Classic Watch Styles: A Guide to Iconic Timepieces
Watches aren't just tools to tell time—they’re expressions of style, history, and purpose. Here's a quick guide to five of the most iconic watch types, from rugged dive watches to elegant dress pieces.
Diver Watch
Diver watches are built for the deep. These timepieces are water-resistant (typically 200m or more), feature a unidirectional rotating bezel to track dive time, luminous hands and markers, and secure screw-down crowns. Their bold, legible designs and robust build make them popular even among non-divers.
The modern dive watch era began in the 1950s with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (1953), designed in collaboration with French Navy combat divers (1). Shortly after, Rolex introduced the Submariner (1954), which became a cultural icon thanks in part to James Bond films (2). Another key player is the Omega Seamaster 300, known for its classic look and association with modern Bond movies (3).
Field/Military Watch
Field watches are rugged, simple, and reliable—traits forged on the battlefield. They usually have matte dials with high-contrast numerals, luminous hands, and durable canvas or leather straps. They’re built for clarity and resilience.
The field watch gained prominence in World War I when soldiers needed more practical alternatives to pocket watches (4). By WWII, models like the U.S. military’s A-11 specification became standard issue (5). Classic examples today include the Hamilton Khaki Field, a direct descendant of those wartime designs, and the Marathon GPM, still used in military settings.
Pilot Watch
Designed for aviators, pilot watches are big, bold, and easy to read at a glance. Hallmarks include oversized crowns, luminous hands, anti-magnetic shielding, and in some cases, slide-rule bezels for in-flight calculations.
The genre began with Cartier’s Santos in 1904, created for Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont (6). WWII saw the rise of the B-Uhr (Beobachtungsuhren) navigation watches issued to German Luftwaffe pilots (7). Today, favorites include the Breitling Navitimer, with its iconic aviation slide rule, and the IWC Big Pilot, which nods to historical designs with modern luxury.
Racing Watch
Racing watches are fast-paced companions designed for motorsports. They typically feature chronograph functions to measure time intervals, tachymeter scales to calculate speed, and bold dials that prioritize legibility under pressure.
These watches took off during the 1950s–60s as racing culture flourished. The Rolex Daytona (1963), named after the Daytona International Speedway, is arguably the most legendary (8). Another is the square-case TAG Heuer Monaco, immortalized on Steve McQueen’s wrist in Le Mans (1971) (9). The Omega Speedmaster, originally intended for racing, also earned fame as NASA’s Moon watch.
Cocktail/Dress Watch
Dress watches are the epitome of understated elegance. Designed to complement formal wear, they feature slim profiles, minimal complications, and classic styling—often paired with leather straps or sleek bracelets. Cocktail watches, a more decorative subgenre, often serve as statement jewelry for women.
This style flourished in the early 20th century as the wristwatch became a staple of refined fashion (10). Icons include the Patek Philippe Calatrava, a benchmark of minimalist design; the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, originally made for polo players but beloved for its Art Deco lines (11); and the Cartier Tank, favored by style icons from Jackie Kennedy to Princess Diana (12).
Sources
Perez, Ariel. "Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: The First Modern Dive Watch." A Blog to Watch, 2020.
Dowling, James and Hess, Jeffrey. The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches. Schiffer Publishing, 2006.
Omega Watches. "Seamaster Heritage Models." Omega.com, 2024.
Konrad, Joshua. "A Brief History of Field Watches." Worn & Wound, 2018.
MilSpecWatches. "The History of the A-11 Military Watch." MilSpecWatch Blog, 2020.
Sadler, William. "The Cartier Santos: The First Pilot Watch." WatchTime Magazine, 2017.
Brozek, Greg. "The B-Uhr: Germany’s WWII Pilot Watch." Fratello Watches, 2020.
Rolex. "The Cosmograph Daytona." Rolex.com, 2024. ↩
TAG Heuer. "Steve McQueen and the Monaco." TAGHeuer.com, 2024.
Dean, Richard. A Concise History of the Wristwatch. Horology Press, 2019.
Jaeger-LeCoultre. "Reverso Collection." Jaeger-LeCoultre.com, 2024.
McCarthy, Lauren. "The History of the Cartier Tank Watch." Harper’s Bazaar, 2021.
