RECTANGULAR WATCHES

Rectangular watches became one of the defining styles of vintage watchmaking during the 1930s and 1940s, when wristwatches were becoming widely established. Influenced by Art Deco, they are distinguished by linear case architecture, stepped case construction, and inventive lug designs that create a very different visual language from traditional round watches.

While many manufacturers fitted round movements inside rectangular cases, others developed shaped movements specifically to match the form of the case. The resulting relationship between case, dial, and movement gives these watches their distinctive proportions and offers a vivid expression of the richness and creativity of 1930s and 1940s watch design.