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Dress Watches · Page 18

Hands On: Petermann Bédat’s Reference 1825 Does More with Less SJX Watches
Oct 15, 2025

Hands On: Petermann Bédat’s Reference 1825 Does More with Less

Petermann Bédat has just unveiled its third model, the Reference 1825, which arrives two years after the Reference 2941 Split-Seconds Chronograph. The brand’s simplest watch to date, the 1825 is three hands but far from basic. In fact, the 1825 illustrates the cliche that less is more. Founded by duo Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, the brand departs from current fashion with the 1825, which has a restrained aesthetic front and back, though the movement incorporates enough subtle flourishes to make it distinctive and distinguished. The proliferation of open-dial time-only watches with overwrought finishing makes the quiet presence of the 1825 stand out. The cal. 233 of the 1825 Initial thoughts The recent enthusiasm for independent watchmaking has tended to focus on time-only watches of a specific sort, with open dials, exposed movements, and lots of finishing techniques. Naturally, independent watchmakers and brands have delivered in response to that demand. In comparison, the 1825 is old school in style and form, almost plain in fact, but I like it precisely because of that. The 1825 is appealing on two levels. One is tangible – it is an appealing watch on the wrist and clearly executed to a high level. The other is philosophical – I applaud Petermann Bédat for not going with current fads. The 1825 isn’t imaginative or radical, it is simply a simple watch of high quality that feels like it was conceived and executed by sincere, competent watchmakers. All ele...

SJX Podcast: Primetime for Fashion Brands? SJX Watches
Oct 15, 2025

SJX Podcast: Primetime for Fashion Brands?

On episode 14 of the SJX Podcast, Brandon Moore and SJX unpack the new Louis Vuitton Monterey and discuss where fashion brands fit in the contemporary fine watchmaking landscape. Are collectors who ignore these kinds of products intellectually lazy? We also cover the latest from Lange, which just added a stone onyx dial to the Saxonia Thin – is it the perfect watch for your next soiree? Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.  

Furlan Marri Expands the Cornes de Vache Collection with the Blue Sector Worn & Wound
Oct 14, 2025

Furlan Marri Expands the Cornes de Vache Collection with the Blue Sector

In the ever-growing sea of impressive microbrands, Swiss upstarts Furlan Marri have carved out a niche of dressy watches with vintage flair. That’s not giving them full credit, of course-they’ve also managed to create a wholly recognizable visual style within a few short years, to the point where “Furlan Marri-esque” is a perfectly reasonable compound adjective to sling around. Continuing their current theme of circular motifs, the brand is expanding their Cornes de Vache (“cow horns” in French, referring to long, curved lugs) collection of automatic watches with the Blue Sector joining the lineup, bringing a classically upscale blue and silver colorway to a collection already bursting with color.  Like the other Cornes de Vache models already available, the Blue Sector is housed in a circular 37.5mm polished stainless steel case with cow-horn lugs, connected by a bridge at the 6 and 12 o’clock positions. Lug-to-lug, the case measures in at 46mm, with a 10.5mm thickness, placing it on the small-to-medium side of the dress watch spectrum. The sector dial from which the reference pulls its name features the same layout as the other Sector models, with double-stamped indications and applied Breguet-style indexes. The dark blue of the dial is further diversified by the textured center circle, split into four. The 12, 3, 6, and 9 numerals echo the quartering theme, and feature an elegant, vintage script. These numerals, along with the hands, indexes, and other ...

Cartier Introduces a New Santos in Titanium (and a Cool Steel Reference with Lume) Worn & Wound
Oct 13, 2025

Cartier Introduces a New Santos in Titanium (and a Cool Steel Reference with Lume)

When the topic of Cartier comes up, usually it’s in the context of a discussion of their beautiful, design oriented dress watches. We all know what we’re talking about here: shaped cases, precious metals, exotic gem set jewelry pieces. This is Cartier’s stock-in-trade, and watch for watch there’s probably no brand on the planet better at making those kinds of watches. But if you look through Cartier’s history, there are plenty of oddball creations that don’t fit neatly into the dress watch narrative. True sports watches are rare (RIP, Calibre de Cartier divers) but there are many notable releases from recent years that run right up to the edge of a sportier category. The Drive de Cartier (also discontinued) was an explicit attempt to make a “men’s” watch that was quite elegant but also larger and could easily read as more casual. The Cartier Roadster collection is another example of a line that viewed sporty/casual styles through a uniquely Cartier lens. And, of course, the Santos has existed for many years in oversized and complicated variants (not to mention black coated examples) that fit nicely into this niche.  And last week, Cartier announced yet another new Santos that might, in its way, be among Cartier’s sportiest watches ever, thanks to the material used as well as the finish chosen. The new Santos de Cartier in titanium features a bead blasted titanium case and bracelet, and comes in the larger Santos case size, measuring 39.8mm × 9.3mm. Ac...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Breguet Classique 5177 Vs. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx Fratello
Oct 12, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Breguet Classique 5177 Vs. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx

