The best watch ads of the last 50 years
The importance of advertising in the world of luxury watchmaking can hardly be overstated. How a brand is perceived is everything. An effective campaign cannot just establish a model as a classic of the future, but position a brand so effectively that not even decades of half-hearted follow-ups or PR missteps seem capable of affecting its standing. Ambassadorships often go hand-in-hand with advertisements – a trend arguably started by Hans Wilsdorf’s decision to strap a Rolex Oyster to Channel swimmer Mercedes Gleitze and then featuring her image in the write-up of her endeavours. But that is ancient history. Let’s focus instead on the five best watch ads from the last 50 years. Rolex We’ll get this one out of the way early. You can’t ignore the power of The Crown, and so omitting it from a list of this nature would be for nothing but effect. Credit where credit is due, no brand has the visibility of Rolex, and that position has been helped by astute, if somewhat conservative campaigns, throughout its history. Here we see the classic Day-Date model pitched as the watch of presidents. You don’t get much better than that. Patek Philippe If you’ve not seen Patek…
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Today is a first in our home state of Victoria. It is the first day ever that a state of disaster has been declared by our Premier, Daniel Andrews, ahead of an “unprecedented” fire threat over the coming days. I mentioned this in my Editor’s Letter. Since then, it’s gotten worse. In our state alone (and it’s an even more dire situation in NSW), 800,000 hectares have been burned by more than 50 active fires, four people have died and 28 are missing. And this is not to mention the number of Australian native animals that have been lost. In response, a small thing we’d like to do to help is offer a DOXA SUB 200 with orange dial for sale at auction (no reserve), with all proceeds donated to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal, which has been set up to help fire-threatened regions in Victoria and New South Wales. Included with the watch will be a Time+Tide lapel pin in sterling silver (an item that is not for sale) as well as a Tuscan leather travel pouch in our famous burnt orange. ABOUT THE WATCH Released at Baselworld 2019, this SUB 200 diver’s watch, which is based on a DOXA…
The idea of a grail watch – the would-be jewel in the crown of our collection for which we all strive – is well established. Not only does it make for some really interesting discussions over coffee, but it also helps shape your collection’s direction and deepens your understanding of the watch industry and what you want to get out of it. The term “grail watch” has been used for so long and by so many people that its meaning is already starting to change. Or, should I say, its parameters are starting to relax somewhat. Whereas originally a grail watch was assumed to be the pinnacle of your collection – the one piece that you would choose above all others were money, era or limitation no object – you often hear people using the word in the plural form. Having several “grails” might once have been seen as greedy (or even crass). But nowadays, with the practice of watch collecting an evolved art, it seems acceptable to have a grail for all seasons. Maybe a golden grail, or a quartz grail, or a diving grail … Whatever helps signpost your way towards a fine and well-rounded collection. But, with…
The more you look at different watches, the more critical you become, as you better understand what the watchmaker and designer were trying to achieve, and how successful they were at executing it in the final watch. This year, I got a lot of opportunities to handle hundreds of different watches, both new and vintage, and after thinking for a couple of weeks about the best of the new watches, these are my five favourites of 2019. Longines Heritage Classic It unfortunately isn’t often that brands nail the details of heritage-inspired wristwatches, but for me, Longines accomplished just that with their Heritage Classic, which was released at the end of 2019. At 38.5mm in diameter and just over 12mm tall, it is well sized for pretty much any wrist, as well as being fairly accurate to the dimensions of the original watch from 1934. The sector dial is engaging while restrained, and offers the best balance of vintage and modern of any watch this year. Greubel Forsey Hand Made The Greubel Forsey Hand Made is a watch that offers an almost spiritual impression when seen in the metal, such is the depth of human ingenuity and dedication that is evident.…
I once knew a glamorous magazine editor who presided over one of the big fashion monthlies. On the inside of her delicate wrist, beneath an impeccably curated collection of designer bangles, resided a small tattoo. Inked in block-capital letters was the single word: “NOW”. This tattoo was a strategically placed reminder for her to stay “in the moment”. Instead of catastrophising about the future or getting hung up on the past, this tattoo was a note-to-self that emboldened her to stay anchored in the “here and now”. Focusing on the present, she explained, was a way of staving off anxiety. But it was also an encouragement to appreciate whatever opportunity was on the table. Which, given her role at the helm of a fashion magazine, usually involved sipping a glass of champagne at some glittery launch while pontificating on why “cyber-goth” is the Next Big Thing. This is a sign of the times: mindfulness and meditation are all the rage. The whole world has apparently learnt to close their eyes and count to Zen. Meditation has become the daily habit of almost every insanely successful person you care to mention. Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Lucas and Paul McCartney are all Om-chanting…
