100 Years On, Art Deco Still Influences Watch Design

New York Times

11 hours ago

'Patek Philippe as we know it today wouldn't exist without Art Deco influence,' said John Reardon, an expert in the brand's vintage watches. 'Sometimes it is subtle — it could be a flourish buckle, the crown, the lugs, the index shapes.'
'Other times more obvious," he noted, 'like with the new desk clock,' the Ref. 27000M, a green and gold addition to the brand's Grand Complications collection that was inspired by a 1923 design.
Mr. Reardon, who founded the online education and sales platform Collectability, also cited the Patek Philippe Ref. 5101 P, introduced in 2003. 'With this towering watch on your wrist you feel like you are part of the New York skyline,' he said. 'And it has the salmon dial inspired from that era.'
But as Art Deco marks its centennial this year, it is clear that Patek Philippe is not the only watch brand that has been inspired by the style's bold lines and architectural details. Consider Cartier's geometric designs, Jaeger-LeCoultre's linear Reverso or even the newly reimagined Mini DolceVita by Longines. In the watch universe, Art Deco has become an enduring inspiration.
Art Deco was popularized in 1925, when millions visiting the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris saw the style showcased in its architecture and exhibits.
Van Cleef & Arpels, for example, won the grand prize in the jewelry category for a set that included the Fleurs enlacées (entwined flowers) bracelet of red and white roses in brilliant-cut diamonds.
'This put us on the international map,' said Natacha Vassiltchikov, the house's heritage retail director. 'Diamonds in different cuts and platinum were the main materials. Sometimes contrasted with one color or onyx. These pure, graphical and elegant aspects are one of the reasons why Art Deco pieces remain so popular and work so well in combination with pieces from other periods.'
Why has Art Deco had such a strong effect not only on watch and jewelry design, but also in the wider design universe?
Some answers are likely to emerge from 'One Hundred Years of Art Deco,' an exhibition of more than 1,000 items ranging from watches and clocks to life-size interiors of the Orient Express that is scheduled to open Oct. 22 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
'We will show the many facets of Art Deco,' said Anne Monier Vanryb, the main curator of the exhibition. 'Not only the geometric, streamlined, bold, refined and elegant aesthetic that combines modernity and preciousness. There are also many delicate, floral objects and exotic directions in Art Deco.'
Ms. Monier Vanryb said the 1920s were known for technical innovations, the use of sensual materials and the development of a cosmopolitan clientele — references that also could apply to Cartier, which is to have more than 50 necklaces, tiaras, boxes, accessories and timepieces displayed in the exhibition.
The pieces, lent by Cartier or already a part of the museum's collection, were chosen by Mathieu Rousset-Perrier, the museum's jewelry curator. 'The Art Deco development of wristwatches corresponds to the liberation of the silhouette of men,' he said. 'Men wore suits that were less rigid, they were living a more active, dynamic life. And they could not wear pocket watches anymore as they were not wearing waistcoats. Just look at the tonneau and square watches from Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre, the modernity — they are so current.'
To Mikael Wallhagen, the head of watches for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Sotheby's Geneva, Cartier's timepieces defined the Art Deco era.
And, he noted, 'I don't know if it has to do with the centenary of Art Deco — but at the moment, shaped vintage watches are very popular.'
'We recently sold watches from the bejeweled Cartier Tutti Frutti collection, sautoir watches, the Portico Mystery table clocks, Chrysler Building-inspired pocket watches. And, of course, early models of the Tank — they are always popular,' he said, citing a platinum Tank Normale from 1920 that recently sold for 96,000 Swiss francs (about $120,300).
As for the most popular Art Deco-inspired watch, Mr. Wallhagen said it had to be the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. The rectangular watch allows the wearer to flip the case over and lock it in place, a feature originally envisioned as a way polo players could protect their watches' crystals during matches.
At the headquarters of Jaeger-LeCoultre in Switzerland's Vallée de Joux, Jérôme Lambert, the brand's chief executive, explained why the Reverso had become such a hallmark of the company: 'Reverso is a story of style and modernity. And it is almost the only existing watch still in production true to its style since its creation in 1931.'
'The Reverso,' he noted in a follow-up email, 'embodied that aesthetic of Art Deco, a style rooted in geometry, symmetry and understated elegance. Its reversible case is not only a technical achievement but a design statement that remains relevant, modern and instantly recognizable.'
Today, Jaeger-LeCoultre's designers have continued to reinterpret Art Deco's geometry and defined lines by incorporating such elements as mother-of pearl, enamel and precious stones. Consider the Reverso One Precious Colors, a limited-edition model in white gold and geometric enamel patterns, accented with bands of brilliant-cut diamonds (price on application).
Yet, 'Art Deco was never just about design,' Mr. Lambert said. 'It was a cultural phenomenon, a worldwide artistic language. It transcended borders and disciplines, shaping architecture, fashion, design and watchmaking alike.'
Its influence also has extended into more affordable watch brands, such as Longines, which this month debuted a steel and gold version of the Mini DolceVita, a quartz reinterpretation of a Longines timepiece from 1927 (starting at $1,700).
'Art Deco represents the fusion of modernism, design and artistic expression,' Giuseppe Miccio, the brand's head of product development, wrote in an email. 'It emerged during a period of great technological and cultural progress — an era when pioneers in aviation, transportation, architecture and industry were redefining the boundaries of possibility.'
And to Mr. Miccio, Art Deco endures because it has captured a rare balance: 'That harmony between progress and elegance has a universal appeal, transcending both generations and disciplines.'