Back to the Future: How Watchmakers Are Reviving Vintage Icons

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The ‘Golden Age’ of watchmaking — when was it?

While some argue it swung by some 200 years ago when Sir Breguet invented the gravity-defying tourbillon, others believe it was during the roaring ‘50s and ‘60s when TAG Heuer’s square-cased Monaco became a racetrack icon, and OMEGA’s Speedmaster accompanied NASA in the space-race. Similarly, a fair number of watch-geeks admire the creations from the crisis-struck ‘70s, like Genta’s Royal Oak or Nautilus or the Piaget Polo. Safe to say, there aren’t any right or wrong answers in the matter, and the ‘Golden Age’ of watchmaking is the era you’re the biggest fan of.
While some icons stood the test of time, evolving and experimenting through the decades that followed, many sadly didn’t. The good news is that nostalgia is currently the watch industry’s biggest obsession — remembering anniversaries, forgotten archives, and legends of the past — resurrecting them for second act.

Here’s a list of vintage watches recently revived by luxury brands:

Bvlgari Bvlgari

Timeless, minimalist, and golden. In 1975, Sir Genta created an icon inspired by coins minted in ancient Rome, with ‘Bvlgari Bvlgari’ engraved on its bezel. Against its circular, golden bezel were sharply angled lugs and a dial of simple elegance – evidently, the original Bvlgari Bvlgari’s seemed more akin to high fashion than horology. Bulgari marks the icon’s 50th anniversary next year and resurrected it at LVMH WW24. Retaining its original ‘70s design in a 38-millimetre yellow gold case with a matte black dial, Bvlgari also presented a new rose gold with a silvered opaline dial variant. Both timepieces bear the automatic-wound BVL 191movement, which offers a 42-hour power reserve and a date window at three o’clock.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

In 2021, Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps watchmaking facility in Geneva set their priorities straight with their freshly relaunched Dandiel Roth. The Tourbillon Souscription is a tribute, and modern recommission of DR’s iconic C187 – Tourbillon (their first-ever timepiece from 1989). It retains every DR quintessential feat from the 80s and 90s – archetypal “double-ellipse” case design, guilloche dial-plates, and mechanically poetic tourbillons. The new dial plate – manufactured in Kari Voutilainen’s workshop, is forged out of solid yellow gold, boasting a Clous De Paris guilloche – precisely like the C187. Cased in 18-carat yellow gold, the Tourbillon Souscription houses a new, 4.6-millimetre thick DR001 Calibre developed by LV’s La Fabrique du Temps. Offering an 80-hour power reserve and 60-second tourbillon, it measures a mere 4.6 millimetres. Limited to only 20 pieces.

Zenith Defy Revival

Over the last three years, Zenith’s been on a revival spree with its El Primero-powered Chronomaster series — taking a more heritage-focused approach with its releases. The Zenith Defy Revival A3642 is one of the most prominent from the bunch, being a reincarnation of the original 1969 DEFY. Going back in time, this Def predates the industry’s ‘luxury sports watch’ revolution, which also influenced the Royal Oak and Nautilus design languages. Cased in 37-millimetres of stainless steel, it retains everything retro about the original and now incorporates a Taupe fumé brown gradient on its dial with horizontal ridges for indexes. Inside, the Calibre Elite 670 runs automatic with a 50-hour power reserve. Limited to 250 pieces.

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph ‘Dato’

Dialling back to the adrenaline-packed, speedy sixties – TAG Heuer’s Carrera made its debut in 1963 as a performance and precision-focused chronograph. Designed by Jack Heuer – a man of engineering design, it materialized the intersection of form and function. Furthering this emotion, the Carrera soon received a date window at twelve o’clock, titled ‘Dato’ Carrera. Two years later, in 1968, a tiny design change marked the birth of an icon – Heuer simply relocated the date window from twelve to nine o’clock, creating the legendary ‘Dato’ layout. With a mono sub-dial and a Dato window, the Swiss folks nicknamed it “Cyclop”.

For 2023, three Carreras arrived with date window variants at three, six, and twelve o’clock, and at LVMH Watch Week 2024, TAG repeats history – moving this feat back to nine o’clock, continuing the Dato heritage. Arriving in a domed sapphire Glassbox, echoing designs from the 70s, its stainless-steel case measures 39 millimetres with a polished and brushed finish. The gorgeous teal-green dial is graced with rhodium, Super-LumiNova indexes, an “azuré” minute chronograph counter at three o’clock, and a date window at nine. Inside, the chronograph calibre TH02-07 winds automatic, offering an 80-hour power reserve. All of this is strapped in black alligator leather, featuring double safety push buttons.

Hublot Classic Fusion

In case you’re wondering, ‘Hublot’ is French for “porthole”, and one of their first models, when they launched in 1980, closely resembled it. In 2023, Hublot revived this model with the new Classic Fusion Original, which came in case options of titanium, black ceramic, and yellow gold in sizes of 33 millimetres, 38 millimetres and 42 millimetres. These timepieces also featured a simple three-hand time-telling layout and a date window at three o’clock. The final revival touch comes with an elegant rubber strap.

Piaget Polo 79

In February 2024, Piaget brought forth an absolute blast from the past, reviving the 1979 sporty-luxe Polo – one of the most quintessential ‘80s watches. The new Piaget Polo 79 is a modern reiteration of the original Polo, slating in at 38 millimetres of 18=carat yellow gold with its signature bracelet design that seamlessly blends into the case – courtesy of its horizontal ridges. The brushed gold bracelet is brilliantly textured with polished gadroons and bevels on its edges. Its biggest update since 1979 was its departure from its original quartz movement, now employing Piaget’s ultra-thin calibre 1200P1, which runs automatically with a micro-rotor.

Omega Speedmaster “First Omega in Space”

Omega’s reissue of the Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” pays homage to astronaut Wally Schirra’s original CK2998 and allows you to relive the triumphs and adrenaline of the space age. Echoing the original silhouette, its 39.7-millimetre case frames an elegant grey-blue dial featuring refined “alpha” hands and a faux-vintage lume. The dial’s distinct hue was achieved by chemical vapour deposition (CVD), which tried to replicate the faded paint found in the ‘60s Speedmasters. The ‘dot over 90’ is also present on the aluminium bezel. Inside, the calibre 3861 is nearly identical to the original Moonwatch but is now enhanced with a Co-Azial escapement METAS-certified. This manual movement offers a Speedmaster-staple chronograph function and a 50-hour power reserve.