The history of Chanel and watchmaking stretches back decades to 1987. The label launched its first women’s watch in 1987, called the Premiere. The watch featured a unique octagonal shape that was inspired by the Place Vendôme in Paris. It also borrowed design elements from the iconic Chanel No. 5 Perfume bottle and incorporated them into the look of the watch face. Chanel’s watch business expanded with the acquisition of G&F Chatelain in 1993 which included a watch assembly plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds, an area known as the cradle of Swiss watchmaking

After seven years of research, Chanel launched the J12 watch in the year 2000. The innovative design was daring at the time, being one of the first timepieces to use high-tech ceramic as the primary material. The yachting-inspired timepiece was first available in shiny black and created under the direction of Jaques Helleu, Chanel’s artistic director for over 40 years. Helleu described the influence of vintage cars on the design “I first created the J12 for me. I wanted a timeless, glossy black and indestructible watch that brings to mind certain classic automobiles.”

The watch was heralded as an instant classic upon release due to its innovation in construction and unique appearance. As one of the first watches to use ceramic as the primary material, the original black version of the watch was a huge seller right away. The unisex nature of the design made it equally popular among men and women. Chanel followed up the success of the J12 with an all-white version in 2003 which only further cemented the reputation of the style. Since then, the watch continues to be released in a huge variety of different versions and colors. Countless variations have since followed the original design such as the the J12 Caliber 3125 which is equipped with an automatic movement by famed watchmaker Audemars Piguet in 2008. The J12 Retrograde was released in 2010 and featured a 10-day power reserve. Nearly two decades after its initial release the J12 remains a landmark watch design that is embraced by watch collectors and luxury shoppers the world over.

Undercover is a label that embraces chaos and balance in equal order and it’s not surprising that it would bring that same energy to its watch designs. In staying true to its track record of subversion, Undercover contrasts a classy minimal watch face with a unique double wrap design that lays two oyster-style bands over top one another. Made from stainless steel, the watch comes in either a gold or a brushed silver finish.

Some details that may be missed at first sight might include the middle finger clasp as well as the typographic details on the face. As punk music and culture has informed everything that Undercover has done since the outset, the watch proudly states in minimal font “I haven't fucked much with the past but I've fucked plenty with the future”—a direct reference to lyrics from Patti Smith’s track “Babelogue”. It’s obvious that Undercover’s founder Jun Takahashi is a huge fan of Smith’s work, featuring this quote on other items as well as naming his Spring/Summer 2009 collection “Neoboy” after Patti Smith’s poem of the same name.

The watch was retailed around $600 and was released at select retailers as part of its Fall/Winter 2016 “Instant Calm" collection. The unique nature of this timepiece makes it worth tracking down for Undercover collectors—not to mention those who just want a clean timepiece that still challenges the conventions of traditional watch design. It seems unlikely that this exact design will be released again so if you love the design, don’t hesitate to pick one up.

The term “limited edition” is thrown around all the time to hype up collaborative products. In the case of this Casio G-Shock Frogman designed by famed artist Takashi Murakami however, it’s quite literal. With only 300 units produced of the design, this Frogman model has the reputation of being one of the most expensive G-Shock watches ever made. The watch was only released at select retailers, among them Colette in Paris.

While Casio G-Shock watches are primarily known for their durability, water resistance and accessible price points, this rare watch is anything but affordable. The watch itself plays off Murakami’s subversive pop-art style, with the translucent pink face being the focal point of the design. The watch includes engraved artwork on the back, a custom box and even a watch pillow printed with Murakami’s signature flower print. Released in 2010, the prices for this watch have spiked even higher on the resell market going for more than $20,000. Luckily for those on a budget, G-Shock does produce a the base model of the watch which starts out around $700 at retail. The Frogman range are considered the top of the line when it comes to G-Shocks and has all the bells and whistles that Casio fans love. It seems that collaboration is a huge part of the culture at G-Shock, with the brand also working with other prominent street artists including Stash and Futura as well as brands like BAPE, Stussy and Kolor in recent years.

Just as the classic Bapesta sneaker took direct inspiration from the Air Force 1, A Bathing Ape’s line of watches directly reference classic Rolex designs like the Daytona and the Submariner. The tongue-in-cheek replicas perfectly echo BAPE’s subversive approach to branding, even adopting the obvious “Bapex” name that brings to mind bootleg counterfeits. While BAPE has been releasing the watches for years now but it remains a major part of its accessories line. Over that period, everything from the BAPE camo to colored bezels and clear watch bands have been used. New variations are released seasonally in limited runs.

