New TV-Shaped Watches Are Squaring Off Against Tradition

TV-shaped watches are emblematic of 1970s horology. In the Disco Era, the rise of square and cushion-shaped movements—such as Seiko’s 7016-5000 automatic chronograph and Piaget’s ultra-thin 7P quartz caliber—liberated designers from round-cased conventions.

As a result, watchmakers embraced bold, futuristic silhouettes that echoed the proportions of cathode-ray tube television sets. Thinking inside the box, watchmakers unveiled softly rounded forms that became a staple of the era’s aesthetic language, signaling modernity, technological prowess, and a touch of funk.

This trend birthed icons like the Cartier Ceinture, a Parisian creation that resembled a belt buckle with a softened square outline. Heuer (before it became TAG Heuer) launched the Silverstone in 1974, a rounded-square chronograph named after the British racing circuit, housing the Caliber 12 automatic movement. Omega dabbled in the style too—you might be surprised to find angular Speedmaster and Seamaster models when you look through the brand’s archives.

If you’re in the market for a vintage model and are lucky enough, you might chance upon cushion-shaped classics like the Vacheron Constantin 2136 or the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Mariner 24001-42. The secondary market also teems with inexpensive TV dial offerings from Bulova, Hamilton, Movado, Seiko, and Timex.

But the appeal of the square dial didn’t end with disco. If you’re after a modern-day angular wrist statement, here are some new releases that prove that it’s once again hip to be square.

Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic

Bell & Ross has always drawn inspiration from aviation instruments, and the BR-05 line modernizes that ethos into a suave sports watch. Last month, the brand launched the BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic, which is one of its most striking expressions—a full-black ceramic case with an openworked dial that reveals the in-house caliber BR-CAL.322. Its angular silhouette feels like a stealth fighter crossed with a 1970s dashboard TV, exuding industrial cool with haute horlogerie finishing. Measuring 41mm in diameter, this new timepiece packs a 54-hour power reserve, is water resistant to a depth of 100m, and is limited to 500 pieces worldwide.

Brew Metric Lite Gold

Founded by industrial designer Jonathan Ferrer, Brew is a microbrand that channels vintage espresso machines, urban textures, and 1970s design tropes into compact, cushiony wristwear. Their signature Metric and Retromatic lines feature throwback square cases with sunray dials, perforated details, and tactile pushers. Accessible in price yet rich in personality, Brew’s creations embody the TV case spirit with a café racer twist—perfect for watch lovers who want form, function, and flavor in one wrist-ready shot. Brew just released the 30mm Metric Lite Gold, which features radial hour markers that draw the eye across an obsidian dial to a 70s-style PVD gold case.

Glashütte Original Seventies ‘X’ Chronograph

A tribute to East German design of the 70s, Glashütte Original’s Seventies Chronograph has long been a sleeper hit. The ‘X’ Edition, released at the end of July, dials it up with a “panda” colorway and a crisp case profile that evokes Cold War brutalism with saxon precision. Inside its 40mm cushion case, you’ll find the in-house Calibre 37-02 flyback chronograph, which combines complex mechanics with clean German aesthetics. The details of this 100-piece limited edition are truly engrossing—PVD counters and white gold indices furnish a white lacquer dial, and the hand finishing continues across its bracelet and see-through caseback.

H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Alpine Drivers Edition and Mechanics Edition

The Streamliner isn’t exactly a TV dial, but its elegant placement of a round dial within a beautiful cushion case has made it a grail for many. A brand that used to be only known for its gradient dials, H. Moser & Cie. has produced many sensational hits since its acquisition by the Meylan family. One of these instant classics is the Streamliner. We’ll never forget the Streamliner Tourbillon Vantablack, which is the darkest possible shade of black, and Streamliner Pandamonium that the brand created in collaboration with MB&F. Encouraged by the warm reception of the Streamliner, Moser released a blue-cased flyback chronograph called the Streamliner Alpine Drivers Edition in late May, along with a part-digital part-mechanical watch called the Streamliner Alpine Mechanics Edition.

Piaget Andy Warhol

In the 1970s and ’80s, Piaget embraced maximalist glamor, often in the company of artists like Andy Warhol, who famously owned a stash of gold Piaget watches, including TV-shaped models. Recently, Piaget revived this spirit with a reissue of Warhol’s favorites—square-dial watches with precious stone dials, studded with diamonds, designed more for Studio 54 than the boardroom. It’s also worth noting that while the Piaget Polo is often remembered for its round dials, early Polo evolutions also included square and cushion-shaped iterations.

Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto

One of my favorite watches of all time, Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto is the maison’s answer to the integrated-bracelet sports watch—housed in a sleek, rounded-square case inspired by vintage racing helmets. Its case silhouette recalls 1970s TV sets, but its dial execution is quintessential Ferrier: minimalist, gently curved, and technically superb. Powered by a micro-rotor caliber with Ferrier’s signature natural escapement, the Sport Auto is testament to the unmatched skill and taste of its namesake watchmaker, who cut his teeth in Patek Philippe for 37 years. This past June, Laurent Ferrier unveiled the Sport Auto 79, a 5N red gold watch with a delicate opaline finish dial that showcases his impeccable taste with proportion and finishing. Not many know that Ferrier used to be a race car driver, and this timepiece celebrates both his watch brand’s 15^th anniversary, and his 1979 Le Mans podium finish alongside brand co-founder François Servanin.

Mido Multifort

Launched in 1934, the Mido Multifort was one of the world’s first antimagnetic, shock-resistant, and water-resistant watches with an automatic movement. By the 1970s, Mido gave the Multifort line a groovy makeover, introducing square-cased automatic models with vibrant dials, integrated bracelets, and deeply brushed surfaces. Today’s Multifort watches carry that same spirit of sturdy elegance, often experimenting with dial colors and textures while paying homage to mid-century design cues. The brand’s latest release sports a dark blue hue accented by electric orange markers and hands, and its chief novelty released in Spring 2025 was a two-crowned version of the Multifort—one crown adjusts the time and the other adjusts the internal bezel.

Rado True Square Skeleton

The latest Rado True Square Skeleton models introduce three matte-finish ceramic variants—gunmetal plasma ceramic with a matching bracelet, matte black ceramic with a matching bracelet, and a matte black ceramic case paired with a rubber strap. All use a compact 38 mm monobloc case that plays up neatly rounded corners, keeping both form and comfort in check. Inside beats Rado’s skeletonized R808 automatic movement that has 80 hours of power reserve and a Nivachron anti-magnetic hairspring. This exquisitely finished movement is visible through a two-level openworked dial with robust Super-LumiNova indices and hands.

TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf

Famously worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 film Le Mans, the TAG Heuer Monaco is arguably the most famous square dial watch of all. First released in 1969 as the Heuer Monaco Ref. 1133, it was the first automatic chronograph housed in a square water-resistant case, and collectors fell in love with its unconventional shape. The brand just relaunched this icon in May in the form of the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf. Encased in sandblasted titanium , this new 39mm iteration sports a fine-grained dial with racing stripes, and is powered by an improved version of the Caliber 11, which TAG Heuer developed off a Sellita SW300 base for the original Ref. 1133.