From bright new dials to timeless classics: the watch trends to know now
A tough year in the watch market has spurred a creative revolution, from technical innovations to redefining the idea of ‘iconic’.
The watch industry tends to move at a slower pace than the fashion world. It holds tight to heritage. Yet there have been distinct shifts that will continue to evolve. This year has been one of both careful consolidation and creative explosion. Trickier economic times can have this effect, as clients and collectors reconsider ideas of value. Oliver R Müller, founder of luxury consulting firm LuxeConsult and co-author of the annual – and anticipated – Morgan Stanley report on watches, says there’s a silver lining to all this fiscal uncertainty. “Tougher market conditions are fuelling creativity and that’s the positive takeaway of this ongoing crisis,” he says.
One such outcome is a focus on the higher end, with precious materials and technical innovations. This includes brands taking women, and their desire for watches with as much finesse inside the dial as on the outside, seriously. Watch influencer Trang Trinh of the Girls O’Clock Instagram account believes this signals a new era. “Forward-looking brands are already investing their budgets toward movements scaled for smaller wrists,” she says, pointing to Bulgari and Omega as fine examples of this. “I think it’ll be technical substance, not just a cosmetic miniaturisation, that will define the next chapter of the women’s segment in watches.”
Turbulence can also mean homing in on classics. This year brands focused on refining icon timepieces – evolution, not revolution. “Classic, understated styling is back, and I hope we see more of it,” says Julian Farren-Price, managing director of J Farren-Price. Other things of note? Vintage watches retain their allure, and there are smaller-sized watches for all. There’s been a shift to buying the watch you truly love. We’re also losing any remaining qualifications around who watches are for, and where and what time they can be worn. These are the four trends to best encapsulate a year of attitude and mindset recalibration.
Soft power
In times of upheaval, the certainty of a classic – of shape, style and hue – provides comfort. Crisp and polished, a dress watch on either leather strap or bracelet ensures preparedness for just about anything.
Bright side
Dials in sorbet hues of pink, pistachio and lavender turned the watch world into a veritable sweet shop. Pops of hot pink, meanwhile, prove timepieces need not be taken so seriously.
Sporting attitude
The stainless-steel sports watch has lost none of its appeal since its glory days of the 1970s. From anniversary pieces to new materials and refined bracelets, sportif mode remains activated.
Shapeshifter
Glamorous bangles and cuffs that blur the line between watch and jewel, along with bold expressions of celebrated shapes and precious materials, ensure the extended renaissance of the jewellery watch. Long may it sparkle.
This story is from the November issue of Vogue Australia.
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