5 Top Minimalist Watch Trends 2022

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. 

Written by Gordon | Last Updated: January 20, 2022 
5 Top Minimalist Watch Trends 2022

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, watch industry shows have been canceled or postponed until the coming year, so watchmakers have taken to other means of communication like social media to make their latest designs known. And thus, the latest collections of minimalist watches have made their debut online, with videos and photography replacing the chance to see and touch the products in person.

The watch firms are heavily inclined towards reworking classics with a streamlined minimalist approach, celebrating anniversaries with special limited editions that focus on making a few stylish items of very precious and detailed works of art that clients can buy through retail.

Today, the smart watch is the latest in health care. It gives the public a new wide-angle lens into their own health, and can be a key element in preventing chronic diseases. On the surface, the mini smart watch is a simple timepiece, but its true power comes in its vast array of sensors. This is a powerful automation trend which needs a dedicated blog post of it's own. However, in this post we focus on the design and style changes impacting more traditional watches.

The new women's and men's watches are more than timepieces: they eliminate the superfluous aspects of previous designs and focus on elevating the practical elements to their purest form. Thus achieving the basics of minimalism both in aesthetic and ergonometric values: to distill decorative items that serve no higher purpose and to rework practical aspects into highly decorative elements. They are undoubtedly a new type of watch-meets-jewelry hybrid, aimed at a very rich segment of the population and created with the highest quality materials in the market.

When it comes to men's minimal watch trends, they are mostly focused on displaying a contained and cool type of luxury, with a simplified design that flaunts its best qualities. It is a subdued look for the inexperienced observer and a feast for the ideas of the connoisseur.

All that being said, this new minimalism shares some qualities of the wristwatch trend that reigned supreme during the 90s decade. It is not a design void of colors or elements, but a distilled form that elevates necessary items or parts of a mundane object into a luxurious new self that you can wear anytime. This new appreciation for the finer basic forms of watches and their tech transforms them into the next designer splurge to have, particularly in a time that looks at extravagant buying choices with a growing skeptical and judgemental eye.

1. Jewelry Watches

Minimalist watch styles managed to unite the ultimate precision watches with the most glamorous jewelry by adding a little sparkle in demure ways. Long gone are the huge, fully rhinestoned watches of yore. Designers are choosing subtle, elegant elements like mother-of-pearl dials and bezels with diamonds, adding a little shine to their creations in a manner that befits their brand.  According to marketers, this is what customers are looking for the most in their acquisitions.

Going for an understated look might mean that women are not wearing bracelets as much, making this watch trend an ideal solution to include a luxurious element into a classic ensemble.

 

Elite Classic Zenith watch

Elite Classic with diamonds by Zenith with a sunburst dial pattern, a bezel filled with diamonds and sleek, elegant hands.

 

Seamaster Omega 2 watch

Constellation Co-Axial Master Chronometer 39mm by Omega.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

1832 Longines

1832 watch by Longines.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

limelight-gala-piaget

Limelight Gala watch by Piaget with a case in 18k white gold set with 42 brilliant-cut diamonds, blue aventurine glass dial. Buckle set with 15 brilliant-cut diamonds.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

Here are five recommendations for the best minimalist watches in this trend:

Seiko Women's Diamond Solar Japanese-Quartz Watch

Rado Women's Coupole Classic Quartz Watch

Rado DiaStar Original Swiss Automatic Watch

Bulova Men's Quartz Stainless Steel Dress Watch

Seiko Men's Crystal Solar Japanese-Quartz Watch

Bvlgari Automatic Purple Diamond

 

RELATED 20 Modern & Fashionable Minimalist Chronograph Watches

 

2. Innovative Bands

One of the biggest trends we have observed is the introduction of different materials and shapes for wrist bands. In the case of Armani, the watch looks like it is a thin bracelet with a pasted clock on top while Bulgari turned its strap into a coiling snake. These innovative bands make the watches look dainty, an ideal design for feminine watches that accentuate the thinness of the wrist.

