Which mechanical watches of the 80s might history smile upon?

[Der Amf]

Generally speaking Rolex designs aren't my thing, but occasionally I see one from the past with is much more in line with my preferences, and they stand out. I noticed on an WRUW thread one piquing my interest more than usual, and it was from 1983.

The 80s aren't a decade that gets mentioned very often when disussing history of mechanical watch design, but I'm sure fashion will be paying at least a small role in this. So I'm wondering which watches from this decade have a chance of competing with the classics currently venerated?

[RayMac]

Well definitely European or Asian brands. Even Bulova was falling out of collector favor by the 1980s and the other American brands were largely defunct.
There are some great Soviet era watch models from that time if you are into that genre and have limited funds available.

[Dan R]

Ahem. Swatch?



Dan

[Rdenney]

The Ebel Sport Classic Chronograph, aka Chronosport. This bracelet design hails from 1986, but the same watch head on a wave bracelet was made from 1982 to 1986. From 1982 until 1995, this model used the Zenith El Primero movement, and it was the watch that first brought that movement out of hiding. It was the style watch for Sonny Crockett (played by Don Johnson) in the TV Show Miami Vice in the last half of the 80's, which was a silly cop show but which was highly influential in establishing the 80's style of Armani sport coats with silk T-shirts and jeans.

Also, it was a completely unique design, having first been introduced in 1978 as the Sport Classic, a quartz watch with the same case shape (and with a manufacture quartz movement, by the way). A Rolex from the 80's will borrow heavily from earlier models, but this one was innovative in the shape and construction of the case and in the early use of a design that takes advantage of a flat crystal rather than merely accommodating it.

For me, the 80's was the decade in which I established my life as a fully independent adult, and this was a watch that a young adult could wear, rather than an old kid. It therefore resonates on many levels. But it took me a while to understand why it does so--in the actual 80's, my taste in watches was pretty low-grade.

The architect of the influence of this watch was driven by Pierre-Alain Blum, the owner of Ebel and the founders' grandson. But the executor of that vision was Jean-Marc Jacot, now CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier, and a brand consultant to the likes of Gerald Genta in the 90's. But in the 80's, he was the CEO of Ebel, and executed the "Architects of Time" marketing strategy. He claims that Ebel grew into the fourth most important watch brand in the world during that period. Towards the end of that period, there was another guy in the management team at Ebel--Aldo Magada, now CEO of Zenith.

So, in many ways, and recognizing my obvious bias in the matter, the Ebel Chronosport is the iconic 80's luxury watch..

Rick "not competing with Swatch" Denney

[Der Amf]

Swatch made mechanical in the eighties?

[scottjc]

I always thought that Crockett wore a white Cerrutti suit instead of Armani.
Armani was favoured in the UK by the football casuals of the 80's.
I also thought that the first mechanical watch from Swatch was the Irony during the 90's.
I may be wrong on both...
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[Der Amf]

I always thought that Crockett wore a white Cerrutti suit instead of Armani.
Armani was favoured in the UK by the football casuals of the 80's.
I also thought that the first mechanical watch from Swatch was the Irony during the 90's.
I may be wrong on both...
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Hadn't realised the casuals went that high. Blimey. I loved that they called themselves things like the Inter City Crew (or Gang or whatever it was) to indicate they could afford to travel on real trains, not the cattle-truck Football Specials.

[Rdenney]

I always thought that Crockett wore a white Cerrutti suit instead of Armani.
Armani was favoured in the UK by the football casuals of the 80's.

As an American, my mind's eye sees "football casuals" far differently than you probably intended.

I really don't know who made Crockett's suits (either fictionally or in fact)--and I confess that I have never watched a single episode of Miami Vice. As with most nostalgic attempts, I'm recapturing a youth I never had. ("What watch would I have worn 30 years ago had I been European-cool and rich?" I have never been cool and rich. It's much like the chubby middle-aged lawyer poorly navigating a vintage Harley to a biker bar to look as though he actually had an ill-spent youth. My only defense is self-awareness.)

Rick "whose body will not accommodate an Italian suit" Denney

[Der Amf]

If only more non Italians would realise the challenges presented by Italian suits (and avoid them)

[scottjc]

Hadn't realised the casuals went that high. Blimey. I loved that they called themselves things like the Inter City Crew (or Gang or whatever it was) to indicate they could afford to travel on real trains, not the cattle-truck Football Specials.

Many of the leaders were proper professionals. The original film called The Firm, not the Tom Cruise effort, is pretty accurate although Cass is about as realistic as you can get as it's based on Cass Pennant's autobiography.