In the 2010s, watchmaking became the scene of daring experimentation-a decade in which the desire to innovate pushed designers to break with traditional canons, resulting in creations characterized by larger-than-usual diameters and an often overly ambitious design. This context led to the emergence of watches of outsized dimensions, which failed to win universal favor among enthusiasts. Today, with a trend that looks to the return of elegance and restraint, such models are observed with some criticism, highlighting how excessive innovation can, in some cases, prove counterproductive.

Tuttavia, questo periodo non è stato solo una fase di eccessi: è stato anche l’epoca in cui il grande pubblico ha cominciato a scoprire e apprezzare le creazioni indipendenti più stravaganti. Queste proposte, inizialmente fraintese o addirittura ignorate, hanno trovato nel clima post-Covid un terreno fertile per il riconoscimento, dimostrando che l’innovazione, anche quella che osa sfidare le convenzioni, può riservare sorprese e nuove prospettive nel tempo.

This introduction aims to explore how the 2010s represented both a period of excess and the birth of a new aesthetic taste, a decade that, while not without its critics, left an indelible mark on the history of watchmaking.

The trend of watches with increasing diameters

Although the decisions of major brands, in terms of production and design, are made years in advance, they are certainly influenced by trends and customer preferences. One phenomenon that has strongly influenced such choices, in the first decade of the 2000s, has been to wear larger and larger watches that can make the wearer instantly recognizable.

While in some models, offspring of this period, such as the Omega Dark Side of the Moon or the new versions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, the imposing dimensions were dictated by the functional requirements for which the watch was designed, the discourse was different for the more classic models, where brands had to reinterpret the original concept.

A mio avviso, un ottimo esempio è rappresentato da quanto fatto da Cartier in quegli anni, che ha proposto nuove versioni dei suoi modelli iconici con un design rivisitato. Tra questi, spiccano alcune versioni del Baignoire, oggi ritornato alle sue proporzioni classiche, e il Santos, che nelle versioni cronografiche era anche arrivato a 43 mm di diametro.

The complicated watch to stand out

Un altro aspetto da considerare, parlando dei canoni estetici degli orologi prodotti in questi anni, è la crescente richiesta di orologi sportivi complicati. Tale esigenza ha spinto le case a ridisegnare le casse più iconiche per ospitare movimenti sempre più sofisticati. Un esempio è rappresentato dal Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990, che affianca, alla funzione cronografica – già introdotta dal marchio ginevrino nel 2006 con il modello 5980 – la complicazione Travel Time. A mio avviso, il risultato è un orologio orientato più a soddisfare un’esigenza di impatto visivo che a garantire comfort al polso, ad eccezione probabilmente dei clienti appassionati di orologi di presenza.

In recent years, we see a return toward design and simplicity, as opposed to the trend of having an extremely complicated watch. This is confirmed by the huge success of the vintage Cartier market.

From the margin to the limelight: the success of independents

Another aspect to consider of these 2010s is the rise of independent brands, which was especially realized in the pandemic years, a period during which interest in these creations was definitely established.

Although some breakthrough brands-understood as being far removed from traditional watchmaking, such as Urwerk, MB&F, Richard Mille or De Bethune-had existed for several years, for them to establish themselves in the competitive watchmaking market was difficult as their design proposals were really far from the classical canons.

Experimentation with new materials, innovative shapes, and alternative ways of telling time has always interested enthusiasts; however, what frightened customers during the past decade were the high price tags, justified by the substantial research and development costs, for which buyers were reluctant to pay, thus risking that the market would not reflect their tastes in later years.

In this case, unlike the choices regarding size and complications, these stylistic innovations have been highly appreciated, and, today, the independent watch industry is considered among the most esteemed.

Conclusion

To answer the question with which we opened this article, I do not believe that the past decade was a dark period for watchmaking, but rather the result of customer demands and preferences.

If, over the years, extravagant creations-such as MB&F’s Horological Machines-have become increasingly popular, the trend for larger-than-average diameters and proportions is a different matter.

And you, what do you think of these creations from the past decade?

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