01/19/2015

Exclusive: D-Day, the Ralph Lauren Automotive Skeleton, automobile inspired

Among the thirteen novelties presented at the SIHH, six were dedicated to the new Automotive collection.One model in that collection boasts an open-worked movement. It can now be seen in a video hosted exclusively at Watchonista.com.

By Joel Grandjean

Editor-in-Chief

Ralph Lauren's spirit and character emanate from each of the eponymous brand's creations. He launches them himself, and then supervises every single detail in the process of making the product. This rule applies to watchmaking as well.The Automotive collection, whose Skeleton model is the focus of this exclusive, was revealed to the public in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 19, 2015, at 9 a.m.

The collection is marked by a passion for an automotive world reflecting Ralph Lauren's own collection of vintage and legendary cars. And they are fashionable as well, and they reflect the outstandingly honed sense of an esthete who manages to design trends.Indeed, the varnished bezel shaped like a stylized steering wheel – a hallmark of this new family – was sculpted in amboyna burl, the ultimate of noble woods long used to decorate the inside of luxury cars.

Before starting a race, pilots and fans usually gather around the open hood of a car to enjoy a look at the mechanical details and the sparkle of the engine.It's what Ralph Lauren has done with this skeleton piece. The watch features a mechanical, manually wound caliber, the RL1967, the first skeleton movement ever introduced by the brand.

Exposed as they are, these visual gems produced by the assembly of decorated horological components into a movement transcend the usual functions of the timepiece. The model does emanate a touch of vintage, but the black nuances, resulting from the contrast in the different finishes, ultimately give this watch a definite, contemporary je ne sais quoi.