Luxury sports watches were born in the 1970s and have now become an established genre. What is the history of this watch, commonly known as "luxury sports"? We will also introduce the redefinition of "luxury sports" that was featured in issue 97 of Chronos Japan on webChronos.
Photographs by Eiichi Okuyama and Masanori Yoshie
Text by Gisbert L. Bruner and Masamasa Hirota (this magazine)
Text by Gisbert L. Brunner, Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Akiko Ichikawa: Translation
Translation by Akiko Ichikawa
[Article published in the July 2021 issue of Kronos Japan]
The Luxury Sports Watch Chronicles by Gisbert L. Bruner
Why did luxury sports watches come into being? And what are their future prospects? Based on his many years of research, world-renowned watch journalist Gisbert L. Brunner talks about the past and present of luxury sports watches.
What is the background behind the emergence of "luxury" "sports" watches?
The events of the 1970s symbolized the shock and consternation of the Swiss watch industry, which had long dominated it. The arrival of the quartz movement shook the foundations of established watch manufacturers. The impact was particularly strong in the wristwatch sector, where quartz-powered watches enjoyed phenomenal popularity. Mechanical watch prices fell almost weekly. A technological revolution drove out incumbents. Many manufacturers closed their doors. Many manufacturers suddenly disappeared from the industry during this period. Those who survived struggled, but they made a bold statement in opposition to the industry's shift toward electronics. Their trump card was the luxury mechanical sports watch with a stainless steel case and bracelet.
Amidst the upheaval, that same card was played in the remote Vallée de Joux. Georges Golay had been president of Audemars Piguet since 1966. Known as a passionate businessman who wasn't afraid to take risks and innovate, Golay received a call in 1971 from Carlo de Marchi. Marchi, who was the company's sole distributor in Italy, asked if there was a versatile watch suitable for weekend boating trips and sports car outings, as well as evening performances at the theater or relaxing at the members-only clubhouse. The case and bracelet could be stainless steel.
The work of Gérald Genta
This seemingly contradictory challenge came just before the Basel Fair, posing a major challenge for the company. It meant they had no choice but to turn to a seasoned creator. The phone rang at Gérald Genta's home the evening before the Basel Fair. After briefly explaining the main points, he was asked to quickly submit a first proposal. Genta was used to various requests, but it was clear that this would pose an unprecedented challenge to his "watchmaking career." As he pondered the client's desired look—luxurious yet versatile enough to be worn in a variety of situations—a childhood memory suddenly came back to him.
He had once watched with fascination as a professional diver put on and fastened his helmet. Diving suits that could withstand water pressure have many bolts in addition to rubber gaskets. Genta wanted to transfer this impression to the design of a watch, adapting it to the intended scene and creating a porthole-like finish. He quickly began sketching on paper. The resulting octagonal bezel and the link-connected bracelet design, which flowed smoothly from the case, perfectly embodied Genta's love of octagons. Genta's bracelet style, with flat link connections that taper toward the buckle, would later become popular in the watch industry.
The rough sketch, completed overnight, was so exquisite it was unimaginable. It was delivered to Carlo de Marchi and Charles Vauty, brand manager at Audemars Piguet's Swiss headquarters. Internally named the "Safari," the watch quickly moved toward realization, and nothing seemed to stand in its way until its unveiling at Basel in 72. The first prototype was crafted from 18k white gold, a material that is easy to machine and polish. The new product, which had been cherished like a baby, was given a new name when it was unveiled: "Royal Oak," a nod to British history. It was named after the oak tree in the famous tale of a king's escape and the historic battleships with wooden hulls supported by steel frames. It was priced at a respectable 3650 Swiss francs. Despite its uncompromising size (39mm case diameter), it still launched modestly.
Three years later, 400 men's watches equipped with the ultra-thin automatic movement Caliber 2121 were produced for the Italian and Swiss markets. It was a seemingly antiquated plan, but Georges Golay was convinced the Royal Oak would be a hit. Learning from the past, he was right: the world's first luxury sports watch with a stainless steel case and bracelet, and its derivatives, accounted for 80% of daily sales.
