Gianni Agnelli, known affectionately as “The Lawyer” – L’Avvocato – was not only a giant of the automotive industry, but also a symbol of elegance and sophistication. His ability to fuse the business world with inimitable personal style made him a prominent figure, admired and imitated around the world. Agnelli transformed men’s fashion with the same ease with which he led Fiat through decades of success and challenges.
A great devotee of the “Made in Italy” concept, he always had his eyes turned overseas from which, according to him, much could be learned. This could be deduced from his close relations with such prominent personalities as J. F. Kennedy or Henry Kissinger.
With her slender figure, silver hair, and innate charm, she made elegance a hallmark. Her tailored suits, often featuring unique details such as a watch above the shirt cuff, became the epitome of understated yet bold elegance.
But it is precisely those watches on the cuff that we will discuss today. They highlighted his attention to detail; nothing was ever left to chance. Some call this hallmark of his as a fall from style, a “chicanery” apt to show off the haute horlogerie pieces he paired with his suits, but he a pragmatic man that he was, wore his watches this way to keep the edge of his shirt from wearing out.
In the following we will discuss only a few of the countless watches he owned, captured in photographs where he was engaged in conversations, hobbies, family, work; there are some legends that hover about a rare Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6263, photographed on his wrist while he was at the helm of his “Agneta,” but such photographs are to this day unobtainable, so the mystery remains…
Omega Seamaster 600 Ploprof
A rugged watch suitable for great depths, this diver from Omega made its appearance on the list in the early 1970s to suit the needs of those who practiced underwater activities, which were widespread in those years of marine exploration. With a steel case measuring 55 x 48 mm, the Omega Ploprof (Professional Plongeur), guaranteed 600 m water resistance, perfect legibility thanks to tritium luminescent indexes and spheres. A peculiarity of this model is the position of the crown on the left, at 9 o’clock: it leaves room for a red button, useful for unlocking and directing the rotating bezel.
Worn by the Lawyer, often even on tailored suits, this magnificent sports timepiece was notable for its size. You certainly wonder how it is possible to wear a professional dive watch on elegant suits. Well, its charm incredibly justified this mixture of styles, representing Agnelli’s unconventional and innovative approach to fashion and accessories.
Hamilton Pulsar P2
As we have already anticipated, Gianni was a great lover of innovation, and in addition to proving it in the professional field with Fiat, he demonstrated it first and foremost on his clothing, wearing a “watch-computer” that was a milestone in technology and watchmaking. We are talking about the Hamilton Pulsar P2, the first watch with “electronic calculator” features with a Dot Led (light-emitting diode) screen. Its accuracy was guaranteed by a quartz movement (the 9150) specially developed by a company specializing in electronics.
Due to its considerable weight, the Pulsar P2 was felt on the wrist, in fact, the case was made of solid steel to ensure robustness to its delicate electronic heart. A Hamilton Pulsar P2 at the time, cost $10 more than a Rolex Submariner i.e., $395!
The operation of the clock was very simple, simply pressing the control button located on the right side of the clock would cause the hour to appear for a few seconds; if you held it down, the hour would disappear and the seconds would appear in its place.
Patek Philippe World Time
The lawyer was certainly envied for his charm, influence, and style, but especially by “watch lovers” especially for a work of art on his wrist, his Patek Philippe World Time ref. 1415HU.
One of the most iconic watches, extremely rare, produced in very few pieces that, if purchased, allows you to rightfully enter the Valhalla of Watchmaking Gods.
Produced since the 1930s, Ref. 1415HU is one of the first watches in the world to feature the “World Time” function developed by Louis Cottier. This mechanism makes it possible, simultaneously, to read the time in different cities around the world, thanks to a rotating disk that displays the names of 41 cities.
It is equipped with a hand-wound mechanical movement, caliber 12-120 HU. This movement is known for its precision and reliability; the case is usually made of yellow gold, but there are also versions in rose gold and platinum. The case has a diameter of about 31 mm, which may seem small by modern standards, but was a common size for the time.
The dial is decorated with “cloisonné” enamel, an artistic technique that adds value and beauty to the watch, while the bezel is fixed and often features a simple, understated design in keeping with Patek Philippe’s classic elegance.
Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar
In Gianni’s magnificent drawer of watches, a masterpiece from the Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet could hardly be missing; we are talking about ref. 5555BA, an intricate system of complications including a perpetual calendar. It is one of the most appreciated and sophisticated mechanisms, as it can keep track of days, months, years and even leap years, without the need for manual corrections.
The case of the watch is made of 18-karat yellow gold, which gives the watch a luxurious and timeless look, while the size is about 36 mm, a classic size that is well suited for many occasions.
The dial is generally white or silvered, with gold applied hour markers. The indicators for the perpetual calendar functions are arranged symmetrically and easily readable. Often, the dial also includes a moon phase that adds a touch of beauty and functionality.
Cartier Couteau
No, we are not talking about a Swiss Army knife produced by Cartier, as you may have thought, but about a pocket watch born in the early 20th century; it mounted a hand-wound movement produced by Jaeger (later co-founder of Jaeger-LeCoultre together with David LeCoultre), the case was made of 18k yellow gold, a diameter of about 45mm and a thickness of only 4mm, which is why it was called “Couteau” (knife in French).
This watch was given by his grandfather Giovanni Agnelli (former senator of the Republic and founder of FIAT), precisely to his young grandson Gianni as a family heirloom. The lawyer later had it modified by making it a wristwatch, soldering lugs to the case and fitting it with a brown leather strap; you can see the crown at 12 o’clock that identified it as a pocket watch. Sublime!
Orfina Porsche Design
It is well known that “the grand viveur” always had busy days and boredom was never to steal a single minute of his life, so he would return home at 8:00 p.m. after a day’s work, light dinner and soon to bed to fly who knows where the next day. Even on any given Sunday, his alarm clock would ring around 06:00 and after a fleeting breakfast, he would board his helicopter or private plane to reach the track where the Formula 1 Grand Prix was being held and cheer on Ferrari and perhaps have a chat with technicians and team managers.
As it was a day dedicated to his passions, particularly sports, wearing a dedicated outfit, he paired his wrist with an Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph, just to stay with the “racing” theme… or to time the Ferrari times. Most likely.
A sports chronograph available in either natural stainless steel or with a dark coating, often referred to as PVD although it actually uses a passivation process or a thicker, less durable coating.
It uses a Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement. The dial features a stylized Porsche Design logo and thick orange minute ring for the chronograph, with a white central “stick-and-ball” hand.
Final Thoughts
Besides loving the watches on his wristband as an undisputed symbol of style and innovation, he certainly did not disdain the sports cars in which he sped through the streets of Turin, heedless of speed limits!
I leave you with an anecdote. On one of his Ferraris, customized by him (a Ferrari 375 America Pininfarina), a Jaeger watch had been specially mounted with which he timed his times and read the time. You read that right, he had a stopwatch mounted to measure performance on the road!
I mean, if you say Lawyer, you say “watch on the cuff,” but-apparently
Visit our YouTube channel to experience the best of the watchmaking world firsthand.
For real-time updates, follow us on Instagram.
