Since its launch in 2019, the French microbrand Serica has garnered a strong reputation within enthusiast circles by producing well-crafted tool watches with a distinctly minimalist aesthetic. Therefore, when I first heard that Serica was making a dress watch, I immediately wondered how the brand’s stark and utilitarian design language might be adapted to a more refined and elegant timepiece. However, for its latest release of 2024, Serica has stepped far outside of its aesthetic comfort zone, and while the new Serica Parade ref. 1174 still adheres to the brand’s core philosophy of creating durable watches that are suitable for daily wear, it is also a wonderfully distinct offering that is unlike anything else the brand has put forward.

At the time of launch, the new Serica ref. 1174 Parade is available with the option of either a Satin Black or Sunray Bronze dial, with the latter version being the model featured here. The “1174” reference number serves as a nod to the ratio that informs its unique oblong design, and rather than adhering to a 1:1 ratio like the brand’s traditional round watches, the proportions of the Serica Parade are defined by a ratio of 1.174. As for the “Parade” name of the model, Serica looks to the traditional meaning of the word, and while many modern-day parades now take the form of vibrant street parties, the original concept of a parade is to gather with others and formally present a celebratory moment to the world. Consequently, rather than being a parade-themed watch designed for an afternoon of partying in the streets, Sereica’s inaugural dress watch is all about the act of celebration and how we present ourselves at our finest moments.

Crafted from stainless steel with contrasting brushed and polished surfaces, the case of the Serica Parade ref. 1174 appears in a “stadium” shaped profile, which could best be described as an elongated ellipse with straight vertical sides. Further adding to the complexity of its design, the right-hand side of the case slightly flares out to form small guards for the unsigned push/pull-style crown at 3 o’clock, and this is mirrored by a small protrusion on the 9 o’clock side, which helps maintain a symmetrical profile. Protecting the Serica 1174 Parade’s dial is a flat sapphire crystal, which appears in the same stadium-shaped profile as its case, and the stepped edges along the sides of its bezel highlight the contrasting brushed and polished finishing on its components. Meanwhile, the reverse side of the Parade receives a solid caseback that is secured at the corners by four small screws, and aside from having a few obligatory markings, the caseback is largely unadorned with ample room for a personalized engraving.

Rather than just securing the caseback, the four caseback screws on the Serica Parade extend completely through its middle case and attach to the underside of its bezel to create sandwich-style construction for additional durability and water resistance. Despite not featuring a screw-down crown, the sandwich-style architecture of the Parade ref. 1174 allows for a tight seal around its gaskets, and the model offers a solid 100-meter depth rating, which should be more than enough to handle whatever aquatic activities you might encounter (especially considering that this is a dress watch). While the overall appearance of the Parade 1174 is distinctly elegant, the model still benefits from Serica’s inherent desire for durability, and details such as its crown guards and ample water resistance make the Parade a highly refined dress watch that can easily stand up to daily wear.

When I first saw the Serica Parade’s crown, I had slight concerns that it would be difficult to operate; however, the stepped design of its case combined with the sloped profile of its guards allows for a surprising amount of grip. While I was easily able to wind the watch manually using its crown, I could potentially see this being slightly challenging for someone with particularly large fingers. That said, since the Parade features a self-winding movement with a time-only display, operating the crown will largely be limited to the occasions when you have to set the time. Although details such as its thick bezel and crown guards play an integral role in the Parade’s appearance, they also provide vulnerable elements such as the crystal and crown with a decent amount of protection from impacts, and I would almost describe the Parade as a more sporty and industrial expression of something like the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse.

Regarding its dimensions, the Serica Parade reference 1174 measures 41mm in the lug-to-lug direction by 35mm in diameter (including its crown guards and the subtle bulge on the 9 o’clock side of its case), and despite featuring an automatic movement, the total height of the watch comes in at just 8.6mm thick. Additionally, while the Parade’s lugs are positioned under its bezel and completely integrated into its case profile, they are set a standard 18mm apart, although the curvature of the case requires the use of curved springbars, which slightly restricts the range of compatible third-party strap options. Weight will rarely ever be an issue for an elegant time-only dress watch, and the Serica Parade 1174 is no exception at approximately 50 grams (including its strap), which is enough to feel like a substantial and well-crafted product while still being lightweight and comfortable on the wrist.

