Imagine a cartoonist drawing a watch. It might have a couple lines for the hands, a couple lines for the strap and a circle for the case. But what if it were squarish? You probably wouldn’t give it a second thought. Either communicates the basic idea effectively and accurately. The square or rectangular watch is an archetypal look — but, uncommon today, it makes for a deliberate and interesting choice among an ocean of round watches.
Few watchmakers dare to even attempt it nowadays — and even fewer are successful. But those that do pull off the right mix of design and proportions of a square watch offer a powerfully timeless appeal, whether they’re of the dressy or sporty variety. If you’re drawn to this fundamental and yet simultaneously niche category of watches, here’s what you need to know.
The History of Square and Rectangular Watches
The first watches worn on wrists (by men, at least) were round pocket watches, essentially modded. But some of the very first men’s watches specifically designed for the wrist were considered a new product category at the time (the early 20th century). A square or rectangular design helped distinguish them as something new and purposefully conceived.
Cartier was instrumental in introducing and popularizing the wristwatch itself with the squarish designs of the Santos and Tank watches. Look through vintage bins at wristwatches from the century’s first decades and you’ll find a significant proportion are of this shape. To our modern eyes, they look hyper formal but they can also have a quality modern wearers increasingly seek: they’re classic.
Eventually, the round watch overtook the watchmaking landscape, obviously. But the 1960s and ’70s saw all kinds of design experimentation and different watch shapes, including square and rectangular ones that didn’t seem to reference earlier decades at all. Rather, watches like the Heuer Monaco were funky and sporty. Square watches are polarizing, but the number of icons within this watch category suggests that the form holds a basic appeal.
(Just to avoid overload, we’re giving the Apple Watch and the original G-Shock as well as other Casios or digital watches a mere honorable mention in this list — but only this time!)
