JUNE 23, 2023 L ATEST SECTIONS BRANDS PODCAST ABOUT SHOP SIGN UP/IN

ABOUT FRATELLO CREATE FRATELLO ACCOUNT

CAREERS FREE DOWNLOADS

NEWSLET TER TRANSPARENCY

CONTACT ADVERTISING

EDITORS
Quiet Luxury Watches — Get That
Old-Money, Stealth-Wealth Look DAVE SERGEANT

That’s All The Rage

Ready, Set, Go! — The
Fratello × Nivada
Grenchen Racing…
How a fashion trend can inspire watch fans who want to wear Chronograph Is In Stock
something off the beaten track Right Now!
TOMAS ROSPUTINSK Y
#TBT The Most Elegant
Gallet Chronograph
LEX STOLK
Ever Produced
COMMENTS 83 SHARE
APRIL 26, 2023

THOMAS VAN STRA ATEN

Hands-On With The

L
Sinn 104 — A Fan
ogomania in fashion is very easy to spot and define. But logomania also applies
Favorite For Good…
to watches. Dare I say that the watch equivalent of a Gucci tracksuit is the Rolex Reason
GMT-Master II “Pepsi” on a Jubilee bracelet? But there’s a new trend in town, and it’s NACHO CONDE GARZÓN

called “Quiet Luxury.” It refers to ways of dressing that subtly hint at luxury in the Introducing: The Alpina
Heritage Carrée
form of superb materials, great craftsmanship, and unobtrusive logos. But even the Mechanical 140 Years…
most luxurious wardrobe without a matching watch is just clothing. There are, of — Two Limited-
Production Watches
course, plenty of matching watches available that also whisper class, quality, and FRATELLO
Featuring Movements
Fratello Talks:
understated luxury. It might be a bit harder to find them because these are soft-spoken From 1938
Approaching Watch
timepieces, very much unlike the loud-mouthing Instagram hits. Here’s how a fashion Wearers In The Wild

trend can inspire watch fans who want to wear something that’s off the beaten track,
VINCENT DESCHAMPS
something more personal. Hands-On With The
Purpose-Driven Mk II
Stingray II Keroman
I called it a trend, but Harper’s Bazaar disagrees with me. The respected fashion
magazine states that Quiet Luxury is a lifestyle. Could be. Trends, fads, and hype are
fleeting, shallow, and focus on the outside. A lifestyle, on the other hand, is also a
reflection of a state of mind and personal beliefs and is more than skin-deep. And a MOST VIEWED
lifestyle usually tends to last longer than a trend does. Maybe Quiet Luxury is
something in between. Maybe it’s a lifestyle trend, a type of hybrid movement since Ready, Set, Go!
quality and tradition are things that are best enjoyed slowly. But since this movement — The Fratello
× Nivada…
also seems to thrive because of fast-moving and -changing pop culture like the TV
Grenchen
DAVE SERGEANT
series Succession, Quiet Luxury might be something in between. Racing
7

Chronograph Is
In Stock
Dave Revisits
Right
Now!
His 2021 Wish
List — Zenith,…
Behrens, Rolex,
DAVE SERGEANT
And 15
More

Fratello Talks:
Approaching
Watch Wearer…
In The Wild
FRATELLO 17

Measuring The
Success Of A
Watch Brand…
By Its Pre-
ROBERT-JAN BROER
Owned64 Prices

Why I Bought A
The 1932 Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 96
Replica — An
Omega…
Speedmaster
Quiet Luxury watches to match your no-logo luxury wardrobe LEX STOLK 29
Replica
There are a lot of similarities to be found between Quiet Luxury and the world of 3594.50, That Is
Haute Horlogerie. Yes, I do realize that Quiet Luxury is now a “thing” that gains
traction on the Internet and social media, while Haute Horlogerie is a traditional
industry that produces creations that are now almost exclusively for affluent people.
Still, the latest understated movement in fashion is rooted in tradition, craftsmanship,
high-quality materials, timeless designs, and exclusivity. And that doesn’t differ from
the philosophies of some of the more traditional and long-standing watch brands.

