Elegance in Watches - a discussion

szabolc · Post by **szabolc** » Tue May 20, 2025 5:09 pm

When this thread started I immediately thought of this watch, but I felt I need to change the strap to black and take on a shirt for the photo.

And today a post above reminded me about a pocket watch I inherited from my grandfather. I think this can also be called elegant, can't it?

atnits · Post by **atnits** » Tue May 20, 2025 6:40 pm

tikkathree wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 10:49 am I read this post at page 1 with 2 replies and it has been in my mind ever since:

"Elegance: I can't encapsulate what makes a thing elegant but I know it when I see it": that's where I started off.

"I have no need of an elegant watch": now largely true with no weddings, funerals, christenings, dinner dances in my social calendar. My life has become one long round of checking the internet, doing the daily crossword, sitting in the garden, engaging with wildlife, weekly chores, driving my wife about and keeping her as happy as is possible. Nice watches certainly but I NEED an elegant watch like I need a new dress shirt.

"Yes I've got some watches which might pass the test; get them out and have a good look". Well photos may follow but we'll see. Is it true that a good photo can turn a sow's ear into a silk purse? I believe so.

"Isn't this just about semantics? Are elegant and dressy the same thing and, if not, wherein lies the difference?"

So here are some watches which may be dressy with the right strap but are they elegant? I've gone round the bush so many times now I can barely tell which way is up!

20250520_101840.jpg20250520_095926.jpg20250520_095538.jpg20250520_095417.jpg20250520_095637.jpg20250520_095655.jpg

The moonphase looks really elegant. I'm rather tempted by it.

timepieces_and_bags · Post by **timepieces_and_bags** » Tue May 20, 2025 7:37 pm

As a fellow watch liker, I sometimes discuss the odd forum topic with Mrs TB, and as a Cartier fan I thought she might find this one interesting. But she could have started a new topic called “Misheard thread titles”.

I bring to you… Elephants in Watches.

The original post was unclear whether hand-painted mammal dials are considered elegant or not. This one is available for a bargain £43,200 from Fabergé.

Post by **Amor Vincit Omnia** » Tue May 20, 2025 8:23 pm

@timepieces_and_bags
You disappoint me, Michael. We had got to page 4 of the thread without mentioning the elephant in the room!

However, your mentioning said creature in the context of a misheard lyric reminds me of a lovely story.

My grandfather, may he rest forever with the angels, was nothing if not Dickensian. In fact, he was a bit like Pickwick, Micawber and Pumblechook all rolled into one, and he had an aphorism for every occasion, which he repeated unfailingly, to the intense annoyance of his children.

After Sunday lunch he would invariably compliment my grandmother for her cooking, or my mother if he was visiting with us, and declare that he had had “an elegant sufficiency.” A certain small boy wondered for a long time what he meant by “an elephant of efficiency” but never quite had the courage to ask. When I did eventually ask my father he performed an action that we would probably describe as ROFLMAO these days, and my misheard lyric passed into family legend! Once I had got over the embarrassment it was really very funny - grandad was quite a character! And he taught me to tell the time so that I could get a watch for my birthday or Christmas. Top bloke.

strapline · Post by **strapline** » Tue May 20, 2025 9:12 pm

This new offering from Yema popped up on my Insta feed. I thought it was very elegant indeed. Not their usual fayre at all. Complete with their micro rotor movement and loads of lovely details.

timepieces_and_bags · Tue May 20, 2025 10:35 pm

@Amor Vincit Omnia - a lovely story indeed. I think we all have one or two people along the way that we have to thank (or blame) for this watch fascination.

Post by **Amor Vincit Omnia** » Thu May 22, 2025 9:40 am

timepieces_and_bags wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 10:35 pm I think we all have one or two people along the way that we have to thank (or blame) for this watch fascination.

Which would maybe make for a good thread in itself!

Meanwhile, although this one seems to be slowing a little now, it has given us the opportunity to see some really beautiful watches all in one place.

Thank you to all those who have contributed and posted pictures.

nbg · Post by **nbg** » Thu May 22, 2025 12:47 pm

The Twelve has been mentioned as an elegant watch. I agree, although I do think it is dependent on case size and colour of dial.

