The Best Dress Watches of 2024

As the end of the year draws nigh, the festive season kicks off with Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve celebrations and gatherings that dominate our agendas. In short, it is the perfect time of the year to suit up. And that means having the right watch to match your fancy attire, pairing it with your cocktail dress or tuxedo. And yes, the classic dress watch, as we’ve come to know it for many years, has changed, becoming more daring, less formal and more colourful. But that doesn’t change the fact that once again in 2024, we have seen the release of supremely elegant watches. Here are our top 5 Dress Watches of the year. 

Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green in Lucent Steel

Seeing a Chopard L.U.C. making this list shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s long been agreed by the watch community that the brand creates some of the most elegant watches on the market: that’s not an opinion; it’s a fact. The reason we selected this specific model over other potential candidates lies in the combination of mechanical pleasure, relaxed elegance and a fairly accessible price (relatively speaking). We could have chosen the Qualité Fleurier in Lucent Steel. But this XPS Forest Green just hits the spot even more with its 7mm thin case, its nicely coloured strap, its highly polished case and… that sumptuous green sector dial. That dial alone is worth all the money. Inside, you’ll find the classic calibre L.U.C 96 with micro-rotor, here in a relatively basic version (no QF or Geneva Seal), but it also means that this specific version can be bought for around EUR 12,000. And for what you’ll get in return, it’s all justified.

For more details about the Chopard L.U.C XPS Forest Green in Lucent Steel, you can consult our hands-on article here.

Frederique Constant Classics Premiere Salmon Dial

This watch came as a genuine surprise. As a watch that was not really planned and that was launched with discretion, it’s based on the simple, accessible and almost mundane Frederique Constant Classics Premiere. But when the models from the standard collection come with a bit of an old-school dial, this Europe-exclusive model packs a punch with its two-tone salmon dial, adorned with a railroad minutes track and applied Breguet numerals. The dial is the star of the show here, and it is everything we love in dress watches – it has a bit of a Laurent Ferrier or Vacheron vibe, which is quite a compliment. Inside, there’s an LJP automatic with a long power reserve, and the 38.5mm x 10.6mm case sits well on the wrist. And all of that comes for less than EUR 2,000. No excuses anymore for not having a dress watch in your collection.

For more details about the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere Salmon Dial, you can consult our hands-on article here.

Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 45GS SLGW005

When you think Grand Seiko, you might first think about sports watches with crazy textured dials – White Birch, Snowflake, Genby Valley. At Watches and Wonders 2024, the brand came out with something unexpected: a high-end manual-winding movement with a thin and powerful calibre inside its appealing Birch Bark SLGW003 and SLGW002. These watches could have made the list of the best dress watches of 2024, but we’ve chosen this SLGW005, a remake of the 45GS of 1968, with a manual-winding Hi-Beat movement. True to its ancestor, this Hi-Beat 45GS SLGW005 is compact, restrained, discreet and yet packs an advanced movement. What sets it apart from most modern GS models is the demure look, as well as a double-signed dial (Seiko and Grand Seiko, a nod to the past). It’s not your typical dress watch, but the result is definitely elegant. The SLGW004 in yellow gold is also an option to consider if you have the budget.

For more details about the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 45GS SLGW005, you can consult our hands-on article here.

Moritz Grossmann 37 Arabic Vintage

As one of the finest advocates of German watchmaking, Moritz Grossmann (founder and director of the German School of Watchmaking) and the modern brand behind it have long impressed us with its technical marvels. The brand is also known for its dedication to traditional dial-making, with its carved Arabic numerals over tremblage or frosted dials. Speaking of which, here’s the brand’s latest, handsome creation, a compact 37mm watch in steel with an untreated German silver dial with a matte black finish, Breguet numerals and a minutes track in positive relief. The back, with the hand-wound in-house calibre 102.1, is as expressive as the front, and the whole package works brilliantly. It’s a bit of a different take on the dress watch, but its elegance is undeniable.

For more details about the Moritz Grossmann 37 Arabic Vintage, you can consult our introducing article here.

Rolex Perpetual 1908 Platinum Guilloche Dial

Last but not least is the most surprising Rolex of the year. When it was unveiled last year, the Rolex Perpetual 1908 made quite a strong impression. While the inaugural models were appealing despite their minimalism, this new platinum version adds visual impact through a touch of traditional craftsmanship, a sector of the industry you don’t necessarily associate with Rolex. And still, the 1908 platinum comes with a light blue dial with a guilloché pattern – in reality, a rice-grain engine-turned pattern done on a hand-controlled machine, yet in a more modern way than, for instance, Breguet. Nevertheless, the result is polarizing, surprisingly traditional and extremely handsome. Inside, you’ll find the brand’s new automatic, thin calibre 7140 (visible under a sapphire back) and the platinum case retains its 39mm and finely fluted bezel. And at EUR 31,300, it’s not even crazy in terms of price.

For more details about the Rolex Perpetual 1908 Platinum, please consult our review here.