The Movado Movement: How A Legacy Brand is Rewriting What Luxury Means
The Swiss watchmaker has been in business since 1881, but is finding a new voice amongst younger collectors.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Most of our readers know Movado. Close your eyes, and a picture of the iconic “Museum” watch, with its minimalist dial and signature “dot” at the 12 o’clock position, will easily pop into your head. But a growing cohort of collectors is geeking out over the brand for more than a few reasons, including Movado’s rich history in both calibres and design, as well as several of its recent accessible and affordable luxury watches.
We’d wager that many Movado fans have enjoyed keeping the brand “our little secret.” But it’s too late. Increasing online chatter about both vintage and new models would indicate that the cat is already out of the bag.
And considering that Movado means “always in motion” in Esperanto, a language that was developed to unify the world, who are we to gatekeep anyway?
So, if you’ve been sleeping on Movado, come with us now as we go down the rabbit hole of the Maison’s past, present, and future.
Motion Detectors
We’re not here today to tell you the whole Movado history, but its heritage is a huge part of the Maison’s current popularity. That is because many modern Movado collections are inspired by pieces in its archives.
From 1900 to 1969, the company registered at least 98 Swiss patents, most of which concerned calibres. The most notable of these patents came from the creation of the Polyplan in 1912.
Not only was this rectangular wristwatch introduced in the days when most men still carried pocket watches, but it also featured the manufacture movement, the cal. 400 was designed on three planes, which allowed for the case to curve comfortably around the wrist. And it was Chronometer certified!
This was followed up by two Art Deco-era classics: 1928’s Ermeto purse watch – one of the first Automatic timepieces thanks to a design which allowed the sliding motion of the case opening and closing to automatically wind the movement – and 1931’s Curviplan, a super slimmed down version of the Polyplan.
A Night at The Museum
The Museum watch is not only a Movado signature, but also one of the most instantly recognizable watches in the world.
The ultra-minimalist, Bauhaus-style design was conceived by American industrial designer George Horwitt in 1947. The design was so groundbreaking that it was added to the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (which is how the watch got its nickname).
Just as the look of the Polyplan, Ermeto, and Curviplan symbolized Art Deco design at its best, the simplicity of the Museum is forever linked to mid-century modernism. But that doesn’t mean that it’s married to the original aesthetic.
Over the decades, Movado has tinkered with the original recipe, adding new functionalities such as a chronograph and introducing integrated bracelets and dial textures. The most famous evolution of the Museum’s codes is arguably the Bold collection, which builds on the simple “dot at noon” but uses more playful materials, avant-garde textures, and various sizes and colors.
Pop Culture
The history of Movado is also gaining traction through pop culture. The brand has lent archival pieces to costume dramas such as Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire. Kerry Washington wore contemporary Movado on Scandal and was frequently spotted wearing vintage watches on the red carpet. On the most recent season of The White Lotus, Chloe sports a Classic Museum watch.
Moreover, the Swiss watchmaker’s current ambassadors include legendary and emerging icons such as actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba, Academy Award winner Julianne Moore, Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor, and entrepreneur Ludacris, Pro Bowl and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, and All-Star point guard and 2024 Team USA Summer Olympics team member and gold medalist, Tyrese Haliburton.
If you ever get the chance to visit the brand’s archives, one of the most stunning pieces is a one-of-a-kind, solid-gold flex wrap-bangle bracelet watch that was made for Elizabeth Taylor in 1967.
Movado makes some of the most tasteful – and affordable – women’s watches available. The Movado Museum Bangle comes in a wide array of case shapes – cushion, round, and oval – set on an integrated, jewelry-like bracelet. Other premium touches include crystal, “dots,” and mother-of-pearl dials.
The effortlessness of the bangle bracelet makes the timepiece adaptable to most social occasions – from after-work events to galas.
To check out the full range of the brand’s offerings, visit the Movado website.