At Engravers Guild of London, we are proud followers of British design and tout our national talent as being the best in the world.
But even we have to acknowledge the greatness of designers from outside our shores and the incredible impact they have had on the global industry.
One such titan of fashion certainly deserves our praise… none other than the icon, Ralph Lauren.
Starting as a salesman for a tie company in 1968, he has come a long way since his early foray into clothes.
Today, his empire is valued at over $7 billion, and he considers showbiz royalty as some of his most loyal customers.
2018 marked the 50th year of Ralph Lauren, and to celebrate the achievement of his career there was a series of special events.
During New York Fashion Week, his show was broadcast live to the nation from Central Park.
Attendees included Robert De Niro, Hilary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey to name but a few. But, despite the roll call of celebrities, there was no doubt about what was the star attraction of the evening.
To commemorate the milestone, a very special collection was commissioned… which especially caught our attention.
Although Ralph Lauren may be most famous for his Polo range of preppy clothes, or his enduring fragrances, or his line of handbags… none of those items were chosen for the special collection.
Instead, he had made a selection which would not be completely out of place on the Engravers Guild site, namely: pocket watches and gentleman’s watches.
To add to that, all of the items were…engraved.
Beautiful hand engravings adorned the surface of all of the timepieces, all designed to record and elevate the notable occasion for posterity.
Coverage from around the world all noted how these items are unique in their finish.
Indeed, this is not something that is new to us, for any engraving (whether carried out by a Ralph Lauren artisan or one of our professional engravers) makes an indelible mark like no other that will forever make the piece one of a kind.
So if you, like Ralph, have a special occasion to celebrate, do try and emulate him and browse our selection of personalised pocket watches.