Armani Style a Watch Word for the Ages

From the moment he opened his first store in 1974, though, Armani was  about more than simply showing your lucre. The undisputed leader of an Italian designer wave that knocked the French off their perch, he produced clothes for men and women – he pioneered the unstructured business suit for men, more masculine silhouettes for women - that were modern, refined, impeccably styled, and using a colour palette based on neutral tones that was unmistakably his. That Hollywood followed him – notably Richard Gere in American Gigolo - along with Wall Street, did him no harm at all.

Emporio Armani was his first attempt to exploit the brand by taking it younger. Emporio was about cheaper, hipper clothes that would connect the king with a new court of 20- to 30-year olds. It worked well enough that it is still going strong on the back of a well-defined appeal: witness its latest brand ambassadors: Megan Fox and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Watches are a core element in the Emporio collection, and for the most part mirror the emphasis on clean, uncluttered style that has always been the basis of the Armani aestethic. The watch collection is strong on classic shapes, simple yet elegant dial design, and a palette that often sticks to just two colours. In fact, the white watches in the new Emporio “Ceramica” collection for men and women almost disappear into themselves they are so subtle.

At the same time, if it’s not quite so keen on large-format cases as it once was in the days of bling, the famous Armani winged-eagle logo still features prominently and there are a sufficient number of design-heavy watches here, particularly in the sports collection, to satisfy the wearer who does want to make a statement.