A further point comes to mind as regards the elegance of a watch - the setting in which it is worn. Does this potentially lead to considering a watch elegant, even if on closer examination it isn’t. E.g. a dress watch style watch, worn with a suit, even though the case shape and finishing are rather basic and the hands and indices don’t stand up to close inspection.

A 36mm C12 with classic dial colour. Albeit worn in a non elegant setting…

A 40mm C12 with vibrant dial colour. I am on the fence with this one, although the lady in the background is well able to pass the test of elegance…

Elegant. Well yes it is…

Can a tool watch be elegant, when all elements are in harmony…

Neil

atnits · Post by **atnits** » Thu May 22, 2025 1:27 pm

nbg wrote: ↑Thu May 22, 2025 12:47 pm
Can a tool watch be elegant, when all elements are in harmony…
08DF6587-4F15-4D71-8ACF-B0BF52807E69.jpeg
Neil

I think it's a smidge more elegant than the 124270

jkbarnes · Post by **jkbarnes** » Thu May 22, 2025 1:40 pm

nbg wrote: ↑Thu May 22, 2025 12:47 pm The Twelve has been mentioned as an elegant watch. I agree, although I do think it is dependent on case size and colour of dial.

A 36mm C12 with classic dial colour. Albeit worn in a non elegant setting…

A 40mm C12 with vibrant dial colour. I am on the fence with this one, although the lady in the background is well able to pass the test of elegance…

An excellent point with two illustrative pics: the first one, with its more subdued color is elegant; the later with its bold color, not so much.

A further point comes to mind as regards the elegance of a watch - the setting in which it is worn. Does this potentially lead to considering a watch elegant, even if on closer examination it isn’t.

I think it does. The setting can definitely pull a watch into the elegant category.

Maverick_John · Post by **Maverick_John** » Fri May 23, 2025 5:46 am

nbg wrote: ↑Thu May 22, 2025 12:47 pm 08DF6587-4F15-4D71-8ACF-B0BF52807E69.jpeg

Well if it has Audrey in the photo it can't be helped but be elegant. No matter what watch sits next to her.

LambethCW · Post by **LambethCW** » Tue May 27, 2025 4:48 pm

@PGR101
The most elegant car I ever owned was a dark blue Triumph Herald convertible with a white stripe down the side. I was once driving slowly through Balham and a man ran alongside begging me to sell it to him.
Anyway I assume the C9 AM GT is based on the Smiths speedometer from Minis and Triumphs of this period.

It’s a great looking, elegant design.

PGR101 · Post by **PGR101** » Tue May 27, 2025 5:21 pm

LambethCW wrote: ↑Tue May 27, 2025 4:48 pm @PGR101
The most elegant car I ever owned was a dark blue Triumph Herald convertible with a white stripe down the side. I was once driving slowly through Balham and a man ran alongside begging me to sell it to him.
Anyway I assume the C9 AM GT is based on the Smiths speedometer from Minis and Triumphs of this period.
IMG_3752.jpeg
It’s a great looking, elegant design.

Quite elegant!

This one was inspired by the Aston Martin DB4. There was an LE model of 19 pieces with a backplate that included metal from the registration plate of a DB4 that raced at Goodwood (reg was ‘1 VEV’ and the watch was called the ‘1 VEV’!). The model without that bit of history was pretty much the same and limited to 135 pieces. Info courtesy of CW here https://www.christopherward.com/on/dema ... Bo42wMRZ0g

strapline · Post by **strapline** » Thu Jul 17, 2025 1:16 pm

Thought I'd revisit this excellent thread, Steve, not least because I finally have a watch that can tick off ten of the elven bullet points that comprise the 'AVO elegance factor' criteria. I think it's fair to say that elegance is something you not only see but feel. I'm used to wearing much bigger watches than this immaculately proportioned 36mm watch. When I look down at the case and bracelet it feels refined and sophisticated. I've never derived that feeling from my other watches because they are not about those qualities; so they do not transfer that feeling through to me the wearer. On the wrist this makes me feel that way, not in the way of a Cartier or Brequet, say, but in a much more contemporary manner. I can dress it up or down and that feeling of elegance will shine on through undiminished. After all, elegance is not a commodity, it’s a state of being.

Des

JAFO · Post by **JAFO** » Thu Jul 17, 2025 1:54 pm

I will have to post pictures of my more elegant timepieces. I must have one that meets the bill.

I like the C5 Malvern particularly in the many photos already posted.

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