From IWC to Patek Philippe: Top Dress Watches of 2022

As accessories, watches have always been versatile. If we look at dress watches in particular, they can really elevate your look.  Usually, dress watches are minimalistic in terms of design. With elements ranging from luxurious leather straps to sleek steel cases, dress watches do spell sophistication. 

Like every year, in 2022 too, we saw the launch of some stunning pieces in this category. So, here’s a round-up of the best dress watches that caught our attention this year. 

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Dress for a Cause: IWC Portofino Chronograph 39 Edition ‘Laureus Sport for Good’, Ref. IW391408

The IWC Portofino Chronograph 39 Edition ‘Laureus Sport for Good’ is the sixteenth version that IWC has launched in partnership with Laureus Sport for Good, a foundation operating in more than 50 countries and supporting over 250 programmes around the world. These programmes aim to promote social change through sports, transforming the lives of many young people. 

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As far as the watch is concerned, the Laureus blue on the dial serves as a contrasting background for the rhodium-plated hands and appliques. To complement those, the watch comes with a sleek black calfskin strap. The chronograph features a stainless steel case with a diameter of 39 mm. Powered by an automatic, self-winding movement and Calibre: 79350, the collection is limited to only 1000 pieces. 

The caseback features the engraved winning entry from a drawing competition, titled IWC Schaffhausen Watch Drawing Competition, organised in support of Laureus Sport for Good. The drawing created by 15-year-old Jatin Malhan depicts hands joined together as equals. Jatin is the goalkeeper for the Youth Football Club Rurka Kalan in the Jalandhar district of Punjab, India. 

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Understated Elegance: Cartier Santos-Dumont, Ref. WGSA0022

The Santos-Dumont, intended to be an aviation watch, was designed by Louis Cartier in 1904 for his friend, Alberto Santos-Dumont. Now, Cartier has updated the watch with lacquered flourishes on the case and the bezel, but keeping the iconic square shape intact. The compact model is powered by a high autonomy quartz movement (~ six years) and comes with a 38 mm, 18 ct rose gold case. The beaded crown is set with a cabochon-shaped sapphire. The silvered satin-brushed dial with sunray effects features neat Roman numerals and blued-steel, sword-shaped hands. The watch comes with a grey alligator-skin strap and a rose gold ardillon buckle. It offers a water resistance of up to 30 metres. 

Old-world Charm: Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time, Ref. 5326G

Ref. 5326G can be called another feather in Patek Philippe’s cap. It’s the watchmaker’s first Annual Calendar Travel Time watch, uniting two functional complications under one dial. This Annual Calendar can display the exact date for local time with the help of a new self-winding movement and a Travel Time mechanism. It controls the Annual Calendar, ensuring date correction in forward as well as in backward direction. It is powered by Calibre 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H for which eight patents have been filed. 

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As far as looks are concerned, it sports a Calatrava-type case, rimmed with a Clous de Paris hobnail guilloche pattern. The anthracite dial and its grainy texture are reminiscent of old cameras. The watch comes with two interchangeable straps: one in originally fitted, muted beige calfskin with a nubuck finish and the other in elegant black calfskin with embossed fabric motif and beige topstitching. The gold-applied numerals with beige luminescent coatings and the moon phase complication add a romantic charm, making it a perfect dress watch. 

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Deep Blues: Jaeger-Lecoultre Master Control Date

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To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Master Control, La Grande Maison of Le Sentier introduced two new models in distinct deep blue dials with a sunray-brushed finish. The Master Control Date and Master Control Calendar are a testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mastery of elegant and high-performance watchmaking.

The Master Control Date model features a stainless steel case adorned with applied Arabic numerals and faceted dart markers for the hours, faceted dauphine hour and minute hands and bevelled case lugs that curve towards the strap attachment point. The date ring of the Master Control Date is also in blue, with white transferred Arabic numerals. 

The watch comes with a matching blue strap in calf leather. There’s blue stitching across the strap that adds a vintage feel to it. It is powered by an in-house automatic movement and Calibre 899 of the Master Control Date with 70 hours of power reserve. Style with substance, we say! 

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The Minimalist: Moritz Grossmann Hamatic Vintage Cream

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German high-end watch manufacturer Moritz Grossmann, known for its clean style and attention to detail, celebrated its fourteenth anniversary with great flair. The Hamatic Vintage Cream takes the complex Hamatic collection to a higher dimension. The cream-coloured dial is made from solid silver and lacquered, paired with violet stylistic elements, lending the watch a contemporary yet vintage feel. The dial also features old-world Roman hour numerals and the historic Moritz Grossmann logo from 1875. These features are also reminiscent of the iconic watches made by Moritz Grossmann, with the violet numerals and the hands acting as a link to the movement. 

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Violet-annealed screws serve as elaborate decorations incorporated into the in-house calibre — a hallmark of Moritz Grossmann’s craftsmanship. The dial and the classic white gold case are influenced by the pocket watches made by Moritz Grossmann — even the fine poiré-shaped hands mirror the ones used in the pocket watches. The watch is powered by a traditional automatic hammer mechanism with Calibre 106.0. 

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