It’s Sunday morning again, so it’s time to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy another one of our showdowns. Last week, we put two dressier moonphase watches from Longines and Tudor up against each other. This week, we’re staying on the dressier end of the watch-design spectrum. However, we’ll do so with two more […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Breguet Classique 5177 Vs. A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx to read the full article.

eBay Finds: Vintage Watches from Hamilton, Grand Seiko, Omega, and More! Worn & Wound
Oct 10, 2025

eBay Finds: Vintage Watches from Hamilton, Grand Seiko, Omega, and More!

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Vintage Hamilton 14k Gold Watch First up this week is a classic and stylish vintage 1971 Hamilton dress watch in 14k yellow gold. The 33.5mm solid gold case is unpolished, with crisp edges. The caseback is engraved with a 25 year service award inscription from Eaton. The dial is clean and simple, with a nice sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. The original crown is signed with the Hamilton logo. The watch comes with the original Hamilton signed lizard strap, and it all comes in the original box with papers! The case is a front loading type, so no movement pictures, but the seller states the watch runs well. View auction here Vintage 1950s Benrus  Here we have another small dress watch, but this one is gold filled and a little more ‘sporty’. This vintage Benrus 3 Star has a cool dial, with alternating Arabic numerals and thin arrows for hour markers, coupled with lume filled hands. The 33mm yellow gold filled case looks sharp, and has a steel screw in back. There is no movement picture, but the seller states the watch runs well. Nice little every day type of watch from an under-rated brand that should fit into any watch budget. View auction here Omega Constellation  Next up is a whopp...

The New Bremoir South Beach, and the Influence of Art Deco Design Worn & Wound
Oct 8, 2025

The New Bremoir South Beach, and the Influence of Art Deco Design

Virtually every watch enthusiast is familiar with Art Deco, even if they don’t know it. Art Deco, short for Arts décoratifs, first appeared in Paris in the 1910s and spread across the globe over the following two decades. You may not be familiar with Art Deco’s principles - bold geometric forms and streamlined, mechanical aesthetics, among them - but you are almost assuredly familiar with some of its most famous designs, like the Cartier Tank and JLC Reverso. Worn & Wound contributor and Art Deco enthusiast Christoph McNeill considers Art Deco “the pinnacle of design,” and says he loves the beauty of the Machine Age design movement’s expression of curves and lines, obsession with mechanical aesthetics, and “streamline” nature. Wristwatches, which became popular about the same time Art Deco came onto the scene, was a natural medium for Art Deco design. “Because they’re little, tiny machines, right? said McNeill. “It sort of went hand-in-hand.” Vintage Art Deco watches from Christoph’s personal collection So, what does Art Deco design look like in watches?  “It means clean lines, very specific fonts,” said watch collector and seller extraordinaire Eric Wind. “I think of a lot of rectangles, squares, things like that. Less round, unless it’s round within a rectangle. A lot of black on silver. I think of that kind of high shine chrome when I think about Deco as well. More silver than gold.” Wind cites “a lot of Pateks from the 20s and ...

Xu Beihong Immortalised in Enamel on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso SJX Watches
Oct 8, 2025

Xu Beihong Immortalised in Enamel on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso

One of the most famous Chinese artists of the modern era, Xu Beihong is best known for his ink paintings of horses and birds, which are amongst the most valuable examples of 20th century Chinese art. Three of those equine works have been reproduced in miniature enamel on the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel “Xu Beihong”. Presented in the classic Grande Taille case size, this limited edition trio continues Jaeger-LeCoultre’s longstanding tradition of transforming the case back of the Reverso into a blank canvas for art. Past works that have been miniaturised for the Reverso include Claude Monet’s Venice paintings and Shahnameh, an epic poem of ancient Persia. Initial thoughts Like other miniature enamelled Reversos, the Xu Beihong trio is impressive. The original artworks are already beautiful, and they have been reproduced in exceptionally fine detail. Even if you don’t like the works, the enamelling is clearly top quality. But like the other recent enamel Reversos, the Xu Beihong trio is expensive in comparative terms. The retail price for similar watches was almost half today’s level six years ago. This is not unique to JLC of course. But JLC doesn’t have the cachet, after a few slow years, for such strong pricing, unlike say, Patek Philippe or a hot indie brand. That’s not entirely fair since they are beautiful watches with finely executed miniature enamelling, but it is the state of affairs. Two Horses Horse running and standing Notably, this is ...

