Angular Revival
Boston City Hall, designed by Gerhard Kallmann
The Return of The Architectural Sports Watch
There’s a distinct shift happening in the world of watch design. After years dominated by soft curves, vintage reissues, and rounded bezels, a more structural, sculptural form is taking centre stage: the angular sports watch with an integrated bracelet.
This design language isn’t new—it’s rooted in the bold vision of 1970s modernism. But today, it’s experiencing a powerful resurgence, not just as a nod to heritage but as a contemporary design movement driven by a wave of fresh, forward-thinking releases.
The new 2025 Vacheron Constantin 222, reimagined in stainless steel, is a minimalist icon reborn—refined, clean, and sharply elegant. Rolex’s Land-Dweller, an unexpected pivot from the crown, introduces integrated lines and angular architecture into a catalogue known for curves and continuity. Then there’s the relaunch of the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40, a near one-to-one update of its Genta-designed ancestor, with sharper finishing and modern proportions.
Even independents are making waves: Toledano & Chan’s B/1 channels brutalist architecture with striking originality, proving that this isn’t just a revival—it’s a reawakening.
Together, these watches signal something bigger: a return to watches as design objects, not just instruments of time. Built with intent, shaped with presence, and designed for permanence, this new wave of angular watches isn’t about looking back—it’s about reshaping the future of watchmaking.
A Design Language Born in the '70s
National Theatre, London designed by Denys Lasdun
In the early 1970s, luxury watches underwent a radical transformation. Inspired by architecture, industrial design, and high fashion, a new aesthetic emerged—geometric cases, exposed screws, and bracelets that flowed seamlessly into the case. This was the era of Gérald Genta, whose visionary designs, like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (1972) and the Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976), established the blueprint for what we now call the integrated sports watch.
These designs were unapologetically modern. They rejected delicate lugs, ornate dials, and fussy detailing in favour of bold surfaces, brushed stainless steel, and a sculptural unity between watch and wrist. The result was a watch that no longer played the role of a discreet accessory—it became a statement, a wearable sculpture of industrial elegance.
This design shift closely mirrored developments in architecture at the time, particularly the rise of brutalism. Just as Genta’s watches emphasised raw materials and honest construction, brutalist buildings like the National Theatre in London (constructed 1963–1976, designed by Denys Lasdun) showcased the unadorned power of concrete, massive forms, and structural clarity. Both movements shared a philosophical core: truth to materials, functional expression, and modernist idealism.
The Royal Oak’s octagonal bezel with exposed screws was as radical for horology as Lasdun’s cantilevered terraces and fortress-like concrete geometry were for architectural design. Both challenged traditional ideas of beauty—trading refinement for resilience, delicacy for drama.
What critics once dismissed as harsh or aggressive now feels bold and enduring. Genta’s integrated designs, like brutalist architecture, have aged into icons, their brutal honesty and utilitarian elegance finding new relevance in an era that values authenticity and design integrity.
Patek Philippe Nautilus designed by Gérald Genta
Hard Edges, Lasting Impact
In recent years, both Genta’s integrated sports watches and brutalist architecture have experienced a powerful revival. What was once seen as cold, aggressive, or overly industrial is now being reappraised for its boldness, honesty, and clarity of vision. In a world saturated with visual noise, these objects offer something rare: a strong, uncompromising identity.
This resurgence is part of a broader cultural shift. As digital life becomes increasingly intangible, there’s a growing appreciation for materials that feel grounded, substantial, and permanent. Brutalist buildings—once threatened with demolition—are now being listed and restored. Likewise, the Royal Oak and Nautilus have become two of the most coveted watches of the 21st century, their stark geometries now symbols of elite taste and enduring design.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that both models saw dramatic price spikes during the COVID lockdowns—a time when many people were more disconnected from physical life than ever before. In an increasingly digital world, owning something tactile, permanent, and iconic felt more valuable. Since then, their secondary market prices have softened, but the emotional appeal of these designs remains as strong as ever.
Perhaps the movement is, at its core, a response to the increasing complexity and ephemerality of modern life. As our environments become more digital, curated, and algorithmically smoothed, there’s a hunger for design that feels real. In a world of soft edges and seamless gadgets, the sharp lines of a Royal Oak or the concrete bulk of a brutalist façade offer a kind of visual and emotional anchor—a reminder of things built with intent, not convenience.
In both architecture and horology, we’re seeing a renewed appetite for authentic materials, visible structure, and design that speaks plainly—even confrontationally. What was once dismissed as severe now feels refreshingly sincere.
Genta’s watches and brutalist architecture remind us that good design doesn’t always aim to please—it aims to endure.
Not a Trend, but a Legacy
What we’re seeing today isn’t a trend—it’s a return to principles that have always mattered. The appeal of these angular, architectural watches lies not in fashion, but in form. They are precise, unapologetic, and built with clarity of purpose. Like the buildings and design movements that inspired them, they don’t chase attention—they command it.
Good design doesn’t fade. It may fall quiet for a time, but it never disappears. It waits—patiently—until the world is ready to appreciate it again. And right now, the world is listening.
