The Dress Watch

Dress watches tend to fall in some specific patterns. These are watches best worn in peaceful environments, protected from the elements or other factors which may damage them. Here, craftsmanship and elegance in design are at the forefront. Dress watches are generally smaller than their sporty counterparts for a few stylistic reasons: Firstly, a bulky watch can cause your shirtsleeves to bulge uncomfortably, damaging the overall effect of your appearance. Secondly, a smaller watch is in some way a show of fine workmanship on the part of the watchmaker. By reducing the available space in a watch case, smaller parts and more attentive use of the space of a watch are important. Traditionally made dress watches do have some downsides, however. They are often less water-resistant than other watches and usually lack complications or other special features. While the watches below have the physical traits desirable in a dress watch, modern features like legibility markers improve their functionality, and a water resistance of 100 meters makes them competitive even among sport watches.

Ellum

Mid-century aesthetics remain popular well into the 21st century, which gave us the inspiration needed to create the Ellum. The Mid-Century Modern (MCM) style has a few distinguishing features derived from the design elements of Bauhaus designers emigrating from Europe around the time of the Second World War. MCM aesthetics provides sleek lines that balance the organic, geometric, and functional designs bereft of needless ornamentation. These and other choices make the Ellum an authentic heir to this influential art movement. The timepiece showcases a sunray dial, slender hands, and matching indices held together in a sleek 40mm case. While a single thin line marks most hours, the twelve o’clock position is identified through a subtle double line. The Ellum also sets itself apart with the subtle addition of a subdial complete with a second hand, common among chronograph watches but a rarity in dress watches. Two versions of the Ellum exist: The first version has a sky blue dial with silver indices and hands and a tan leather strap. The second version has a more traditional look with a white dial and gold indices. It has a black leather strap. Thanks to Jack Mason’s determination to make style truly personal, both versions are outfitted with quick-release straps, making it easy to customize your watch with any 20mm strap we have available. Both versions of the Ellum share some key design details, including a highly protective and corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel case. The case also features a caseback etching of a star and wave pattern, making it a sight to behold on and off the wrist. In addition, the face of the watch is protected by a sapphire crystal, one of the hardest crystal materials on the market.

Canton Day-Date Automatic

For those seeking a watch that’s a little less focused on minimalism and a little more focused on providing an iconically powerful silhouette packed around precision clockwork, the 40mm Canton Day-Date Automatic is the timepiece for you. The Canton Day-Date’s face reveals multicolored dauphine hands, small markers that go along the circumference of the watch to keep track of time down to a fraction of a minute, as well as multifaceted silver indices to denote the hour markers. The 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions feature embossings of the relevant number, and a date window at the 3 o’clock position allows readings of both the date and day of the week. Turning down the lights offers a glimpse at a special feature of the watch: Luminosity markings along the minute and hour hands and light dots on each cardinal direction make it easy to read the watch at night without compromising the style of the piece. The face of the watch may showcase a lot of information, but the best way the timepiece distinguishes itself is found by looking at the obverse side. An exhibition caseback gives a glimpse at the automatic movement that gives the Canton Day-Date Automatic its name, revealing the rotor, jewels, and overall craftsmanship of the machine. Mechanical watches need to be hand-wound, and eventually, even quartz watches will need a battery replacement. Automatic watches are desirable for the fact that they uniquely use a moving rotor to power their movement, meaning that they are charged by the mere act of moving your wrist while you wear the watch or by rotating the watch as you move it. The Canton Day-Date is available in two stylings, both utilizing a protective and eye-catching stainless steel case. In one, the silver markings, white date window, and multicolored hands are offset by a blue dial to create a contrasting yet conservative appearance. On the other, a white face melds with the other factors to create a bright, monochromatic watch. Both versions come with a 20mm stainless steel bracelet, which is made out of individual links to maximize comfort on the wrist without sacrificing one iota of style. As with the Ellum, any 20mm strap can be used interchangeably with the Canton Day-Date.

Heritage: More than a Name

Jack Mason’s Heritage Collection boasts a name chosen deliberately. The watches in the line invoke the past in design while using present design elements and concern in order to create a watch worth preserving for the future. Heritage, more than simply being something you inherit, is, after all, something you pass on to future generations. Whether you choose to express yourself the modernism of the Ellum or the traditionalism of the Canton Day-Date Automatic, these are watches destined to become heirloom pieces.