OWN THE LOOK
What’s more important, the watch you wear or the way you wear it? In Italy... it’s both
What is Italy’s greatest contribution to the watch industry? It has a growing number of watch companies several of which would doubtless like to put their names forward But the correct answer is a titan of business who had no direct involvement with the watch industry the late Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli
In the late Sixties reformed playboy Agnelli took over the company started by his grandfather and turned it into one of the main drivers of Italy’s post-war boom making him the country’s richest man But as successful as he was in business Agnelli is remembered as much for being an icon of style whose impeccable custom-made suits see him regularly included in those lists of the best-dressed men of all time
One fashion quirk was wearing a watch over his shirt sleeve Several reasons have been suggested such as being too busy to hitch up a sleeve to check the time or shirt sleeves too closely tailored to accommodate a watch underneath But we all know the real reason it was a boss move Look at my lovely watch and see how I dress as I damn well please
Style guru though he was could one man really affect the industry? In the early Seventies Audemars Piguet brought out a daring new watch the Royal Oak It was a steel sports watch costing as much as a gold Rolex and initially did not sell well But then one was spotted atop Agnelli’s crisp shirt sleeve and the watch’s fortunes changed
Agnelli wore statement pieces from a whole range of other brands including Patek Philippe Omega and Vacheron Constantin One thing the watches listed have in common is that they are all Swiss As a proud Italian what about Italian watches? Well there weren’t that many of them Italians were pioneers in the very early watchmaking days but for a stylish Italian looking to buy local in the Sixties and Seventies choices were slim
That has changed and there are now lots of Italian brands at all price levels If Mr Agnelli was alive today we’re sure he’d be championing Italian makers but a lot of his money would still head over the border as most Italian brands still rely on Switzerland or else the Far East for technical expertise Because while Italy’s watch industry is picking up they do not have the infrastructure to make much of the watches themselves But just like Agnelli whatever else the Italians do they are never short on style