He
Fon nryL
19 da AC
27 tio
n

Confidence required
One very important element of Quiet Luxury — apart from money, of course, because
quality never comes cheap — is confidence. “Logo Luxury” is understood and
recognized by everyone who’s confronted with it, and logomania, quite often, is very
confronting. Quiet Luxury, on the other hand, flies under the radar and, therefore,
lives up to its other name, “Stealth Wealth.” The introverted nature and inconspicuous
aesthetics of this fashion movement require confidence. A head-to-toe outfit, from the
handmade cashmere baseball cap with its perfect shapes to the soft leather loafers —
yes, loafers that are never out of fashion and are always comfortable and always stylish
— might be appreciated by onlookers because of the unmistakable class it oozes, but it
won’t be recognized for what it actually is.
DAY
/
c

SUN
Av
ad

Av
nIv

aI
s

d
ПНЦ

ESDAY
WEDN
Y
S DA
UE
AY

T
ND
MO

The ultimate Quiet Luxury challenge

You could see Quiet Luxury as the ultimate challenge. It’s a challenge to train your
knowledge in such a way you can distinct a €1,550 Loro Piano baby cashmere sweater
from a Uniqlo cashmere sweater that costs €149.90 (the latter is now on sale, by the
way, and the price has dropped to €119.90). It takes a trained eye to spot the
difference. Quiet Luxury is for connoisseurs and has an “if you know, you know” air
about it. And there’s also the challenge to achieve immense wealth to be able to afford
a wardrobe made from the finest fabrics.

Hacking Quiet Luxury

Most of us don’t have the spending power of the main character in Succession, so
wearing €690 cotton-jersey shirts is a fantasy for the majority. Wearing Logo Luxury
on a budget almost always meant wearing fake stuff. Wearing Quiet Luxury, however,
can be done on a budget. Okay, we can discuss if it’s still luxury because the alternative
products compromise on exclusivity. The fabrics used are not of the highest quality,
the cuts are less refined, and mass production is nowhere near the same level as
handmade. But you can “shop the look,” as they say, in fashion magazines. And we
should start shopping for watches by now.

A solid 18K gold Vacheron Constantin Disco Volante from 1968 – Image: Worth Point

The category of “Quiet Luxury Watches”

The usual suspects in the category of “Quiet Luxury Watches” are a string of boring
timepieces. I’ve written a series of articles on watches that are anything but flashy but
that ooze understated class and will last a lifetime. Some of the watches I picked out
were watches from the current Vacheron Constantin Patrimony collection. But there
were also vintage models from the Genevan brand that made it in my story. And
during Watches and Wonders 2023, “VC” again presented pieces that justify the label
“Quiet Luxury Watches,” like the platinum Patrimony Date-Jour Rétrogrades with its
salmon dial. And speaking of this very classic dial color, the steel Chopard L.U.C 1860
with its warm-glowing, hand-finished dial also whispered traditionalism.

Another good example of an inconspicuous luxury watch is the Blancpain Villeret

Extra-Plate 6605. And so is, of course, a string of vintage and current Patek Philippe
Calatrava references — the Nautilus from the same brand, with its hyped-up price and
overexposure on Instagram, has become the absolute opposite of the Calatrava.

S
OVAERT
LéonG AERENBE
RGH
ANV
&AlexV
nBuren
HôtelVa
1928
éoErrera
AvenueL
Uccle

The vibe of vintage advertisements

A watch born in 1931 that still, more or less, looks the same ticks the boxes of Quiet
Luxury. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is made by a brand that is known as the
Watchmaker of Watchmakers. It’s a watch with very strong old-money vibes. Some
have called Quiet Luxury an old-money aesthetic, a lifestyle that looks like people on
sailboats in tennis shoes, khakis, and Oxford shirts. Just think of a vintage Ralph
Lauren advertisement and imagine the people in it wearing the quickly sold-out, very
preppy, black-dialed, limited-edition Rowing Blazers × Seiko 5 Sports watch. The
carefree look is not just the clothes, scenery, and the weather. You can shop the look,
sure, but the deep carefree element behind the idyllic look, the invisible presence of
large amounts of money that have been accumulated over many generations, is
something that’s not for sale.

PoloffRabhLauren
Inspiration over frustration
Don’t let something you can’t control frustrate you. Why these paternal words of
wisdom, you ask? Well, the cool, classy look that comes with old money is clearly
inspiring to those on TikTok. The platform’s official numbers show that 80% of its
users are between the ages of 16 and 34. And 60% of TikTok users are Generation Z,
trendsetting individuals who are born between 1997 and 2013. The hashtags
#oldmoney and #oldmoneyaesthetic have been viewed billions (!) of times on TikTok.

