Ralph Lauren’s Iconic Pony Logo Lands on Watches for the First Time
Go ahead and name the most famous horses in history. Seabiscuit, definitely. The onetime owner of the head that shared a bed with Jack Woltz in The Godfather, maybe. And then you arrive at Ralph Lauren’s Polo pony. Only one has the horsepower to serve as the mascot for one of America’s most storied fashion brands, though. RL’s polo player has galloped across the brand’s signatures polos, studious chambray shirts, dinnerware, wallets, bedsheets, ties, and essentially every other product in Ralph Lauren’s vast universe. There’s no secret to why the pony pops up everywhere: devotees of the brand snap up Ralph Lauren-branded pieces in herds. Now, it’s set to do the same for a collection of watches that puts the iconic logo front and center.
Forgetting the pony logo for just a moment, this piece is Ralph Lauren’s argument it can hang with the heavy hitters in the watch world. The collection hits all the marks when it comes to current trends, hoping to turn the heads of customers who might be looking for a watch and hadn’t considered RL before. For starters, big stainless steel sport watches (this one measures 42mm) continue to be at the top of every collector’s wishlist. With its Polo collection, Ralph Lauren takes some cues from diver-style watches, like the Rolex Submariner, with a bezel marked with 10-minute increments. Speaking of the Submariner, Rolex and Ralph appear to be on the same wavelength: the Crown just released an updated version of the Sub in black, blue, and green. Ralph Lauren’s new piece comes in… black, blue, and green. (Prices range from $1,650 to $2,150.)
But all of that goes out the window when looking at this watch: the logo that stretches from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock is clearly the main attraction here—a horse hasn’t stolen the show this effectively since the painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps.
A longtime watch enthusiast before making his own, Ralph Lauren-the-man would stock Ralph Lauren-the-stores with pieces from Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. The brand launched its first timepieces in 2008 with the three models, built in partnership with the Richemont Group, which also owns Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and the aforementioned Vacheron, that still serve as the foundation of Ralph Lauren’s watch selection. The Sporting, Stirrup, and Classic Slim collections largely correspond to the brand’s casual, dressy, and dressier watches. Ralph Lauren’s brand has always been about building out the accessories necessary for living the American dream, starting with ties and polos and stretching all the way to fine china. The man who gets his suits from Ralph’s Purple Label and late-night burgers and Old Fashioneds at the Polo Bar is going to need a watch.
That said, it’s a surprise that it took Ralph Lauren this long to turn his watches into dressage. There’s a reason basically every other product Ralph Lauren releases is often touched by the logo. For Ralph, the pony is shorthand for his brand vision. “I called it Polo because it had a sensibility that was sporty and international,” Lauren said in a press release. “It was sophisticated and stylish. Polo had an imagery that represented a lifestyle, and style is forever.” Pairing that logo with an already potent symbol of taste and luxury like the watch feels like a natural marriage. The big logo across the dial also sets Ralph Lauren apart from more traditional watchmakers, who can get caught up in the teeny-tiny details. Where other brands measure in millimeters, add tourbillons, or make incremental improvements to existing movements, Ralph Lauren asks: why the hell not put a proportionally huge polo player on a dial?
The brand has now turned to two of its most adored mascots to sell watches—last year saw a line of Polo Bear timepieces in celebration of the brand’s 50th anniversary. Ralph Lauren is conducting an interesting experiment. While the brand’s proven that bears and ponies can help sell practically everything else, will that same strategy work when it comes to fine timepieces?
Originally Appeared on GQ
