Am I An Icon?

We examine some of the most recognisable timepieces of our time to unravel the essence of what makes a watch design iconic.

- Haziq Yusof

“Watches are the antithesis of liberty,” Gérald Genta once remarked. “I am an artist, I hate having to adhere to the constraints of time.”

If you’re familiar with Genta’s work, you may be raising your eyebrow. Despite having no formal training in technical watchmaking, the late Genta designed some of the world’s most iconic watches, such as Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and IWC Schaffhausen’s Ingenieur SL Jumbo Ref. 1832. In fact, the term ‘watch designer’ did not exist prior to Genta’s emergence.

Given so, it is natural for us to be puzzled by the staunch reproval of someone so intertwined with the art of time-telling. But perhaps it is this exact desire to remain unshackled by ‘constraints’ that has allowed Genta’s designs to transcend their roles as mere time-keeping instruments to become symbols of art, culture and status.

DISTINCTIVE DESIGN

There is, of course, no exact science to designing an iconic watch. However, there seems to be a common thread—all iconic watches are immediately recognisable.

Look at, say, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus designed by Genta, or Franck Muller’s Cintrée Curvex and Chopard’s Happy Diamonds. A simple glance at these watches is all it takes to appreciate that they are all unique. There’s an air of emancipation to their aesthetics. It is as if they were designed without a care about what a watch ought to look like.