The perennial luxury steel sports watch favourites
The integrated bracelet steel luxury sports watch was the must-have timepiece of the 1970s. No self-respecting flared trousered, large collar lounge lizard would be without one. It was modern, stylish, sleek, and water resistant. It was the go anywhere, do anything wrist wear, the ultimate chic, capable of withstanding most circumstances, from the beach, to mountain, to a spilled cocktail at the bar.
The decade was a juncture in watch design. What started off with Gerald Genta being commissioned in 1972 to produce “something different for collectors” in the wake of the quartz spectre converging on the watch industry, became the inspirational insight that created the now famous Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. It was genre defining as the original integrated bracelet luxury steel watch with its octagonal bezel fastened by eight screws, where the differences in brushed and polished surfaces creating a watch that was a break from what had gone before. Genta’s inspiration was, of all things, a diver’s helmet.
Following on from Royal Oak, the next brand to catch the “luxury steel sports watch” bug was Patek Philippe in 1976. If urban legends are correct, Genta pencilled the porthole inspired design on a restaurant napkin during the Basel Fair after overhearing a conversation between Patek Philippe executives. Another conversation later, a prototype, and within a year the Nautilus was available at a dealer near you.
The next one on the Genta horological design playlist was the IWC Ingenieur released in 1976. Reimagining the standard bezel into a five-screw ring that fastened the movement inside the watch. Styled similarly to the other Genta watches, the Ingenieur was intended as the sporty wrist wear for the engineers and featured a Faraday cage to protect the movement against magnetism.
Around the same time as IWC, in 1977, Vacheron Constantin instructed a young designer, Jorg Hysek to produce their luxury steel sports watch. As it was 222 years since the brands foundation, the watch was given the same numeric insignia. The 222 had a more intricate bezel, but the formula remained the same with a beautifully finished integrated steel bracelet and case.
Despite over half a century since their inception, the luxury steel sports watch has lost none of its allure. It is now the most popular segment of the luxury watch market. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has been in production continuously since the start. True to the original, the half century anniversary in 2022 saw a reissue of the same original watch albeit with a new in-house movement.
Patek Philippe in the past year have chosen to redesign and square the curvature of their Nautilus case to see their steel integrated bracelet watch reborn as the Cubitus. It still has all the bold styling of Genta’s idea, but with a new movement and case.
With the 1970s decade gaining a certain nostalgia in fashion and cultural circles, IWC and Vacheron Constantin returned to their designs from that decade. In 2023 IWC relaunched the Ingenieur to great success and issued a steel blue dialled version last December. The new Ingenieur carries all the dimensions and hallmarks of the original, including the Faraday cage.
Vacheron Constantin went to market with an all-gold reissue of the 222 in 2022, only to complement it in January 2025 with a blue dialled steel version. Improvements in the watch are subtle, the same dimensions as the 1970s version, which is now viewed as unisex, along with better build quality and an enhanced movement. So, whatever you are wearing, whether you are beach side, mountain top, or avoiding careless people at the bar, the watch’s design is timeless.
