Anyone who feels that fashion has no place in the world of horology should probably stop reading here. After all, one is fleeting, trendled, here now, gone tomorrow – the other timeless, permanent, even beautifully anachronistic. But like it not or not, fashion and watchmaking are increasingly, inextricably linked.
This undeniable synergy was on show at summer’s biggest blowout trend: Barbiecore. Pink mania gripped all realms of the Now: fashion, accessories, jewelry, even food and travel – with both men and women tickled pink by the look. On the watch front, Ryan Gosling, Barbie’s star Ken, attended the press tour in Toronto sporting the new TAG Heuer Carrera Date with a striking fuchsia face. Meanwhile Will Ferrell was spotted with a salmon pink-dialled Oris ProPilot X 400 on his promotional tour (Ferrell played the fictionalized CEO of the toymaker Mattel).
A wellspring of inspiration
Unlike Gosling who is a TAG ambassador, Ferrell supposedly bought and styled the watch himself. Oris, after all, is not really the type to court the fashion or Hollywood set. “As an independent brand, we take fashion as an inspiration while being true to our own values”, says Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer. “We are always in tune with what is going in the world, whether that be art, fashion, music or pop culture.”
TAG Heuer, as part of LVMH group, is naturally more rooted in fashion. George Ciz, CMO of TAG Heuer says that fashion “plays a significant role for us in gathering inspiration when it comes to creating an impact… Watchmaking follows trends just as fashion does. And trends in the fashion world can serve as a wellspring of inspiration for watch designs, whether it’s the use of strong colors or other design elements.”
A rebellious, fashion-forward soul
Industry consolidation of watchmaking and fashion brands is also blurring the lines. The fashion houses have certainly injected a much-needed dose of cool, playfulness and hype to the oncestuffy world of watchmaking. Cue Chanel’s recent Mademoiselle J12 with a cartoon Coco Chanel, as imagined in her garden at La Pausa, her villa in the south of France. Complete with a signature Breton jersey, button-front pants and matching sailor’s cap, her delightfully rotating arms are the watch’s minute and second hands. Elsewhere Gucci’s G-Timeless Planetarium is the Italian Maison’s take on an astronomical timepiece and comes with two complications: a flying tourbillon at the center of 12 rotating gemstones, which are activated by a start and stop function. Or cue its fully customizable G-Timeless Moonlight, a mesmerizing 41mm blue aventurine-dialed beauty that can be personalized with one’s astral map – the etchings of stars and planets looking rebelliously fun and fashionable.
Such fashion entrants have duly widened the world of watches, and today there are all manner of timepieces to suit a host of occasions. According to Faye Soteri, senior watch buyer, International at The Watches of Switzerland Group, two of the biggest trends in watchmaking at the moment – women’s and unisex watches – have been driven by the influence of fashion.
“As lives change and evolve, fashion choices adapt to the lifestyle and there is literally a watch for every occasion”, she says. “Brands are delivering on this, so we are seeing an expansion in the watch market from high-value exclusive models that won’t necessarily be worn daily, to pieces that are functional and fashionable yet don’t need to cost the earth.” Hallelujah to that.
Collab fans
Fashion folk love a good collaboration and so it would only be a matter of time before we saw them infiltrate the horological world. There is the new ultrasleek Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Matthew Williams piece; Williams is founder and creative director of the fashion label 1017 ALYX 9SM. With three yellow gold Royal Oaks and a matching Offshore model, the watches have a streamlined and monochrome look, their stark simplicity highlighting their chronograph functionality and display.
Despite Girard-Perregaux and Kering Group’s high-profile divorce in 2022, clearly there are no hard feelings – as seen in the exciting new collab with Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello. The Girard-Perregaux x Saint Laurent Casquette 2.0 Saint-Laurent 01 dropped this summer – with GP’s iconic Casquette given a fashion-worthy makeover: wall-to-wall black, in ceramic and PVDtreated titanium. Expect more great things from this union – and indeed the brave new world of fashion and watchmaking.
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