A beautifully proportioned 1980s Dunhill tank-style dress watch with softly rounded “cushion-tank” edges, giving it a more fluid, elegant profile than the sharper Art-Deco rectangles. The star of the show is the dial: a rich guilloché / hobnail (clous de Paris–style) texture that catches the light and adds real depth, paired with bold Roman numerals and a neat date window at 6 o’clock for symmetry.
The case is finished in a warm gold tone with a clean, dressy silhouette, and it wears exactly how you want a classic Dunhill to wear—thin, refined, and unmistakably “proper” on the wrist. Fitted here on a smart leather strap that suits the period and the watch’s understated luxury.
Guilloché / hobnail dial texture – far more interesting than a flat dial, and the detail really elevates the watch.
Rounded tank case – a softer, more contemporary take on the classic rectangular dress watch.
Balanced dial design – strong Roman numerals with a well-placed date at 6, keeping everything tidy and centred.
High-end design language – the combination of slim rectangular form + textured dial is right in the same visual conversation as dress pieces from Cartier, JLC, Vacheron and Patek (that classic, quietly expensive look—without the price tag).
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
This is exactly the sort of piece that makes people look twice. It gives you that classic “Tank-style” wearing experience—clean rounded 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 that Guilloché / hobnail dial texture which is the kind of detail collectors love.
Spec Stuff
Reference : 16114
Movement : Swiss ETA Quartz battery powered
Age : 1981/1990
Specific Age : 1980s
Case Size : 32.mm x 28mm
Case Thickness : 5.8mm
Lug to Lug : 37mm Lugs : 16mm Condition : Pre-Owned Box & Papers : No Case Material : Steel & Gold plated Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
1980 Alfred Dunhill Guilloché / hobnail dial texture Gilt Rectangular Swiss Quartz Wristwatch – Roman Dial, Cabochon Crown
