Icons of Time

by Jan Tegler

A couple of months ago, this magazine’s publisher, Gary Girdvainis, and I were discussing design icons—classic objects known to most everyone based on their unique merit. Distinguished by form, function, originality or a combination thereof, these items standout within a given category or even define the category itself.

Timepieces that fit that definition abound in the universe of wristwatches, and it’s a good bet that many of you can identify watches that have become icons. Gary and I began to talk about classics inside and outside the watch world, and the notion of pairing them. He asked me to come up with a small selection of icons and choose a watch to match each.

Arriving at appropriate combinations was fascinating but somehow familiar. Think about it, how often have you chosen a watch to go with your attire or to suit a particular occasion? Let’s think in broader terms. To properly pair an iconic watch with another icon, it should:

Be currently available.

Remain largely unchanged from its original design.

Be in continuous production since first offering (ideally) or be a faithful revival of a classic piece.

Have an enduring appeal for specific or broad audiences.

After careful consideration, I chose nine icons from across the spectrum of design and human endeavor and nine icons of time. While several of these icons also are involved in their own watch designs, it’s the original icon that concerns us here. You might choose many more, or different combinations. With that in mind, we invite you to drop us a line here at iW with your own combinations. In the meantime, consider these classics on and off the cuff.

Steinway Concert Grand Piano – Patek Philippe Calatrava 3520 DG

Steinway & Sons, founded in 1853 in Manhattan, is inextricably linked with the modern piano. In 1875, C.F. Theodore Steinway was granted a patent for the modern concert grand piano. Since then, Steinway’s classic concert grands have set the standard for pianos, defining their look and sound. Ninety percent of the world’s concert pianists play this iconic instrument along with artists from the worlds of jazz to popular music. Simply say the name “Steinway” and people understand. Renowned for their incomparable sound and responsive touch, Steinways are handed down from generation to generation, rather like an iconic watch.

Patek Philippe’s Calatrava is the brand’s signature wristwatch. Created in 1932, this clean, subtle design added substantially to the prestigious firm’s already stellar reputation. Begun in 1839, by Polish immigrants Antoine Norbert de Patek and Francois Czapek, the company became “Patek Philippe” in 1844 when Jean Adrien Philippe joined the firm. Its many innovations include the first keyless watch, the first Swiss wristwatch, and patents for everything from the wristwatch perpetual calendar mechanism to the “split seconds chronograph.” The Calatrava’s appearance coincided with the independent manufacture’s purchase by the Stern family, which still owns the brand. Named for the Calatrava Cross that is the brand’s emblem, this iconic watch incorporates all the qualities which define Patek Philippe. Equipped with the ultra-thin Caliber 177 movement, the modern Calatrava 3520 DG series is a timeless classic which, like the Steinway concert grand, is handed down from generation to generation.

Porsche 911 – Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
The first sports car to wear the Porsche name was the 356. Debuting in 1948, it set the stage for what would become one of the most successful cars in history, the legendary 911. Launched in 1963 as the “901,” the 911 went into serial production in 1964 and has remained in production ever since. Its distinctive shape and rear-engine layout have undergone few revisions in 44 years of production—a truly durable icon with international appeal, not just on the road but on-track too. Arguably the most successful competition car of all time, racing variants of the 911 have won in everything from sports car racing to rallying. Porsche has twenty wins at the famous 24 Hours of Daytona—ten of them with 911-variant racers. Coincidentally, there’s an iconic watch which pays tribute to the historic race—one which, as the current prize for winning in-class at Daytona, is in the hands of many 911 racers.

The 24 Hours of Daytona (now the “Rolex 24”) was the first sporting event Rolex ever sponsored. The manufacture was there in 1962 when the race began as a 3-hour event known as the Daytona Continental. Expanded to twelve hours by 1964, it became a 24-hour classic in 1966. During this period, Rolex named a special chronograph the “Cosmograph Daytona.” In production with brief interruptions for four decades, the Cosmograph Daytona is one of the most sought after watches ever. The icon first used Valjoux movements, then switched to a Zenith movement in 1988. In 2000, the Cosmograph Daytona received Rolex’s Caliber 4130 chronograph movement. Capable of measuring elapsed time and calculating average speed, the watch is as popular as ever. “Paul Newman” versions are the most prized.

Cessna Skyhawk – Breitling Navitimer

Many more powerful, fearsome or record-breaking aircraft have become icons, but none is more familiar to pilots the world over than Cessna’s “Skyhawk.” Founded in 1927 by aviation pioneer Clyde Cessna, the company has produced more aircraft than any manufacturer on the planet, and its iconic Skyhawk 172 is the most popular aircraft in history. Introduced in 1956, the classic single- engine, high-wing, tricycle-landing-gear four-seater is easy to fly and instantly recognizable. It has trained generations of pilots and served in air forces across the globe. No less than twenty-three models of the Skyhawk have been offered. The aircraft remains in production today as the 172R.

No watch firm is more closely associated with aviation than Breitling. Founded in 1884, just as the era of manned flight was dawning, Leon Breitling’s firm specialized initially in chronograph pocket watches and precision counters. By World War One, the founder’s son, Gaston, introduced the first wristwatch chronograph, an instrument specially suited to the needs of pilots. The adoption of Breitling wristwatches throughout the aviation community accelerated over the next thirty years with several chronograph innovations, including start-and-return-to-zero pushpieces and the circular slide rule, which debuted on the brand’s Chronomat.

In 1952 Breitling launched the famous “Navitimer.” Equipped with its own slide rule “navigation computer,” the watch has become an icon—in continuous production since the model “806” debuted. Navitimers can be found on the wrists of pilots across the globe, including those who fly the ubiquitous Skyhawk.

Henry Poole & Co. Tuxedo – Cartier Tank Americaine

Everyone knows what a tuxedo is, but where did this icon of fashion originate? The answer is London’s renowned Savile Row, at Henry Poole & Co.—sort of. In business since 1846, Henry Poole & Co. began the tradition of the Savile Row suit. By the 1870s, the firm was providing bespoke tailoring to almost every crowned head in Europe. In 1860 Henry Poole crafted a short smoking jacket for the Prince of Wales to wear at informal dinner parties. Six years later, wealthy American James Potter of Tuxedo Park, New York, was visiting London and was invited by the Prince to a spend a weekend at Sandringham. Advised that he could have a smoking jacket made by the Prince’s tailors, he did just that. Upon returning to New York, Potter wore his smoking jacket at the Tuxedo Park Club. When fellow members started having copies made for themselves, it became the informal uniform for club “stag” dinners. The resulting ensemble became known as the “Tuxedo.” Bespoke tuxedos are still available from Henry Poole & Co. today.

Many timepieces might be paired with a tuxedo, but Cartier’s supremely fashionable “Tank” watch is an icon which compliments the famous formal wear marvelously. The unmistakable Tank was created by Louis Cartier in 1917. Reportedly inspired by the horizontal section of Renault’s World War One military tanks, the first prototype was given to American General John Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during the Great War. A favorite of celebrities from its inception, the classic Tank “Louis Cartier” is still available, and a range of modern variants, including the Tank “Americaine,” lend fresh flair. Powered by Cartier’s Caliber 205 automatic winding movement, the extra- large Americaine in 18-karat red gold with elegant silvered dial and chronograph function makes a smart contemporary complement to the American-inspired tuxedo.