Have you ever wondered how watches became affordable for the masses? Learn more about it as I discuss the first designer brands that ventured into watchmaking.
Before anything else, let me remind you that I’ll focus on female designer watches later on. Designer watches have been captivating millions of women around the globe because of their stylish look. So, it goes without saying that I want to highlight that.
Female Designer Watch
Now, what exactly are designer watches?
Designer watches are also called fashion watches since they focus on the external design to attract stylish buyers. More importantly, they’re generally much more affordable than the mechanical timepieces of Rolex, Omega, and other renowned watch brands.
The lower price became possible because designer watches typically use quartz movement which requires less time and effort to assemble.
Compared to the mechanical movement which needs meticulous craftsmanship, the quartz movement can save companies a fortune. No wonder a lot of designer clothing and footwear brands have added timepieces to their product lines.
Even though most designer watches can’t surpass the value of quality timepieces, they represent their brand which is actually enough to make people buy them.
To make you understand even more the essence of designer watches, check out their interesting history!
Right after Seiko’s glory because of the quartz movement in the 1970s, more and more brands use this kind of technology to mass-produce watches. However, the company that really got the trend going was no other than Swatch.
1983: Swatch and Its Fun Designs
After the 1983 launch of the brand itself, the first marketing move of Swatch was groundbreaking. For the first time ever, watches were designed to attract the younger population. And, since most teenagers and young professionals couldn’t afford quality watches, Swatch sold their timepieces for really low prices.
High-class brands like Patek Philippe would never have the guts to do that.
Because of the freedom Swatch gave to designers, dials were so creative and colorful. Novelty and art watches started to become a thing. Here are some examples from the “One More Time” collection of artist Alfred Hofkunst back in 1991:
Amazingly, Hofkunst’s collection was sold out in just three hours. Unbelievable!
Aside from making eye-catching designs, Swatch also took part in big events by creating special watches just for the occasion. It even established its own organization of collectors. Here are the specifics:
- World Breakdance Championship
- Paris and London street painting exhibition
- Sponsored mountain biking, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and other sports events
- Gained 74,500 members for the Swatch Collectors of Swatch club
With the outrageous consumer demand and speed of Swatch in manufacturing millions of timepieces, it went global and was displayed in most department stores in the U.S. In just less than 10 years after the brand’s launch, the 100 millionth Swatch finally existed.
As expected, the sudden rise of Swatch became an inspiration to some designers and companies.
1984: Guess and Mickey Callanen’s Collaboration
Being a costume jewelry supplier to department stores, Mickey Callanen caught the attention of the popular jeans manufacturer Guess.
Funnily enough, Guess didn’t intend to create a line of watches. Callanen himself rejected the concept of Guess selling jewelry. Instead, he recommended watches. Fortunately, Guess agreed with his idea.
Callanen was clearly not a watchmaker, but he was very smart. He followed Swatch’s move to invade department stores.
The first thing Callanen did was borrow $25,000 and travel to Hong Kong for the mass production of Guess watches. He even focused on the packaging to find a better design than Swatch’s plastic cases. In the end, he decided to go with aluminum cases.
With slightly higher prices than Swatch, Guess finally sold its timepieces after Callanen’s brilliant work. Just like what the company wanted all along, it earned at least $18 million in just one year.
1984: Fossil and Its Imported Products from Hong Kong
The Texas-based brand Fossil had been importing toys and watches from Hong Kong. Good thing that they chose to focus on watches. Hong Kong really had a big contribution to the rise of designer watches, which perfectly represents the impact of globalization.
Just like Guess, Fossil also targeted the ultimate weakness of Swatch. Instead of plastic cases, it used tin. The tin packaging even had 1950s-inspired images for that vintage look.
Not only that, Fossil improved its line of watches. Instead of brass pins, it used stainless steel in the straps. It also made sure to polish the casebacks. Lastly, it sold more comfortable watches because of the soft Nubuck leather straps.
Despite the enhanced quality of Fossil watches, the company didn’t go public until 1993. It was still lucky though because, in 1994, it managed to earn $162 million – a 54 percent increase.
Amazingly, in 1997, Fossil collaborated with Giorgio Armani to manufacture and sell Emporio Armani timepieces.
The Late 1980s: Luxury Designer Brands and Their Own Take on Watchmaking
Check out some highlights on the late 1980s era of designer watches:
- 1987: Chanel launched its first-ever watch called the Première.
- 1988: Louis Vuitton launched two watches – a gold-cased Louis Vuitton I and a ceramic-cased Louis Vuitton II.
- 1989: Fendi collaborated with the Swiss firm Ultima S.A. to manufacture and sell its own Swiss-made watches.
Finally, let’s feast our eyes on the current female designer watches of some fashion brands I’ve mentioned.
Swatch, Guess, Fossil, Chanel, and Fendi are still selling watches because, clearly, the demand of functional accessories remains strong.
Enjoy the following list of watch collections from world-famous brands:
Swatch Collections
The Worldhood collection is composed of watches with fun, original strap designs. I like how the dials remain simple, but the straps steal the show. The official IG account of Swatch even presented a youthful video to represent what the whole collection is all about:
Another Swatch collection worthy to be featured is Skin Irony. While the Worldhood collection is fun and casual, Skin Irony watches are elegant. Their dials and straps are so thin, hence ideal to be worn by women. The entire design will make you look even more sophisticated.
