The dress watch renaissance: how Nicole Kidman is leading the trend

Nicole Kidman always switches up her red-carpet looks, but there has been one constant this winter: a dainty, 1920s Art Nouveau Omega wristwatch set with 24 diamonds, on a chic black fabric strap. She wore it with a backless, black Celine dress with full-length sleeves to the Governors Awards, and with a flowing, brightly floral Balenciaga strapless gown to the premier of her new drama Babygirl; proving the versatility, and renewed desirability, of the classic dress watch.

“We are witnessing a resurgence of the dress watch,” says Pascal Béchu, managing director of luxury watchmaker Arnold & Son, who notes that the classic styling of such watches chimes with the ‘quiet luxury’ trend that has inspired many of us to invest in high-quality pieces with evergreen styling.

“[Women’s dress watches were] once considered a relic of the past, [but] are making a strong comeback, driven by a renewed appreciation for classic elegance and timeless design.”

What are the design codes of a dress watch? Firstly, a smaller dial (30mm or less), with no complications and a clean aesthetic. This should be a petite timepiece that won’t overpower an evening dress or tuxedo. The strap should be similarly demure in size, although the materials can be luxe – bright patent leathers, gold Milanese mesh, even diamonds.

Kidman’s antique Omega is the real deal, and there are lots of great pre-owned finds to be discovered at auction and at resellers such as Watchfinder, but the vintage aesthetic is influencing new collections, too. One of the most desirable dress watches of recent times is the Cartier Baignoire, with its signature oval dial.

When the updated version of this classic watch – a mini all-gold model with a solid bangle in place of a strap that makes it feel somewhere between a dress watch and piece of jewellery – launched last year [2023], it was an instant, sell-out success. Kylie and Kendall Jenner are fans, and Emma Chamberlain caused a stir when she wore one around her neck as a choker at the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2025 show in Paris.

Look to the major brands for other timepieces that fit the bill, as most have one. As well as the Baignoire, the brand’s Tank or Panthère de Cartier are classic choices. Jaeger-LeCoultre has its iconic Reverso, with a flippable dial that offers two looks. Chanel’s Premiere watches, with chain and leather straps inspired by the straps of its handbags, are a fun fashionable twist on the more classic interpretations.

While dress watches of old would have involved satin straps and diamonds – and there are some brilliant interpretations of this look for true evening glamour, including Piaget’s Limelight Gala collection and Chopard’s L’Heure du Diamant – Simon Lazarus at pre-owned watch site Chrono Hunter believes today’s dress watches must do more than that: “Personally, I would say [the modern women’s dress watch is] transcending into a GADA watch...Go Anywhere, Do Anything.” A sentiment we certainly approve of.

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