In the past, the rounded gears inside almost all watches made circular watch faces the default shape on the market. While round watch cases can be attractive and stylish, they can start to look dull. For a fashion-forward man, a typical watch simply won’t do. That’s why many guys are drawn to the symmetry and geometric flair of a square watch.
The square watch has long been one of the more interesting fashion accessories. While these days, round watch faces are the most common, many fashionable people have long preferred the sharp lines and right angles of a square timepiece. It’s thus fitting that as we enter the 2020s, many watch designers are rediscovering the square designs that were so popular in the Roaring Twenties of the 20th century.
There’s something about the neat, smooth lines of a square that feel both bold and classic, at least when it’s used in fashion. From architecture to art, right angles are often used to indicate rigidity or solidness. We expect our rooms and buildings to be made of four straight walls connected at 90-degree angles. By contrast, watches and other fashionable jewelry tend to embrace curves and rounded shapes. Unquestionably, square watches stand out.
Looking to up your style for the new decade? Consider these square watches for men- they will definitely help you make a strong statement.
Table of Contents
Best Square Watches For Men
Casio Men’s Vintage A168WA-1
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This affordable watch is one of Casio’s most popular models. This is a vintage Casio design, an affordable everyday digital watch with functions such as an EL backlight, an alarm, a 1/100 second stopwatch.
The Casio Men’s Vintage A168WA-1 watch is made of a plastic case and a stainless steel case back and link bracelet. Powered by a quartz movement, there’s also a day and date calendar. This model has approximately seven years of battery life.
Casio Men’s G-Shock GWM5610-1
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G-Shocks are the go-to watches for those looking for a durable watch that can handle tough conditions. This model’s water-resistance of up to 200m makes it a good outdoor watch and can be used in swimming and other professional marine activity (but not scuba diving).
The Casio G-Shock GWM5610-1 is a 46.7mm solar-powered and shock-resistant watch that has an EL backlight for easy viewing in dark conditions. Other features are multi-band 6 Atomic Timekeeping technology, five daily alarms, a full auto-calendar, a city code display, and world time (total of 29 time zones). There’s also a power-saving function.
Nixon Ragnar
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American brand Nixon has a number of versions of this square-shaped watch. One popular model is the Nixon Ragnar 36, a 36mm watch made with a stainless steel case and a hardened mineral crystal.
This model has a combination of both Arabic and stick index markers, and has a date window at 3 o’clock. The strap is a custom Horween leather. This is a well-reviewed watch, with many customers pointing out the excellent size (which looks good on both big and small wrists). Other models include one with a white dial or this model with a brown/wooden-style dial.
Check out an article we wrote about Nixon here.
Skagen Rungsted SKW6256
Skagen watch has a Bauhaus-style design, with clean and thin lines and minimalist markers against a white dial. If you’re looking for a watch with a soft square case, this is a good model to consider.
This 40mm watch has raised index markers and a leather strap. The watch is water-resistant to 50m. The price tag is also relatively affordable, as most Bauhaus style watches could cost hundreds.
If you’d like to learn more about Skagen’s history and collections, you can check out our Skagen Watch Review article.
Seiko Men’s Recraft Series SNKP27
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Seiko is one of the most popular watch brands in the world, so you can be sure that you’re getting a quality product. The analog Seiko Men’s Recraft Series (SNKP27) is a 39.5mm watch with a unique green dial and gold indexes—design details that many customers love about the watch. This watch is not cheap but is not expensive either (especially compared to most of the watches we’re featuring in this article).
This self-winding watch has a case made of stainless steel and a power reserve of approximately 41 hours. The band material is leather, the water resistance is up to 50m, and there is a day/date window at 3 o’clock.
Braun Men’s BN0042GYGYG
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Braun, a German company known for making appliances and health/wellness devices, also makes clocks and watches.
This quartz movement Braun watch has a simple analog display and a genuine leather strap. Having a stylish minimalist design, this 36mm watch has a stainless steel case, a durable mineral crystal, and a water resistance to 50m.
