Cuban cigars are not the only luxury product for which one nation is considered a league apart from its competitors for sheer excellence. French champagne is considered the pinnacle of sparkling wines, no-one makes whisky as well as the Scots and a knife with a blade of Japanese steel will be found in all of the most discerning kitchens. As we approach the end of the year and thoughts turn to the black-tie events which usually mark it, one more nation is turned to in order to source the finest possible timepieces to accompany our eveningwear. Swiss watches have, like Cuban cigars, been considered the gold standard in their field for centuries.
A black-tie dress code can carry with it a great many rules and traditions. The rigour with which these are adhered to will vary from host-to-host, but generally there is a lot more room for expression and variety in today’s modern world. Black-tie is no longer a restrictive request for a party, rather it gives attendees an opportunity to truly embrace opulence. Few things embody that opulence as well as a handmade Swiss watch, mounted on an elegant leather strap and designed to project a discreet, stylish aesthetic which sets it apart from the large sports-style watches more usually worn every day. Any of these stunning examples, paired with a tailored dinner jacket and a fine Cohiba, will ensure your attire for the party season is second to none.
The exquisite Breguet Classique. Image courtesy of Breguet.
Breguet Classique Grand Feu
The enamelling techniques used to create the dial of the Breguet Classique Grand Feu have been applied to watchmaking since the time of the Renaissance. The result is an extraordinary beauty – a pure, brilliant white dial which perfectly contrasts the blued steel of the hands. The face of this watch is striking in its simplicity: just the classic Breguet numerals (invented by the founder in 1790, and now used by luxury marques everywhere) and a small seconds display offset at 5 o’clock. The case is in 18k white gold, set on a black alligator leather strap with matching gold pin buckle. Breguet themselves have been in the watch business since 1775 – the almost 250 years of experience which have gone into creating this piece result in a mechanical piece of supreme quality.
The Blue Editions of the Blancpain Villeret. Image courtesy of Blancpain.
Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet & Extraplate
The village of Villeret, where Blancpain was born in the early 18th century, gives its name to the dress collection of this ancient and venerable brand. In 2020 2 new editions were released, featuring exquisite blue dials set against lustrous red gold. While the Extraplate features a clean and simple dial – bearing only the date, and 12 Roman numerals to the outside to denote the hour – the Quantième Complet is significantly more complicated. A moonphase to 6 o’clock, day and month to 12 o’clock and an inner track to denote the date fill the space available without appearing cluttered. The alligator leather used to fashion the straps is exquisitely dyed the same blue as the faces. The colour pairing of this blue and the red gold used for the case and dial markers is striking, modern and luxurious. This is a watch that will most definitely catch the eye of your fellow party-goers.
The modern American 1921 alongside the original. Image courtesy of Vacheron Constantin.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921
This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the wonderfully art-deco styled Vacheron Constantin American 1921, and this milestone has been celebrated widely by the maison. The original was released with the crown at 11 o’clock and its numerals off-set, designed to allow the early motorists of the era to glance at the time without removing their hands from the wheel to turn their wrists. Today’s edition is faithful to that early pioneer in the shape of the dial, albeit with the crown at 12 o’clock and a small seconds display to the right of the face. Oversized Breguet numerals allow for greater readability, pink gold contrasts against a dark brown alligator leather strap for a warm aesthetic and the unusual angle of the face sets this watch apart from all others.
Zenith created 2 watches to commemorate the 145th anniversary of Romeo y Julieta. Image, and lead image, courtesy of Zenith
Zenith x Romeo y Julieta Elite Moonphase
Zenith are already known for their sports watches in collaboration with Cohiba, and in 2020 they released 2 variations on their exquisite Elite Moonphase inspired by Romeo y Julieta. With 2020 being the 145th anniversary of the famous Cuban marca, only 145 pieces of each were produced. The larger Romeo wears a face presented in deep midnight blue, while that of the slighter smaller Julieta is a daring scarlet red, with 75 diamonds around the bezel. Each piece comes on a matching alligator strap. These are the ideal dress watches for the cigar lover and, while their colours may seem non-traditional for black-tie events, they will allow the wearer to show they respect traditions, without being bound too firmly by rules.
The newest edition of the Reverso Tribute comes in a stunning forest green. Image courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds in Green
In 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre first created the Reverso to cater for polo players concerned that a flying ball or errant mallet would crack the faces of their watches. Over the 90 years since, there have been many different designs and colours adopted by this iconic model, and this year it was announced a new version in deep forest green would become available. The flipside of the adjustable case is pristine steel, allowing the imagination of the wearer to take hold regarding engraving or decoration, and the face is designed to be as close to the original as possible. In keeping with the polo-playing roots, the calfskin straps are made by Casa Fagliano, creators of the finest hand-made polo boots in the world. Pair this watch with a bottle-green velvet dinner jacket to really stand out from the crowd.