Watches are accessories, which makes perfect sense for fashion labels to extend their product offerings to timepieces that reflect their unique style aesthetic. But venturing into the sophisticated world of horology is a totally different ballgame for a company that specialises in fashion, even if said company is a big global name in luxury.
It’s no secret that fashion brand watches have faced much prejudice in the sphere of watchmaking, a bias that is not entirely unjustified since their makers don’t always have the necessary expertise in horology.
But while this may be true multiple decades ago, things have changed considerably in more recent times. Several prominent fashion names have been continually working at advancing their watchmaking capabilities and have successfully caught the eye of watch enthusiasts with creations that aren’t just, well, stylish but also mechanically impressive.
Five fashion houses are out to show that they’re serious about watchmaking and, while changing the mindsets of hardcore watch enthusiasts remains a tall order to fulfil, good progress is being made.
CHANEL
Mention Chanel watches and the J12 would likely be the first to come to most people’s minds. But while the sporty timepiece is arguably the maison’s most iconic watch, the fashion house’s journey into watchmaking began with the quartz-powered Premiere, which was introduced in 1987.
Chanel acquired Swiss watchmaking facility G&F Chatelain in 1993, and subsequently, an ownership stake in Bell & Ross in 1998, both moves signified the brand’s intention to take watchmaking seriously.
Launched in 2000, the J12 with a bold, unisex design that was ahead of its time, was a game-changer that completely rewrote both the style and watchmaking rules.
The flagship model has seen multiple iterations since its introduction, including high complications and elaborate gem-set creations that showcase Chanel’s wide-ranging capabilities at haute horlogerie.
In 2019, the company acquired a stake in Swiss movement maker Kenissi (co-owned by Tudor) and has since started incorporating its movements into its J12 watches. Chanel’s commitment to high watchmaking has not gone unnoticed and is among the first fashion brands to gain respectability for it.
HERMES
The brand famed for its Birkin bags has a long history in watchmaking. The very first timepiece it produced was a pocket watch made for Hermes family member, Jacqueline Hermes, in 1912, although it wasn’t until 1928 that it began making watches for sale. During this period, Hermes had mainly worked with other Swiss watch brands to produce limited-edition pieces.
In 1978, however, the house decided to properly focus on watches as one of its specialities and established its watchmaking arm named La Montre Hermes. From then on, it began designing timepieces such as the Arceau and Cape Cod that became signatures that have lasted till today.
In a bid to produce even better watches, Hermes bought a stake in Swiss movement maker Vaucher, acquired dial maker Nateber and case manufacturer Joseph Erard which proved to be shrewd strategies, as illustrated by remarkable creations that followed – such as the Slim d’Hermes with an ultra-thin movement, and a series of Arceau models that showcased different high complications including moon-phase, minute repeater and tourbillon watches.
LOUIS VUITTON
Having started its venture into horology over two decades ago, the French powerhouse has managed to make a big impression with its signature Tambour, characterised by bright colours and fascinatingly OTT designs for the high-complication models.
Like many of its high-fashion counterparts who have journeyed into high horology, Louis Vuitton has, over the years, made multiple investments to reinforce its watchmaking capabilities.
The most important of them all of is the 2011 acquisition of La Fabrique du Temps, a high-concept movement maker in Geneva world–renowned for its innovative, complex movements. The manufacture was behind some of the brand’s earlier high-complication models such as the Spin Time and World Time, which gives one a clear indication of its capabilities.
With the addition of Jean Arnault, the youngest son of the LVMH founder Bernard Arnault at the helm, young Arnault is set to steer the brand with a focus towards high-end watches and aims to achieve 100 per cent in-house production, even if that involves discontinuing 80 per cent of the current product lineup.
DIOR
Dior has steadily been producing quality luxury timepieces since it established its own watchmaking development and manufacturing facility in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 2001.
We’ve seen tourbillons and automata from the brand over the years but Dior’s forte lies in the aesthetic aspect of watch design, expressing its distinctive, elegant style in haute couture through exquisite timepieces.
The Grand Bal line features some beautiful examples of this – showcasing Dior’s design DNA and exceptional artistry with gems and other unconventional materials including threads, mesh, feathers and even beetle wings.
Naturally, much of Dior’s watch creations are made for women, but there are also the occasional masculine pieces. One of the latter has been reintroduced this year – the Chiffre Rouge, which was first launched in 2004 by Hedi Slimane, Dior’s creative director then, and also the brand’s first automatic watch.
The new Chiffre Rouge release features eight models and has caught the attention of not just stylish men, but also watch enthusiasts. These include chronographs powered by Zenith El Primero movements and tourbillons that will be getting complications from Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps. Dior enjoys the advantage of being in the LVMH stable of brands, of course, which is why this launch is a sign of more advancements for its watches down the road.
GUCCI
The brand has been making fashion watches since the 1970s, but only launched its first high watchmaking collection in 2021, which featured complications including moon-phase and jumping-hour mechanisms, as well as tourbillons, crafted in the eclectic and opulent style that Gucci is known for.
Among these high complications, it also debuted its first in-house movement – the calibre GG727.25 produced at parent company Kering’s movement manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds– presented in the sports-luxe Gucci 25H watch.
Since then, Gucci has continued building on its high-end watch offerings, introducing new complications and designs within the key collections it first introduced three years ago. Just last year, the brand unveiled the Gucci Watch Lab in Cortaillod, Switzerland, a new watchmaking facility where it has consolidated its technical and design expertise, where more interesting, quality timepieces are due to come from.
