Watches of Switzerland is a British luxury watch retailer founded in 1924, operating showrooms across the UK, Europe and the United States. The company traces its origins to the G. M. Lane business, and its visual identity has undergone several documented transformations over the past century, most notably in 2000 and again in the late 2010s.
Design and History
In October 2000, brand and packaging group Smith & Milton was commissioned to create a new identity for Watches of Switzerland. The new marque was described as a “radical departure” from the existing identity, which featured a bold red symbol with a white keyline, and was intended to give the company “more personality.” [1]
A more recent evolution came in 2018, when the parent company Aurum Holdings announced it would change its name to The Watches of Switzerland Group, a move reported to make the business more investor-friendly ahead of a planned public listing. [2] The name change took effect on September 1, 2018. [3]
Around the same period, the group undertook a broader brand relaunch. In a November 2018 interview, group executive vice president David Hurley described plans for “a more contemporary logo, a website redesign and new packaging,” stating the company was “essentially relaunching the brand” with a new visual identity. [4]
In 2024, as part of its centenary celebrations, Watches of Switzerland collaborated with independent watchmakers Craig and Rebecca Struthers on a unique commemorative timepiece. The project involved recreating what the company believes its logo would have looked like in 1924, had it existed under the Watches of Switzerland name at that time. The typography was based on fonts from original G. M. Lane dials, the name under which the business was founded. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented symbolism for the current Watches of Switzerland mark is limited. However, a separate entity operating under the same name in Singapore, acquired by The Hour Glass in 2014, was rebranded with “a refreshed logo blending a pair of watch hands with the Swiss flag.” [6] This description applies to the Singapore-based retailer’s identity and should not be conflated with the UK group’s mark without confirmation.
Typography and Design
For the centenary project in 2024, the Watches of Switzerland logo font was designed and developed by font designer Tommy Morrison, who based it on an original early G. M. Lane watch sourced and restored by the Struthers. The team worked to recreate what they believe the Watches of Switzerland logo would have looked like in 1924, based on archives and the typography of the time. [5] This historical recreation was used on the commemorative timepiece dial, with the original 1924 logo etched in gold around the moon phase. [7]
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