This year’s Met Gala 2023 will be held in honor of fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019. Indeed, the theme of the evening to be held May 1st at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”.
It is considered among the most important events for fashion and glamour and it has been held under the sponsorship of Vogue magazine since 1948, when it was first created by the editor of those years, Eleanor Lambert.
Among the expected guests this year are Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Reynolds, Donatella Versace, Rihanna and many others. As always, it will be an opportunity for massive watch spotting. We are confident that the Met Gala parterre, as every year, will give us great satisfaction.
However, In the meantime, it is fitting to remember the star of the evening, the late Karl, considered among the most influential designers of the last twenty-five years, a true “Kaiser” of fashion.
Who was Karl Lagerfeld
Born in Hamburg, Germany, supposedly in 1933 (some say his birth year was 1935), Karl Otto Lagerfeld arrived as a teenager in Paris in 1952, where he worked for Pierre Balmain. In 1964 he moved to Italy to study art history. In 1965 he became creative director of Fendi and, in 1983, of Chanel. In particular, his influence on Coco Chanel’s Maison was disruptive, breathing new life into the brand’s style and line.
He has also created a brand under his own name and, in the meantime, has not disdained to collaborate with consumer brands as well. For example, his line with H&M is famous, reflecting Karl’s belief that style does not necessarily equals luxury.
An icon in every detail, Karl can be recognized by his snow-white hair pulled back in a ponytail, dark sunglasses and leather gloves, as well as his devotion to his now-famous cat Choupette. His gospel in the dress code was definitely black and white – a legacy of his passion for photography – without any concession to other colors but always with a flicker of irreverent modernity.
He left us on February 19, 2019, at the age of 85 (something less when considering other assumed birth years).
Karl Lagerfeld’s Watches
Speaking of watches, Karl Lagerfeld has of course been able to collect a lot of incredible timepieces, but-somewhat like his style in general-he has always stuck to a few iconic pieces. Let’s look at them together, starting with his very favorite.
The Royal Oak 5402 customized in black PVD
It is said that the Kaiser of fashion’s favorite timepiece was his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402ST, which indeed fully corresponds to all the stylistic hallmarks of this legendary designer’s taste. However, this is no ordinary watch; in fact, Karl’s was specially customized to achieve a total black look with black PVD. An unusual choice given that at the time (1974) this model was not available in the catalog in this version. We can say that Karl was a forerunner of the more recent black ceramic.
Lagerfeld used to wear his Royal Oak over his shirt cuffs – strictly white – just like Avvocato Gianni Agnelli. Even in this choice, then, the king of fashion proved to be ahead of his time, anticipating a fashion (total black and customization) that, at the time, did not exist in watchmaking and only a visionary like him could grasp.
Rolex “Stelline” ref. 6062
In a famous shot from 1984, the Kaiser of fashion, in an unusual but still iconic outfit in a white suit and pink shirt, wears a Rolex ref. 6062 so-called “Stelline,” in yellow gold with a jubilee bracelet and 36 mm Oyster case.
This reference is very rare because it remained in the catalog for only three years (it is estimated that only 350 were produced in yellow gold, 50 in rose gold, and even fewer in steel). The nickname is due to the “star” indexes, precisely. Along with the reference 8171 (so-called “Padellone”), it is the only Rolex model with triple calendar and moon phases but, unlike the “Padellone,” it boasts a water-resistant Oyster case.
At twelve o’clock, the two windows show the day of the week and the name of the month, while at six o’clock we find the moon phase and the seconds hand.
Patek Philippe Gondolo
Among Karl Lagerfeld’s watches, one of the most distinctive is definitely a Patek Philippe Gondolo Inv. P-1005: a rectangular-shaped watch dating from around the 1920s, the so-called Jazz Age. Since the photo taken is evidently after the production period of this watch, we like to think that Karl Lagerfeld sought it out and appreciated it as an already “vintage” object.
The Patek Philippe Gondolo is a model with an incredible history if we think of Patek Philippe as we know it today. Since it is quite a long story, we invite you to read our dedicated article. Suffice it to say here that the birth of the Gondolo intertwines with the streets of Rio de Janeiro, a Gondolo Gang, and private lotteries.
Solid Gold Apple Watch
Equally irreverent and peculiar was the choice to wear an all-gold Apple Watch, again specially created for Karl Lagerfeld and unique in the world. This timepiece was immortalized on the designer’s wrist (as always with fingerless leather gloves) by his collaborator Sebastien Jondeau. Entirely made of yellow gold, both case and bracelet, the model is valued at no less than 25,000.00 euros.
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