7 classic and minimalist watches that suit every occasion

CENTRE STAGE

Last seen with an elaborate guilloche dial, the Breguet Classique 7147 gets a “make-under” with a radiant white grand feu enamel face. It provides the perfect backdrop for the brand’s signature accents such as Breguet numerals and blued-steel, open-tipped hands. A similarly understated seconds subdial at fi ve o’clock adds offbeat charm to this 40mm automatic white-gold timepiece.

PURITY IN MOTION

The Saxonia Thin by A. Lange & Sohne strips time-telling down to luxurious essentials. The thinnest watch by the brand with a case height of 5.9mm, this 40mm manually wound watch in pink gold indicates just the hours and minutes on a face of gold and silver: Its slim baton hour indicators and hands are crafted from gold, and are set against a solid silver dial.

ELEGANT EFFICIENCY

One of the first watches to house Glashutte Original’s latest automatic movement Calibre 36, the 40mm Senator Excellence in red gold is an understated symbol of the German brand’s quietly meticulous approach to timekeeping. Designed for greater effi ciency and durability, the new-generation movement is topped by a silver- grained dial made in Glashutte Original’s own dial manufacture.

QUIET CHARM

With refined touches such as polished and applied arrow hour markers and dauphine hands, and a sleek steel case with a thickness of just 7.45mm, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Date is one of our favourite minimalist designs. Powered by an automatic movement, this 40mm three-hander features a champagne- coloured dial that gives an otherwise restrained timepiece a dash of flamboyance.

TRUE METTLE

Rado puts its signature spin on the sleek, all-occasions watch by crafting the True Automatic from plasma high- tech ceramic, instead of a metal. While this material has the appearance of metal, it’s lightweight and scratch- resistant. A dark dial, punctuated by a small date window, ups the contrast on this 40mm timepiece, which is powered by an automatic movement.

FULL CIRCLE

The Longines Heritage collection comprises reissues of vintage pieces from the brand’s rich archives. One of the latest examples of this is the Heritage 1945 in steel, a subtly striking design from said year. The manual-winding 40mm watch is defi ned by a palette of beige and coppery tones that are complemented by touches such as a vintage-looking leather strap.

LAYER UP

Delicate dimensionality characterises the Villeret Grand Date by Blancpain: Against a silvered opaline dial, rose gold hands and applied Roman numerals literally and fi guratively stand out. Its big date display, on the other hand, sits two levels beneath the main dial. Interestingly, all the other watches shown in this spread measure 40mm in diameter, and this rose gold timepiece is no exception.