Men’s watches are undoubtedly a memorable gift – iconic, they are a sure thing !
SPECIAL Men’s Watches : The Watch, Timeless Object
If in 2022 the use of men’s watches seems a little outdated, it is because timepieces have traded their primary function for an even more important value – to wear a watch on your wrist is to wear a piece of watchmaking history. So when allure, revolution and elegance are combined in watches that have passed into posterity…
Icon-Icon has collected the most legendary men’s watches in history.
Most watches have extraordinary backstories, from their creation to the circumstances that made them iconic. Some of the most sought-after watches have also set the standard that has been instrumental in developing the watches we know today. While other watches have played a central role in the history of humanity itself.
Here are the best of the best of technology and refinement created by the great watchmaking houses. Let’s start with Rolex
The iconic watchmaking house Rolex has become a true investment and boasts designs of the most desired watches. Among them, the Oyster Rolex, la Cosmograph Daytona – the most sought-after Rolex men’s watch in history. A Men’s watch that in 2017 set a new record at a memorable auction!
Already closely associated with racing, Rolex became the official timekeeper of the Daytona racetrack in 1959. To celebrate this new collaboration, Rolex is releasing a watch to match. The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6239. A watch produced to be the measuring instrument par excellence.
Another excellent tool watch is the GMT-Master II, the successor of the legendary Rolex GMT-Master 6542. Designed to assist the boom in travel it is rapidly being fitted to airline pilots, as it meets their specific needs, in particular simultaneously displaying two different time zones. The perfect watch for an avid world traveller.
In a similar spirit as the ideal watch for men dreaming of commandeering the skies, we introduce the IWC Aviateur IWC was one of the pioneers in the design of timepieces specifically adapted to the needs of aviation. This watch, L’Aviateur, is a condensed version of this rich know-how, enveloped in a watch with a chic and robust look… A reference that has been constantly reinvented since 1936!
Cartier is also one of the most beautiful names in watchmaking, and amongst all the horological brilliance that the house has created, the Tank de Cartier watch is a very striking piece.
The iconic Tank was designed in 1917 by Louis Cartier himself and was worn by Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Diana, Duke of Ellington and Truman Capote. The grandson and heir to the founder Louis-François Cartier, was in many ways responsible for Cartier’s most revolutionary and refined watches.
The Tank de Cartier was born in the middle of the First World war. Inspired by the lines of the tanks Louis Cartier saw while serving on the Western Front, this watch may reflect the time – but it remains a cultural piece desired by discerning collectors today!
For those who prefer Art Deco men’s watches, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is the one to choose.
Born in 1931, at the height of the Art Deco period, the Reverso was created in response to the challenge of designing a wristwatch capable of withstanding the jolts of polo matches. Its secret? The screen flips over with a single movement, to protect itself in its removable case. And it is without doubt the sport-chic men’s watch par excellence.
Adventure lovers will certainly be delighted to have their own modernised version of the watch that walked on the Moon. A man walked on the Moon for the first time 50 years ago, a moment that changed the course of history – and pushed the boundaries of possibility forever. A moment that would change the course of history – and push the boundaries of what is possible – forever. The Omega Speedmaster Mooonwatch made space and wristwatch history on Buzz Aldrin’s wrist And the history of wristwatches, as the Omega Moonwatch is one of the most iconic of the so-called stylish men’s watches!
Created from blending innovation and unexpected materials with the company’s mantra of ‘art of fusion’, the Hublot Big Bang is a men’s watch that is just as beautiful as it is powerful! The Big Bang is the story of a process of fusion in watchmaking with the use of new materials. The President of LVMH Watch Division, Jean-Claude Biver stated, “Fusion was already coming to fruition in the areas of architecture and gastronomy. However, in 2005 the concept of fusion was still new in watchmaking”. Inspired by the way Les Paul, the legendary guitarist, essentialized the functions of the acoustic guitar to invent the electric guitar, the Hublot teams immediately sought to reproduce this pattern in watchmaking. The result? A 70-component sandwich case, otherwise known as the Big Bang.
What happens when the huge French luxury houses get interested in watchmaking?
Just look at the exquisite refinement of the Arceau Men’s watch by Hermès.
1978. In 1978, Henri d’Origny designed this watch for Hermès which is both robust and stylish. He then brought into the house’s repertoire a piece that happily plays on paradoxes… between fantasy and classicism. He inserted a typography of numerals inspired by the fascinating movement of a galloping horse – the Arceau watch was born!
Conceived at the turn of the year 2000, the J12 Men’s watch from Chanel was ahead of its time in many respects. A truly chic watch, designed by Jacques Helleu, which conveys all the principles of the Chanel house!
Men’s watch Must-Have… What about Smart Watches in 2022?
Hermès is back again with the Apple Hermès Watch, a culmination of a marvellous and functional original Hermès design with cutting-edge technology from Apple. Sublime and functional, the Homme watch is based on the design of another Hermès icon, but incorporates state-of-the-art technology from the Apple company.
This is the most iconic watch in Hublot’s repertoire, the ground-breaking Big Bang E. The CEO of Hublot, Ricardo Guadelupe explained: “We want to create a new market with a luxury smartwatch, for a clientele that is fond of technology while also looking for a connected watch that is set apart by the quality of the external components (which are exactly the same as the mechanical Big Bang), a recognisable design (that of our iconic Big Bang), as well as by its rarity”.
Finally, it is the very fine house of Louis Vuitton that has managed to digitise the iconic Tambour watch for men around a version… “The Tambour watch is a timepiece. The Tambour watch is a timepiece, it protects the time, by its presence, massive, but also its iconic dimension” declared the Vice President Watches and Jewelry of Louis Vuitton, Hamdi Chatti. It must be said that since its launch in 2002, the very first Louis Vuitton watch has everything of an icon. Here is its connected 2022 version — a watchmaker’s Swiss army knife of all recent technologies…
So many impeccable and unforgettable timepieces for men!
Telling You More About… Iconic Watches
Rolex Oyster, Cult Watch
Rolex Oyster Daytona, The Myth
The SubmarinerRolex, the Icon made for Exploration
The Top Gun AviatorWatch from IWC
La Portugieser d’IWC
Tank Must de Cartier : Atemporelle Watch
Reverso Watch by Jaeger LeCoultre, Sporty Watch
The Legendary Omega Moonwatch Now Certified Master Chronometer
The Big Bang E by Hublot, A Connected Icon
Arceau Hermès watch, an history of time
Co-Branding By Hermès, A Lesson In Luxury
The J12, The Chanel Icon At 20
The Tambour Watch, the Louis Vuitton Icon