Co-Axial Master Chronometer Black Black in ceramic with a rubber strap, £7,740; omegawatches.com
Photographs: Luke Kirwan. Styling: Jessica Diamond
