As watch collecting culture continues to grow in popularity, trend cycles have a cadence unto themselves. We’ve seen stylistic, aesthetic, and material trends gradually emerge, swiftly shift, and some even cycle back again, which brings us to the most recent episode of WatchBox After Hours.
The episode begins with today’s hottest trend: luxury sport, which has been around for nearly 50 years. Audemars Piguet introduced its Royal Oak in 1972, setting in motion an entirely new category that is considered ubiquitous today. In 2020, do you consider a steel sports watch on an integrated bracelet (perhaps with a blue dial) to be a trend? The style is universally admired, the options endless, and there are absolute leaders. Which models rank high atop your list?

Alaina next calls attention to rubber straps, as the sport category offers many comfortable options on rubber. Interchangeable strap systems are certainly favored by team WatchBox, and the crew points to the Cartier Santos and Vacheron Overseas as prime examples. A conversation about rubber straps naturally leads to Hublot, as rubber has been a standing material in the brand’s catalog since the 1980s.

Size has been a fluctuating trend over the last 20+ years. Today, perfectly proportioned cases overshadow the massive dimensions that characterized the early aughts. Do you remember 48+ mm cases? What about the 60mm Panerai? Where do you land in the debate of the perfect case size?

Dial colors and materials from tantalum to bronze round out the conversation, along with the resurgence of two-tone as a favored style.

What trends catch your eye today?