Fashionable Precision

Luxury watch brands partner with fashion and other players to create amazing timepieces…

- Nagmani

Luxury watch brands are beating new paths to continue to appeal and cater to the market’s changing tastes, while anticipating these shifts. One of these paths sees watchmakers pair up with haute couture designers and old-school artisanal craftsmen, as well as their own retail partners. More or less, we are seeing storied watchmaking brands collaborating with different players from all walks of life to create magnificent timepieces. Today, luxury watches are considered artistic time-telling devices equipped with the finest elements one can hope for, but where the focus on details, including finishing techniques, and technical intricacies are equally important.

Through the art of collaboration, luxury watch brands are bringing something special to their collections, especially in terms of vivacity. To put it another way, the mechanical artwork of watchmaking is being given an intriguing design makeover. This is how the world of watches functions, where a few collaborations are a nod to commemorate long-lasting relationships.

Big names in luxury such as Chanel, Gucci, Hermès and Bulgari have all invested in developing and manufacturing excellent mechanical watches. According to Eric Wind, the seasoned and much-cited watch expert and owner of Wind Vintage, “There is a long history of ‘fashion brand watches’ but in recent years these fashion maisons have tried to shed that label to make more serious mechanical watches. These are brands that have massive and loyal followings, so their watches can often serve as an important “gateway drug” to serious mechanical watches from the traditional watch manufacturers.”