The Luxury of Lightness

How absence of weight became a sign of wealth

- by Martin Green

The concept of luxury is ever changing. What was considered luxurious in the past does not mean that it is the same today. While this is often an evolution and not a revolution, the changes can be profound, as the watch world is experiencing today.

In the past, the concept of a luxurious watch was quite simple and gravitated toward being made from precious metal. Gem settings and complications could add to the perception of how luxurious a watch was, as could the craftsmanship needed to make it and the prestige of the brand itself, but it was gold and platinum that set the stage. This made sense in an era when it wasn’t considered decent to leave the house without a hat (which didn’t refer to a baseball cap), and tennis was played while wearing a tie.

While precious metals have never lost their lustre, changes in the social fabric of Western societies made it so that preferences slowly but surely started to shift. Wealth became more widely distributed and vacations became a thing. Money was something to be actively enjoyed, and for that, watches had to follow suit. Sports watches became the symbol to underscore this way of life, and as the perception of luxury changed, new materials also made their way into the industry.

In 1980, IWC launched its Titanium Chronograph, whose design came from the pencil of none other than Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. This mechanical chronograph featured not only a case made of titanium but also an innovative bracelet of the same material. While IWC wasn’t the first to introduce titanium to watchmaking, that honour is for Citizen, which launched its X-8 Cosmotron Chronometer a decade earlier, the premium presentation, titanium bracelet, and sportive chronograph function did make it a trailblazer in a new wave of luxury. It was the very first time that people could experience a new kind of wealth, as money could buy lightness.