Very few watch straps are as integral to the overall look and feel of a watch as a bracelet can be. On occasions, the bracelet is as essential to the watch DNA as the watch head – a continuation of the same concept, snaking around the wrist. The most famous bracelet design of all time probably belongs to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which burst onto the scene in 1972. It not only redefined the genre of steel sports watches, but it also gave the world a willing poster boy for integrated design. Gérald Genta would continue this trend with the Patek Philippe Nautilus – another legendary steel sports watch. But though these models are perhaps the best example of watches that lose a huge amount of their original message by removing the bracelet, what about those watches that aren’t so wedded to the metal band that holds them to your wrist? Does it matter that you adhere to the designer’s vision whether you like it or not? In a manner of speaking, yes it does. You may not like a bracelet design, but it is always worth buying the watch on its bracelet if the designer has gone to…
It is becoming increasingly common to see small, emerging microbrands threaten to “pull back the curtain” on the luxury watch industry, in an attempt to upend the established order and claim a slice of the suddenly democratised pie for themselves. But how effective, or even responsible a strategy is it? Is it time to stop rewarding brands for trying to blow the whistle on the inner machinations of the luxury world for the sake of the industry’s future? Lies are never good, but mystery has its place in our lives. The idea that luxury should be in any way transparent is almost, given the very nature of luxury, counterproductive. A luxury purchase is not just about the item being purchased. In fact, it often has very little to do with an item’s relative value, rather its perceived worth. There is a sense of pride in being able to access something exclusive that only luxury can sire. Having all the pomp and circumstance stripped away by a bunch of newcomers who think that it is their civic duty to shine a light on the inner workings of an industry that exists to illuminate the lives of its customers can be a…
Staples, all good watch collections need to have staple pieces. A versatile daily beater, a rugged weekend warrior, a lauded grail watch and, of course, a great dress watch. But what are the characteristics of a great dress watch? Well, for a start it needs to be slim so it will fit under a cuff easily — there’s no greater sin than wearing a monolithic timepiece that awkwardly sits atop the cuff of a shirt or suit jacket. Another requisite is a leather band, as very, very few dress watches can successfully pull off a matching metal bracelet. And finally, a great timepiece to wear with a suit has to have a beautiful dial — it doesn’t need to be overtly complicated, nor should it be overtly OTT; it just has to be aesthetically pleasing. With all this in mind, we thought we’d share with you five of the best dress watches of 2019. LONGINES MASTER COLLECTION The appeal of a blue-dialled watch has much to do with the way it pairs with almost any outfit. But it’s also about how its softer aesthetic compares to the starkness of some black or white dials. The Longines Master Collection nails this…
As we float about in the liminal space between Christmas and the new year, it’s a great chance to reflect on the year that the watch world was in 2019. Andrew mentioned in his Letter from the Editor that 2019 could be defined by the hysterical focus on SSR (stainless steel Rolex), as well as similar watches from both Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. As a result, this has certainly been a part of almost daily discussion in the Time+Tide office. It might be an eye-watering auction result, a watch listed for sale online at double retail, or a question we receive about what the next watch will be to “hold value”, but the fact that there is very strong demand in a very narrow section of watch collecting can’t be ignored. Andrew articulates the many reasons this is a problem for the watch-loving community, and rather than repeating him, I wanted to take a closer look at the three other areas that I found interesting in the watch industry this year. Watch Fairs vs. Watch Conferences Earlier this year I had the pleasure of attending the 4th Dubai Watch Week, which was maybe the first time the event hit scale.…
It pains me so to admit this, but oftentimes a story is only as good as the photos that accompany it — especially when you’re writing about something as intricate and nuanced as watches. A good snap of a timepiece is not only the glorious icing on a particularly wordy cake, it actually assists us scribes in helping to articulate different facets of a given wristwatch. In short, a good photo is crucial in this game. Luckily for us here at Time+Tide, our photographer is a chap named Jason … and he’s a bloody wonderful photographer. And when Deputy-Editor Nick Kenyon said he wanted me to pick my favourite watch photos from 2019 that Jason had taken, I did so with verve. Here they are.