Regardless of whether you opt for the Satin Black or Sunray Bronze model, both versions of the Serica Parade reference 1174 feature the same fundamental design and layout for their dials, which consist of a sunray-finished surface adorned with an S-curved guilloché pattern. Small spherical hour markers are applied around the periphery of the display, and the Parade’s dial is entirely devoid of any logos or text, with the only exception being the tiny “Swiss Made” signature located at 6 o’clock. Similarly, both colorways of the Serica Parade 1174 receive the same style of hands, which appear in a “sword-leaf” shape with domed surfaces and a mirror-polished finish. Additionally, since the Parade is intended to be a dress watch, it also omits any type of luminous material, although the polished surfaces of the hands offer a surprising amount of contrast against the sunray-finished surface of the dial.

While a manually-wound caliber would have been an obvious choice, Serica has decided to give its dress watch an automatic movement to provide it with the same autonomy and user experience as the brand’s other models. Powering the Parade is a time-only version of the Swiss Soprod Caliber M100, which can also be found inside other Serica watches, such as the Serica 6190 M.S.L. Chronometer. Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of 42 hours, the Soprod M100 is frequently seen as an alternative to the familiar ETA 2892, as the two movements share external dimensions but are fundamentally different from a design perspective. Additionally, because the Parade lacks a running seconds hand, it can’t technically be considered a chronometer; however, since it shares a movement with Serica’s other models (which are all chronometer-certified), you can reasonably expect similar timekeeping performance.

Fitted to the Serica ref. 1174 Parade’s case is a black two-piece strap made from grained calf leather that tapers from 18mm at the lugs down to 14mm on the underside of the wrist. While the strap doesn’t include any type of quick-release system, I’m personally happy to have standard curved springbars in this particular instance, as the Parade’s case sits incredibly flat against the wrist, and the small protruding tabs of a quick-release system would have likely detracted from its comfort. Completing the Serica Parade’s strap is an elegant stainless steel pin-buckle that echoes the stadium-shaped profile of the case, and its elongated curved design naturally extends to form the first keeper. The leather used for the strap is incredibly soft and supple with zero break-in time required, and the buckle is lovely from an aesthetic standpoint; however, the interior edge of the buckle is somewhat sharp, and I could easily see it causing premature wear to the soft leather strap.

My biggest qualm with many dress watches is that their designs can often be a bit generic, and while there are quite a few dress pieces that are exceptionally lovely creations, many of them don’t necessarily stand out from the crowd unless you actually handle them and examine their craftsmanship under a loupe. On the other hand, when dress watches stray too far from a classic and restrained aesthetic, they run the risk of no longer being able to fulfill the role of a dress piece, and they get relegated to the realm of horological novelties that are objectively beautiful but unable to integrate into daily life. The Serica ref. 1174 Parade strikes a nice balance of being fundamentally different and visually captivating, while still feeling understated and familiar enough to play an ensemble part in your outfit, rather than completely dominating it.

Despite producing Swiss-made watches with a fairly high level of attention to detail and finishing, Serica firmly adheres to a relatively reasonable segment of the market, and with an official retail price of €1,490 EUR (or approximately $1,570 USD, at the time of writing), the Serica ref. 1174 Parade is positioned right in the middle of the brand’s current catalog. While the Parade is outspokenly refined and elegant in its overall appearance, nothing about it feels remotely delicate or overly precious, and details such as its wide bezel and crown guards serve as a subtle reminder that Serica’s DNA is rooted in tool watches and even the Parade benefits from the brand’s function-forward mentality. Rather than being something that flagrantly calls attention to itself, the Serica Parade instead makes a strong impression once noticed, and that is exactly what you want from an everyday dress watch. For more information on the Serica ref. 1174 Parade, please visit the brand’s website.