Elegant Watches Are On The Rise, And It’s About Time
Let me make one thing clear: when I say that elegant watches are on the rise, I’m not referring to timepieces designed under the rule of restrained minimalism. Elegance doesn’t have to be quiet and introverted. Au contraire, swooping shapes, curvy lines, and delicate patterns are often outspoken, but the tone of voice prevents them from becoming loud-mouthed to the brink of vulgarity. The big, bold sports watches with a retro touch here and there look increasingly like clumsy dinosaurs stumbling around in a world that’s no longer theirs. The novelties presented during the 2025 edition of Geneva Watch Days help to prove my point of view.
It would be too easy to state that because style never goes out of fashion, elegant watches are making a comeback. Yes, some watch styles possess a timeless appeal that transcends generations. However, there’s a unique elegance in the timepieces I picked to prove my point. They’re not necessarily timeless in the way a classic Calatrava is. Instead, they are products of a period in which elegance is once more on the rise. The Dennison ALD Dual Time is hardly a wallflower, and it isn’t a given that the design will stand the test of time. However, it fulfills the needs of watch fans looking for an original design that speaks with a distinct voice and doesn’t burden the wrist aesthetically and physically with colossal dimensions. Maybe there’s something more to it, though.
Dennison ALD Dual Time Tiger Eye
Elegant watches are on the rise, but why?
Could it be that the attraction of elegance is rooted in the need for beauty and flair in a world that suffers from all sorts of ugliness? Not too long ago, I wrote about the enduring appeal of retro watches, which cater to the strong demand for products and experiences from the past. Nostalgia is a yearning for the good ol’ days in times of uncertainty. Escapism into the past is one thing, but you can also escape in other ways. It won’t work while wearing a military-inspired XXL tool watch in high-tech ceramic capable of withstanding water pressure to a depth of one or two kilometers. No, such a watch is too linked to reality. Instead, you want to enjoy something you don’t often encounter these days. Something outspoken but well considered, colorful but balanced. In other words, you want something swingingly elegant.
Dennison ALD Dual Time Malachite
Watches just like swing dancing
During the Great Depression (August 1929–March 1933), swing dancing emerged as both a spirited escape and a morale booster. It thrived at social gatherings, private clubs, juke joints, and lively dance competitions. Swing is an upbeat, playful partner dance often set to up-tempo jazz music. Dancing to the tunes of a big band in the 1930s was less rigid and way more fun than ballroom dancing. It was a way to escape by dressing up and expressing yourself through rhythm, music, grace, flair, and style.
Watches like the Dennison ALD Dual Time (€780) with various stone dials, Beda’a Angles Mecaline (US$1,456), and the MB&F SP One (€64,000 + tax in rose gold, €69,000 + tax in platinum) are also like that. Yes, they are watches of very different price levels, but they all have a certain “swing.” They display an original, well-considered look, meaning they have a moderate size, attention to detail, and dare to explore new “moves.”
MB&F SP One in platinum
Complicated elegance
Even in the realm of complicated watches, elegance is spreading. The Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon Teal (CHF 195,000 + tax) is a good example. The five-piece limited edition is part of the brand’s Série Atelier. The generous 41mm platinum case of the Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon Teal has a soft, pebble-like 12.5mm profile that references 19th-century pocket watches.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon Teal
The Grand Feu enamel dial shows classic Roman numerals in white enamel, and a sky-blue railway minute track complements the teal backdrop. Teal, a shy color composed of shades of blue and green, is seen as a symbol of decency. Combining this reserved color and traditional characteristics somehow leads to a contemporary, elegant watch.
Singer Caballero
Like a gentleman
Like a Porsche 911 restomod, which is more elegant than a current one, the Singer Caballero looks more delicate than anything else the brand has created. The Caballero is its first time-only watch, and the three-hander uses the spectacular new Calibre-4 Solotempo with a six-day power reserve. My colleague Jorg found the right words to describe the watch: “‘Caballero’” translates to ‘gentleman’ in Spanish, and Singer chose that name because it relates to the watch’s concept of elegance, precision, and radical restraint.”
The three models in the collection share a medium-sized, C-shaped 39 × 10.5mm steel case with a 45mm lug-to-lug length. The dials are executed in green, blue, or black lacquer and are prominently punctuated by four inset rubies. These rubies create a wholly new and unexpected look. It is minimalist, yes, but not in a sober sense. The contrasting, intense color of the rubies, combined with an empty dial and large hands, is distinctly fresh. There’s flamboyancy in the colorways and the almost hypnotic attraction of the rubies. They’re a divisive design element but also serve a purpose, making them a fine example of disruptive and original functional elegance.
TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer
The phlegmatic moonphase watch
A surprising creation from the brand heavily involved in Formula 1 — arguably not the world’s most elegant sport — is TAG Heuer’s new Astronomer (starting price CHF 4,350). The three variants in the collection are neither undeniably sporty nor overly retro. Rather, they are contemporary creations that stylishly display the phases of the Moon. The watches do hark back to times when the brand created moonphase watches, but brash motorsports-linked creations have overshadowed that more classical and dressy episode in (TAG) Heuer’s history.
The 39 × 45.2 × 12.16mm steel Astronomer case is modest in proportions. It’s a size that fits most wrists and is understated enough to call “introverted.” The complication, however, proves itself more extroverted. The moon phases and descriptions progress in an arc, accompanied by a corresponding scale depicting the 29.5-day lunar cycle. A rotating disc sits in the middle and is equipped with a two-pointed hand. This looks nothing like a traditional moonphase indicator. It’s decorative yet casual and still quite functional. This is a surprisingly elegant watch from TAG Heuer, regardless of whether you pick the standard model or one of the two limited editions.
Where do you stand on elegance? Are you ready to soften your collection, so to speak? Do you feel the need to wear a watch that kind of swings on the wrist with a certain flair and a distinct character of its own? Also, have you seen any new watches you would categorize as “elegant”? They don’t necessarily have to be retro or dressy, just new creations that try to persuade you through subtlety instead of brute force. Please let me know in the comments section.
