It’s Christmas time, and that means the man in the red suit will be coming our way soon. We’ve assembled a range of gift guides this year to help you pick something for that special someone, even if that someone is yourself! Today, it’s all about square watches…
Square watches, and we’re not talking about your more formal rectangular dress watches either, no we mean SQUARE! – they can be divisive, as not everyone loves them. But, there are some great watches out there from some of the biggest, and not-so-big, names in the industry. They can be sporty, or they can be much more dressy, but either way, no matter what your style or lifestyle is, there is a square-shaped watch out there for most tastes. So, if you’re thinking about that perfect square-shaped watch, then we’ve hand-picked 10 square watches at a range of price points that are sure to win someone over this Christmas, even if that someone is you!
Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Arctic Blue
Bell & Ross are famous for their square watches, more specifically, the circle inside the square which was inspired by instrument panels on old planes – hence their tagline, Instruments for Professionals. However, their Urban collection takes this concept and refines it a little with sleeker and more modern-looking pieces, and the skeletonised BR-05 Arctic Blue takes this one step further with a skeletonised blue dial designed to look like it’s been carved out of ice. It is 40mm wide and 10.33 mm thick, so it will suit most wrists out there, Bell & Ross bracelets are comfortable, so it’s a great everyday piece for those who want something sporty and a little left of centre. The best part? It is limited to 250 pieces, so you will have something a little unique.
- Reference: BR05A-AB-SKST/SST
- Australian RRP: A$12,800
For more information, visit BellRoss.com
Cartier Santos de Cartier Green
Is there anything more iconic in the square watch world than the Cartier Santos? The Santos was the world’s first pilots watch, and wristwatch for that matter with a history dating back to 1904 when Louis Cartier gifted pioneering aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont a watch to help with his flying endeavours. These days, the Santos de Cartier is more modern, with different sizes and materials, but the DNA of the original is still there. We’ve chosen the Santos de Cartier Automatic Medium in green, hey, it’s Christmas and the green dial is perfect for the season, or anytime really. The Santos has an interchangeable green alligator leather strap as well, and with the quick change mechanism, you can swap between the two each day. A staple for any collection, or for someone who wants that one watch that can be highly versatile, worn each day and for any occasion.
- Reference: WSSA0061
- Australian RRP: A$11,500
For more information, visit Cartier.com.au
Cartier Panthère de Cartier Medium Rose Gold
Yes, it’s another Cartier, but this time, we’ve chosen the Panthère medium in rose gold. Cartier is famous for their case shapes, and they do square watches so, so well. The Panthère de Cartier is having a bit of a renaissance of late as well and can be for both men and women, so it’s quite the versatile piece. Due to its size: 29mm x 37mm, with a thickness of just 7mm, it is a quartz watch, but this means it’s highly accurate and will keep ticking for many years before a battery change is needed. The Panthère de Cartier is another timeless piece that will pair well with most outfits. it dresses up casual attire and completes any formal look too. A great one to put on the Christmas wish list!
- Reference: WGPN0007
- Australian RRP: A$43,200
For more information, visit Cartier.com.au
Hublot Square Bang Unico Titanium Blue Ceramic
We all know Hublot doesn’t follow the trends, they set them, and the Square Bang is their version of a square-shaped watch, with Big Bang Unico vibes. In this instance, it’s the titanium and blue ceramic version, which is a great versatile colourway, and coming in at 42mm, it’s not too big for most to pull off! It’s a bold-looking piece, but is light thanks to the titanium case and ceramic bezel, on top of that, it has Hublot’s in-house HUB1280 Unico 2 movement which is one of the smoothest flyback chronographs on the market today.
- Reference: 821.NL.5170.RX
- Australian RRP: A$37,600
For More Information Visit: Hublot.com
Hermès H08 Rose Gold
Hermès doesn’t get enough credit as a watchmaker. It is a typical story of a high-end fashion brand getting into the watch world, and people not associating it with pure horology. But, the leather goods manufacturer has come a long way with their watch division, now having in-house movements to the point where they are developing some amazing high complications, like the Arceau l’Heure de la Lune. The H08 Rose Gold is a great precious metal sports watch, with an 18k rose gold outer case, ceramic bezel and a black DLC titanium case back. Inside is the Hermés 1837 calibre with a 50-hour power reserve and this piece is 100m water resistant, so with the rubber strap, you can enjoy it without worry. It is a great mid-sized watch with a 39mm diameter and 42mm across the wrist, so will suit many wrists, both men and women, and the price is pretty good as well for a gold watch.
