What Makes A Dress Watch Red Carpet Worthy?

After an awards season waylaid by the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires that swept through Southern California in early January, the parade of red carpets will end this weekend when the 97th Academy Awards takes place on Sunday, March 2. Tuning into the show, and the red carpet beforehand, isn’t just for cinephiles or those taken by celebrities. Just as the trade publications jockey to figure out who will win an Oscar and who will be snubbed, horological fans guess at which timepieces will be on the wrist for Hollywood’s biggest night.

Oscars night is one of those evenings when dress watches, often overshadowed in daily life by sportier pieces, shine brightest. Of course, that got us pondering, what specifically makes a dress watch red carpet worthy? Is it brand? Complication?

We reached out to a few watch enthusiasts to get their take ahead of the big night. Mark Hackman, co-founder of The Watch Society, and Jason Gong, founder of Complecto obliged.

European Watch Company: What dress watch are you wearing on the red carpet?

Mark Hackman: You need to go understated but elegant. I think if you want to show off that you appreciate watches and what goes into them, I’m probably going Laurent Ferrier. It’s understated but beautifully done. The basic time-only blue dial [Classic Origin] is absolutely gorgeous, but the sand dial [Classic Auto Sandstone] is also gorgeous—that’s hard to beat. I love a green dial, so I want the limited edition they did with Revolution [Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”]. I’m an understated guy. I’d go with the “Ah man, that guy really likes watches to wear that.” But if I want to show off a little bit more, go with Bovet. Their watches are beautiful, but they are a bit bigger and louder. But they’re still a little bit traditional.

Jason Gong: I would wear a Patek 5236P In-line Perpetual Calendar, blue dial. I’ve had that one on my list for a while. A good dress watch disappears when you don’t want it to be seen. It’s there when you need it and not when you don’t. The dress watch is supposed to complement the fit, not become the star; it shouldn’t steal the show. This isn’t to say that a [nice] dress watch can’t steal the show because it certainly can, but for me, when you see the watch, it makes a statement, and when it needs to disappear, it goes under the sleeve. Also, it should say something about you. Finally, I gotta go with precious metal on a strap for a dress watch. 

EWC: Grail watches are always fun to ponder. But what dress watch currently in your collection do you think best suits the occasion? 

MH: Vacheron Historiques 1921, I’m taking that if my wife isn’t stealing it. It does not get better than that if you like something traditional but with a slight skew to it. If you want something that you appreciate the watchmaking of, that looks great on the wrist but isn’t just a plain round watch, then the 1921 is one of those great watches. And it’s very thin, manually wound. I just love the little turn to it; it’s just a little twist from being the average. 

JG: I have a vintage double-signed Patek Phillipe Golden Ellipse with a Gübelin retailer stamp on the dial. It belonged to my grandfather, and I took custody of the watch after he passed. As a small watch, it still makes a statement as one of the quintessential dress watches of the 20th century. The Gübelin signature adds that extra bit of sauce that differentiates it from your run-of-the-mill Ellipse. 

EWC: Mark you bring up a great point. Hollywood has its fair share of power couples, who I like to think would share/steal one another’s watches given the right occasion. To that point, what do you think your would wife wear to the Oscars?

MH: If she has an unlimited budget, she’s going with Van Cleef & Arpels, the one with the flowers that open up at different times [Lady Arpels Heures Florales]. That watch is an absolute work of art—and then you learn more about it. The flowers open [depending on] what time it is. Then you learn it’s three cycles of that, but it doesn’t do it the same way every time, and then it springs open quickly but slowly closes—just adding complication after complication. The level of complications to do that watch, and then on top of that, the jewelry and the enamel work—it’s a work of art on the wrist. 

These interviews have been edited and condensed.