Swisswatches Salon Dress Watch Night in Munich

For several years now, we have been observing a clear trend in the world of watchmaking: the return of the elegant dress watch. Whilst sporty models and diver’s watches have dominated the market since the 1950s and 1960s, the younger generation in particular is turning back to classic understated style – the dress watch – and smaller case sizes are once again in demand. Numerous brands are embracing this trend, whether it be Rolex with the 1908, Chopard with its slim L.U.C 1860, measuring 36.5 mm, Parmigiani with the return of the Toric, Patek Philippe with its reinterpretation of the Calatrava, or revived cult brands such as Universal Genève and Daniel Roth, which are catering to this genre.

A prominent example of the current resurgence of the dress watch in smaller diameters is Blancpain’s Villeret collection. Whilst the brand is now best known for its ‘Fifty Fathoms’ diving watch, it was in fact the dress watches – some of which were highly complex – that saved Blancpain following the quartz crisis. With the new 38 mm Villeret models, the manufacture perfectly captures the current neo-vintage zeitgeist. Jean-Claude Biver summed up this dedication to traditional watchmaking in 1983 with the legendary statement: “Since 1735, there has never been a quartz watch from Blancpain, and there never will be.” It is precisely this uncompromising credo that we at Swisswatches share, and since our foundation in 2017, we have dedicated ourselves exclusively – and with deep conviction – to mechanical watches.

At our Dress Watch Night in Munich in early July, we were able to showcase not only the new 38 mm Villeret models for the very first time in Germany, but also a number of historic pieces from Marc Hayek’s private collection. In addition, we once again put together a curated selection of the finest dress watches currently available in the watch world – a collection that has probably never before been seen in its entirety in one place on a single evening.

With the Swisswatches Salon, we have created a space for watch enthusiasts who share a genuine passion for mechanical watchmaking. Here, in a discreet atmosphere, far removed from the digital noise, they can exchange ideas, experiences and perspectives. Here, the conversations centre on craftsmanship, design and the stories behind these exceptional timepieces – not on trends.

For our third Swisswatches Salon, we welcomed our guests to an exclusive venue at the Rosewood Hotel in Munich, where they not only learnt all about dress watches and had the chance to try them on, but also presented their own rare and precious collector’s items.