A round dress watch with simple stick indices and an elegant design is classic for a reason, but the formal style can be much more than that. The tonneau and squarish shapes that were popular in the 1960s and ’70s — most commonly seen in the likes of sporty divers — are now experiencing a resurgence among modern watches with “vintage inspiration.” For more basic dress models, however, that slightly unusual, barrel-like (“tonneau”) case shape combined with vintage sizing can offer a standout wrist presence unlike almost anything else, even despite small sizing and otherwise conservative designs.
Each of the three watches below, from respected and prestigious brands, offers a slightly different take on this killer look — and they are all in the relatively affordable range.
King Seiko
What We Like: In decades past, King Seiko existed alongside the Grand Seiko tier of higher-end watches from the Japanese brand, but they are less known today because of Grand Seiko’s modern rise to prominence. This one from 1969 not only features the seductive combination of a very conservative dial design with the tonneau case shape, but also a linen-textured dial. A thin 38mm-wide case makes it essentially equivalent in size to many modern dress watches. On top of it all, the movement inside is one of Seiko’s “hi-beat” mechanical movements operating at 5Hz.
From the Seller: The case’s brushed surface is completely intact with one ding under the crown, and the polished surface has some scratches normal for a watch of this age.
