Not all luxury watches need diamonds to shine. These nine plain Jane watches make a statement with their timeless and understated elegance.
Bust-down watches with glittering diamonds and other embellishments are famous for their glitz and glamor. But luxury watches don’t always have to be flashy and fancy-looking. Many prefer the understated appearance of traditional minimalist watches preserved in their unmodified state. These watches are known as plain Jane watches and are ideal for people who prefer classic luxury over flashy or opulent-looking watches.
The watch industry has an abundance of plain Jane watches. These watches might not get people to turn and stare, but their simple elegance makes them versatile enough to go anywhere and everywhere.
Many luxury watchmakers, especially traditional Swiss companies like Rolex and Patek Philipe, create watches like this to demonstrate their brand’s heritage, elegance, and precision. In this post, we review 9 of the best plain Jane watches you can buy if you’re into minimalist but classy fashion.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is one of Rolex’s oldest line of watches and arguably the best plain Jane Rolex. This name refers to a collection of Rolex watches that combine two of the brand’s key inventions (a robust and waterproof Oyster case and the self-winding “perpetual” movement). Although the name Oyster Perpetual first appeared on Rolex’s official catalog in 1945, Rolex’s robust case was created as far back as 1926, while the self-winding movement was patented in 1931.
The product of a century-long legacy watches in the Oyster Perpetual line still retains a timeless appeal and a classic style. They are characterized by a discreet, no-frills design, typically with a time-only functionality.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches have always been crafted from the brand’s proprietary 904L Stainless steel (known as the Ostersteel). However, a few vintage models are available in yellow gold. Watches in this collection have a clean, uncluttered aesthetic with simple dial configurations. Their simple design and robust construction make them perfect for everyday wear.
The Patek Philippe Calatrava is arguably the world's most popular dress watch collection. Considered the most elegant and understated timepiece made by any brand, the Calatrava has been in Patek Philipe’s catalog since 1932 and is one of the brand’s most iconic models,
The Calatrava was the first timepiece introduced by the Stern Family when they took over as the new owners of Patek Philippe and was instrumental in turning the struggling company's fortunes around. The collection’s name was taken from the Calatrava cross, the Patek Philippe emblem.
Considered the quintessential dress watch today, the Calatrava was inspired by the famous Bauhaus design philosophy, which was quite popular in the 20th century. This German art movement emphasizes simplicity and functionality, defining qualities of a plain Jane watch. A few women’s models also have lavish diamonds and dials in their cases. However, these are uncommon and still retain a classic appearance despite their ornate dials.
The De Ville collection is one of Omega’s most iconic watch lines renowned for its refined aesthetics and understated elegance. Despite being a dress watch, the collection was first introduced in 1960 as part of the Omega Seamaster dive watch collection. However, as the dive watches became more popular in the 1960s, Omega needed to create a distinct line for the Seamaster.
The De Ville was launched as a standalone collection in 1967 and has since become one of the most sought-after collections from the Omega brand. While the collection is quite varied, all models have classic case style, slim dauphine hands, and clean dials with simple Roman numerals. This understated design makes the De Ville collection the perfect finishing touch to any outfit and accessory for formal occasions.
The Omega Deville collection is also quite varied. Several sub-categories under the collection include the Omega De Ville Ladymatic, Prestige, Hour Vision, Tressor, and Tourbillon. This makes it easy to find an Omega De Ville watch to suit your preferences; you'll even find some De Ville models featuring some of the Omega’s best in-house movements, including Coaxial escapements and chronometer-certified calibers.
While slight variations exist between the different sub-collections of the De Ville brand, they all embody the same philosophy of classic, timeless design characterized by round cases, minimalist dials, and slender lugs.
The Tank Solo is a classic Cartier Tank variant that was added to the collection in 2004. This watch is part of a much older collection whose origin can be traced back to 1917.
The Tank’s design was inspired by the profile of a war tank seen from above envisioned by Luis Cartier, the grandson of the company’s founder.
The Tank Solo is a modern reworked model of the Cartier Tank model. However, it retains many of the original iteration's classic features, including its distinctive rectangular case and elongated sides that transition smoothly into the lugs. The solo features an elegant white dial, with a central railroad minute track and Roman numerals printed in black on the dial.
This watch is available in three size variations. The small and medium size variants are quartz watches, while the largest size is an automatic watch for women. The large-sized Tank Solo also has a date complication at the 6 O’clock position.
The different models of the Cartier Solo are also presented in different materials, including stainless steel and gold. Cartier also allows buyers to choose between leather straps or link bracelets for each piece.
The Ultra Thin is a flat, conservative dress watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre that is part of the brand’s Master collection. This collection features several complicated timepieces in super thin and extremely minimalist casing.
