Time-Only Watches Are Our Latest Obsession

I don’t know much about cooking, but I do know that the simpler the dish, the more important it is for each ingredient to be good. This truism also comes to mind when I think about time-only watches, a new category in the GPHG Awards as of last year. These simple, pure watches can’t hide behind fancy complications or an attractive date display the way a more elaborate model can. 

So what does make a good time-only watch? For the winner of the GPHG Prize, the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Small Seconds, it’s a definitive, brand-specific design language. Sure, its construction and in-house movement are exemplary, but that’s the case for all the nominees. I believe it’s all about good, honest design, which is why I love time-only watches and why I love the models below. Like the Streamliner Small Seconds, each offers something unique despite its straightforward functionality. Here they are, from the most affordable to the most luxurious.

With its multi-floor, sun-brushed silver dial and chic Milanese bracelet, the Sky Net SFE109M is a truly grown-up timepiece. But the moddish, translucent-bubble-chair aesthetic we turn to Swatch for is still there. The transparent case exposes the inner workings of the crown, the lugs, and even the quartz movement. And thanks to its lightweight yet steel-strong construction and civilized 34-millimeter case size, the Sky Net is an effective everyday timepiece. 

Buy at Swatch

This iteration of the Timex Marlin is my go-to proof that simple, time-only watches can pack a lot of personality. It’s based on the original ‘50s and ‘60s models, made apparent with its silky dial and jazzed-up index font. But, is it too much personality to be worn as a dress watch? I vote no. The clean and beautifully-sized silhouette would look natural on a martini-holding hand at a swanky cocktail party—in 1965 or today. When the Marlin was reissued in 2017, it marked Timex’s return to mechanical watchmaking, making this an important model for the brand.

Buy at Timex

Sternglas is known for its functional Bauhaus approach. However, the Sedius is what I like to call Bauhaus-plus. Yes, the dial is visually practical, but the brushing, railroad track, and elegant feuille hands give it a distinct character. When you pair it with a Milanese bracelet, the Sedius almost resembles a cleaner, flatter Swatch Sky Net. On the function side, its mecha-quartz movement offers the accuracy of a quartz with the second-hand sweep of a mechanical, and it also boasts a higher beat rate.

Buy at Sternglas

The only thing that makes a timepiece a men’s or women’s watch is who’s wearing it. That said, I do understand loving gem-like sparkles, but not loving the kind of dense jewel-setting common in women’s watches. With the Prismic line, Baltic takes the shimmer of an old-fashioned cocktail watch and gives it a geometric, left-brained remix. The dial is grained, brushed, and guillochéd. As such, texture, glints, and shine take turns in the forefront under the double-domed sapphire, depending on the angle. Math meets style on the back as well, thanks to the exhibition caseback displaying the Peseux 7001.

Buy at Baltic Watches

Anytime I consult someone in the market for a rectangular watch, I get the inevitable question. Is there ever any reason to look outside of the Cartier Tank range? I say there are two. First, is there another model you love equally at a better price? Second, does it offer something rarely seen on the Tank? Case in point: The Frederique Constant Carree Heart Beat, with its 12 o’clock aperture that gives a glimpse into its movement. Between that, the baton indices (instead of Roman numerals) and the onion crown (instead of a cabochon), it’s a generally more engineering-forward timepiece. Still, it doesn’t sacrifice the romance completely. Just look at that wallpaper-like center dial. And is there anything more romantic than an open heart?

Buy at Frederique Constant

Who says that symmetry is a requirement for time-only watches? Certainly not Anoma. The highly sculptural Slate 1 reminds me of a more organic and harmonious Hamilton Ventura; less rock and roll, more futuristic and monkish. In fact, the case is meant to feel like a naturally eroded river stone, lacking straight lines, with flowing proportions that wear gracefully on most wrist sizes. Meanwhile, the dial’s mix of engraving and triple-layered lacquer adds dynamism and pulse—it adds a beat to the case’s melody, so to speak.

Buy at Anoma

Craft takes center stage on anOrdain’s Model 1. The artist’s hand is evident on the sturdy enamel dial, the result of up to 12 hours of forging and reworking. Regardless of which colorway you go for, you can count on stunning light reflection, deep vibrance, and a dimensional shine that sits somewhere between gem-like and pearlescence. In particular, the fumé dials look like a glowing meteorite surface. The manual-winding Sellita movement adds tactility that can keep you engaged in any doctor’s waiting room.

Buy at anOrdain

Despite its refined, understated look, the sheer amount of negative space on the Fears Arnos’s dial is a bold design choice. In lesser hands, this Swiss-powered automatic watch could look incomplete, boring, or simply weird. The contrast of the satiny Roman-clad time wheel and its rectangular hobnail-patterned frame is reminiscent of the dignified composition of a Victorian shadow painting. This makes it feel both new and classic, a tough balancing act. Like a piece of art, each Arnos watch is individually numbered.

Buy at Fears 

The Omega fanboy committee, of which I am part, is probably wondering why I’m not highlighting the recently refreshed Railmasters, which fabulously combine a gradient dial with the emblematic broad arrows. Well, it’s because I’ve long believed the Omega De Ville Trésor to be one of the most perfectly wearable time-only watches by a Swiss hard-hitter. It employs the Goldilocks principle in size (40 millimeters), looks (a line-forward, domed dial), and color (blue is more exciting than black or white, but neutral enough). Basically, it’s made for a one-watch collection. Plus, it runs on Omega’s 8926 caliber, a Master Chronometer that you can admire through the caseback. 

Buy at Omega

Perhaps you don’t want understated elegance. Maybe you want a sport watch that’s big and strong, both in function and looks. As Zenith demonstrated when it further expanded its Defy lineup in 2023 with the Skyline Skeleton, you don’t need complications, extra hands, and athletic rotating bezels to achieve this. It runs on a three-hand version of the iconic and historical El Primero movement, and you get to see it in its full glory. The stainless steel case’s angular silhouette and the dial’s skeletonization provide a muscular, industrial look, serving up aesthetic complications without any horological complications. And since the movement is finished in the same color as the dial, the overall design is mindfully cohesive—brains and brawn.

Buy at Zenith

Okay, so it isn’t last year’s GPHG Time Only winner, but if I’m going to drop $25,000 on a timepiece, I’d like a more universal look than the Streamliner Small Seconds. The Endeavour Centre Seconds is for the uber minimalist, flaunting a fascinatingly deep, monochrome dial. Its onyx hue comes from a reflection-minimizing coating developed for astrophysics, mimicking the look of physical depth. It looks as if the stately feuille hands are floating above an endless void. I love the dramatic contrast between the watch face and the exhibition caseback. The fully-decorated, multi-layered, double-hair-spring caliber is as maximalist as the dial is minimalist.

Buy at H. Moser & Cie

The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde is the ultimate example of how sophistication whispers instead of shouts. It looks natural on a gent who prefers an old waxed canvas jacket as well as a guy who seeks only the finest cashmere—after all, we all appreciate good craft. Its platinum case is unexaggeratedly flawless and serves as an attractive frame for the hand-grained dial, accented with 18-carat gold rhodium-plated appliques. It’s the kind of practical luxury that can be worn anywhere and anytime, otherwise known as an instant family heirloom.

Buy at Parmigiani