Quiet luxury requires restraint and refinement. From Vacheron Constantin to A. Lange & Söhne, these are the top hushed watches of the year, according to Robb Report.
It’s easy to be taken in by watches that are colorful and complicated, blingy and boastful. Perhaps for this reason, many watches today are large, rendered in technicolor, and very hard to miss. As the concept of quiet luxury gained currency, I began joking that today’s large, eye-catching watches were an expression of “loud luxury.” This idea hasn’t taken hold, of course, but quiet luxury has gripped consumers and become a increasingly important category for watch brands.
As I noted back in April, this year’s edition of Watches and Wonders was a somewhat subdued show (especially compared to 2023). This mellowness was epitomized by Rolex acting like good-old Rolex, releasing standard-issue models in standard colorways. Also, brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Laurent Ferrier, and Parmigiani Fleurier contributed significantly to the mellower side of watches this year.
However, 2024 wasn’t exactly a year of quiet-luxury watches, with recent watches from Urwerk, Zenith, Chronosuisse, Massena LAB, Moser, Richard Mille and most certainly the Patek Philippe Cubitus proving the point. Nonetheless, 2024 was chocked full of wonderful watches that meet the basic criteria of quiet luxury: understated, mellow, traditional, and classy. We love that quiet-luxury vibe. As our colleague Justin Fenner put it earlier this year: “Give me quiet luxury or give me death.”
Speaking personally, I adore the classic styles of Swiss watches from the 1940s and ’50s, which still dominate the tastes of elite collectors around the world while continually breaking records at auction. Many of those classic mid-century Swiss watches occupy high positions on our recent list of the 50 Greatest Watches of All Time. I collect vintage Vacheron Constantin time-only dress watches, and even prefer those without the fast-paced seconds-hand—always in a rush toward what I don’t know. The quieter the better.
And with that, I have curated seven of what I consider to be the very best “QL” watches of 2024, each making its statement with a whisper rather than a bang.
7. Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petit Second
Under the guidance of CEO Guido Terreni, Parmigiani has gone into regular production with a new batch of watch lines that put quiet luxury front and center. The Toric is the simplest expression of that ethos, and this year’s releases were stunning. The coin-edge bezel is classic, while the exquisitely silvered dials—one in gray the other in this year’s coolest shade of pale green—take on the depth of fine-grained sand.
One excellent way for a quiet watch to express its prowess is to expose an exquisite movement on the back of the watch. Parmigiani’s movements are all built from Swiss parts in the municipality of Fleurier, hand-finished to the highest standards, and truly gorgeous. The unique Cotes de Fleurier engraving on the bridges contributes to the specialness of these movements. Anyone wearing a Toric knows that they’ve something very special hidden from view. Shhhh.
6. Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon
Our colleague Oren Hartov chose the Classic Moon as his greatest watch of the 21st century, and Cait Bazemore chose it as her best-of from Watches and Wonders this year. Clearly this watch has caught the imaginations of our team of writers, me included. What’s so special about this watch is that it is a virtual tribute to the styles of the 1940s. A triple-claendar with moonphase really should be a more common complication, but it’s gone way out of style in the past few decades—for reasons I can’t explain, and certainly wouldn’t condone if I could explain them. I think it’s a downright shame that the trip-cal mooner isn’t offered in every catalog.
But that’s not the only reason I love this watch. What also draws me in is its understated visage, punctuated by unique features that one doesn’t pick up right away. The hand-set is a kind of sword-leaf style that is entirely unique to LF. The recessed windows for the day and month are no small feat of dial architecture, and easy to miss. The blue aventurine glass though which the sapphire moons hide when showing less than full is both innovative, highly technical to pull off, and visually chill. Around back, we have one of the most understated movements in the business, caliber LF126.02. Its large bridges are more utilitarian than sexy in shape, showing a kind of restraint seen mostly in older pocket watches, while the finishing is unimpeachably exceptional throughout.
5. Cartier Tortue
Photo : Cartier
Among the many shapes that Cartier experimented with in the early 20th century, the Tortue—or tortoise—remains a gentle, quasi-cushion favorite of fans of the brand. Originally offered as a mono-pusher chronograph, the Tortue came to be known more for its distinctive shape than any single complication.