If you aspire to wear a proper yellow gold Calatrava with your Kiton shirt and jacket,
you could get frustrated real quick. The craving for Quiet Luxury and the fascination
with old money among Generation Z — a very activist-heavy generation, I have to add,
that uses hashtags like #eattherich — seems to come from the search for balance. They
live in a fast, high-pressure world that’s fleeting. The vibe of Quiet Luxury is that of
comfort and security. Even the absence of old money in the bank doesn’t seem to stand
in the way of understated and comfortable joys.
т
о
16

12 A
IN
T
8

R
8

E
18

C
80
at i o
.|
25

e rm
w
Po

Finding Quiet Luxury watches in unexpected places

The joys of understatement and style are not just found in the upper echelons of
watchmaking. With the right strap, the Certina DS Powermatic 80 in gold PVD
punches way above its weight while gentlemanly sticking to the Marquess of
Queensberry Rules drafted in London in 1865 — how’s that for old-money style?

Even more modernist but understated creations from brands like NOMOS — which,
for instance, has the small but sweet Ludwig Gold 33 in its collection — have the
introverted qualities of a veritable Quiet Luxury watch. And when you start looking for
vintage creations on Chrono24, you will be spoiled for choice in all sorts of price
categories.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 3919 — Image: Amsterdam Watch Company

Is it for you?
Do you want to prove yourself to the world? A world full of people you don’t know but
from whom, for some reason, you still crave appreciation and affirmation? Having
something that’s immediately recognized as exclusive, costly, luxurious, and desirable
can help with that. It can do so loudly and instantly with its size, exuberance,
extravagance, and of course, the right logo on the chest and the dial. If this sounds
tempting, Quiet Luxury is probably not for you.

But if it is for you, there’s a world of fantastic watches waiting to be discovered. And it
doesn’t take Succession money to enjoy them. These introverted, timeless timepieces
live in the shadows of the extravagant ones that dominate the current watch landscape.
You just have to free yourself of the shackles of virtual peer pressure and wear what
you like. Because deep down inside, you know what you have to do — wear a watch for
yourself, not for others. Wear something quiet, something luxurious. There are plenty
of great choices out there in all kinds of price ranges.

Find and follow me at Lex Stolk • Instagram.

Fratello 8.2K 205.7K 2.5K

Follow
@fratellowatches Posts Followers Following

Home Watch Brands Blancpain Certina Chopard Jaeger-LeCoultre Nomos Patek Philippe Seiko
Vacheron Constantin Quiet Luxury Watches — Get That Old-Money, Stealth-Wealth Look That’s All The Rage

WATCH TALK BL ANCPAIN CERTINA CHOPARD JAEGER-LECOULTRE NOMOS PATEK PHILIPPE SEIKO
VACHERON CONSTANTIN

READ NEXT L ATEST →

Ready, Set, Go! — The Fratello × #TBT The Most Elegant Gallet Hands-On With The Sinn 104 — A
Nivada Grenchen Racing… Chronograph Ever Produced Fan Favorite For Good Reason
Chronograph
DAVE SERGEANT
Is7 In Stock Right TOMAS ROSPUTINSK Y 6 THOMAS VAN STRA ATEN 8
Now!

83 COMMENTS HOT TOPICS

Why Budget Mechanical Watches

Leave a comment... Join the conversation Don’t Make Sense

251 COMMENTS
YOUR COMMENT*

Let us know what you think...

Fratello Thought Experiment:
Will Rolex Ever Not Be Number…
1?
76 COMMENTS
YOUR NAME * YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS (WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED) *

Your name Email Address

From The Archives: Swiss
Customs Targeting Watch Show…
ADD COMMENT
Attendees
76 COMMENTS

Post with fratello account Don't have an account yet?

Australian Surfer Finds Rolex
LOGIN Create one here, it'll only take 20 seconds
Submariner In The Pacific Ocean

71 COMMENTS

DUKEOFEDINGBURGH APR 26, 2023 AT 15:48 1

Morgan’s GADA Watch — The
Rolex Explorer 124270
Cartier Tank Must
68 COMMENTS

REPLY

GERARD APR 26, 2023 AT 22:37 3

If ‘quiet’ means ‘unrecognizable’, I don’t think any Cartier Tank fits the bill…

REPLY

RP R P APR 28, 2023 AT 17:23 1

It doesn’t mean that.

REPLY

DG GOLDENYEARS APR 26, 2023 AT 15:59 2

Interesting article. Gives me reason to ponder my own watch buying priorities.