Redefining Deco: Movado’s Heritage 1917 Recaptures the Beauty of the Art Deco Era

The 1920s ushered in a new era in art, architecture, and style. This movement, retroactively called Art Deco, changed watchmaking forever because it ushered in an era where timepieces were more than just practical pocket watches, but design-forward accessories that were also accessible to the general public.

The term “Art Deco” didn’t officially appear until 1925 at an exhibition in Paris. And the style had been evolving for a few years before the “Roaring Twenties” began. The key signatures of Art Deco style are strong, clean lines, geometric shapes, and exquisite detail work.

That is where Movado comes into the picture; the Chaux-de-Fonds-based brand has always been ahead of the curve, introducing its first square watch in 1917.

Now, Movado’s 1917 sub-family of its Heritage collection is a modern take on those early watches, featuring Art Deco details, such as clean lines, stylized Arabic numerals, and a distinctive geometric silhouette.

Art Deco architecture, like the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, still jazzes up and defines the New York City skyline. Similarly, the costumes and art direction of Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film, The Great Gatsby, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name, still evoke a sense of generational FOMO. That is because the things that made Art Deco so exciting are ageless.

One reason the Art Deco style is so timeless is that it draws from many different cultures. For instance, if you look closely at historic Art Deco watches, you’ll detect notes of Aztec-based stepped patterns and Japanese-inspired lettering. At the same time, the movement was influenced by industry, using sharp angles and streamlined forms to create a marvelous mix of luxury and functionality.
 

And you can’t talk about Art Deco watches without citing Movado.

In-the-know collectors already know about the craft and quality of top-tier vintage Movado, thus it won’t come as surprise to them that, in the Art Deco era, Movado was carried by the best retailers in the world – Tiffany & Co. and Cartier in New York, Hausmann in Rome, Eberhard in Milan, Andreas Huber in Munich, and Mappin & Webb in the UK.
 

Movado means “movement” in Esperanto. So, when the brand introduced its first streamlined square watches in 1917, which was smack-dab in the middle of a global cultural moment defined by constant motion, this new square watch, with a raised bezel and a dial decorated with flowing Arabic numerals, was the perfect expression of a new, global society, slipping easily onto the wrists of tastemakers around the world.

The modern Movado Heritage collection is meant to create a connection between the past and the present. In a press release for the brand’s latest “Always in Motion” Campaign, Margot Grinberg, President of Movado, explained, “We remain true to our DNA with a concept inspired by the meaning of Movado in Esperanto.”
 

This is especially true of the 1917 of 2025, which celebrates this ethos by reimagining Movado’s original square watch with modern updates. While it still leans heavily on clean lines, it is anything but flat.

It features a newly designed, sculptural uni-link bracelet (or rich, vintage-inspired Italian tanned leather straps). Moreover, its sunburst ombré dial, with subtle tonal shifts, creates a sensation of movement.

As a watchmaker, Movado has always been gifted technically. For example, in the early 20^th century, the Maison produced complicated calendar models for other companies like Tiffany, Hermès, and Cartier. One of the reasons that the brand was so well-regarded for its movements is that it brought the same clean, structured approach to its calibres as it did to its design.

And it still does.
 

The Heritage 1917 comes in a range of sizes and is extremely versatile. For instance, instead of featuring some generic model meant to conjure associations of C-suite luxury, as one would expect for a watch that is as classically elegant as the 1917, one of the brand’s most recent ad campaign for the these pieces shows NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton wearing a new model with a charcoal gray dial set into a 35mm x 45.20mm stainless steel case and featuring such luxe touches as a gold ionic-plated bezel.
 

All automatic versions come with an exhibition caseback revealing a Swiss movement decorated with Movado’s classic “M” logo on the rotor. And to further address the realities of 21st-century life, it offers a 41-hour power reserve and a water resistance of 3 ATM.
 

Powered by a reliable movement,  the Heritage 1917 is an everyday wearer. By updating the vintage look with modern mechanics, says Grinberg, “We continue to deepen our storytelling by celebrating Movado’s heritage and Swiss craftsmanship.”

With prices ranging from $750 for the smaller, quartz-powered models to $1,795 for the larger models equipped with the Swiss automatic movement, the new Heritage 1917 is available now. For more information, check out Movado’s website.