« Luxus in Many Beautiful Shapes »
The cases of luxury watches are often designed with particular care. Sometimes it is just small details or certain proportions that make a particular manufacturer's watch almost unmistakable, give it a high recognition value and, at times, turn it into something of a brand signature. When it comes to shapes, there are hardly any limits to watch designers' imagination, and the range on offer is correspondingly diverse.
The Round Case: The Ultimate Classic
Even today, most wristwatches have a round case. It is the ultimate classic and, over time – regardless of all variations and fashion trends – has never lost its relevance. For analog watches, at least, the round shape also has a certain inherent logic, since it mirrors the hands rotating around their axis at the center of the dial. The case shape comes into its own especially when the watch is worn on a leather strap rather than a stainless steel or gold bracelet, and when the lugs are designed so that they don't "dilute" the watch's round shape.
Typical examples of watches with this case shape include the Terranaut II Trail from MÜHLE Glashütte and the manufacture's Teutonia II Small Seconds. Round watches look elegant, but they can certainly be designed with a sporty character as well.
A second variant are round watches whose case is framed by the bracelet. This watch shape can therefore be seen as a variation of the round case. Viewed from above, the overall silhouette of the case appears tonneau-shaped, even though the dial is perfectly circular.
A typical representative of this case shape is the successful Datejust series from Rolex. But the collections of many other luxury watchmakers also include models with a similarly shaped case.
Rectangular and Square Luxury Watch Cases
The geometric counterpoint to round wristwatches is above all rectangular watches and – as a special case of the rectangle – square ones. They were especially popular during the Art Deco era and still have a loyal following today. So it's no surprise that numerous manufactures continue to offer cases of this design, and that new rectangular or square models keep appearing on the market.
Prime examples are the square dial of the Tissot T-Trend T-Evocation and the rectangular dial of the Tissot T-Trend T10. Various models from Baume & Mercier's Hampton collection are also widely known representatives of this case shape among connoisseurs of fine wristwatches. Square and rectangular watches are often integrated into metal bracelets, though some are also worn on leather straps. Depending on the dial design and bracelet, their look ranges from classic and elegant to sporty.
Tonneau – A Special Case
Compared with round and rectangular models, the tonneau is a relatively rare watch shape. The term, which comes from French and means roughly "barrel," already describes the essential impression of such a watch's silhouette: these cases are reminiscent of upright casks or barrels. The two lateral outlines of the case can be either straight or curved. In the first case, the result is a vertically oriented rectangle; in the second, it is also referred to as cintrée curvex, which can be translated as "arched and curved." As a watch shape, the tonneau is especially popular for women's luxury watches.
A well-known example is the Evidenza Ladies Automatic from Longines. Tonneau-shaped wristwatches are in most cases designed in a classic, elegant style, while sporty models are rarely offered with this case shape.
Other Watch Case Shapes Are the Exception
Overall, round wristwatches, followed by a number of rectangular or square models, clearly dominate the market. Another watch shape, such as a shield-shaped case, is possible in principle, but appears in the luxury watch segment only in exceptional cases. With watches that fall more into the fashion jewelry category, however, you will occasionally come across heart-shaped, teardrop-shaped, oval, polygonal or otherwise shaped cases. That said, luxury watch cases sometimes feature certain functional peculiarities that are then related in some way to the shape of the case.
For example, the Reverso from Jaeger-LeCoultre, first presented to the public in 1931, features a case that can be flipped over during sporting activities – such as playing polo – to protect the crystal. Yet even such watches can generally be traced back to one of the basic geometric shapes mentioned – in the case of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, the vertically oriented rectangle. A round shape, by contrast, would have been less suitable for this particular purpose for practical reasons.
Choosing a Watch Case – A Matter of Personal Taste
Whether you prefer round wristwatches or angular models is simply a matter of individual taste. After all, the different shapes that luxury watchmakers give their products generally do not conceal any functional differences. Still, many watch enthusiasts sometimes find it hard to commit to one particular watch shape. That's why it's by no means unusual to find models with very different cases side by side in a private watch collection. This way, you can switch wristwatches depending on the occasion and your current mood.