While most plain Jane watches are typically time-only or time-and-date watches, the Master Ultra Thin is the timepiece to buy if you prefer your simple dress watch to have extra features without compromising the timeless, elegant appeal. This collection is a reimagining of various traditional complications like the moon phase, tourbillon, and perpetual calendar, all presented with a sense of understated brilliance.
The watches in the Master Ultra Thin collection are distinctively sophisticated and have a unique but understated elegance. Most importantly, they’re only 7.4mm, which lives up to the collection’s name.
The design of this case was inspired by the first ultra-thin pocket watch made by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1907. In addition to the thin case, this timepiece's uncommon elegance and beauty are carried over onto the dials, which are available in either an eggshell beige or sunray design. The dial also has sublime symmetry thanks to the elongated hour markers and polished dauphine hands with a satin finish.
The Tudor Black Bay 36 is the 36mm size variant of the Black Bay produced by Rolex’s sister brand, Tudor. It’s not surprising that the watch shares many similarities with the Rolex Explorer, including its polished bezel, case shape, and lugs.
The recognizable retro design is one of the main appeals of this watch, which is impressive for a watch collection just a little over a decade old. However, the classic watch does have a few distinguishing features, such as the square-tipped snowflake hands and the indices made up of applied dots and bars.
Given the mid-range case size of this watch, it is a unisex watch perfect for both men and women. The Tudor Black Bay is largely a stainless steel watch. However, Tudor recently released the Black Bay 36 S&G model, a two-tone variant with a stainless steel case, satin-brushed gold bezel, and gold crown.
Although the design of this watch was inspired by diving watches from the 1950s, the 36mm version of the Tudor Black Bay is not a diving watch. It is waterproof to only 150 meters, so its usage is best limited to swimming and snorkeling. The classic dive variants are the 37mm to 41mm Black Bay timepieces.
The Portofino is one of IWC’s most important watches, and one of the best plain Jane watches to buy. This collection was launched in 1984 and has since become the most successful IWC watch family in its 30 years of history. The collection includes timelessly elegant male and female watches with smooth curves and elegant detailing.
This minimalist and classically elegant aesthetics of the IWC Portofino is meant to reflect the laid-back lifestyle of the commune of Portofino, after which the watch was named. The collection includes 41mm masculine models of polished gold or stainless steel. However, the watchmaker also produces smaller Portofino watches for women in 34- and 37-mm sizes.
Most models in this family have plain silver-plated, black, blue, or slate-gray dials with narrow hands and long indices. However, some models, especially in the feminine line, have grand designs with up to 60 diamond embellishments on the dial and bezel. These models are among the grandest IWC timepieces you will ever find, a sharp contrast to the minimalist aesthetics embodied by most of the men's models.
Unlike the older classics listed so far, the Tudor Style is one of the younger watches on this list because it only made its debut in 2014. The Tudor Style collection is the first watch from Tudor with a distinct “dress watch” aesthetic that sets it apart from the sportier models from the brand, such as the Black Bay and Pelagos.
The Tudor Style is presented in four different size options (28mm, 34mm, 38mm, and 41mm), giving both men and women equal varieties. This simple design of this watch gives it a timeless appearance and universal appeal.
The dial options in the Tudor style are either radial polished or lacquered, which gives them quite an outstanding depth of color. All Tudor-style models are three-hand time and date watches with a simple date display at 3 o’clock, adding a little vibrant action to an otherwise muted dial.
Despite not being a sports watch, Tudor has made this timepiece water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters. It is presented in a stainless steel casing, but models are paired with a yellow-gold bezel. Buyers can choose between black leather, stainless steel, or bicolor leather.
The Saxonia Collection is a family of intrinsically elegant dress watches by the watchmakers A. Lange & Söhne. The collection, launched in 1994, four years after the brand was re-established, was named after the state of Saxony in Germany, where the company was originally launched.
The collection includes several ultra-thin dress watches, all characterized by a simple, perfectly symmetrical design, with a well-organized dial structure and prominent baton hour markers as their signature feature.
Most Saxonia watches are simple time-only models focused on the most essential functions of a mechanical watch. However, while retaining its minimalist design, the collection includes several complicated models, including moon phases, annual calendars, and dual-time models. The Saxonia Thin, a model of this collection released in 2011, remains Lange’s flattest timepiece.
As far as plain Jane watches go, you can get much better choices than this article's elegant and audacious models. These watches might not seem like much on a first look, but that’s their main appeal. The unassuming design of this watch is the main reason they’re considered timeless timepieces that’ll last you for decades without going out of style.
If you want to get your hands on any plain Jane watches on this list, you can check them out on Bezel. Our luxury watch marketplace has the best pre-owned plain Jane watches in the best condition. Not only do we list top-quality watches you can purchase, but we also provide a comprehensive in-house authentication process so you can always be certain you’re buying an authentic watch.
Bezel is available to download on the App Store now. Please reach out to our concierge team if there is anything we can help you with!
©2024 Bezel Inc.
All rights reserved.