Watches with Rectangle Faces
Watches come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, including square, octagonal, round, oval, and even even ill-defined shapes like the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate.
Although it’s true that most wristwatches are circular, the Cartier Santos was one of the first timepieces ever made.
This post will showcase 10 rectangular-shaped timepieces from 9 distinct brands.
Make careful to sample a rectangle watch before rushing out to purchase one of these.
You must first feel the rectangular shape on your wrist, see yourself in the mirror while wearing one, and take a few quick glances at the watch.
Although it is not for everyone, there are many lovely watches with rectangular casings available once you get used to it.
These watches still have round movements in some cases.
In the majority of those instances, the corners are filled with metal that matches the movement in terms of color and quality.
Other watches, however, have rectangle-shaped movements; these calibers were created expressly for rectangular watches.
It’s vital to some collectors out there that the watch and the movement truly match.
It frequently demonstrates the importance of these (iconic) watches to the maker because special movements were developed particularly for them.
Let’s have a look at the 10 rectangle watches we’ve chosen for you right now.
1. Santos Cartier
The Santos is Cartier’s oldest line of timepieces. The Cartier Santos that is familiar to us now was first released in 1978—more specifically, on October 20.
It was a historic occurrence because, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, the Santos became an iconic and highly sought-after watch.
The Santos-Dumont and Santos 100 are the two models that now make up the Santos range.
The Santos 100 is a sportier, bigger, and incredibly well-liked version of the Santos from 1978 that was resurrected.
It is offered in gold or stainless steel, has outstanding dimensions (51.1 mm x 41.3 mm), and features the distinctive 7-sided Cartier crown.
2. Tank Cartier
The Tank was made in 1917 by Louis Cartier, and it has been a part of the Cartier collection ever since.
The Tank Louis Cartier, sometimes known as the LC Tank by collectors, came after the Tank Normale, which many consider to be the most recognizable Tank type.
Since its debut, it has remained in the collection and has more rounded and smoother lines than the Tank Normale.
Along with kings and queens, the Cartier Tank has been worn by celebrities and artists such Andy Warhol, Clarke Gable, and Duke Ellington.
Tank Anglaise, Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Américaine, Tank Française, Tank MC, and Tank Solo are the six models that make up the current Tank series.
The models include more than 50 different timepieces in total.
3. Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre
This is possibly the most well-known rectangular timepiece in the world, except the Cartier Tank design.
This reversible watch was created and presented 85 years ago, in 1931, ostensibly to guard polo players’ timepieces from being harmed while taking in a thrilling match.
Long out of production, the Reverso was later brought back and became one of Jaeger-most LeCoultre’s significant timepieces in Le Sentier.
In 2011, the Reverso Tribute to 1931 model was introduced to mark the watch’s 80th birthday.
It is a slim watch that resembles the very first design from 1931 quite a bit.
Instead of “Jaeger-LeCoultre,” the dial merely says “Reverso,” which is a strong declaration.
4. Tetra NOMOS
Although the NOMOS Tetra may not be the first watch that comes to mind when looking for a rectangular watch, it has won accolades in a number of magazines and design competitions.
Essentially, it is the rectilinear variation of the well-known NOMOS Tangente.
The NOMOS Tetra has expanded into a full line of timepieces with a variety of sizes and (in-house) movements.
This watch is an intriguing option for people looking for a rectangular watch with a wonderful (minimalistic) design and reasonable price points.
Even though it hasn’t achieved the legendary status of the Reverso, Tank, or Santos.
5. Historiques Ultra Fine Vacheron Constantin 1968
To honor the first rectangular Vacheron Constantin that was released in 1968 with reference number 7614, this watch was introduced in 2010.
It is a watch with a lot of attention to detail, including the case and dial finishes and, of course, the Vacheron Constantin Caliber 1120 movement.
You might recognize this movement because it was also utilized in the Vacheron Constantin “222” and the current Overseas in white gold.
Jaeger-LeCoultre is the company that originally created this ultra-thin movement (caliber 920, but JLC never used it).
This caliber 2120 movement, used by Audemars Piguet in their Royal Oak Ultra-Thin watch, and temporarily by Patek Philippe in their Nautilus watch in 1976.
Vacheron Constantin was able to preserve this rectangle watch’s overall thickness at 5.5 mm thanks to this incredibly small movement.
6. Gondolo Patek Philippe
The Gondolo collection, which debuted in 1993, is Patek Philippe’s take on rectangular watches designed in the Art Deco style.
They reportedly created timepieces with a comparable shape for the famed Brazilian store Gondolo & Labouriau in the first decade of the 20th century.
They have had their own modern line since 1993, when they were first sold under the name Chronometro Gondolo watches.
For instance, the Reference 5124G in white gold has a lovely rectangular manual-wound movement (caliber 25-21 REC PS) within with a little seconds subdial.
The watch’s design is really intriguing; the flanks on the case’s side make it very simple to identify the Gondolo.
7. Monaco TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer released their Calibre 11 in a few watch models after creating one of the earliest automated chronograph movements (Autavia, Carrera, and Monaco).
The Monaco was—and still is—a rectangular sports chronograph that rose to fame after appearing in the Steve McQueen film Le Mans.
McQueen chose to wear the Monaco (reference 1133) because he had observed how the racing Jo Siffert looked.
McQueen chose the Monaco to be his companion throughout the film even though Jo Siffert was wearing the Autavia.
The crown was shifted from left to right only a few years later, where it remained for several generations.
A new Monaco that closely resembles the original 1133 reference was just released by TAG Heuer; it includes pushers on the right and a crown on the left.
8. A. Cabaret Lange & Söhne
Despite the fact that this watch hasn’t been manufactured in a while, the A. The Lange & Söhne Cabaret is unquestionably deserving of a mention on this list of the best 10 rectangle timepieces.
The Cabaret watch, with its large date, was a striking timepiece provided by this esteemed Glashütte manufacturer (only available in precious metals). The rectangle-shaped motion that A.
The Glashütte three-quarter plate and the bridges with Glashütte stripes that Lange & Söhne employed adhered to the standard Glashütte specifications.
Even variants with gold bands were offered when they first came out.
The platinum A, however, was the best of the best. Reference number 703.025 for Lange & Söhne Cabaret.
It was a remarkable timepiece that featured a highly sophisticated tourbillon while also retaining some of the rectangular dial’s Lange 1 round brother’s dial design characteristics.
9. BR03, Bell & Ross
While the watches from this relatively new brand were heavily influenced by Sinn timepieces at first, they really gained success with the rectangular BR01 range.
Its smaller sibling, the BR03, shares the same design cues.
It is a contemporary watch with a strong connection to aviation and uses contemporary materials for the case, dial, and band.
In a relatively short amount of time, the Bell & Ross BR03 (and 01, for that matter) models developed their own following and became symbols.
They are sporty timepieces with extremely readable displays (for use in aircraft) and a variety of complexities, including a chronograph, GMT, Grande Date, and power reserve indicator.
10. Hampton’s Baume et Mercier
Baume & Mercier is renowned for their reasonably priced high-end timepieces.
The Hampton has remained in the collection for a while and is arguably one of the most well-known models.
The Classima and Clifton models from their round collections may be a more obvious choice.
But the Hampton is an intriguing alternate for those searching for a reasonably priced yet elegant rectangular watch.
The Hampton features an automatic movement, an alligator strap (or even a metal bracelet), and a gorgeous dial with attached hour markers and a sunburst finish.
You may choose between central or small seconds, and there is even a chronograph version available for those who like to be active.
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