With a price tag of around $100, this is a good everyday watch that’s stylish and reliable. The dial has shades of grey, except for the yellow seconds hand and a tiny red mark on the date window at 6 o’clock.
Garmin Forerunner 35
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This is a smartwatch that you can consider if an Apple Watch is too expensive (we’ll discuss this further below). Currently priced at around $100 in Amazon, the Garmin Forerunner 35 has all the essential features of a smartwatch: GPS, heart rate monitor, notifications and smartphone compatibility, and a high-resolution display.
This is excellent for those looking for a relatively affordable watch and gadget that can be used in sports and other fitness activities.
Other notable features of this sports smartwatch are music control, all-day activity tracking that counts steps and calories (as well as suggestions when to move more), and automatic update of data to the whole fitness community of Garmin Connect.
Tsovet JPT-TW35
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The JPT-TW35 square watch by American brand Tsovet is a square-shaped unisex watch with curved corners and a minimalist design. The black index and Arabic numeral markers are against a white dial. This is a 35mm watch, so it will look good in different wrists sizes—not too big, but not too small either.
This watch has a polished stainless steel case and a scratch-resistant mineral crystal, as well as a push/pull crown and a stitched leather strap. One of the most unique parts of the watch is the 10 o’clock position, which is a Tsovet trademarked hour marker position. This watch also runs on a 2+ year lithium coin cell battery.
Apple Watch Series 5
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The Apple Watch is now on its Series 5 version, and as expected, the features are some of the best in today’s current smartphone technology.
Available in 40 and 40mm sizes, this new version has a retina display that’s always on and has different material options (aluminum, ceramic, stainless steel, titanium). Other main health and fitness features include a cycle tracking app, workouts, and an ECG app. This new model is also swim-proof.
The Series 5 version has more than 100 watch faces to choose from. There’s also the Apple Pay app, which allows you to do secure transactions easily.
For the complete specs and new features, see Apple’s official website. You can also check out our article about the watch in our “Evolution of Apple’s Watches” article.
Rado Ceramica R21717152
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This is one of the many Rado Ceramica models. The Rado R21717152 Ceramica is a 36mm quartz watch housed in a ceramic case with a black ceramic link bracelet.
The uniquely-designed black dial has an uneven white hour and minute markers, as well as a date window at 6 o’clock. This is also water-resistant to 30m. Check out this page of the Rado website for a complete listing of the Ceramica brand.
To learn about Rado as a brand and to explore its other collections, you can also read this Rado Watch Review article from our site.
Longines Heritage Diver
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The Longines Heritage Diver (model L2.796.4.52.9) watch, which is off the Longines Heritage Diver collection, is a luxury sports watch with a stainless steel case and a durable black rubber strap. This analog timepiece has luminescent hands and markers and chronograph features (two subdials: 60-seconds and 30-minutes).
This model looks similar to the Longines classic Nonius watch, which was first released in the 1960s, so there’s a good balance of vintage aesthetics and modern technology. This is a robust watch with an automatic movement and a scratch-resistant sapphire, with a black dial and red and silver accents. The water resistance is up to 300m, so it can handle serious water activities except for diving.
Bell & Ross BR-01-92
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Bell & Ross is popular for its distinct watches with circle-within-a-square design. The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 has an all-black case and strap, with Arabic and index markers with photo-luminescent coating.
Powered by an automatic mechanical movement, this 42mm watch has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and a choice between a black rubber or black canvas straps, which are both excellent for a heavy-duty watch. The water resistance is up to 100m.
Nomos Tetra Neomatik 39 421
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Nomos is a German watchmaker that has been around for more than 170 years. This brand is known for its Bauhaus aesthetic, which has a neat layout with clean lines (read more about Bauhaus in our 10 Bauhaus Watches From Budget to Luxury article).
