Something New: Ralph Lauren American Western Watch Turquoise

Launched in October, the new Ralph Lauren American Western Watch Turquoise might have come late in the year, but it was certainly one of its most evocative debuts. Think vintage rodeo belt buckles, hand-tooled leather, rugged elegance and a self-winding Caliber RL514 made by Piaget, to boot.

Ralph Lauren American Western Watch Turquoise

I had spent some errant teenage years in New Mexico, the spiritual heart of the American Wild West. Perhaps it’s why this watch feels strangely nostalgic as well, an echo of dusty landscapes where the sun burns intense and low.

The collection was first launched in 2018 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ralph Lauren, and over the years, has presented several fetching iterations, including the 50-piece limited edition pocket watch with full hunter cover, and a striking round skeletonized wristwatch iteration in beautifully ornate engraved sterling silver. But the ones I am predisposed to have always been the cushion-cased models, which were previously released with inky black and off-white dials.

This year’s offering features a gorgeous turquoise dial paired with elegant Breguet hands and its signature combination of Roman and Arabic numerals. Turquoise has long featured in Native American and Southwestern traditions — as sacred stone, talisman, emblem — which makes it particularly fitting here. The green-blue gemstone dial is framed in 42mm by 42mm rose gold or sterling silver cases meticulously engraved by hand, with an oxidized-style patina that adds to its allure.

Something Special: Behrens × Vianney Halter KWH

Vianney Halter is having another day in the sun with not one but four different collaborations in 2025, two of which are on this list. But while we are long-time fans of Halter’s trademark retro-futuristic steampunk aesthetics, this is not the reason why I have picked this watch.

Behrens × Vianney Halter KWH

The Vianney Halter connection notwithstanding, Chinese watch brand Behrens deserves mention on its own merit as one of the champions of Chinese watchmaking. The company was started by Lin Binqiang in 2012 and is fully Chinese owned and operated. It has since carved a name for itself with its clever takes on complications, and in recent years, has launched a number of notable pieces.

This latest collab with Halter was inspired by an old-fashioned electric meter and, accordingly, it is christened KWH, a reference to the kilowatt, the unit of measurement for electrical energy. It also draws on the classic video game called Snake, where the player controls a line that moves up, down, right, left to eat food and grow. Here, Behren’s chain-driven hour display takes center stage. The chain runs on the perimeter of the movement and completes one circuit in 12 hours.

The hour is told by tracking a single lumen dot around this chain, with a string of six dots doubling up as the Snake that chases it round and round. Minutes is told off the rotating cylinder on the right, while the cylinder on the left does double time as a day/night indicator and power reserve. Flip the watch over and you have a date and moonphase display.

It’s fun, clever and while it might not appeal to all, it’s a pretty special watch from a bold new frontier in the watch world.

Something Old: Rolex King Midas

Rolex may have entered the fiercely contested integrated bracelet watch arena only this year, but the Land-Dweller is far from the first integrated-bracelet watch from the Crown. In fact, one of its most striking integrated-bracelet watches hails back to 1964. Indeed, amidst all the talk of bracelets this year (let’s not forget the new Settimo), it’s my vintage pick for the year: the Rolex King Midas Ref. 9630.

Rolex King Midas

More dress watch than tool watch, the King Midas is a radical departure from traditional Rolex aesthetics on many counts, not least in its asymmetric solid gold case that’s angled like a roof and its all-gold integrated bracelet with links inspired by Greek columns and shaped like gold bars. Its saw-tooth crown is positioned on the left-hand side, a subtle nod to the King Midas myth that lends its name to the watch. (In the myth, everything King Midas touches with his left hand turns to gold.) Some speculated that Gérald Genta was behind the design of the King Midas and, given the design aesthetics, it is entirely possible. But of course, Rolex has neither confirmed nor denied this.

Ref. 9630 is the earliest example of the watch and, untypically of Rolex, it was issued as a limited series, with less than 800 produced between 1962 and 1972. Of these, 144 pieces were in white gold and the rest in yellow gold. One of the little known facts about the King Midas is that every piece was handcrafted, accounting for some variations in weight and finishing.

Rolex King Midas Ref. 9630 (Image: Sotheby’s)

The King Midas is powered by the ultra thin Caliber 650 developed by Piaget, which measures a whisper-thin 1.8mm, a feat even today. This translates into a uber slim profile on the wrist — just 4mm — although with all that gold, it commanded substantial presence on the wrist. In fact, it was arguably the heaviest gold watch of its era.

For many years, it has lain under the radar on the secondary market, trading at relatively affordable figures. Earlier this year in May, a very rare white gold 9630 hammered for CHF 75,600 at Christie’s, making it well worth its weight in gold.