Gérald Genta possessed not only a wealth of creative talent, but also considerable business acumen. During the Basel Fair in 74, he quickly sketched out a design for what would become a long-controversial rival to the Royal Oak, sharing it with a number of Patek Philippe executives at his hotel. Genta knew of Philippe Stern's passion for yachting, and had been a member of the company's family since 1966, so he deliberately created a design that resembled a ship's skylight. Stern, born in 1938, recalled when he first saw the product design proposal: "Genta came to us with the idea from the very beginning. He was absolutely convinced that it would be the success of the century."
Genta's estimate turned out to be spot on, but there were several obstacles to moving forward with the new development project. First, the sketch had to be completed into a finished product within two years. And it had to avoid being marketed alongside the Royal Oak as an obvious foil. "There were many periods of reluctance along the way," Stern recalled. "I often wondered if it could be called a Patek Philippe watch, and whether we should really make such a large, sporty stainless steel watch."
Fortunately, those doubts proved unfounded. The design underwent repeated refinements and prototypes, and in 1976 it finally appeared in a showcase at the Basel fair under the name "Nautilus." It's not surprising that authorized retailers who visited the booth during the Basel fair reacted uneasily to the unveiling. They puckered up their noses and commented that the stainless steel construction lacked elegance, was too large, and, above all, was too expensive. The launch price was 4250 German marks, enough to buy a small car. Furthermore, the overly flashy and provocative advertising slogan—"The world's most luxurious stainless steel watch. Perfect for diving, formal occasions, and boardroom battles"—also dampened buyers' appetite. Despite the unprecedented care with which the first series was developed, and even the case design was registered, improvements were necessary. The stainless steel screws, which were chosen for their resistance to rust, were replaced with gold screws during servicing, as they required more work.The Nautilus did not enter mass production until the case number 536.400 was released.
Next-generation luxury sports watch
Fast forward to today, and a new luxury sports watch is also emerging from the German state of Saxony. For A. Lange & Söhne, the launch of the Odysseus in 2019 was something of a revolution. This marked the first time a stainless steel model had been added to the regular lineup since the brand's renaissance-like revival in 1994. For the company, round watches are designed with a specific case design, unique to each model. The Odysseus case has two protruding sections, one above the other and one below the crown, and the date and day displays are located on the left and right edges of the dial.
This is the latest work from LANG & HEYNE. The stainless steel case combined with an integrated five-link bracelet is clearly inspired by luxury sports watches. In addition to the green dial shown in the photo, blue and gray dials are also available. Manual winding (Cal. 33.2). 19 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve of approximately 48 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 40mm, thickness 10.95mm). Water resistant to 5 bar. (Inquiries) Noble Styling Tel. 03-6277-1604
Another German brand from Dresden is making its debut in the stainless steel luxury sports watch market. Lang & Heyne has completed the Hector, a limited edition of 99 pieces. The dials are available in blue, green, and gray, with 33 pieces each. The 40mm case features a discreet crown guard and is 10.95mm thick. The case is transparent, with sapphire crystal on both the front and back. The Swiss-made case is water-resistant to 5 bar, and the bracelet features five links and a butterfly clasp. Rate adjustment is performed via a regulator, while further fine adjustment is performed via six prominent mass slots on the balance wheel. A stop-seconds mechanism allows for precise setting to the second. The gears are made of Alcup, a corrosion-resistant, non-ferrous alloy. Although the price of this model is moderate at 16,900 euros, the meticulous workmanship of each element that makes up the movement is comparable to that of the world's most renowned top-class manufacturers. A portion of the first batch will be delivered to Japan in 2021, with additional deliveries expected in 2022.
Will the ever-rising market prices ever calm down?
This naturally raises the question: Will this shortage of luxury sports watches continue forever? No one knows for sure. But it's easy to imagine that this boom in the watch industry will not put a stop to the current anything-goes mentality. The number of watch enthusiasts with the means to pay will only continue to grow. Many of them want to own the latest models.
Meanwhile, astute brand executives are constantly aware that oversupply is something to be avoided at all costs. Such sales benefits, while pleasing, are as fleeting as the seasons, and relying on them for the long term will inevitably hurt. And it's even more difficult to answer the question of whether someone who's spent $10 or more on a Royal Oak 15202ST or a Nautilus 5711/1A today can ever find the money to buy another luxury sports watch. A more objective view reveals that these watches don't justify the exorbitant prices they command in some markets. But if you're genuinely drawn to them, passionate about them, and convinced of your desires without any speculative motivation, it won't be a problem for them to become a financially viable companion.
