We have here a wonderfully stylish neo-vintage Alfred Dunhill rectangular dress watch from the 1980s, presented in a solid sterling silver (925) case with gilt finish and that unmistakable Dunhill elegance.
The dial is the real hook: a bold black-and-white two-tone layout with oversized Roman numerals framing a deep black centre panel signed dunhill, all finished with slim gold-tone hands that pop beautifully against the high-contrast design. It’s confident, graphic, and very “period-correct” in the best way—exactly the kind of watch that looks simple at first glance, then gets more interesting the longer you wear it.
The case measures 32.5mm x 28mm (excluding crown and T-bar strap fittings), giving it proper presence on the wrist without ever feeling oversized. Inside is a dependable Swiss quartz movement—a perfect match for a watch that’s designed to be worn and enjoyed daily with zero fuss.
A lovely detail is the original silver hallmarked gilt buckle, matching the watch case and completing the set in a way you rarely see survive together.
Alfred Dunhill Ltd. is a world known English company, aJaeger-Lecoultre Atmos regulator for Alfred Dunhill brand of men's products de-luxe, which provides the true connoisseurs of the English luxury with clothing, leather accessories, writing implements, jewelries, lighters, fragrances and, of course, watches. The brand’s founder is Alfred Dunhill, the son of entrepreneur who owned a famous saddler business in London. But the 20 century replaced horses with more practical and powerful automobiles. It gave enterprising people a wide range of possibilities, and the company of Dunhill began its development with the production of accessories and clothing for the first drivers. The slogan of Alfred (1872-1959) said: “It must be practical, safe, beautiful, and durable, and it must be the best”. More than 100 years this philosophy underlies the Dunhill's business. Few people know that Alfred Dunhill started his way to the world of beautiful and sophisticated things in 1893. The first shop “Dunhill's Motorities” was opened at Euston road, London. Since 1903 this shop had watches in sale. Those water resistant watches caused a great sensation in foggy London. Dunhill became interested in wrist watches in the middle of 20s. They were distinguished by novelty and vivid design. The regular customers had an opportunity to choose different watches in the catalogues: square, round, diamond-shaped, men, and women watches. By the end of 20s a wide range of bracket clocks appeared in the watch collection. However, the audience was mostly admired by the design know-how in 1926: the clocks were built in the case of classic lighter “Unique”. The trend of unusual things remained, and in 1928 the watch «Reversible» were built in the silver buckle of men belt. The wrist watches and writing implements appeared in the collection when the contract with Japanese Namiki was concluded.
As with all our stock this piece comes fully serviced by our on-site workshop and with a 12 month, non-waterproof service cover.
What we think
I love this AD model and its one of my favourite watches from the 1980s collection this the neo-vintage style along with that fabulous banded T-bar not to dissimilar to the Cartier Vendome or Tank Models along with cabochon crown and in our opinion equal in quality. The perfect watch for a vintage watch newbie who prefers the look without the patina, or anyone looking for a great piece at a very attractive price. You'll be sure to get lots of people asking you about this special watch! It is a comfortable fit and looks great on both men and women. A real design winner from Alfred Dunhill again.
This is exactly the sort of piece that makes people look twice. It gives you that classic “Tank-style” wearing experience—clean rectangular case, Roman dial, cabochon crown vibe—but at a fraction of the cost you’d expect for a comparable Cartier look. In the metal it feels properly made, with a satisfying weight and that sleek, slightly architectural Dunhill design language.
If you’re after a distinctive dress watch with genuine brand heritage, strong 1980s design character, and everyday reliability, this is an incredibly smart buy—especially with the matching hallmarked buckle, which is the kind of detail collectors love.
Spec Stuff
Reference : 21790
Movement : Swiss ETA Quartz battery powered
Age : 1971/1980
Specific Age : 1980 Via original buckle hallmark
Case Size : 32.5mm x 28mm (excluding crown and T-bar strap fittings)
Case Thickness : 6.8mm
Lug to Lug : 88mm Lugs : 18mm Condition : Pre-Owned Box & Papers : No Case Material : Sterling 925 Silver Hallmarked Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
1980 Alfred Dunhill Sterling Silver (925) Gilt Rectangular Swiss Quartz Wristwatch – Roman Dial, Cabochon Crown, Hallmarked Buckle
