Quiet Luxury: Stealth Wealth Watches Edition

One term that has dominated the fashion and retail scene in 2023 is “quiet luxury”. It’s not a new philosophy, but an old one that’s picked up a trendy new name. Other names for quiet luxury (both old and new) include stealth wealth, old money style, coded luxury, and others. Quiet luxury is closely related to minimalism, investment pieces, and classic fashion. While the conversation about quiet luxury has been mostly applied to clothes, shoes, bags, and luggage, it’s a concept that’s highly relevant to watches too. Below, we take a look at the quiet luxury revival, touch on some of the top quiet luxury brands and show off a selection of quiet luxury watches. So, if you are interested in learning about what exactly is quiet luxury, why it’s so popular, and discovering some quiet luxury watches, keep on reading for all the details.

What is Quiet Luxury?

Quiet luxury is exactly what it sounds like — an appreciation for high-end goods that don’t overtly advertise that they’re expensive. It’s quietly communicating your taste for expert craftsmanship and fine materials rather than prioritizing provenance. There’s an emphasis on timeless silhouettes, quality materials, and perfect fits. No oversized logos, loud branding or obvious marks as to who or what company made the item. It’s the antithesis of anything too flashy or decorated with a monogram. When it comes to quiet luxury clothes and bags, there’s also a very neutral palette — think muted shades like black, white, beige, gray, and navy.

In the watch world, there are several overt status symbols: think the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus, and essentially any tonneau-shaped Richard Mille watch. However, none are more recognizable as signifiers of wealth than a Rolex. However, there are also plenty of quiet luxury watches — “if you know, you know” fine timepieces that typify the stealth wealth phenomenon.

Why is Quiet Luxury So Popular?

There are several reasons quiet luxury has taken the world by storm. As I said; this isn’t new — chic Parisians have been dressing like this for ages, preferring fine fabrics and expert tailoring over visible logos and other identifiers of a high price tag.

More recently though, he hit HBO show Succession has brought the concept to the forefront. Succession is about the Roy family, the billionaire owners of global and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. The series follows the Roy children, as they battle it out for who will take over the company from their domineering father Logan. Aside from the outlandish sibling shenanigans, jaw-dropping sceneries, and a peek into super yachts, private jets, and sky-high Manhattan penthouses, another component of the show that got fans talking was how the Roy family dressed on the show, favoring quiet luxury brands such as Altuzarra, Loro Piana, Canali, The Row, Maison Margiela, and Brunello Cucinelli.

Ironically, Kendall Roy, the son groomed to take over the company from birth, donned a Richard Mille RM67 watch in the last season of the show, which is very much not a quiet luxury watch. Other non-quiet luxury watches featured on the show include the Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi, Rolex Submariner, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and Panerai Radiomir.

Social media, particularly TikTok, is another reason why there’s been a newfound love for the stealth wealth approach to dressing. There are countless accounts, videos, and photos dedicated to showing followers how to achieve that quiet luxury look — even without billions in the bank account. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that many celebrities are now adopting the quiet luxury style, which of course can influence how the rest of us dress.

Quiet Luxury Watch Brands and Stealth Wealth Watch Models

Okay, now that we’ve set the stage by explaining what quiet luxury is and why it’s become so popular, let’s have a look at some examples of quiet luxury watches.

IWC Portugieser Minute Repeater

At first glance, this IWC Portugieser watch looks like a straightforward gold dress watch. However, upon further inspection, the pusher on the left side of the 43mm 18k yellow case reveals that this is indeed a minute repeater — one of the most revered complications in high horology. Press that button and the watch will chime the time to you, which makes this a quiet luxury watch until the wearer decides to make it noisy.

Back to basics: What is a Minute Repeater Watch?

The IWC Portugieser Minute Repeater ref. IW524002 was introduced in the mid-1990s and limited to only 250 pieces. Interestingly, the brand included the vintage “International Watch Co.” inscription on the beautifully grained silvery opaline dial rather than the modern and bold “IWC” logo. Another stealthy component of the watch is that the real action happens when you turn the watch over. Here you’ll be met with the intricately finished Caliber 95290 manual-winding movement working away to power this understated yet super complex fine timepiece.

More on IWC: The Best IWC Watches

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Center Seconds Concept

Emphasizing substance over hype, independent watchmaker H. Moser & Cie has been embracing the idea of quiet luxury before the term was even part of our collective lexicon. The whole idea behind any Moser “Concept” watch is an ultra-minimalistic design with no logo or hour markers. The boldness of the watch lies in its refusal to reveal its pedigree.

This H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Blue Lagoon 1200-0206 — released in 2019 and limited to only 50 pieces worldwide — is a perfect example of that philosophy, void of any logos, names, or branding on the dial. Instead, what you get is a glorious “Blue Lagoon” fumé dial, punctuated with a trio of hands at the center — and that’s it. The gorgeous and understated dial is housed inside an 18k white gold case while the caseback offers a view of the in-house automatic movement, complete with a large engraved gold oscillating weight and all the decorative techniques you’d expect from a high-end Swiss watch.

Learn about H. Moser & Cie: 5 Reasons Not To Sleep On H. Moser & Cie Watches

Breguet Classique 5140

Breguet carries on the incredible legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet, the man who, among other groundbreaking creations, invented the tourbillon mechanism. Breguet (the man) is largely considered the godfather of horology and the modern watches that bear his name retain many of the aesthetic and mechanical developments he pioneered over two centuries ago.