A look back at the origins and history of luxury sports watches
In the past, sports watches and dress watches were completely separate entities. However, market demand for watches that could be worn anywhere led to the creation of a new genre of watch in the 1960s and 1970s: the luxury sports watch. Since the 2000s, technological advances have led to the evolution of this genre into something completely different.
Needless to say, the pioneer of the so-called luxury sports watch was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972. It was designed by the famous Gérald Genta. However, when it comes to watches with integrated bracelets, wasn't the true pioneer Omega?
In 1965, Omega patented a system for fastening the bracelet to the case with multiple links. The company continued to refine this system, and it was widely adopted in the 1969 Constellation. This is purely speculation, but it's hard to imagine that Gérald Genta, who was working at Omega at the time, was unaware of this idea. Perhaps he was involved in the development of the integrated bracelet during his time at Omega.
Anyway, Genta's Royal Oak was a bracelet watch that further refined Omega's ideas - and was extremely expensive. The reason for its high price was that the case, which had been stamped out by hand, was reshaped by hand. At a time when cutting was not possible in case manufacturing, it was surprisingly costly to create an exterior with such an unusual design, and with such precision. The same was true of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, which was released in 76 and had a more complex case.
These two watches were by no means simply unusual bracelet watches with oddly shaped cases. The bracelets were integrated into the cases and would not come off even if subjected to a strong impact. Both also boasted high levels of water resistance, unusual for thin watches. In addition, the movements they housed were equipped with shock-resistant free-sprung balances. It can be said that these two watches established the concept of the so-called luxury sports watch.
In response to these successes, other companies conceived watches with similar concepts. However, at the time, it was difficult for anyone other than Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe to adopt a thin, high-performance (and expensive) automatic movement. Instead, other companies perfected luxury sports watches by using quartz movements, which were becoming thinner. It is no coincidence that watches such as the 1978 Santos de Cartier, the 1980 Hublot, and the 1982 Omega Seamaster Polaris all have similar structures. However, many watch manufacturers considered luxury sports watches to be the same as thin dress watches with modern designs.
The luxury sports watch genre only took on its current form after the 2000s. Since the 1990s, cutting techniques have become widespread in watch manufacturing, allowing cases to not only be more airtight but also to have a more intricate finish.
The pioneer of this trend was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore in 1993. Its sharp crown guard, integrated with the middle case, was something that could not be formed by pressing. The Chanel J12 in 2000 also reflected the evolution of exterior technology. The ceramic case and bracelet were molded by injection molding, and lightweight Delrin was used for the indexes.
The 2005 Hublot Big Bang and IWC Ingenieur Automatic are excellent examples of what case cutting has brought to the table. The Big Bang's case, made up of multiple components, is water resistant to an astounding 100m. The "sandwich construction" case completely overturned the conventional wisdom in the watch industry that sports watch cases should be simple. The Big Bang, which combined three-dimensionality, texture, and high airtightness, fundamentally changed the way luxury sports watches were made.
The Ingenieur's case was created by cutting. The original design was based on a 1976 model created by Gérald Genta. However, by cutting the case, this "engineer's" watch was given an unprecedented sense of luxury. Whether or not the Ingenieur of this era can be considered a luxury sports watch, it can be said that its aims were ahead of its time.
The big difference between stamping and cutting was also reflected in the shape of the case. Cases formed by stamping were more or less rounded because it was difficult to create edges. By using cutting, on the other hand, watchmakers were able to produce cases with pronounced corners at relatively affordable prices. This change in manufacturing techniques established, or even "democratized," the luxury sports watch genre. So what are the requirements now?
1970s
Improved bracelets bring about a new genre
1980s
Widely popularized by quartz
Gerald Genta also designed a luxury sports watch for Hattori Watch Shop (now Seiko Watch), the Credor Locomotive, which was released in 1980.
The Hublot Classic, released in 1980, was a new generation luxury sports watch made possible by its thin quartz movement. Perhaps because it was intended as a dress watch, the rubber strap was made quite thin.
1990s-2000s
Evolution brought about by innovations in exterior technology
