Mondaine Simply Elegant Watch

In 1944, Swiss engineer Hans Hilfiker designed what would become the Official Swiss Railway Clock. It featured an easy-to-read dial with large black stick markers and a bright red seconds hand. About 40 years after the clock’s debut, the Mondaine watch company received official license from the Swiss Federal Railways to use this iconic design. Today, it’s a watch recognized around the world—a tribute to Switzerland’s history of watchmaking.

The Simply Elegant is one among many Mondaine watches to showcase this celebrated design. Notably slim, the 41-millimeter case stands little more than 6 millimeters thick, which gives it the streamlined aesthetic of a dress watch. Inside, it’s fitted with Swiss Ronda 783 quartz movement, which offers a battery life of about 42 months. A sapphire crystal protects the dial, while a brown leather strap rounds off the minimalist look. To set the watch, use the small crown at 3 o’clock, which is colored red and printed with an “M” for Mondaine.