The day after Thanksgiving Day in the United States has been known as Black Friday for around 65 years and signals the start of the Christmas shopping season. It has only been in the last seven years, thanks to Amazon, that the phenomenon made its way across the pond to my native UK, where retailers have embraced the concept with Black Friday deals. But according to a recent article in The Economist, UK retailers’ enthusiasm for Black Friday discounts is already dwindling against the backdrop of falling sales and diminishing margins.
Swiss Made watches are rarely offered with discounts (at least in official retail channels), but Black Friday comes to the industry this year as brands like Alpina and Frédérique Constant are dipping their toes in the water. Click on the links to the respective websites to find special Black Friday discounts on just 100 watches for each brand.
Unbelievable though it may seem, the “black” in Black Friday is widely attributed to the fact that it is only from this day onwards that retailers actually start to turn a profit – with just over a month to go before Christmas! I, however, use the colour unashamedly as a pretext to show three all-black timepieces for men – and an unusually sober black watch for ladies – that you might have missed over the past six months.
Ladies first – the Fabergé Lady Compliquée Peacock Black
While its case is in white gold rather than any black-coloured or coated material, the peacock’s feathers on this model have been stripped of their colour and their silvery sheen shines against the deep black background of the lacquered dial. A unique manually-wound movement developed by Agenhor exclusively for Fabergé brings the feathers alive to display the time. Presented at Baselworld this year, the Lady Compliquée Peacock Black has only been in stores for a few weeks and retails at 34,500 Swiss francs.
All black – the Graff Graffstar Slim Eclipse
With its lightweight case in black DLC titanium weighing just 39 grammes, this ultra-slim model is the perfect dress watch. And for a black-tie dinner, why not wear a watch that is completely black, from its case to its dial, strap and clasp. Price: $19,500.
Natty in NATO - the Tiffany CT60
Tiffany & Co. created an altogether different look in its CT60 collection by pairing its two models with a black DLC case (one time and date and one chronograph) with a striped black and silver NATO strap. At under 5,000 Swiss francs they are great value.
Black Drum – Louis Vuitton Tambour All Black
Louis Vuitton also introduced all-black time and date and chronograph versions in its Tambour collection earlier this year. Both models have a black PVD steel case with matching black strap and contrasting white SuperLuminova accents and inserts in the hands. The small seconds version retails for €4,050 and the 46mm chronograph version for €5,850. Like all Louis Vuitton timepieces, they are available exclusively from Louis Vuitton stores.