This one costs around $3,000 to nearly $4,000 (depending on where you purchase it). Powered by the Nomos caliber 3001, this the 33mm Tetra Neomatik 39 421 is popular for its unique design: a combination of Arabic and stick indexes, blue minute markers, and a bright red seconds hand at 6 o’clock. The strap is a Horween shell cordovan black leather.
Nomos Glashütte
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If you’re looking for a smaller Nomos model, this is a good watch to consider. The Tetra 27 Duo is a two-hand model, unlike the previous watch that has a small seconds features.
This 27.5mm watch is recommended for more slender wrists. The two hands are gold in color, and the combination of Arabic and index markers are a mocha-brown shade. The white silver-plated dial is neat, making all of the subtle features stand out. The water resistance is up to 30m, and the strap is a beige Velour leather.
This watch is powered by the Nomos Alpha.2, the brand’s precise in-house caliber.
Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Automatic Blue
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This is another popular Bell & Ross model, this time a dive-style watch but with the brand’s signature square case.
The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Automatic Blue has a stainless steel case, a durable blue rubber strap, and a screw-down crown. The bezel is unidirectional and has a blue aluminum ring. The luminescent hour index markers are accompanied by the minute markers on the outer rim.
If you’d like to learn more about Bell & Ross—its history, collections, warranty policy—we wrote a separate article on our website.
Tag Heuer Monaco
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This is a popular luxury watch that has a number of versions. The Tag Heuer Monaco with a Swiss automatic movement watch has a stainless steel case and a handsome blue dial with red and white highlights on the markers and the chronograph functions (there are two subdials: 60 seconds and 40 minutes).
Powered by a Swiss automatic movement, this watch is water-resistant to 100m and has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. There is a date window at 6 o’clock. Other similar models that you can also check out are Monaco with a black dial and a Steve McQueen special edition model.
Cartier Santos Automatic
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No square watch is complete without the iconic Santos de Cartier Watch. This collection dates back to 1904 when Louis Cartier made a watch requested by a famous Brazilian aviator.
The 35.1mm Santos de Cartier Medium Men’s watch (WSSA001) has a mechanical movement with automatic winding. The silver opaline dial has Roman numeral markers and contrasting blue sword-shaped hands and sapphire crystal.
There are two options for the strap (a steel bracelet or calfskin). The steel bracelet has a “SmartLink” resizing system, and both have the “QuickSwitch” system. Read more about how they work in this article.
Ralph Lauren 867
The Ralph Lauren 867 collection shows that they are more than a fashion brand. This well-reviewed watch was inspired by the brand’s flagship store in New York City.
This elegant 35mm watch has a sleek, classic design of a black or white dial with a combination of Roman and Arabic numeral markers and stylish Breguet hands. There are four options: matte black leather strap or steel bracelet in a black or white dial.
This watch isn’t cheap (the watches are priced at around $4,000 to $5,000), but the excellent design and precision make up for the tag. This is the RL430 movement, the Piaget 430 used in Piaget’s watches.
Hermes Carre H
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This luxury watch by Hermes is made from stainless steel, with the Hermes Manufacture movement H1912.
The 38mm Hermes Carre H has a stainless steel case with an anti-glare sapphire crystal and case back. It also has a 50-hour power reserve and is water-resistant to 30m. The strap is an elegant black Barenia calfskin, which is made from natural materials.
Panerai Luminor PAM00422
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We’ll wrap up the list with a luxury watch by Panerai, an Italian luxury watch brand that has been making watches since the 1860s. The brand’s watches are designed and manufactured by Rolex, which explains the hefty price tag.
The brand has a curved squared watch—the Panerai Luminor, an analog watch with hours, minutes, and small seconds functions. The water resistance is up to 100m.
This robust 47mm watch has a polished stainless steel case and bezel and luminous markers. Like other Panerai watches, this model also has the famous Panerai crown guard at three o’clock. This watch is a limited edition, with only 2,000 pieces released.
