Echoes of Elegance

Ralph Lauren’s Minute Repeater Strikes with Swiss Precision

One of Ralph Lauren’s newest chiming showpieces plants an American flag squarely in Swiss high watchmaking. Conceived with Richemont (makers of Cartier, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre and Piaget), the watch signals a bold step far beyond polo shirts and double-breasted blazers and into serious horological territory.

Originally priced at $210,000 it is rumored that one recently sold for closer to $300K, signaling the interest of collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. The design is all understatement and precision, packed with a movement that rivals timepieces costing tens of thousands more. A slim 42.5 mm case of white gold rises barely 10.1 mm off the wrist, its broad bezel and dial are alive with crisp, hand-cut and gorgeous guilloché. The quiet elegance masks a dramatic mechanical core and presents a dial that will stun you with its elegance.

Design Excellence By Ralph Lauren

Powering the minute-repeater is the hand-wound RL 888, created expressly for Ralph Lauren by Geneva’s La Fabrique du Temps, one of Switzerland’s most respected complications workshops and now part of Louis Vuitton. This team, known for crafting movements for Laurent Ferrier and other elite maisons, shaped the bridges and levers in homage to vintage pocket-watch repeaters and endowed the caliber with a muscular 100-hour power reserve. Perhaps you will never take it off the wrist, but you could for four days if you want.

The outcome is a striking watch that fuses American style with Swiss artistry. More than a fashion accessory, it is a piece of true haute horlogerie, proving Ralph Lauren’s watch division wants to compete on the same stage as the world’s finest independent makers. Bravo Ralph.