Both breathtaking and unusual, watches with shapes other than just round are true statements of individuality, spirited adventure and artistic allure.
Interestingly enough, creative case shapes are actually enjoying a revival. Watch brands began creating uniquely different wristwatch case shapes as early as the 1920s, and many were inspired by the floral forms of the Art Nouveau era. Wristwatches of that day could be found in the shapes of flowers, ribbons and bows. This move gave way to the Art Deco era, when cases became dramatically geometric, featuring oversized rectangular, marquis or triangular shapes that reflected the designs of the era. The 1940s and 1950s ushered in a renewed interest in flora and fauna, and animal-inspired watches burst onto the scene. Later, bolder styles moved into play, with many brands unveiling rectangular, oval and tonneau (barrel) shaped cases with sleeker profiles and a little more classic design.
Today, creative watch brands, conscious of the haute couture woman, continue to offer enchanting case shapes – sometimes slightly diamond adorned and other times totally bedecked in the gems of the earth. More often than not, design inspiration comes from brand archives, but in some instances, the inspiration stems from a brand’s jewelry collections, or from its fashion and style DNA.
Cartier, for instance, was inspired by its early 20th century designs with its recently released new versions of the femininely curved Crash timepieces, and Bedat also recalls the geometry of that same era in its stunning Extravaganza diamond-set watch, complete with mechanical movement. Similarly, Vacheron Constantin returned to its archives to release the recently unveiled Malte pieces for women. In fact, this brand – the oldest continually operated Swiss watch brand still in existence – unveiled its first tonneau shaped watch to the world just over a century ago in 1912, and has never deviated from looking to its rich past for design inspiration.
“We pay tribute to our history while celebrating the values of classic, elegant design and technical mastery” says Hugues de Pins, President of Vacheron Constantin in North America. “Today’s savvy customer understands and appreciates the different lines of time that influence all of us.”
For Carl F. Bucherer, which has the stunning ergonomically curved Alacria as its star women’s timepiece, the updates of this watch are typically aesthetic in nature, as the brand never strays from the Art Deco roots of the rectangular case design. The newest Alacria Bamboo watch incorporates orange sapphires in a bamboo pattern to demonstrate geometry as seen in nature.
DeGrisogono’s new Sugar watch is a square timepiece with en-tremblant gemstones or diamonds hanging from the case that move with each flick of the wrist. The design combines an art nouveau and art deco sense in an incredibly updated appeal.
Bringing a truly unique case shape to the market is no easy feat. It requires extensive research and development, new tooling, and multiple more steps in the production and making – often translating to an additional six months or longer (as compared to a round case) before it becomes a reality. What’s more, newly formed dials and crystals also need to be created for the case shape. For these reasons, such beguiling beauties generally command a slightly higher retail price than their round counterparts, but are well worth it for their abstract, timeless appeal.
