Watches from Gucci, Armani Exchange and Fragment Design show not all fashion timepieces are made equal

It’s been a while since we discussed fashion watches in this column, that is watches by the big fashion brands, and that’s partly because the vast majority of them are absolutely awful. I love fashion brands like Burberry but I would rather eat my own hands than wear one of its watches. And the reason is that these companies see them as a side hustle and so devote little time or effort to the design or mechanics of the timepieces.

That’s not true for every fashion brand, and I’ll concede that some have executed admirable course corrections when it comes to their watch divisions, going from abject to appealing in double quick time, much faster than the glacial Swiss watchmakers.

A case in point is Gucci, which up until a few years ago made watches that you wouldn’t even gift to Piers Morgan they were that bad. Almost entirely trading on the cachet of the name, old Gucci logo-ladened watches were cheap to look at, cheaply made and actually quite cheap to buy. Thankfully, the quality has shot up and the price only marginally so.

Of course, Gucci has been smart to inject the eccentricity and aesthetics of the main fashion line, which has been a critical and commercial hit, into its watches, and the results are eye-catching idiosyncratic pieces like the G-Timeless. The design might seem brash but whereas previously there would have been logos galore, now Gucci uses the codes and motifs of the house in more subtle, interesting and, in this case, innovative ways as the design gives a floating hologram effect to the dial, adding three-dimensional depth to the overall look.

The dial and the strap are spotted with the brand’s iconic bee and star motifs. Inside is a Ronda quartz movement and the piece is Swiss made, for those who are sticklers for such things. The 38mm case is made of steel and functions are kept simple, although it does have a handy 50 metres of water resistance. The watch is priced at HK$7,200.