By Carl Scutt
It’s been said before, mainly by me quoting American businessman Gordon Bethune, saying or should I paraphrase this, unless you’re Mr.T a watch is probably the only piece of acceptable jewelry bar the wedding band, that a man can wear if he wants to be taken seriously.
The other thing I say is there’s too much snobbery around when it comes to things like watches and wines. As I touch on the subject how come the word ‘fine’ just means okay, unless you put it in front of dinning, wine, or ‘a fine example’ of whatever you are assessing. Yes, I digress but the point is made.
All I want to get across is the double standards of many influences across our culture, which you’ll be glad to hear, brings me to the meat on the particular bone.
Ralph Lauren isn’t at first glance the first brand a watch enthusiast would point to and say “That’s the one!” It’s not an aged Swiss Marque dating back to the 16th century, it’s not steeped in a history of evolution and the pursuit of perfection, but what it does have is the success of a brand that knows what it’s customers want.
The New 867 Releases
The Ralph Lauren brand is releasing the new 867 of which all four are based on the same incarnation with some cosmetic differences to keep them interesting, and offer some customization.
The 867 is offered in a 35mm square case in stainless steel as the main build with a choice of dials and straps. All these pieces however, are powered by the same mechanical self-winding caliber RL300-1, 25 jewel Swiss-made movement, running at the 28,800 frequency, and boasting a power reserve of 42 hours.
35MM STEEL BLACK DIAL WITH STEEL BRACELET RLR0150000
35MM STEEL WHITE DIAL WITH STEEL BRACELET RLR0150001
35MM STEEL BLACK DIAL WITH CALF STRAP RLR0150700
35MM STEEL WHITE DIAL WITH CALF STRAP RLR0150701
What Are My Options?
The options are quite simple which in my view is always a good thing. Too many options and decisions become difficult, giving a feeling of too many options and price points clouding the issue. Here we have the option of a black or white dial on stainless steel bracelet, or black or white dial on matte black calfskin strap with a stainless steel pin buckle. All dials topped with a convex sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment. Easy, right?
The 867 Collection
In the words of the man himself, Ralph Lauren, the idea behind the collection is the re-imagining of a past time of the Art Deco Era, re-inventing it for the modern man and the life we live today.
Looking at the design it’s easy to see the design cues with the almost signature cubist Bauhaus angular case, the lacquered dials complete with Arabic and Roman numerals, and hands that wouldn’t look out of place on a Breguet.
Dissimilar to the Breguet style though, is the seamless joint between the case and strap that seem to bleed in together to give a highly sophisticated look.
The Geneses of Ralph Lauren
The Ralph Lauren brand has been with us since 1939 but only since 2008 did the merger or joint venture with Richemont, owner of many well known brands, to produce the Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Company.
This partnership means Ralph Lauren is now a manufacture, and distribute luxury watches, through their boutiques worldwide. That’s a big deal!
Final Word
If you had any reservation about buying into a fashion brand you can do worse that Ralph Lauren because the collections now feature high quality Swiss Made movements. With creative designs and a quality movement at its heart the 867 collection looks set to sell well, so watch this space. For more info, please visit ralphlauren.com
