The vast majority of watches are round (newsflash), which makes a certain degree of sense: being powered by mechanical movements that translate the unwinding of a spring into rotating hands, there’s a simple logic to circular dials. But some of the watch world’s most iconic designs are square – or rectangular, which in this conversation is broadly the same thing – such as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, the TAG Heuer Monaco, and the many varieties of Cartier Tank and Santos. So, are square watches an acquired taste? Does adding one to your watch portfolio require special consideration? We asked Mr James Marks, watch specialist at renowned auction house Phillips, to shed a bit more light on the matter.

“There is an old adage in watch collecting that is becoming truer by the day,” says Mr Marks: “Buy with your eyes and your heart, not what your wallet can afford.”

“So to an extent, if you’re looking at a square watch, something about it must have spoken to you – and on one level that’s all you need to think about: if a watch appeals to you, there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s not like you’re asking if you can put square tyres on your car.

“Similarly, no one is born a ‘square-watch guy’ any more than you are born ‘a round-watch guy’, and I don’t think I have any clients who just wear one or the other. People flip-flop between different case shapes – you might just fancy a change if you’ve worn a round case for 10 years. I mostly wear round watches, but I have the complete polar opposite at my disposal – the Cartier Tank Asymétrique.

“With the exception of the Monaco, square-cased watches tend to be dressier. I wear my Tank Asymétrique when I’m going to the office because it’s more elegant, and I feel like I’m making an effort. But there’s another reason I wear it. I’m very conscious of not wanting to wear what I feel are becoming ‘uniform’ watches – a stainless-steel sports watch, mostly from Rolex, Patek Philippe or maybe Audemars Piguet.

“When everyone is heading down the same path, things just don’t feel as special and I think there is a real shift right now with people trying to break away from the norm. People are looking for watches that have a bit of a different character.”

It is worth considering that sizing up a square watch will take a bit more thought if you’re used to picking your watch by case diameter. Visualising the space it takes up on your wrist is more about the lug-to-lug measurement, and case thickness comes into it too: if in doubt, have a read of our in-depth guide to picking the right size watch. 

It’s also not something you’ll find at every watchmaker. The designs we’ve namechecked are enduringly popular, but square watches haven’t always worked out. “Many have tried and failed,” agrees Mr Marks. “Patek Philippe, for example, has never really nailed it – look at the 5020 or the Gondolo Calendario. A Lange & Söhne made the Cabaret, which bombed. Hence a square watch remains a little bit of a left-field choice, and that can be part of its appeal, too.

“These days, making a square watch isn’t something that would transform a brand’s fortunes. The iconic models that you think of were introduced at a time when the fashion was for square designs (even Rolex made rectangular cases in the 1930s and 1940s, but you know they’re not about to do that now), and it’s a fashion that comes and goes.

“Something to think about is that square designs are quite sharp – obviously – but with that in mind, brands go to great lengths to smooth them off around the edges, and often what you end up with isn’t anywhere near as angular as it might first seem. Look at my Tank – the tops are rolled over, to give an impression of a lighter touch.

Lastly, if you’re tempted to move away from the mainstream, but aren’t sure that the Art Deco influences of a Tank or Reverso are for you, there may be a third way. “A lot of the great watch designs – think of Gerald Genta’s Nautilus or Royal Oak – aren’t really round, they’re porthole shapes,” says Mr Marks, “and you have more recent designs like the Richard Mille case shape. One that I think has really worked, and it’s not a square watch per se but definitely not a round one either, is Zenith’s A385 El Primero. It’s a real standout design that defines the 1970s. The world has not set in stone that a great watch has to be round.”