If you want something that’s glow-in-the-dark, the Swatch Vibe collection is definitely what you’re looking for. The glowing details are creatively designed to keep your watch stylish even in the dark. By day, the details will still be fashionable since they have that neon look.
Meanwhile, on beautiful summer days, you have to collect some Swatch Mediterranean Views timepieces if you want to spice up your Instagram account. Trust me, these watches will give a tropical vibe to your social media pages.
Swatch actually has a lot of collections. Some of them are:
Guess Collections
The brand doesn’t exactly give a specific name to its watch collections. Instead, it provides categories for easier online shopping.
Based on the band material, Guess has watches with metal bracelets and straps made of silicone or genuine leather. I have to admit, the metal watches are almost similar to Rolex and Omega models.
Meanwhile, the silicone watches are so feminine and adorable despite having bigger dials.
However, what really caught my attention are the denim straps and dials in the leather collection. How cool is that?
To give you a glimpse of the denim watch, check out this promotional video from Guess:
If you’re particular about watches that can suit your lifestyle, Guess has these categories for your convenience:
Guess is also known for its collaborations with celebrity icons. One of its latest pop creations is with Jennifer Lopez.
The JLo collection is called “Pretty In Pink,” but it also has glamorous gold elements. Its watches have shimmering surfaces to perfectly represent JLo’s fabulous image.
Fossil Collections
Out of all the stylish Fossil watches I’ve seen, I want to focus on the most interesting models. I’m talking about the brand’s fashionable smartwatches.
When we say smartwatches, these are digital timepieces known for their advanced technology and versatility. The highlights of these Fossil watches are their heart rate tracker and waterproof properties. These timepieces are actually made for swimmers.
Take a sneak peek at how these watches are used:
I would also like to briefly discuss Fossil’s hybrid smartwatches. They have an analog dial but high-tech features such as Bluetooth. This is ideal for women who like advanced technology but still prefer the traditional look of watches.
It seems hard to imagine how an analog watch can sync to a mobile device through Bluetooth. So, I’m showing this tutorial video on how to connect a Fossil hybrid smartwatch to a smartphone:
Chanel Collections
Remember when I told you that the first watch collection of Chanel is the Première? Well, it still exists with fresh designs to complement modern-day elegance.
What I love most about the Première collection is its dress watches. I have always been fascinated about timepieces that really look like jewelry.
Chanel even has watches in the Première collection with an extra-long bracelet so you can wrap it around your wrist many times. It’s like wearing a couple of bracelets together with your watch, which gives a luxurious vibe to your look.
Check out some of the best designs of the Première collection with this video clip:
Chanel is also known for its handcrafted watches, specifically in the Mademoiselle Privé collection. Some have dials decorated with sculpted gold images. Other dials are even embroidered for that traditional classy look.
Mother-of-pearl is also common on Chanel watches. It makes a dial look dreamy, which enhances elegance and creativity.
Chanel designers also use advanced techniques, especially the Maki-e. This is a Japanese technique that involves applying powdered gold over a wet lacquer surface to enhance textures and colors.
If you can’t get enough of Chanel watches, feel free to check out more collections:
Fendi Collections
I should highlight the Policromia collection because its dials are just magnificent. Marvel at its beauty first with this mesmerizing video:
Thanks to Delfina Delettrez Fendi, a renowned jewelry designer, the Policromia is one of the most creative collections I’ve ever seen without going overboard with gemstones and images.
Fendi’s watch collection doesn’t end with the Policromia. Learn more about it below:
Conclusion
Isn’t it neat how there are a lot, I mean, a LOT of options for women who want affordable yet stylish watches? You can literally buy a dozen designer watches that won’t break the bank. This is actually exciting since you can mix and match accessories and outfits.
Let’s remember once again the influence of Swatch and other brands in the world of watchmaking:
- When Swatch was launched in 1983, its first marketing move was to attract younger men and women by creating fun casual watches.
- Fashionable watches were so affordable to the masses because of Swatch’s smart initiative to take advantage of the quartz movement.
- Novelty watches became a thing, thanks to Swatch. Examples include the food-inspired watches of Alfred Hofkunst’s “One More Time” collection.
- Swatch was eventually sold in department stores, leading to its global success.
- Jewelry supplier Mickey Callanen traveled to Hong Kong to manufacture watches for Guess. He followed some strategies made by Swatch.
- Instead of plastic cases, Callanen used aluminum to take packaging one step further than Swatch.
- With higher prices, Guess earned more than $18 million in the first year of its designer timepieces.
- Fossil focused on watches after years of importing products from Hong Kong.
- For its own version of packaging, Fossil used tin cases for that vintage vibe.
- Fossil also took it up a notch with stainless steel instead of brass pins in the straps.
- When Fossil went public in 1993, its sales soared to $162 million in just one year.
References
https://www.swatch.com/en_us/explore/swatch-chronology/1991/
https://shop.swatch.com/en_us/all-collections
https://guesswatches.com/fashion/playful-in-pink
https://www.fossil.com/us/en/wearable-technology/smartwatches/smartwatches.html
https://www.fossil.com/us/en/wearable-technology/smartwatches/hybrid-smartwatches.html