While not terribly expensive (and still not particularly affordable given that so far the collection is only presented in stainless steel), the new Jaquet Droz Grande Heure Minute Quantieme was designed for those people who believe that a dress watch must only be worn with formal attire. While you still can wear one of them with jeans or even chinos, you must be either a really successful screenwriter or a slightly eccentric serial start-upper to pull off the trick.
39 mm
Slim d’Hermes Automatic in Rose Gold by Hermes
The 2015 Slim d’Hermes targets those iconic Piaget ultra-thin wristwatches that the competing brand is so proud of. Yet, the thinness is not the timekeeper’s main selling point. The device offers a well-balanced, solid design that is a serious improvement on their previous attempts, as well as a new self-winding mechanism with micro-rotor design that could technically even be called ‘in-house’.
Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Manufacture Ladies (ref. FC-703VD3SD4)
The 2015 Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Manufacture Ladies FC-703VD3SD4 is one of the finest timekeepers introduced by the brand so far. It is also one of their (still precious few) models powered not by a slightly redecorated version of a run-off-the-mill blank movement made either by ETA or Sellita, but by a new caliber developed and built by Frederique Constant on their own production facilities. That says something, right?
JeanRichard Terrascope Automatic 39mm
With their 39mm JeanRichard Terrascope (ref. 60510D56A602-11A), the brand tries to kill two birds with one stone. First, it is the first unisex member of the Terrascope collection. Second, it is the first Terrascope that is less than 40 millimeters without the crown. Finally, you don’t have to be a huge guy to wear one of these with pride: you can be a skinny girl, too.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar Meteorite
What is a dress watch? For many, it requires a compact body and an enameled or engine-turned dial with classic hands. You know, the usual stuff. The 2014 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar Meteorite (refs. Q1558421 & Q1552540) features the classic dial layout spiced with a dial plate cut from a real meteorite. The material is not terribly rare: eBay is teeming with all sorts of celestial stones ready to mail. Yet, it usually takes a skilled artisan to cut the stone (or a slug) at a particular angle that allows it to truly shine. Jaeger-LeCoultre designed this gorgeous new model with nerds in mind. It targets high-school dropouts who made their fortune offering the world software or services that makes our life a lot easier.
Archimede 1950’s Automatic
The German brand has recently updated its collection of dressy three-handers with a nice Archimede 1950’s collection that pays homage to timekeepers that were produced by the local watchmakers after the end of the Great War. Although the Japanese movement that powers the device doesn’t look nearly as impressive as NOS hand-wound Junghans calibers that they, for example, used for their Pilot OR2 limited edition watch, it is robust and reliable and looks like an adequate choice for the price.
Montblanc Meisterstuck Heritage Pulsograph by Minerva
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of its legendary Meisterstuck pen that Montblanc has first released in 1924, the Swiss luxury brand releases the dressy Montblanc Meisterstuck Heritage Pulsograph by Minerva. Limited to just 90 pieces, the timekeeper features a working mechanical pulsometer: a thing that was popular among wealthy medical doctors during the first decades of the last century.
Archimede Outdoor Black PVD Automatic
Recently, the German brand has introduced an absolutely outstanding Archimede Outdoor Black (refs. UA8237B-A2.1-SW & UA8237-A2.1-SW) presented in a rugged stainless steel body treated with black PVD coating.
Ball Trainmaster Standard Time Automatic (Ref. NM3888D-PG-LCJ-WH)
Just in time for the holiday shopping season (and to officially mark its 130th anniversary), the American company offers its automatic Ball Trainmaster Standard Time (ref. NM3888D-PG-LCJ-WH) that attempts to combine vintage style with contemporary technology in the same compact case.
Jaquet Droz The Eclipse Ivory Enamel (Ref. J012613200)
First revealed in the year 2012 with a sexy jet-black onyx dial, the updated Jaquet Droz Eclipse J012613200 has been reissued in an even dressier version with its face finished with ivory Grand Feu enamel. Although the beige-colored plate (which is not only pleasant to look at but is also difficult to manufacture on an industrial scale) doesn’t do a particularly good job mimicking a night sky, it still makes the watch a perfect choice for those looking for a dressy moon-phase timekeeper.
Patek Philippe Calatrava Automatic (Ref. 5227)
Patek Philip‘s classic Calatrava line has just been updated for this year. Featuring a tried and true automatic movement and a body of classic proportions, the new self-winding Patek Philippe Calatrava (Ref. 5227) looks emphatically modest, even in its precious 18-karat rose gold body.
Raymond Weil Lady Maestro Open Heart Automatic
The good old Raymond Weil Lady Maestro line has fairly recently been updated with a new open-heart version. Finally available in different colors (including absolutely gorgeous one on a lime-green strap with reference number 2827-L5-00966) and growing noticeably in size, the updated timekeeper still features the easily recognizable design cues on its dial, including the clever use of guilloching and diamond-setting techniques.
Grand Seiko GMT 10th Anniversary Edition Automatic (Ref. SBGM029)
At the Baselworld 2012, the luxury sub-brand of the Japanese watchmaking giant has presented a pair of limited-edition versions of their GMT model. The Grand Seiko GMT 10th Anniversary Edition with the reference number SBGM029 is the most impressive with its noble blue dial and striking yellow gold accents of the second time zone indicator and the predictably “GMT” inscription at six o’clock.
Longines Saint-Imier Automatic Chronograph (Ref. L2.753.5.52/72.7)
The Swiss watchmaking company Longines has recently revealed some info regarding their new Saint-Imier collection of automatic timekeepers that will be revealed next month during the Baselworld 2012 event. Although there will be around a dozen different pieces in the new line, only a single photo accompanied their press release depicting the sporty Longines Saint-Imier Automatic Chronograph (Ref. L2.753.5.52/72.7) in a two-tone mix of 18-karat rose gold and stainless steel.
Tissot Le Locle Chronometer Edition in PVD Rose Gold
Powered by a mass-produced ETA 2824-2 automatic ebuche, the last year’s Tissot Le Locle automatic chronometer won the prestigious Concours de Chronometrie 2011 in the “Classic” category easily beating the gorgeous (and also a lot more expensive) F.P. Journe Chronometre Souverain with its in-house caliber F.P Journe 1304. This year, the Swiss watchmaker decided to build on the success of the award winning model by introducing their new Tissot Le Locle Automatic Chronometer Edition (ref. T006.408.36.057.00).