It’s 2025 and comes with a dress watch! But that doesn’t mean you have to pay for your tuxedo. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The link to dress watches to formal attire is less relevant than today. Both in a more stringent definition and adjoining style – Dress Watch is gaining popularity, but it’s not for all the gorgeous and great Gatsby-style cocktail parties that millennials and Zoomers are throwing. This is due to the relatively recent styling trend of placing the right watch for a Geeser and the most casual outfit. Today, at Fratello Talks, we discuss this phenomenon and enter into some exquisite examples of dress watches that have been recently introduced. You’ll probably see them sticking out from under the cuffs of dinner jackets and Carhartt jackets, but one thing is certain. We are all for that. So let’s take a look at what’s on your wrist today.
Wrist check
RJ is the first off the block, with Gronemanuel one on his wrist. The watch was launched last year by Grönefeld Brothers as an affordable alternative to a much more expensive watch from their brand of the same name. Is it a dress watch? Certainly dressy, strictly speaking, the three hands and a relatively large 40mm stainless steel case do not exactly classify it. But I think that’s the case with today’s much more looser definition.
Knowing the topic of discussion today, Rex took himself into the transparent Viridian Green Limited Edition of Czapek x Fratello Promenade. And although it’s not what he wore in the office this morning, it’s definitely a relatively dressy watch. As you can see, he pairs it with jeans and a gray sweater.
And finally, when he opted out of the trend, Nacho wears a 1970 Karavelsy Hunter Dive Watch. It’s a sports watch, but for today’s relaxed standards, I’m not too shocked to see someone wearing this watch (or someone who likes it, like the Rolex 5513). That’s the other side of the coin we’re talking about today.
Fratello Talks: Is 2025 the year of Dress Watch?
Today’s topic is, what is Dress Watch anyway? In the most severe sense, it is a small gold or platinum watch with only two hands. There are no frills, no dates, no bezels or chronograph pushers. Today, however, the definition is a little broader than that. Last year’s sports watch was today’s dress watch. I’m talking about the eternity of the 34mm stainless steel Seamaster and Oyster. In the modern aspect of the spectrum, we’ve seen the once scattered classic dress models in the 38-40mm range of Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, and Chopard Hover. It’s not uncommon to see watches like RJ’s Grøne (with a 40mm stainless steel case) called dress watches.
More often, the aforementioned classic size dress watches are worn out from the context of normal attire. Are you wearing a stone dial 18k gold Piaget bracelet watch with torn jeans and sneakers? Then maybe you’re doing things right. Whether you’re staying here soon or disappearing, Dress Watch will have a strong year in 2025. A recent example is the new Breguet Classique Sousscription featured today. If you would like to read about it, check out this Daan article.
What do you think about dress watches? Are you crazy about them or do you pass? Does the tendency to dress them up make them more attractive? Please let us know in the comments section below. Check out our new episode of Fratero Talk next week.