It was at Watches and Wonders that Cartier dropped this amazing rendition of the Tortue, and we were inspired enough to have published a complete history of the Tortue right here at Robb Report. There’s no arguing with the platinum versions of these watches, that being the ultimate metal for “stealth wealth,” so easily is it mistaken for stainless steel. While the chronograph honors the original model, for those seeking the quietest watch, the time-only rendition is the one to go for.
4. The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Limited Edition in Yellow Gold
Vacheron Constantin isn’t known for loud watches, unless you count their gem-set models, which still maintain a sense of traditional class, despite their inherent sparkle. The Patrimony line has long stood as a nod to Vacheron’s history of making exceptional timepieces that remain intentionally understated.
The yellow-gold Patrimony limited edition was created in collaboration with the designer Ora ïto. Espousing a guiding principle of Simplexity, Ora ïto defines it as “the art of proposing a simple response to a complex problem.” While such an approach might sound like an echo of Steve Jobs, there is nothing techy represented in this watch. Instead, we get a traditional treatment on the concentrically engraved dial, which is gilded for an entirely tonal package. The result is a lack of contrast, and yet amazing depth through the contrast of highly polished markers and hands (Vacheron’s hands are among the industry’s very best) against the grainy texture of the perfectly electroplated dial.
The burgundy numerals on the date disc are less a pop of color than a homeopathic dose that matches the embossed burgundy strap perfectly. Everything about this watch is subtle and perfect.
3. A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 in Platinum with Black Onyx Dial
I had the pleasure of trying on all four of the 30th anniversary editions of the Lange 1 in Hong Kong the day before they were released, and I walked away surprised to find I preferred the smaller version in rose gold. However, were I to be purchasing one of these watches, I’d certainly go with the quieter version in platinum with the incredible black onyx dial. So good is the Lange 1 that I used it as the benchmark of dial design against which I criticized the Patek Philippe Cubitus Annual Calendar. The Lange 1 also made our list of the 50 Greatest Watches of All Time, as it should. The watch is a study in quiet luxury.
I could show you the equilateral triangle that forms this dial into a masterful deployment of the golden ratio, but why a watch with such an asymmetrical layout can be so calming, so charming, and so understated remains ineffable. The Lange 1 is one of the greatest horological expressions of quiet-luxury of all time.
2. Breguet Classique 5177 with Black Grand Feu Enamel Dial
It’s no wonder that Breguet would make a timepiece exuding understatement, as that’s more or less been the brand’s M.O. since 1775. Well, that’s not entirely true, as many of the designs were pretty wild for their time, including that now-famous Breguet numerical font and those eponymous hands, both of which are featured on the Classique reference 5177. This is a time-and-date model that measures a handsome 38 mm across and mere 8.8 mm in height. If you want understatement, here it is.
Like the Lange 1, this watch combines platinum with the black dial for a truly elegant and quiet experience on the wrist. And while Breguet offers this model in more brilliant colors—a silver engraved dial, a blue dial, those in yellow gold—we have singled out this specific edition for the ultimate in luxurious silence.
1. The Qin Gan Pastorale II
I’d admired this watch from afar for some time, but while visiting our friend Mark Cho at the Armory in Hong Kong, I had the pleasure of trying on the prototype and examining it with a loupe. My jaw hit the ground. As Cho told Robb Report: “The Qin Gan Pastorale is a watch that speaks softly but confidently. Carefully designed with an astute eye for proportion and detail, constructed with skill and experience, it suits those in the know who love beauty without bluster. The parts of the watch are great, but the whole watch is close to perfection.” That right there is a great expression of the quiet-luxury ethos.
What’s perhaps most fascinating about the Pastroale is that it is entirely hand-made in China—not a country known for hand-making wristwatches of the highest order. Qin’s father was a watchmaker servicing the Omegas and Rolexes of China’s communist elites during the 1960s and 70s, and Qin went on to teach himself watchmaking, even building special tools and machines to refine the finishing. When he finally got himself some proper Swiss machines about a decade ago, his skills were unleashed. The result is his having achieved status as one of the best movement finishers in the world.
It may seem a kind of upstart move to put a Chinese watch at the top of this list, but I sincerely haven’t seen another watch this year that exudes quiet luxury with such refinement and poise as the Pastorale II.
