New Release
KIH's report from the 2016 Ralph Lauren novelty launch offers a rare glimpse into the brand's commitment to horology, directly influenced by Mr. Ralph Lauren's personal passion for fine watches. This article highlights the meticulous design process and the introduction of new collections, including the ladies' RL888 and 867, alongside an updated RL Automotive line. It provides valuable context for understanding Ralph Lauren's unique position in the luxury watch market.
As with my last report , Ralph Lauren had resisted making "easy money" by rejecting the many offers to put the Ralph Lauren name on watches. Mr. Lauren is a well-known collector and appreciator of fine watches, enough to know what he wanted his brand of watches to be. Ralph Lauren is a lifestyle brand after all, but Mr. Ralph Lauren himself was/ is not a "usual" designer. His interest is so wide, vast and diverse, that his watches somehow show it. He does not approve his watches without checking each model by himself. The watches must go back and forth between Switzerland and New York many times before it is ready to be launched. One anecdote I heard: on one occasion, the watch division person brought back to Mr. Lauren from Switzerland a prototype, without making any change by mistake. The change/ modification Mr. Lauren requested the previous time was very, very small, but he immediately asked the guy where the modified one was. Only then the person realized that he had brought the wrong watch. Mr. Ralph Lauren is an "attention to details" type of watch lover/ designer.
For 2016,
Ralph Lauren prepared a lot for ladies. I must say – a very "Ralph
Lauren" line-up. And he knows what women want, by profession 
I was fortunate to be invited to the occasion and would like to post a live photo report here.
1. RL888 Collection.
Ralph Lauren's first round watch designed exclusively for women. Named after, of course, the women's flagship at 888 Madison Avenue in New York.
Offered in 38mm and 32mm diameter in SS and rose gold. With bracelet or wide selection of interchangeable straps in various materials.
That said, this 38mm model could look good on men's wrist, too.
Three-link bracelet seems to comfortably fit on smaller women's wrists.
As with many other Ralph Lauren watches, this model is designed to be
thin, thus there is a very small clearance between the hand and the dial (note
that this is still the prototype).
One with alligator strap.
The dial color - white, but chosen from 10 different shades of "white".....
And the indices are printed with six layers to give it 3D look.
Rose gold model -
On top of the crown is the rose-cut amethyst.
38mm on the
left, 32mm on the right.
Rose gold
with black alligator strap. Now this does look nice, even for men!
32mm rose
gold model with 60 diamonds.
Various color
combo.
And this must
be very appealing to women - easy to change the strap depending on the mood.
Very easy to
attach/detach the strap by oneself.
And these are
the alternatives to choose from. With each different strap, it may feel
like wearing a different watch.
RL888 Collection specifications:
Movement - Cal RL057 Quartz movement (customized Cartier movement)
Diameter - 32mm or 38mm
Thickness - 5.70mm
"Quartz" may be a bit
disappointing for traditionalists, but it is more practical and fun for the female
customer
2. 867 Collection
The 867 collection is named after Ralph Lauren's luxury flagship store at 867 Madison Avenue in New York - known as "the mansion". There are only a few similar style boutiques in the world including the one in Tokyo.
The new additions to the 867 collection come in three sizes - 21.5mm, 27.5mm, and 32mm, of which 21.5mm is intended for women. The petite 21.5mm models have quartz movements, while the 27.5mm and 32mm models have manual winding, customized Piaget 430P movements.
21.5mm - "867 Petite" in rose gold or stainless steel
27.5mm - "867 Small" in rose gold or white gold
32mm - "867 Large" in rose gold or white gold
867 Small (27.5mm) white gold + white gold bracelet.
Very thin with
curved down lug would make it easy to wear for smallish wrists.
As always,
very well made dial.
This one is the 867 Large in WG (32mm). Yup, a bit too big for my small
(16.5mm) wrist. Surely good for my aging eyes, but.... )
Made to feel comfortable.
867 Small (27.5mm) in rose gold case + rose gold bracelet.
Comparison of
867 Small (27.5mm) on the left and 867 Large (32mm) on the right, both in white
gold cases. The choice is up to you!
And this is the
867 Petite (21.5mm) for women with a quartz movement.
Yup, for
women, a jewelry edition is also available with 48 diamonds!
I said above
that Ralph Lauren chooses the white color of the dial from 10 variations of
white. Please see the difference of white used in RL888 collection and
867 collection. 867 collection has a more creamy white for the dial.
867 Petite
with diamonds in steel case with steel bracelet.
.. and this is the proof that Mr. Ralph Lauren approved. Wow.
3. RL Automotive 39mm
On the right is
the existing RL Automotive 45mm launched last year, and on the left is the new
RL Automotive 39mm.
The 45mm uses
the IWC Jones movement, but 39mm cannot. 39mm has a customized JLC
movement.
... and the
"attention to detail" is here - screwed-in crown.
Looks good
for weekend getaway (I wish I had a nice car, too!).
Please refer
to my previous report about how they made this black color on the case via a special
gunmetal process )
[CLICK following URL link to read]
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That's about it, folks. These are the showcases displayed in the luxury hotel room somewhere in Tokyo....
Special thanks goes to:
Mr. Guillaume Tetu, Director of Product Development, Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co.
Mr. Naoya Hida, Brand Director for Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry, Richemont Japan
Ms. Yuka Kato, Directrice, Branding Y
Thank you for reading.
Ken
This message has been edited by KIH on 2016-05-13 08:45:52RL watches are still a rarity in Europe - in fact I have only seen them in Singapore so far - so your reports offer a very valuable insight into the brand for me Thanks again!
... those watches are really well made - seeing is believing! Ken
There is nothing about them that did not work. The only worry I have is that customers may discount them somewhat because of the brand. Too many other fashion houses have gone the opposite way and attached their names to watches of more limited horological qualities, which is what customers have gotten used to. If they get a fair chance, I can see them doing well!
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