Giorgio Armani might be a byword for style, but oddly enough not when it comes to watches. Its timepieces carry the famed fashion name yet inhabit the mass-market territory familiar to the Fossil Group, which, in fact, makes them.Upmarket watches have been taking Asia and the world by stormThe Giorgio Armani 11 is named after the street number of the fashion brand’s Milan headquarters on Via Borgonuovo.
Mr Armani must have read the tea leaves – or perused the Swiss industry figures – for his loved brandCalled 11, the “Armani-giani” range is named after the street number of the fashion brand’s Milan headquarters on Via Borgonuovo. It comprises an entirely handmade and numbered selection of timepieces for him and her with “a focus on form and material”.
The squared case with rounded corners comes in five variants with three different materials – steel with grey or blue dial, rose gold with ivory or grey dial, and yellow gold with black dial – all with alligator straps. The watch features a moonphase display, automatic movement, and details “that nod to the unmistakable tailoring of the designer’s typical style”. Here, it cites the stitching effect on the dial and “hands tapered and elegant like needle and scissors”, which might be going a bit far, but we’re half in fashion land after all.The other half is Parmigiani, which really does know how to knit together a special watch.
So, who knows, unlike with the brand’s Fossil foray, he might even deign to wear one himself. Fewer than a handful will come to Australia, arriving in December and priced from about $32,000 to $66,000.