Squaring the Circle, Six of the Best New Square & Rectangular Watches

Following the natural path an hour or minute hand takes over a dial, in most watches, at least, it’s a simple fact of form-follows-function that the vast majority of watches are round. But what if you want to stand out a bit and play around with shapes and sizes? Well, to answer what could happen if you do just that, you could end up with a square or rectangular watch! And considering that some of the most iconic watches are in fact square or rectangular, it’s a recurring topic every now and then. However, new designs get thrown in the mix regularly, which is why we revisit the topic today, with six recently introduced watches that break away from classical round cases!

Rado anatom 2025

A watch so fruity, you can almost taste it: the new Rado Anatom 2025 range. Adopting a vibrantly fresh palette of greens, yellows and reds, the sleek rectangular Anatom certainly livens up the wrist. The high-tech ceramic and stainless steel case measures 32.5mm in width, 46.3mm in length, and 11.3mm in height. Fitted with a coloured FKM rubber strap and a folding clasp, it wears very comfortably. The dial also gets a splash of colour, with a gradient black to yellow, red or green effect. It comes with Rado’s calibre 766, which is an evolution of the ETA 2892, packing 72 hours of power reserve. It retails for EUR 3,750.

For more information, please visit Rado.com.

Quick Facts – 32.5mm x 46.3mm x 11.3mm – high-tech ceramic & steel case – sapphire crystal front & back – high-tech ceramic crown – 50m water-resistant – gradient yellow, red or green dial – applied indices & hands with SLN – date window – moving anchor logo – Rado calibre 766 (ETA 2892 evolution) – automatic – 28,800vph – 72h power reserve – Nivachron hairspring – hours, minutes, seconds, date – yellow, red or green FKM rubber strap with folding clasp – EUR 3,750

TAG heuer monaco chronograph x gulf white dial

We can’t talk about square watches and ignore the iconic TAG Heuer Monaco. Launched in 1969 and brilliantly campaigned on the wrist of Steve McQueen, it gained cult status and remains a cornerstone collection for the brand. Among the latest editions is a fresh white dial with the famous Gulf Oil blue-and-orange stripe down the right side. The 39mm by 39mm titanium case packs the calibre 11 automatic chronograph, which puts the crown on the left, just like the original did. It’s supplied with a white textile strap and a perforated blue leather strap, both fitted to a folding clasp. It is limited to 971 pieces and retails for CHF 9,500.

For more information, please visit TAGHeuer.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 39mm x 14.35mm – grade 2 titanium sandblasted – sapphire crystal front & back – crown on the left, pushers on the right – 100m water-ressitant – white dial with Gulf Oil stripe & logo – black sub-dials, markers & hands – orange central chrongraph seconds hand – calibre 11, automatic chronograph – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – white textile strap & perforated blue leather strap with folding clasp – limited to 971 pieces – CHF 9,500

Cartier Tank A Guichets

Speaking of square or rectangular icons, the Cartier Tank is perhaps the greatest one of all. With more than a century of history, there have been a fair few special ones. One of the standout pieces is the Tank A Guichets, which measures 24.8mm in width, 37.6mm in length, and 6mm in height. Available in yellow gold, rose gold or platinum, its ‘face’ is fully covered with the exception of two small windows for the jumping hours and dragging minutes. Inside ticks Cartier’s manually wound calibre 9755 MC (Piaget 430P evolution). Worn on an alligator leather strap, it retails between EUR 52,000 and EUR 60,000, depending on the material.

For more information, please visit Cartier.com.

Quick Facts – 24.8mm x 37.6mm x 6mm – 18k yellow or rose gold, or 950 platinum case – brushed & polished – bevelled hour & minute windows – crown at noon – not water-resistant – jumping hour & dragging minutes windows at noon & six – calibre 9755 MC, manually wound – in-house – 21,600vph – 43h power reserve – alligator leather strap with gold or platinum pin buckle – EUR 52,000 (yellow or rose gold) – EUR 60,000 (platinum, non-limited)

Mido Multifort TV Big Date

Mido offers a surprising mix of colours and materials in its latest Multifort TV Big Date, a watch rooted in the early 1970s. The black PVD-coated, rounded square case has rather stout dimensions of 39.2mm by 40mm and a height of 11.5mm. The bezel has two signature protruding ‘lips’, with a recessed pip on the one at noon. The gradient blue dial is enlivened with horizontal grooves, orange markers and hands and the Big Date window at noon. Visible through the caseback is Mido’s calibre 80, based on the ETA C07.651 (the Powermatic 80). It comes on a padded dark blue textile strap with orange stitching and has a price of EUR 1,350.

For more information, please visit MidoWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 39.2mm x 40mm x 11.5mm – stainless steel case, black PVD-coated – brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – screw-down crown – 100m water-resistant – gradient blue dial with horizontal grooves – orange markers & hands with SLN – Big Date display – Mido calibre 80 (ETA C07.651) – automatic – Nivachron hairspring – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – available directly from Mido and its retailers – EUR 1,350

Yema Granvelle CMM.20

The least square watch on the list, but a square watch at heart nonetheless, is the surprisingly fun Yema Granvelle CMM.20. Primarily known for its retro-inspired dive watches, the Granvelle CMM.20 is a clean-sheet design. The soft cushion-shaped case has a diameter of 39mm and a height of just 8.60mm. Its dial has a stamped guilloché pattern with a sunray finish, the small seconds display is positioned at 9′, and the hour markers are engraved on the steel chapter ring. It uses calibre CMM.20, Yema’s in-house micro-rotor automatic with 70 hours of power. Fitted to a cognac calfskin leather strap, it has a sticker price of EUR 1,990.

For more information, please visit Yema.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 8.60mm – cushion-shaped stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back cushion-shaped crown- 50mm water-resistant – dark grey, blue or green dial – stamped guilloché pattern – Dauphine hands – engraved hour markers – small seconds sub-dial – Yema calibre CMM.20, in-house micro-rotor automatic – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – cognac calfskin leather strap with deployant clasp – EUR 1,990

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso tribute monoface small seconds milanese

We make a final stop at another horological icon, the Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Dressed in rose gold top to bottom, the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds on Milanese bracelet was one of the hottest releases at Watches & Wonders this year. The reversible case measures 45.6mm in length, 27.4mm in width and 7.56mm in height. The golden dial has a grained texture and golden indices & hands to keep things tone on tone. Inside we find the JLC calibre 822, which is a shaped, manually wound movement. The 18k rose gold bracelet has an integrated sliding clasp and a quick-change system. The price is set at EUR 44,400.

For more information, please visit Jaeger-LeCoultre.com.

Quick Facts – 45.6mm x 27.4mm x 7.56mm – 18k rose gold reversible case, polished – flat sapphire crystal – 30m water-resistant – grained golden dial – applied golden markers & hands – railway minute track – small seconds sub-dial – JLC calibre 822, manually wound – 21,600vph – 42h power reserve – 18k rose gold Milanese bracelet with integrated sliding clasp & quick release system – EUR 44,400