- Reference: W060124WW00
- Australian RRP: A$26,000
For More Information Visit: Hermes.com
Patek Philippe Cubitus
So we had to put the Cubitus in here, it would be wrong not to! There’s been perhaps no watch this year that’s had just a mixed reception to it than Patek Philippe’s Cubitus. But, putting all the conjecture aside, it’s a decent looking square sports watch, and lets face it, there’s quite a lot of celebrities that haver been seen wearing it and we’re going to go out on a limb here and say it will be a hot watch to get…eventually. It’s wide at 45mm, but its slim at just 8.3mm and from all reports, as long as you don’t have tiny wrists, you can get away with it. Can you easily get one? No, not unless you’re already a customer, or you’re in the know, but one to put on the list anyway!
- Reference: 5821/1A
- Australian RRP: POA
For More Information Visit: Patek.com
Rado True Square Open Heart
Rado is known as the Master of Materials and for good reason. The brand has been working with ceramics for decades and were one of the pioneers of it. Their High-Tech ceramic looks great and even better when polished, like this True Square in polished black High-Tech Ceramic. It’s also part of their Open Heart range, with skeletonised dials showcasing the movement underneath. Lightweight, almost scratch-proof (my wife has had a Rado True Thinline white ceramic for 10 years and still looks brand new!), water resistant to 50m and with an 80-hour power reserve, it is a good all-round watch. Coupled with this, at 38mm in diameter and 9.7mm thick, it can be worn by most wrist sizes on both men and women. Don’t like black? That’s ok, Rado has a range of colour variants to choose from.
- Reference: R27086152
- Australian RRP: A$4,350
For More Information Visit: Rado.com
SevenFriday CuXedo
You may not have heard of SevenFriday, it’s not a hugely well-known or popular brand, but it does have a strong following from those who know, and those who know, love it! They do some cool retro-styled pieces and in a rounded square shape for the most part and the CuXedo is a great example. With an openworked dial, rotating small seconds ring and rather than the date, a window indicating the day make this a fun watch. The animation ring is done in Damascene, a process that fuses different metals together to create a unique pattern. Sized at 47.6mm, it’s a large watch, but it’s fun and for someone who wants to buck the norm and go their own way in the watch world.
- Reference: PS2/02 CuXedo
- Australian RRP: A$2,550
For More Information Visit: AU.SevenFriday.com
TAG Heuer Monaco Titanium Pink
What would a square watch gift guide be without one of the OG square sports watches? The TAG Heuer Monaco is a classic, made famous when Steve McQueen wore one in Le Mans over 50 years ago. Since then, it has become a classic, and the modern iterations have taken the DNA of the Monaco and made it relevant for today’s watch lover. This example is the latest Monaco released just last month and features a skeletonised dial with hot pink accents, housed in a black DLC titanium case and with TAG Heuer’s in-house TH20-00 chronograph movement with an 80-hour power reserve. Speaking from experience, don’t be fooled by the size on paper – 39mm, 47.4mm lug to lug & 15.2mm thick. This is a great watch that is super easy to wear each day, and looks great on the wrist, albeit a little different to what you may see others wearing at your local café. But that’s a good thing.
- Reference: CBL218B.FT6236
- Australian RRP: A$16,300
For More Information Visit: Tagheuer.com
Tissot Lovely Square
Tissot is known for its value-for-money propositions, and the Tissot Lovely Square is no exception here. Measuring 20mm x 20mm, this is a watch for those ladies who want something small and elegant on their wrist that can be paired with just about any outfit. Reminiscent of ladies’ dress watches from the 1960s, the Tissot Lovely Square is made from 316L steel, water-resistant to 30m and has a Swiss Quartz movement for no fuss. It is also great bang for buck at less than A$500, so it’s perfect as a gift for that special girl in your life, or a cheeky gift for yourself!
- Reference: T058.109.11.041.00
- Australian RRP: A$495
For More Information Visit: Tissotwatches.com
There you have it. 10 square watches at various prices for the discerning watch lover in your life. If you haven’t seen our Christmas Gift Guide To Chronographs, then make sure you check it out as well and stay tuned for more Gift Guide ideas over the next 2 weeks in the lead-up to Christmas.
