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Are brutalist watches an emerging fashion trend?

Brutalism started as an architectural movement, but the style is now influencing watch designs

Published: 24 Oct 2024

What does Tesla's Cybertruck have in common with Marty McFly’s DeLorean and an old Citroen H-Type van? Well, they’re some of the best examples of the influence of brutalism on automotive design.

Brutalism began as an architectural movement in the middle of the 20th century (the name comes from the French phrase béton brut, or “raw concrete”).

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Brutalism meant stripping away the ornate frippery of traditional building techniques and making buildings that weren’t ashamed to make a feature of modern building materials like concrete and steel.

The French-Swiss architect known as Le Corbusier was one of the pioneers of the movement, a functional style that spread outwards from architecture and had a strong influence on the design of watches as well as cars.

In the 1960s, Rolex’s square cased Midas showed clear brutalist leanings, and in the same decade, Audemars Piguet made an asymmetrical watch that was the inspiration for the new Remaster 02.

Brutalist buildings were once condemned as ugly, but brutalism is being reassessed and many modern buildings are now celebrated. And judging by the number of brutalist watches coming out, it is clear the style is no longer being judged nearly as... brutally.

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Be brutal

When you’re thinking about buying a new watch – or making any other non- essential purchase – it is not unusual to indulge in a bit of self delusion. Do you really want it, or are you just indulging your impulses? Try asking whether you would still buy it if it took a year to arrive. If the answer is no, best to keep looking. In other words, be brutally honest with yourself.

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