Rock Out with Your Clock Out: What If Iconic Guitars Were Made into Watches?

DISCLAIMER:

We here at Watchonista are neither watch designers nor do we have, at press time, any verifiable information that any of the brands for which we created fantasy mockup watches have any plans to make or market timepieces in the future, or ever, for that matter.

Watchonista neither contacted nor consulted with any of the featured brands during the creation and preparation of this article. We are merely engaging in some armchair speculation and trying to answer the question: “What if?”

Even if you’ve never picked up a guitar--heck, even if you’re not a hardcore Hendrix fan-- we’d wager good money that you’re likely to know the Monterey Stratocaster from Fender. If you need some reminding, allow me to set the scene:

The year is 1967 (June 18th, to be exact). It was the third and final day of the Monterey International Pop Festival, which was being held at the county fairgrounds just south of San Francisco. The lineup for the evening includes The Who, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, and a young, relatively unknown guitarist named Jimi Hendrix.
 

At the close of Hendrix’s set, he famously drops to his knees with the now iconic Strat, covers it in lighter fluid, sets it on fire, and smashes it to pieces right there on the stage. Only fragments of the notorious guitar were recovered (one of which is currently on display at The Met Museum in New York City), but its legacy remains intact.

Since then, Fender has faithfully recreated the design and today, we bring it to you as a wristwatch capturing the signature hand-painting right on the dial.

For the classic acoustic fans, this one’s for you. When it comes to acoustic guitars, nothing compares to instruments from Martin (made right in the U.S. of A. in Nazareth, Penn.). No matter the year, they’re just outstanding utility instruments. But you don’t have to take our word for it; for confirmation, you need only ask some of the greatest musicians of all time, like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams. Go on, we’ll wait.

When it comes to acoustics, the legendary D-28 was their guitar of choice, and today, the model continues to be one of the most popular in Martin’s catalog. To use terminology our watch-collecting friends can understand: This is a workhorse guitar. Think of it like your trusted Seamaster or Sub.
 

That said, when reimagined as a watch, we knew the D-28 Amberburst would take on simple, straightforward, timeless styling. Here, we believe the classic faux tortoise pick guard and ombre flair of its body would translate beautifully to the watch dial.

Here’s another instantly recognizable guitar, even for those lacking any musical skill or a hefty heavy metal record collection. The Ibanez XPTB720 is undeniably distinct for its radical body shape and sinister blacked-out aesthetic, resulting in a guitar that’s a certified headbanger. Think Kiss, Korn, or even the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and you’ll tune into the energy Ibanez guitars put down.

For its design, we’d die to see a watchmaker take on the wild X-shape of the body and adapt it to a case (can you imagine?!). But for our humble mockups, the task was a bit too complex.
 

For now, we have a sleek, fully blacked-out design; a style that’s been on-trend in the watch space for several years. Perhaps the addition of an edgy strap would be just what this watch needs to take it from stealth to glam rock.

Danelectro is a guitar brand known for its balance of tradition and innovation. It’s built some wild instruments over the years, from a 12-string electric guitar to a six-string bass, all the while maintaining a minimalist aesthetic. For my watch collectors, think of Danelectro as the NOMOS of guitars, with possibly some of the most famous instruments from Danelectro played by the legendary Jimmy Page, including the DC-2 body shape.
 

However, while Page opted for the black-and-white version, we thought this copper iteration would translate beautifully to a watch with its roughly equivalent “horns” on the upper case, metallic “lipstick” pickups, fluid pick guard design, bi-color dial details, and of course, the classic Danelectro head-shape. The combination makes for a beautifully geometric design whose curves create movement, drawing your eye around the dial.

For bassists, sometimes one good guitar is all you need. Just look to Sir Paul McCartney. For much of his career, the Rickenbacker 4001S has been his go-to. Funny enough, his loyalty runs across his collections (from his guitar to his watches) with a classic stainless steel Aquanaut on a black rubber strap being his watch model of choice. McCartney’s most famous Rickenbacker is this ultra-colorful stunner from 1967.
 

The custom design was achieved with vibrant Day-Glo paints and dubbed the “Sgt. Pepper” because it was used throughout the recording of that album as well as “The Magical Mystery Tour.” The bold and vibrant design of the guitar provided the perfect inspiration for a watch, with the colors and pattern perfectly translating to the dial and strap. For those of you spotting something a bit off about the guitar picture, remember, Sir Paul famously played his instruments lefty.

Last but certainly not least, we have, quite possibly, the most experimental and avant-garde guitar of the bunch: the Flying V from guitar maker Gibson. As the name suggests, this model is one of the most instantly recognizable electric guitars ever made for its unique V-shape. Gibson patented the unique construction in 1958 in the hopes of competing with the ever-popular Fender Stratocaster.

While the design didn’t have overnight success, it did gain traction in the mid-60s when Dave Davies of the Kinks picked one up on tour. However, it took until the mid-70s for the Flying V to really take off, thanks to Bad Company’s Mick Ralphs. Since then, it has graced the stage with true icons from Eddie Van Halen to Keith Richards and Tom Petty to Lenny Kravitz.
 

Like the Ibanez, we would kill to see a watchmaker tackle the famous V-shape for a case design, but alas, these are only fantasy mockups (dare to dream!!). Instead, we focused on the gorgeous colors and lines of this blue-and-white version to inspire our mockup’s dial.

(Guitars images by the brands. Illutrations by Watchonista)