7 dress watches that pushed boundaries in 2023: from the Rolex 1908 to the historic Cartier Tank and Grand Seiko’s recreation of its first model, these timepieces brought their past to the future

As dress watches saw more time in the spotlight this year, one of the great shifts we noticed here at Style was that formal timepieces are often paying more ouvert homage to days past – we’re talking mid-century-esque, time-only pieces, in precious metal case, a la the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony or Patek Philippe Calatrava. Whilst the brief for a dress watch is still an elegantly designed piece that discreetly matches your outfit for a formal occasion, 2023 saw boundaries pushed in design choices, materials and even the addition of complications that still make for a great evening occasion piece. 1. Nomos Glashütte Orion Neomatik 175 Years Watchmaking When it comes to sleek design, it’s hard to look past the Glashütte region, renowned birthplace of German watchmaking. Among the brands playing on this heritage is Nomos Glashütte which adds a signature Bauhaus bent. Founded in 1990, Nomos is one of the newer brands in Glashütte but has its own manufacture making its movements and this year’s Orion Neomatik 175 Years Watchmaking shows the level of its invention, with a timepiece with small seconds dial, tempered blue hands and gold indices. Which luxury brands tried watchmaking first … and got it right? 2. Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Meanwhile, 178-year-old neighbours Glashütte Original combine elegant design with a redesigned 42mm white gold case, “panorama date” at 3 o’clock with power reserve and discreet day/night indicator at 12 o’clock. All of this houses the Caliber 58-08 with a seconds-stop function, shooting the seconds hand back to 12 when the crown is pulled out for easy minutes regulation. 3. Rolex 1908 When it comes to precision, Rolex stands tall: the brand stunned at Watches and Wonders with a slim, refined 1908 model, housed in a 39mm 18k gold case capped with a domed and fluted bezel. Under the enamel dial with small seconds ticks a new, Rolex Côtes de Genève-decorated calibre. Which, of course, has Superlative Chronometer certification for an astonishing plus/minus two seconds deviation per day. Titan of time: 6 titanium watches every collector should clock in 2023 4. Grand Seiko SBGW295 Urushi Another celebration comes from Japan: the Grand Seiko SBGW295, which marks the 110th anniversary of the country’s first wristwatch, the Laurel. This SBGW is also a recreation of the first Grand Seiko, which came out in 1960 – but with substantial upgrades. These include using brilliant hard titanium for the 38mm case and a dial painted with the ancient urushi and maki-e lacquer techniques. 5. Cartier Tank Louis Cartier 2023 But what if you want something historic in a square dial? In 1917, Louis Cartier created the first Tank and it’s been a cornerstone of the jeweller’s watch offering ever since. The Tank Louis Cartier 2023 collection jumped on the colour bandwagon with stripped-down, manually wound versions with burgundy or green dials, not forgetting the telltale pyramidal crown capped with a blue sapphire. Horology queens: 8 female watch influencers breaking gender boundaries 6. Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin In the square-ish market, the Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin is based on a drawing by late master designer Gérald Genta, who founded the brand in 2000. Just over 8mm thick, this 18k rose gold watch with a chocolate brown sunburst dial and a 50-hour power reserve can be worn in the pool, as the screw-down gives water resistance to 10 atmospheres. 7. Chopard L.U.C 1860 With a solid gold salmon-coloured guilloche dial and a 36.5mm Lucent Steel case, the Chopard L.U.C 1860 is a classic yet contemporary statement. Classic in its expression, and contemporary in its chronometer-certified movement with a micro rotor that energises Chopard’s two-barrelled twin technology with a power reserve of 65 hours. Also contemporary – and a path to the future – is the proprietary alloy which is 80 per cent recycled steel.