It's this striking colourway that led watch dealers and collectors, somewhere along the line, to coin the term tuxedo
dial — which, broadly speaking, refers to a watch with a bi-colour dial, black and white with an outer ring that
contrasts the centre of the dial. It's not a design 'owned' by any brand or style of watch in particular, though, as
the nickname suggests, it does lean dressy.
A tuxedo fit for Mad Men
When looking at prominent tuxedo dials, there's one specific watch that, for its place in pop culture, takes the
cake. The watch in question is a Tudor Oyster-Prince reference 7967 from 1959. It's an elegant watch, the dial
centre has a fine crosshatch, and the other hour chapter features a subtle radial finish that makes it quite the
standout. But this watch stands out not only for its design but for its small (but significant) place in pop culture
history. Actor John Slattery wore this watch in his role as Sterling Cooper on Mad Men. This watch was provided to
the show by Canadian vintage dealer Derek Dier, who auctioned it off with Christie's in 2015, where it achieved a
hammer price of $10,000.
Gérald Genta's take on the tuxedo
Another famous tuxedo dial, one that pre-dates the Tudor is, of course, that early Genta design — the Polerouter,
which dates back to 1954. Again, the dial of this distinctive watch features a silver engine turned inner ring that
goes a long way to adding the enduring appeal of this mid-century icon its distinctive appeal
The contemporary Tuxedo
UNDONE'S Vintage Tuxedo offers a modern take on the classic style, with the chronograph complication adding some
extra layers to the design, with a central dial in matte grey, with starburst chronograph registers and a black hour
chapter ring with lovely, creamy-coloured Arabic numerals in a very pleasing deco-esque font, matched perfectly by
the slender, lume-filled hands. The case is equally vintage-inspired, with pump-style pushers, and long straight
lugs on the 40mm steel case. The movement though is somewhat more modern — a Seiko Instruments meca-quartz that's a
happy middle ground between quartz accuracy and mechanical actuation.
As far as tuxedos go, Undone's version is quite contemporary, a modern evolution of the tuxedo — more Donald Glover
than Fred Astaire, but equally stylish.
Technical Specifications
Movement: Seiko Instruments Inc. VK64 Mechanical-Quartz Hybrid Flyback Chronograph
Case: 40mm stainless steel; water-resistant to 30 metres.
Strap: Black leather