Photos: 8 of the Most Elegant Watches from SIHH 2016 (Male Inspired)

Sure, there was an onslaught of outlandish and

absurdly expensive timepieces at SIHH (the Salon

International de la Haute Horlogerie) this year.

But there were also a bunch of strong releases in

the more-understated dress watch category.

Some like the bank-breaking creations from A. Lange & Söhne are a bit out of reach in terms of cost, while offerings from the likes of Cartier and Montblanc have been priced quite competitively given their brand pedigrees. Narrowing down our top selections wasn't easy, but after careful consideration, here are eight of our favorites.

LAURENT FERRIER GALET SQUARE

BORÉAL

Laurent Ferrier is a new name in the watch industry, but considering the strength of this latest release, we expect to see it popping up much more frequently. An exceptionally crafted movement paired with an elegant, timeless dial and case design make the Galet Square Boréal one of our favorite new watches to date.

H. MOSER & CIE. ENDEAVOUR

PERPETUAL CALENDAR CONCEPT

In celebration of the 10th aniversary of the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar–the calendar function can compensate for 30-day months as well as leap years–comes a new and minimalist design variant. It may not be as easy to read as its siblings, but much like other recently unveiled markerless watches from the brand, this one is destined to be a hit. And with production limited to only 10 pieces worldwide, it'll likely to sell out in no time.

JAEGER LECOULTRE REVERSO TRIBUTE

DUO

Jaeger LeCoultre is celebrating the 85th anniversary of the first Reverso this year, and to mark the occasion, the hugely popular brand is adding a few new pieces to the already-expansive

collection. The original Reverso was designed so that the dial side could be flipped over to protect it from damage during polo matches, but the Duo has a different dial on each side: one with conventional hour and minute hands paired with a small-seconds indicator, and the other with a day-night subdial at the 6 o'clock position.

A. LANGE & SÖHNE RICHARD LANGE

JUMPING SECONDS

A. Lange & Söhne is a fan favorite for its exceptional finishing and complex-yet-legible dial and complication configurations. This Richard Lange Jumping Seconds watch uses a one-second, constant force remontoire to achieve a jumping seconds hand function (rather than the traditional sweeping seconds of a mechanical movement), and its subdials split out the indication of hours, minutes, and seconds.

CARTIER DRIVE DE CARTIER

Cartier was a little overdue for a completely new case shape in its watch lineup, and by all accounts the company has done it right this time around. The Drive de Cartier (or simply Cartier Drive) boasts an in-house movement, a compact and slim 40mm case, and a classic roman numeral dial–a Cartier watch staple. With so much going for it, we're almost surprised at how competitively priced this new model is.

MONTBLANC 4810 DAY-DATE

Montblanc has added a few items to the 4810

collection for 2016, including this simple 40mm

day-date model. While some would argue that the

Day-Date is such an iconic Rolex model that no

other brand should build the complication, we

say there's room for all, especially considering the

relatively low price of entry for this one. The

classically designed piece includes a date display

at 3 o'clock, as well as a day indicator arching

across the 12 o'clock position.

DE BETHUNE DB25 WORLD TRAVELLER

Arguably not a traditional dress watch, but the De

Bethune DB25 World Traveller is so beautiful that

it warrants a mention. De Bethune's penchant for

over-engineering and attention to detail knows

no bounds, and no matter what complication the

company chooses to take on, it constantly finds

ways to think outside the box. In this case, rather

than using a traditional hand to indicate a second

timezone, a small ball rolls its way around an

inner track, exposing its gold side when the time

indicated is during the day, and its blue side at

night.

VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS MIDNIGHT

NUIT LUMINEUSE

Simple, yet over-the-top in a way that only Van

Cleef and Arpels would do, this watch uses a

mechanically driven generator to build up a small

amount of electricity which can be used to light

up a small grouping of diamonds on its dial at the

press of a button.