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In the market for a square dress watch, what are some...

Hi All, I have been in search of a square dress watch for quite some time now. I would like to pick up a smaller rectangular dress watch designed in a similar style to the tank. I am interested in both micro-brands and established brands. Though I may be leaning more toward purchasing a...

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Oris Rectangular.

 

If you mean a rectangular cased watch, then Hamilton, otherwise you could look at vintage Seiko/Credor pieces, I believe Longines has some rectangular mechanical watches as well

 

you beat me to it. I might wear one of these someday.

 

Longines dolce vita

 

Love my Dolce Vita mechanical

 

What’s the reference number for that one? Longines has several models.

 

Longines, or a vintage Elgin, Hamilton, JLC, etc.

 

JLC Reverso...but why not just get a tank?

 

Since Cartier is French, a German Panzerfaust, in my mind.

I am a terrible person...

 

How about a Frédérique Constant Carree?

 

Longines Evidenza

 

Raymond Weil?

 

Accept no substitutes:

 

Bogey wore a Longines while listening to the new German 77s. It was one of the reasons Ilsa Lund fell for him.

 

Since this is in the affordable section I will keep my recommendation affordable.

I think Soner is one of the best in affordable category. Around $220.00 USD.

 

Most alternatives I have seen are mostly quartz so if you have some automatic alternatives, it will be good to share them!

As an FYI - Cartier produces both quartz and solar quartz options of the Tank. For an affordable (<$1000) recommendation, you could try and find a Lorier Zephyr. $499 and has a Miyota movement, comes with two leather straps. Out of stock right now but you might get lucky on the secondary market. ZEPHYR - WHITE

 

I'd say go vintage.

Just put in "vintage tank watches" in eBay and you'll be amazed at the watches that come up. Or put in a brand that interests you. I'm a Benrus fan, and they have some beauties on there for next to nothing. Plenty of other American brands represented like Elgin, Waltham, Hamilton, Bulova and Gruen. They were the king of tanks long before Cartier!🙂

 

JLC Reverso…..

 

Clive, my dude, they posted in the affordable watches subforum.

 

The three suggestions I had, were mentioned within the first dozen posts:

Longines Dolce Vita
Hamilton Bolton
Oris Rectangular

Although I'd be shopping used for the Rectangular, because I like the older styles.

But I actually went tonneau with an underappreciated Omega Deville Prestige 4803.

These go for super reasonable pricing, considering brand and Chronometer rated movement.

 

I third the Oris Rectangular.

 

I have had the Raymond Weil, the LIP, and the Hamilton. All quartz. I like the Hamilton best. The Raymond Weil felt too much like a Cartier homage, and the LIP just didn't take. The Hamilton Boulton (quartz) stuck around. They make an automatic version but rumor has it that its lug-to-lug is ridiculously big for a dress watch. I've never seen one in the metal but from the pictures I can believe it. I also considered the Lorier, but for my tastes it bulged out at the sides too much.

 

Further to the above...

I don't really pay attention to watches beyond the ones I might reasonably be able to afford... someday... which for me is the ~$3k-4k range.

Which usually rules out Cartier. But I briefly had a thing for the Santos and oddly, the Ballon Blue. This year, at Heathrow Airport, with some time to kill, why not look at ALL TEH WATCHEZ!!!. Bvlgari Octo is way more interesting in person than pix. No, the new BB36 does not do it for me as well as my current prev model BB36, and dang, what's this? Cartier Tank Francaise? It's like a tank, but sportier. Def can pass as a tool watch, even more than the Santos. $5k? Right, maybe not today...

And it got me thinking about tank/rectangular watches, and I narrowed it down to probably an Oris Rectangular.
Maybe a Complication?

But budget, so probably a DD.

But they've also done them with roman indexes, more like a Tank, too.

And quite honestly, it was probably a good thing I could not find one of these at decent used pricing, when I was looking, and "settled" for the Omega. Oris Tonneau Worldtimer, aka cut-off arabic index nightmare.

 

Longines DolceVita

 

I know you're looking for an auto but I really dig my SWR049. Dirt cheap, like a hundred bones and obviously looks the part. Besides, with only two hands you're hardly noticing that it's a quartz.

 

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804120938882.html $150

ST17 Automatic - $100 https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805196357710.html

Berny "Santos" w/Miyota 8215 - $98 Interchangeable Bezels, 10ATM

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805900199078.html