Hands On: The Cartier Santos in End-to-End Titanium SJX Watches
Oct 7, 2025

Hands On: The Cartier Santos in End-to-End Titanium

In a first, Cartier has just unveiled the Santos de Cartier LM in titanium. Its flagship sports watch now features a case and matching bracelet in matte, bead-blasted titanium – specifically grade 23 titanium – while retaining all of the other familiar Santos design elements, including the exposed screws and traditional silvered dial. The Santos in titanium is powered by the same industrial 1847 MC movement found in its steel counterpart, and costs about 20% more, but has a great deal more tactile appeal. The watch is large, lightweight, and low-key. Initial thoughts The Santos was originally conceived as a sports watch in 1904, albeit not of the sort known today. The original was an aviator’s watch, but a tiny and thin watch more comparable to a 21st century dress watch. That history, however, meant that Cartier has rolled out several sporty-ish versions of the Santos in the past. It’s surprising that it took Cartier this long to put together a Santos in titanium. The smooth, blasted case finish has a great deal of tactile appeal, and the muted, matte aesthetic is equally appealing. Some might see this as being way too similar to the steel model – the two are indistinguishable at a distance – but that is part of its appeal. Almost twins, titanium (left) with a bead-blasted finish, and steel with a brushed finish and polished bezel Though the material is different, the exterior finishing is almost identical to that of the steel model, except that the brushed fi...

A. Lange & Söhne’s Very-Thin Saxonia Gets an Onyx Makeover SJX Watches
Oct 4, 2025

A. Lange & Söhne’s Very-Thin Saxonia Gets an Onyx Makeover

Almost exactly a year after the Lange 1 with an onyx dial, A. Lange & Söhne is following up with the Saxonia Thin Onyx. It’s essentially an upgraded version of Lange’s simplest and most affordable model, replacing the conventional silver dial with one of polished onyx stone. Available in either platinum or Honeygold – each is limited to 200 pieces – the Saxonia Thin Onyx is even more of a formal dress watch than its regular production counterpart. Notably, both variants are unique editions of the model as neither platinum or Honeygold is part of the standard offering. Initial thoughts Last year’s Lange 1 30th Anniversary with an onyx dial was an exceedingly simple but extremely appealing watch. Lange has applied the same formula to the Saxonia Thin with equal success. Admittedly, the makeover isn’t imaginative or novel, but the result is striking. The Saxonia Thin Onyx is utterly simple yet unusually reflective thanks to the polished stone dial. The look and feel is that of an ideal black tie watch. It’s probably a bit too concise and shiny for everyday wear, but I wouldn’t mind one on the wrist. Choosing between the two is difficult. They are very different yet very much the same. Both, in fact, retail for exactly the same. The platinum version has a slight edge for me, simply because of general preference for the metal. The new dial and case metal, however, come at a hefty premium. The standard model in gold retails for a bit under US$25,000, while the o...

Another Masterclass in Simplicity: A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx Limited Editions Fratello
Oct 4, 2025

Another Masterclass in Simplicity: A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx Limited Editions

A. Lange & Söhne expands its Saxonia lineup with two striking new versions of the Saxonia Thin. Available in 18K Honeygold and 950 platinum, these limited editions are paired with glossy onyx dials, showcasing a minimalist design taken to its most sophisticated extreme. The black gemstone surface gives the Saxonia Thin Onyx an even more […] Visit Another Masterclass in Simplicity: A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Onyx Limited Editions to read the full article.

Comments 2

  1. Anonymous
    the whole point of a dress watch is that it disappears on your wrist. precious metal cases, minimal dial, two hands. that's the formula.
    1. Anonymous replying to Anonymous
      totally agree on the invisibility factor, but i'd push back on "two hands only." a good three-hander with a clean dial still disappears just fine. it's really about restraint, not the hand count.

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