Fashion watches are having a moment – from Demna’s Balenciaga choker to Fendi’s Mary Jane pumps, and fun timepiece collabs between luxury brands and Timex, Seiko and more

Oct 25 , 2023

Putting the fun in function, fashion watches are having a moment, such as this product of the recent Timex and Jacquie Aiche collaboration. Photo: Handout

Older but still relevant examples include Miu Miu crystal and pearl watches from a few years ago and the sculptural creations of Issey Miyake, including those with Seiko

Giuseppe Zanotti collaborated with Christian Cowan on stilettos with watches as straps, while Timex has worked with Todd Snyder, Brooks Brothers, Cynthia Rowley and now jewellery designer Jacquie Aiche

With luxury brands getting more serious about watches – think the horological wizardry at the likes of Chanel, Hermès and Gucci – it can be easy to forget the fun of a “fashion watch”.

Julia Fox in a watch outfit at a Pandora event during New York Fashion Week in September. Photo: Handout

Yes, it might not have an in-house movement but a fashion watch can still be a great piece of design. This is as relevant to the charming Miu Miu crystal and pearl watches from a few years ago as it is to the sculptural creations of Issey Miyake. The latter brand regularly collaborates with creatives and the Seiko watch brand to create interesting designs.

Giuseppe Zanotti stilettos with watches for straps. Photo: Handout

Fashion watches, which focus more on form than function, may be trending, but brands have long been playing with the idea of what a watch is really for. This includes Giuseppe Zanotti’s collaboration with Christian Cowan on a capsule of towering stilettos with watches as straps, and Demna’s haute couture debut for Balenciaga, where a watch choker was a key accessory.

At the Fendi autumn 2022 menswear show too there were Mary Jane shoes with watches on the strap. As Silvia Fendi told Vogue: “Everybody uses their mobiles to see the time – the watch has become more a decorative piece today.”

Timex x Jacquie Aiche watch collaboration. Photo: Handout

One brand to lean into the decorative side of watchmaking is Timex. Recent collabs have included with fashion designer Todd Snyder, all-American brand Brooks Brothers and Cynthia Rowley. In August, Timex announced its fifth collaboration with jewellery designer Jacquie Aiche, with the pieces quickly selling out.

The latest timepiece, the Sunrise, has an alluring mother of pearl dial that captures the ombre colours of the sun. For Aiche its beauty is that checking it each day is a little reminder to make the most of your – well – time.

“The sunrise symbolises the enchantment that comes with every day. It reminds us to live each day with purpose and a sense of optimism toward the future,” she says.