A confluence of European and African culture, Tango brings ballroom formality and elegance to a boil, marrying the primal urgency of a mating ritual into the discipline of dance. A watch to suitably balance the twin pillars of tango should then bear the elegance of dress watch, yet carry an undercurrent of athleticism, precision, and passion.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo

In a tux? Then there’s hardly a more fitting extension of sharp tailoring than in the Octo Finissimo’s marvellous angles and ultra-thin side profile. It’s also a feat of engineering, as Bulgari has squeezed a tourbillon into a movement that’s just 1.95mm thick, a
world record.

Girard-Perregaux 1966

Tango isn’t a solo sport; that would be like playing air guitar. Hence, it is most gratifying that this iteration of the 1966 is not only accented by a beautiful guilloché dial; it also comes in an adequately sized ladies’ version with a ring of diamonds on the bezel – for the power couple.

Hermès Arceau Automatique

There is such a visual affinity between the equestrian-inspired Arceau Automatique and tango, we couldn’t resist. One can find a correlation between the dignified canter of a show horse and the controlled steps of the tango; then there is the wild swirl of numerals on the dial like a dancer’s skirt.    

Omega Globemaster

Funky design details like the pie pan dial, fluted bezel, and sleekly bevelled case make for a standout dress watch, available in steel, platinum, or Sedna gold. In addition, the “Master Chronometer” label on the dial says the Globemaster has passed through very rigorous rounds of testing for reliability, resistance to magnetic fields, and precision. So tango.

Story Credits

Text by Yeo Suan Futt

Photography by GreenPlasticSoldierS

Styling by  Ong Weisheng

This story was first published in World of Watches.