While the Bapex may not be the choice for serious watch enthusiasts who care about construction and the internals of the watch itself, the watches are still fun compliment to streetwear heavy wardrobes. The watches themselves feature respectable Japanese automatic (self-winding) movement and collectable packaging as well as little details like glow-in-the dark markings and typographic hits that state “Ape Shall Never Kill Ape” or “Made by Human.”

Dieter Rams is a giant in the world of design. He cut his teeth as the design director of Braun from 1955 to 1995 . During that time Rams worked on pretty much every consumer product from appliances to radios and record players. While watches are one of the lesser known products made by Braun, they are nicely representative of the minimal and pragmatic design approach that Dieter made legendary. In 1989 Braun launched its first analog wristwatch, the AW 10. Dieter Rams worked with his protege Dietrich Lubs to design the items. Braun wanted the AW 10 to reflect its vision of creating a watch that displayed the time in the most functional way possible and embodied all its Rams’ design principles.

1991 saw the release of the AW 50 which further stripped down the design, removing the numbers and minute track as well as simplifying the bezel. A date function was also introduced, indicated by a red chevron which would become an iconic feature of Braun watches for decades to come. While the original vintage watches continue to be hunted down by watch collectors, it’s now easier than ever to own one of these designs through re-issues developed by watchmaker Zeon. In 2017, two of the most iconic models were re-remade in close collaboration with Dietrich Lubs himself—the AW 10 and AW 50. There have also released new Braun models that take inspiration from the originals. For any hardcore minimalist there might not be a better choice than a Braun watch.

Designer Daiki Suzuki and his Engineered Garments imprint have created a universe largely inspired by vintage production techniques and workwear. The brand’s unique take on classic Americana has created a cult following that fully embraces its aesthetic. Iconic Japanese department store Beams has maintained a working relationship with Timex that stretches back to the late-2000s.

Together the three entities worked on a watch design that captures the feeling of the Engineered Garments brand—a remixed Timex Camper. The watch features a canvas NATO band and a unique mirrored watchface. The branding and numbers on the watchface are facing backwards but the watch still ticks clockwise. The latest iteration of this design was released in January 2018 in black and retailed around $180. Previous versions of the watch in navy and olive were released in 2016.

Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automotive designer who created many extremely iconic cars, including the 1977 BMW M1 and the DeLorean DMC 12, which was featured prominently in the Back to the Future film series. In 1983, the Japanese watch company Seiko released a handful of motoring watches that were all designed by Giugiaro under Seiko’s Speedmaster product line. These watches were incredibly unconventional and had a harsh futurist design direction. As the years wore on, collectors found themselves drawn to these legendary watches. One such design is the Seiko Giugiaro 7A28-7000, immortalized in the James Cameron’s Aliens, worn by the protagonist Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. Another character, Bishop, also wore a Seiko 7A28-6000 watch in the movie.

In 2015, Seiko retroed the 7A28-7000 worn by Ripley. Released in limited numbers , the watch came in black and silver variants. The re-issue was named the Seiko SCED-047 and was followed up by successive releases from the Giugiaro archive, including new colorways of other iconic styles. The re-issue has given a second life to these classic designs and made it much easier for collectors to take home a piece of Seiko design history.

By now Supreme has released countless accessories, many by way of unexpected collaborators. One of the rarest and most expensive items to date however was released back in 2013. That year, the skate label revealed a custom Rolex Submariner that was initially previewed on their website as part of the Spring/Summer 2013 season. A video also emerged showing off close details of the watch.

The watch featured a box logo engraved onto the back and a “Fuck em” slogan on the dial. Reportedly the watches were customized by Bamford Watch Department and not an official collaboration with Rolex. However throughout 2013, there was some confusion as to whether the collaboration was ever officially sanctioned by Rolex. Apparently only 20 of the watches were ever produced and they were only available to friends and family of the brand. The price point was reported to be $10,000, but the Supreme Rolex later popped up on the resale market for $50,000 (a regular stainless steel Submariner retails around $7,500). While the markup is no joke, for those looking to collect everything Supreme has released—officially or unofficially—this is something that can’t be missed.