Gucci’s new ‘Grip’ watch, which genuinely works on both a man’s or a woman’s wrist, is a brilliant mash-up of a century’s worth of the best horological design. Heavily inspired by the luxury sports watches of the 1970s, its square dial with round edges was a period tick of the time.
The mix of brushed- and polished-metal finishes pay joyful homage to Gérald Genta’s 1970 ‘Royal Oak’ design for Audemars Piguet, while the ‘no-dial’ dial can be attributed to Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber, who patented his modern ‘digital’ display in 1883. It’s been a long time coming but, in 2019, in the polymath hands of Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, the fashion timepiece has finally evolved into a high-street watch with a greatest-hits design culture all its own. §
