“If you ask a child to draw a car, they will make it red” – Enzo Ferrari. It is with this iconic quote from one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the automotive world that I want to start talking to you about the topic we will be addressing today.
Indeed, because if we were always to ask a child to draw a watch, they would create a circle with hands inside. But why a circle? The answer seems simple, doesn’t it?
The round shape, in watchmaking, indeed represents the first shape from which the entire history of timepieces started and remains, even today, the most used by all the maisons. Since 1810, the year the first wristwatch came to life, to today, we have also witnessed the birth of so-called shaped watches, that is, timepieces distinguished by a non-round case, but any other type of design.
Among these various case shapes, today we want to focus on the so-called “asymmetric” watches, that is, those that are the result of a bold and “highly risky” design compared to how the shape of a timepiece was usually conceived.
Dear IWS friends, let us therefore discover, within this article, what we believe to be the 5 most fascinating asymmetric watches ever created.
Patek Philippe 3424
As the first watch, within what we believe to be our top 5 of asymmetric watches, we cannot fail to mention the most sought-after and beloved maison by the world of collecting, namely Patek Philippe. The Geneva-based house, in fact, in the ’60s, introduced an asymmetric watch on the market that, to this day, turns out to be one of the most sought-after shaped timepieces.
We are talking about reference 3424, namely a timepiece belonging to the collection called “Ricochet” of asymmetric watches designed by Patek Philippe. Among all these models, with a completely unique design and perhaps too particular for the years in which they were introduced, reference 3424 received considerable success from enthusiasts.
The feedback was so positive to the point that Patek decided to turn the prototype of reference 3424 into a production model. However, a very limited quantity of this model was produced in different variants.
The watch can indeed be found with a case in white gold, rose gold, yellow gold, platinum, and also, in a variant with a case always in platinum, embellished with fascinating white baguette-cut diamonds. The result of avant-garde design, this watch was created by Gilbert Albert, a young jewelry designer from Geneva, commissioned by the Swiss luxury watch maison, to create watches with a unique and never-before-seen design. Shapes that, even today, after 50 years, continue to fascinate collectors around the world making it one of the most sought-after and beautiful asymmetric watches ever.
Cartier Tank Asymétrique
We are in the early 1900s, a period in which the pocket watch still dominated the scene of men’s timepieces. Shortly thereafter, in 1908, the first men’s wristwatch in history, the Cartier Santos made for Alberto Santos Dumont, came to light. It was more of a design accessory on which to read the time, than a real useful tool while the Brazilian pilot flew through the skies aboard his airplane.
Moving forward about ten years, that is, during the period of World War I, the need for a wristwatch for the male public manifested itself again as a fundamental tool on the field and, above all, always ready to be consulted easily rather than having to be pulled out of the pocket. Alongside, in the 20s, the first automobile competitions began. In situations like these, similar to the battlefield, a wristwatch was of fundamental importance for the drivers who had to keep time during the race.
It was in this context that Cartier began to conceive watches that had shapes and dial orientations that were easy to read in such situations. Thus, in 1917, one of the most famous asymmetric watches in the world of watchmaking was born, which, even today, is released in very limited special editions. It’s the Cartier Tank Asymétrique, a watch shaped like a parallelogram and with a dial rotated by 30° which, thanks to its unusual shape, allowed the pilot to read the time more easily without having to turn his wrist.
To be precise, in those years, it was not customary to give real names to watches and indeed, initially, it was defined as Tank Oblique, Tank Parallélogramme, and Losange, before the name Asymétrique was established. A watch that, even today, along with the special versions recently made, turns out to be one of the most sought-after by lovers of the brand and beyond.
Rolex King Midas
In our top 5, we could not fail to mention Rolex, with a watch completely unusual in design, especially for what are known to us as the stylistic canons of the maison. I’m talking about the Rolex King Midas, a “left-handed” watch with a design inspired by the iconic Greek Pantheon temple, born in the ’60s in homage to King Midas. It is a timepiece made entirely of gold and characterized by an asymmetric case.
For the time it was launched, the use of such a noble material, by the crowned house, was unusual and made it the most expensive Rolex timepiece and the heaviest wristwatch on the market. A watch that, especially in recent years, seems to have been very noticed by collectors for its fascinating design and for the story it contains inside.
Hamilton Ventura
Among what we believe to be the most fascinating asymmetric watches, we could not fail to include the first electric watch in the world. I’m talking about the Ventura, the iconic Hamilton watch shaped like a shield designed by designer Richard Arbib. Launched in 1957, the Hamilton Ventura achieved great success right away thanks to its unique and unusual design, in addition to being the first electric watch.
Sought after and still declined today by the maison in different versions, the Ventura also owes part of its success to the king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, who wore the watch in 1961 in the movie “Blue Hawaii.”
Cartier Crash
Last, but not least for sure, let’s talk about what I believe to be one of the most fascinating watches ever: the Cartier Crash. A watch that contains a story as mysterious as it is attractive for what was the conception of such design. Moreover, it has an even more unusual shape compared to the other watches seen so far. But it is precisely its very particular shape that has made this watch, an object desired and sought after by all collectors in the world.
Launched in 1967 at the prestigious Cartier boutique on New Bond Street in London, the Crash immediately became an icon of the 20th century. Following the version launched in London, with a dial bearing the name of the city, in 1991 Cartier Paris created its own version, in yellow gold, limited to 400 pieces. Subsequently, in the 90s, other highly limited versions of the Crash were created, including variants with an unusual skeletonized dial. To this day, the Crash is certainly Cartier’s most sought-after watch by all collectors, as well as one of the most fascinating wristwatches in terms of its mysterious design.
Final Remarks
Within the fantastic world of hands, in addition to these 5 watches we have considered, there are also many other asymmetrically shaped watches. I believe, however, that those included in the article are the most fascinating ever and the ones that have always struck us the most.
In a world where we are accustomed to conceiving the watch as an object with a circular shape, the maisons that had the courage to dare in terms of design then encountered the deserved success by moving away from “classic” stylistic canons, without however abandoning what represents the watchmaking tradition.
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Sources:
Christie’s – “Important Watches” 17 Giugno 2015
Phillips – “The Geneva Watch Auction: THREE” 15 Maggio 2016
Phillips – “The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XII” 5-6 Giugno 2021
