JUST AS Silicon Valley is making a play for men's wrists with the anticipated iWatch and its kin, a decidedly more analog revolution is afoot in the higher echelons of horology. After a decade of muscular dominance, feature-packed sports watches and complication-laden wrist trophies are being put aside in favor of simpler models. Think sleek and elegant timepieces that are smaller than a sundial, and can be operated without a Ph.D.

Earlier this year, during Baselworld, the watch industry's annual confab, Omega unveiled the...