Some brands have interiorized the strap design into the face of the watch (Gucci), while using novel materials like nylon, satin, mixing steel and leather in a braid (Chanel), or going as far as reintroducing silicone and rubber.

With the arrival of specialized sports design, the silicone and rubber bands offer a new option to create an informal look focused on the technical aspect of the clock and the wearability of silicone, which guarantees a perfect fit. This is particularly important when considering the golf playing public towards which brands like Tag Heuer are aiming for its new collection.

 

Piaget Limelight Gala

G-Frame timepiece by Gucci with a mother of pearl dial and an interchangeable nylon band. The bee, a recurring House code is present on the dial as indexes.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Alhambra watch Van Cleef and Arpels

Alhambra watch by Van Cleef & Arpels with white gold case, white mother-of-pearl dial, white gold crown, black satin bracelet, and pin buckle.

 

Premiere Rock Watch Chanel

Premiere Rock Watch by Chanel with steel and pink leather band and white mother-of-pearl dial.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Serpenti Bulgari

Serpenti Tubogas watch by Bulgari with stainless steel case and bracelet, black opaline dial with guilloche soleil treatment and stainless steel crown set with a cabochon-cut pink rubellite.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Armani exchange

Armani Exchange by Armani with rose sunray dial, rose gold-tone stick indexes, logo engraved rose stainless steel topring.

 

Tag Heuer Gold Edition

Connected Gold Edition by Tag Heuer with a GPS-enabled with black DLC titanium case and white-green rubber. A professional watch that can record your shots and scores, see the distance to the next green and choose the right club to get there.

 

Tory Burch watch

Tory Smartwatch by Tory Burch with smart silicone.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

Here are five recommendations for the top minimalist watches in this trend:

Tag Heuer Men's 'Formula 1' Black Dial Black Rubber Strap

Kate Spade New York Women's Annadale

Swarovski Crystal Authentic Eternal Watch

Bvlgari Serpenti Green Dial Double-Twirl Leather Ladies Watch

Cartier Colisee Quartz Silver Dial Watch

 

RELATED 19 Stylish Minimalist Watches for Women with Class

 

3. Rectangular Faces

Vintage is going through a major resurgence, accompanied by a romantic outlook of items and styles of the past. Lots of classic watches are being redesigned into an updated and streamlined look ideal for business men that maintains the core elements of the brand and its style but feels modern, simpler and utterly updated.

This is particularly true with rectangular face watches that pay tribute to the history of a brand by uniting technical prowess and design legacy, precise machines that attest to technological advancement with novel displays in recognizable shapes. The luxury watch brand Patek Philippe is well known for it's rectangular dials but there are other brands too that are embracing this trend. Chanel, the quintessential fashion brand, went as far as innovating both the thin band and the rectangular face and creating a novel, minimalist watch that looks like a steel bracelet and unites both elements into a final unit.

 

Ceramica Automatic Rado

Ceramica Automatic by Rado with strong lines and gently curved silhouette.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Code Coco Watch Chanel

Code Coco Watch by Chanel with steel bezel set with 52 brilliant-cut diamonds and two dials set with 152 diamonds and steel bracelet.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Tank Solo watch Chanel

Tank Solo watch by Cartier with steel case, beaded crown set with a synthetic cabochon-shaped spinel, silvered light opaline dial, Roman numerals, blued-steel sward-shaped hands, sapphire crystal and black grained calfskin.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Cape Cod Hermes

Cape Cod watch by Hermes Paris with opaline silvered dial, quartz movement, short interchangeable double tour band in natural Barenia calfskin.