Breguet is very much a watch connoisseur’s brand, and the Classique line is home to many of the company’s more understated offerings — plenty of which could be classified as quiet luxury timepieces. Take the Breguet Classique ref. 5140 for instance, which is a straightforward automatic time-only watch with a running seconds indicator. Yet, those in the know will instantly recognize the blue moon-tipped Breguet-style hands, fine fluting on the sides of the 40mm 18k white gold case, and intricate hand-guilloché patterns on the silvered gold dial as hallmarks of Breguet.

Learn More: A Primer on Watch Hands

A. Lange & Söhne 1815

Undoubtedly the best German watchmaker in the market, A. Lange & Söhne has given us plenty of fantastic watches since its relaunch in 1990. Among its collection of high complications, large men’s dress watches, and sports models, there are a number of understated pieces that would fit nicely into a quiet luxury watch wardrobe.

The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 ref. 235.026 is one of those pieces, featuring a compact 38.5mm 18k white gold case and furnished with an elegant black leather strap. And since quiet luxury is all about the fine details, we have to point out the argenté-colored dial that’s crafted entirely from solid silver. In true Lange fashion, the movement is a piece of art, which you can admire from the back of the watch. The manual-winding movement is exquisitely decorated, featuring the very German three-quarter plate construction made in untreated German silver.

Patek Philippe Gondolo 10-Day Tourbillon 5101P

While there’s nothing quiet about certain Patek Philippe watches (i.e. the Nautilus, Aquanaut, and the brand’s other hype watches), the prestigious watchmaker does have more than a few “if you know, you know” pieces to consider. For instance, the Gondolo 10-Day Tourbillon is a rectangular watch, which is not a shape often associated with Patek Philippe. What’s more, its Art-Deco rectangular case with tiered and sloping sides is fashioned from platinum — an ultra-expensive yet discreet precious metal that can be mistaken for other less costly white metals by unknowing onlookers. Like all Patek platinum watches, there’s also the hidden diamond set in between the lugs on the six o’clock side of the case.

Also See: New Patek Philippe Watches for 2023

Then there’s the salmon dial, which is a favorite shade among watch connoisseurs thanks to its association with special and rare releases. But perhaps the biggest secret this watch keeps is its tourbillon, which is not visible on the dial. Think about that for a moment — the vast majority of watchmakers will place a tourbillon front and center on the dial for all to see. But not Patek; it kept it hidden in the movement and only the wearer can see it via the caseback when the watch is off the wrist. Speaking of the movement, the Caliber 28-20 hand-wound movement supplies the Gondolo watch with an impressive 10-day power reserve. All substance and no hype — this is arguably the ultimate quiet luxury Patek Philippe watch.

Back to Basics: What is A Tourbillon Watch?

F. P. Journe Octa Automatique Réserve

F.P. Journe’s dedication to craftsmanship, mechanical mastery, and building as many components as possible in-house have earned the independent watchmaker legions of fans in its relatively short history. F. P. Journe is beloved by watch enthusiasts and industry folks alike (the company has been awarded the prestigious Aiguille d’Or by the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève three times) and customers have to wait years for one of François-Paul Journe’s creations — or pay multiple times the retail price to buy one from the secondary market. Yet despite all the accolades and its legendary status in watch-collecting circles, F.P. Journe is not a household name and is still squarely in IYKYK territory.

As such, the platinum F. P. Journe Octa Automatique Réserve is one of our top picks for an under-the-radar power watch. It features a 40mm case that houses a silver guilloché dial with blued steel hands, a power reserve indicator, and a large date window. As with many of the other quiet luxury watches on this list, one of the most compelling details is hidden away in the form of the stunning 18k rose gold movement visible from the back only. That automatic movement, Caliber 1300.3, was built with optimized winding in mind so that the watch could fully take advantage of its 160 hours of power reserve.

More about Movements: A Primer on Watch Movement Types

Rolex Cellini Dual Time

Now, it could be argued that there’s no way any Rolex watch could be classified as quiet luxury — this is the world’s most famous watch brand we’re talking about after all. However, if we look at the Cellini line, these are arguably some of the most “un-Rolex” of all Rolex watches, leaning into a traditional dress watch style rather than the company’s famed sportier designs. Most onlookers wouldn’t even know it’s a Rolex watch unless they were well-versed in the subject.

The Rolex Cellini Dual Time in rose gold dons a 39mm round case, topped with a double domed and fluted bezel. The handsome ‘Rayon flammé de la gloire’ guilloché dial includes a subdial at 6 o’clock to display a second time zone, complete with a day/night indicator. However, this particular Rolex Cellini holds yet another secret on its caseback — an engraving of the royal Khanjar emblem of Oman, which makes it extra special and highly valuable among serious collectors.

Learn more: Everything You Need To Know About Khanjar Watches

There you have it, our top picks for stealth wealth watches. If you’re in the market for a quiet luxury timepiece, look for soft-spoken but confident watches that emphasize craftsmanship, mechanical excellence, and top-notch materials. And just because these are expensive watches, it doesn’t mean you have to overpay for them — the secondary market offers plenty of incredible high-end watches at fantastic deals. This is particularly true for watches that do not qualify as hype pieces.

Other Buying Guides from Grey Market Magazine:
The Rebirth of the Men’s Dress Watch
What is a GADA Watch?
The Most Popular Rolex Watches
What is the Best Entry-Level Rolex?
The Best Luxury Graduation Gift Watches