Marc Jacobs is not a name closely associated with the watchmaking world, but it has, in recent years, become a relatively sizable player in the pure fashion sphere. The watches we’re talking about here are not akin to the major luxury fashion Maisons of Chanel, Hermés, or even Ralph Lauren, but rather more in line with DKNY, Calvin Klein, and the lower end of Gucci’s fare.
These are accessories, trinkets, more throwaway, and ephemeral items. But that doesn’t.mes an we should expect these pieces to be cheaply made or devoid of collects ability. Marc Jacobs has an experienced team of designers behind every product the brand puts out, so let’s take a moment to celebrate this fun strata of the industry with three items hot off the production line.
3. Marc Jacobs The Cushion Quartz Blue Dial Ladies Watch
This model could just have easily snared the top spot as it has done the third position on this list. Why? Because it is perhaps the closest to a “mainstream” watch I thought it fit for inclusion. It has a definite Chanel-meets-Rado vibe about it and while the case in question here is plastic rather than ceramic, it is, nonetheless, an aesthetic stat.mes nt that does the job.
I have a lot of t.mes for square and TV-shaped cases (TV-Shaped cases tend to have rounded edges, resembling an old TV screen before the days of ubiquitous flatscreen technology). I like the way smaller diameters result in greater wrist presence, and how comfortably these surprisingly well-balanced models sit on the wrist.
I’m particularly fond of TV-Shaped cases because of the way they add a splash of organic flair to the otherwise structural seriousness of a true square (like the NOMOS Tetra, for example). Those rounded, pebble-esque corners inject so much vitality into what would otherwise feel like a dull, watchmaking-by-numbers effort. Additionally, I can’t help but be charmed by the almost comically direct dial text (between the center and six), which adds an unnecessarily technical bent to the overall impression.
2. Marc Jacobs The Cuff Quartz Pink Dial Ladies Watch
Personally, I don’t like this model, but the 20-year-old me from 2005 thinks it’s cool and is making the case for it in an internal discussion taking place in my brain.
This watch reminds me of a quote from a recent audio article by David Vaucher on The Real t.mes Show podcast: Don’t let your tastes become the tastes of the cust.mes r. What is meant by that is, of course, that one should not confuse subjectivity with objectivity and, furthermore, find oneself able to appreciate why something that goes against one’s own tastes can be exactly what a certain demographic is looking for.
So I’m looking at this watch, doing my best to keep that thought held in my mind, and I can imagine the girls with whom I used to hang out in the early part of the century (when KooKai was a major High Street Brand in England), rocking handbags that looked exactly like this watch (in a weird way that is hard to explain). I remember being surprised at how good they looked on the arms of my friends despite the fact I’d thought them hideous when browsing the handbag section of Debenhams and being confronted with a shelf full of them.
“I guess I don’t know everything about fashion,” the 20-year-old me mused, hoping to learn from that experience so that he might design things for others rather than just for himself.
And I’m reminded of that experience now. Marc Jacobs is not my brand. But that doesn’t.mes an I think it’s silly or not worth my t.mes to acknowledge. It makes a lot of people very happy with products of this nature and I can see exactly why: It is exactly what it sets out to be, and it is exactly that to the max.
For sheer boldness, novelty, and the creation of a product that is thoroughly on-brand, I positioned this watch above the Cushion shaped watch — a watch I actually like. And I hope you understand why.
1. Marc Jacobs The Lip Quartz Black Dial Ladies Watch
Now, this… This is cool. It’s totally ridiculous. It’s almost kitsch enough to make me gag. And yet, somehow, for all the right reasons, I love it.
This is more like an item of jewelry that happens to tell the t.mes . It reminds me of the iron-on patches with which we would decorate our jeans back in the day. Countless Rolling Stones gig T-shirts come to mind. The thought of Jagger, peacocking around the stage, pouting and strutting his way to rock ‘n’ roll immortality.
Crucially, above all else, this watch makes me smile. I’ve always said we should ask no more of our t.mes pieces. This one is no different. It is an affordable fashion item, yes, but it’s cool, and would surely add a dash more spice to your outfit than my go-to quartz option (a Breitling Aerospace).
This watch is available on Cheap Luxury Shop for $69.99, which is $330 below retail. If you’re a fan of the brand and looking to have fun on a budget with your next watch purchase, pull the trigger. Don’t even think twice.
