Six recommendations for daily wear to the office

Context: Singapore CBD. Target: Office Workers. What do we think is acceptable for wear in a CBD office? Here are six recommendations.

Six recommendations for daily wear to the office

First, some ground rules. For this list, we consider the following restrictions. The target demographic is office workers in the Singapore Central Business District. In particular this article will cover male office workers. Those who habitually or are required to dress up for their job. At a minimum, a long sleeved shirt with formal trousers and proper shoes. In Singapore, the office etiquette may require the men to wear a neck tie, but many sport open collars. A suit is sometimes a requirement for big presentations or major international cliental visits, but not always necessary. And in many of the frigid environments (yes the weather is hot, but offices are cold!) which CBD offices tend to be set at, sweaters and jackets are often seen. Here we are talking about the bankers, administrative staff, managers, lawyers, brokers, dealers, IT professionals and the like. You get the picture.

For alternatives, see our article on watch spotting in public transport and in the streets. We even did one while on our social bicycle rides featuring watches we encounter of members of the public.

As we study this environment (putting on our best David Attenborough impreaaion), we observe many interesting timepieces on the wrist of our specimens. But there is also a fairly high population of electronic and fitness based wearables like the Apple Watch and Garmins. As watch enthusiasts, this is a no-no…though recently, our Chief Editor has been spotted around town with his newly acquired Corus Vertix 2S sports smart watch. Full review coming! Peter is no longer a habitual inhabitant of the CBD, not since a long while. Though he cut his teeth for more than 20 years in the field.

With this framework in mind, let’s go! Watches are listed with no particular order.

Chopard L.U.C GMT One Black

We start off with the Chopard: the L.U.C GMT One Black. We think we are off to a good start. The L.U.C GMT One Black has many interesting and useful features.

First, L.U.C because it has pedigree and a product of Chopard’s strong commitment to quality, high craft and good value. The movement is totally conceived and manufactured in-house. Second GMT because this is a very useful feature not only for travel, but also to keep the second timezone on oversea offices (typically London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York or Tokyo. But could be anywhere else in the world). Useful for conference calls. And finally black because it is more discreet under the cuffs of those bespoke French cuffs (well, actually the cuffs of any long sleeved shirt). Black dial, black case, black straps. And it looks stunning in our books.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Next, a staple for the dressy crowd. Though first intended for sports use; the Reverso was created by JLC that Polo players can flip their watch to prevent breaking the crystal; it is now almost solely a watch for the office. A good choice would be. Reverso Dual Time, but for this list. We go for more complication. Our pick is the Tribute Chronograph released just last year. The Reverso Tribute Chronograph marks, for us, a return by JLC to the world of complications. A return which continued this year with the revival of their Duométre series. The new Chronograph Moon are revisits to these now iconic pieces. And the new Heliotourbillon is a tour de force in watchmaking.

And the Tribute Chronograph has so much going for it. The steel model features a front dial side which is a discreet looking blue dial in a sun-ray brushed finishing. Blue is a standard colour in the office man’s wardrobe and an easy match to the rest of his clothing. But flip it around, and the view of the superbly complicated and well finished chronograph works is revealed. The chronograph is useful in timing meetings and calls. And the Reverso mechanism can also serve good time as a fidget gadget for those boring presentations.

Vacheron Constantin Oversea Chronograph

Another chronograph! This time, the VC Constantin Overseas Chronograph with “Panda” Dial. A bit more showy than the JLC, but still understated enough for the office.

A monochromatic look with just silver and black, the VC Overseas Chronograph is a nice watch to slip on the wrist. The watch is very comfortable, and versatile as the quick release system for the bracelet makes it easy to switch out the stainless steel bracelet for a rubber or crocodile strap to suit the look for Casual Friday or the weekend. The watch is, of course, a VC, which means that it has good breeding. Beautiful aesthetics, excellent movement. Well finished. The dial is also very legible and clean despite the triple counters in black (hence the Panda in the name) over the silver dial is very attractive.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

This one is to stand out from the MoonSwatch wearers in the office. The original Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. While the base Moonwatch and its numerous tribute variants will suit the ticket quite nicely, we decided to go one up. And pick the more rare (if you would call 2,012 piece a limited edition) SpeedyTuesday Ultraman.

It has all the accoutrements of a cult watch. The details in the design tell a tale which is so endearing to the collector, but mostly missed by non-collectors. Which, in a perverse way, makes it even more appealing to the hard core collector. Features Like the DON, the tiny Ultraman head which glows when the dial is bathed with UV light, the vintage appliqué Omega logo, the stepped case, and the orange accents. The watch also comes with two straps which enable the watch to go from office to bar with a quick switch.

Louis Vuitton Tambour

Perhaps a surprise entry, but perhaps not. We have been recently quite enthused and bullish by a marque more known for their fashion and voyage trunks than watches. But the “new” Louis Vuitton Tambour deserves all the love. The Tambour has been around for ages, but has recently received a redesign and released in 2023. And in its current release, looks and feels stunning. Our favourite is the grey on silver steel model shown here. And this new Tambour sports an integrated steel bracelet, which is LV’s first hat in the ring for the very competitive and lucrative luxury steel sports watch genre.

And a bold entry it was. The case is subtly redesigned, still retaining the drum DNA, but more subtle. More refined. The bracelet is amazingly comfortable on the wrist. We particularly liked the choice to finish the watch in a matte finish, with only subtle high polished accents to accentuate the volume and curves. The sporty steel sports watch is the epitome of office wear. Rugged enough but not unbreakable tough to make it bulky. Nice and refined, but not too posh to draw attention. Recognisable but yet not too loud and flashy. Nice balance.

A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Timezone

The Lange 1 is a quintessential piece of male jewellery in the CBD. Especially for the micro-climate of the Boardroom. It has the necessary level of flex while still remaining discreet. Some of the watches we discuss on this listicle carry a lot of clout among watch enthusiasts, but in a Boardroom of “clueless” members, the subtlety of a Rexhep Rexhepi CC1 may be lost. However, the Lange 1 has a the presence to be noticed. Thanks to its teutonic roots. Especially in gold, and our pick would be in pink gold. The asymmetric dial provides visual interest. And of course, the watch reeks of high quality through its superior finishing. But quietly.

Our pick is the Lange 1 Timezone. In platinum for the quiet monochromatic looks. (Again? Perhaps we are too obsessed with this monotone look. Tell us if you think we are.) The timezone complication is again useful for knowing the time around the globe. Useful in conference calls. The feel of the platinum case is quite hefty, but Lange and her case suppliers have mastered the art of balancing the heavy platinum case (yes its a 42mm case in massive, solid platinum case with soldered lugs) with German Silver movement. Lange platinum watches just sit nicely on the wrist. Hard to explain why, but ask any owner. An attempt to describe the feeling is that somehow the center of gravity of the watch seems to be inside the wrist, making it quite stable despite the heft. And because it sits so nicely on the wrist, it feels very comfortable.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary for this line, and it still looks as fresh as ever! And we are certainly looking forward to what Lange will be releasing come October 24 for the Anniversary.

Concluding thoughts

Here our top picks for office wear. Do you work in a CBD (or CBD like) office? What do you and your co-workers wear to office?