 

Here are our top five recommendations for the best minimalist watches in this trend:

GUESS Mesh Black Ionic Plated

Raymond Weil Men's 4878-ST-00668 Don Giovanni Rectangular Case

Citizen Women's Quartz Stainless Steel Watch

Longines Dolcevita Diamond Rectangular Watch

Baume & Mercier Men's Hampton Spirit Automatic Leather Watch

 

RELATED

20 Black Minimalist Watches for Men That Are Sexy & Timeless

The 13 Best Watch Rolls & Travel Cases in One Definitive Guide

 

4. Unisex Designs

Unisex watches are all the rage, with masculine edges and heavy-duty hardware that look amazing on any wrist. Oversized, square-shaped sporty models are particularly preferred, like the models from Gucci that also track time in an innovative way. When we thought everything was said and done for unisex fashion, new shapes are emerging to invigorate the market of minimalist watches.

 

 

 

True Square Green Dial Rado

True Square Green Dial watch by Rado made from ceramic in a squarish green hue watch that is light and hardwearing.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Grip Watch Gucci

Grip watch by Gucci with a clean streamlined design, a stainless steel face with three windows that display the hour, the minute and the date, complete with an alligator strap.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

Here are our top five recommendations for the best minimalist watches in this trend:

Cartier Ballon Bleu Unisex Gold & Steel Watch

Rado Unisex Centrix Diamond Swiss Automatic Watch

Junghans MAX BILL Unisex 34mm Hand Winding

Tissot Unisex Everytime Swissmatic

Frederique Constant Men's Slim Line Silver Dial Roman Numerals Watch

 

RELATED

25 Fine Watch Boxes For Your Watch Collection

 

 

5. Logo Revival

The resurgence of 90s styles and the consequent revival of logomania had a peak moment last year, with logos taking front stage in many garments.

For 2021 watch trends, logos are taking a step back. They are still very much present, and still quite important, but the need to flaunt them is considered a bit gaudy so styles has taken a more subdued approach towards its use. They are combining clean unobtrusive straps with the brand’s signature logo applied in a delicate manner that ensures it still provides the status of wearing the brand but making it less obvious for the masses.

 

Seamaster Omega 2 watch

Seamaster by Omega with a leaf-style hour and domed minute hand, presented in a leather band with a polished brushed stainless steel buckle.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Pasha Cartier

Pasha de Cartier mechanical watch by Cartier with a sleek makeover over the Pasha 1980s design that includes a blue spinel or sapphire on its crown and bright blue hands.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Longines Spirit

Longines Spirit by Longines with a black matte color, applied Arabic numerals, silvered sandblasted hands and leather.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Audemar Piguet Philosophies

Millenary Frosted Gold Philosophique by Audemars Piguet with blue hand-crafted dimpled dial, enhanced by a white gold case, satin brushing polishing.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

 

Altiplano Piaget watch

Altiplano watch by Piaget with a case in 18k rose gold, dial with blue lacquer.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

Ice Cube Chopard

 

Ice Cube by Chopard.

 

Patrimony Vacheron Constantin

Patrimony Minute Repeater by Vacheron Constantin with pink dial, transparent caseback, sapphire glass and alligatorband.

CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON

 

For your reference, here are brand pages to the models mentioned in the above trends:

Elite Classic with diamonds by Zenith ; Constellation Co-Axial Master Chronometer 39mm by Omega1832 watch by LonginesLimelight Gala watch by PiagetG-Frame watch by GucciAlhambra watch by Van Cleef & ArpelsPremiere Rock Watch by Chanel  ; Serpenti Tubogas watch by Bulgari ; Armani Exchange by ArmaniConnected Gold Edition by Tag HeuerTory Smartwatch by Tory BurchCeramica Automatic by RadoCode Coco Watch by Chanel  ; Tank Solo watch by CartierCape Cod watch by Hermes ParisTrue Square Green Dial watch by RadoGrip watch by GucciSeamaster by OmegaPasha de Cartier watch by CartierLongines Spirit by LonginesMillenary Frosted Gold Philosophique by Audemars PiguetAltiplano watch by PiagetIce Cube by ChopardPatrimony Minute Repeater by Vacheron Constantin

 



linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram