Gc Esquire watch

BRANDS / SARTORIALEE SELECTS / Gc WATCHES

Still lifes: Osborne & Son

I’d come across Gc Watches before but hadn’t registered they came under the umbrella of American fashion giant GUESS. When I delved a little deeper I discovered several watches I’d happily put the Sartorialee name to. Gc watches debuted to much acclaim in 2002, brainchild of GUESS founder Paul Marciano.

I’m drawn to classic timepieces, but always look for that slightly unusual nuance, a subtle detail that sets it apart from the ordinary – in this instance the brushed and polished rose gold case and Roman dials of the Gc Esquire. Boasting a chronographic 42mm dial with a blue crocodile skin pattern Italian leather strap, it fitted the bill perfectly given the abundance of brown straps in my horological armoury.

As much as I dream of owning a Patek Philippe Calatrava (that I would never actually own but pass on to my son), the reality is settling for Swiss made precision movement coupled with high calibre engineering. At £375 the Esquire ticks these boxes with aplomb. It looks expensive but approachable. It’s elegant not ostentatious. Most definitely not a watch that walks in to the room several private bank accounts ahead of me.

As with brown, most colours offset well with navy – it works with nigh on every outfit I throw at it. The Esquire looked equally at home under a grey and burgundy check suit at LC:M as it did under a navy shawl collar cardigan at Pitti. What’s more, it compliments my prized cedar wood wrist beads perfectly.

I love that the Roman watch face comes with a bit of a story too. Ever wondered why the Roman numeral for 4 on watches and clocks reads IIII instead of IV?

Well, study the numerals opposite each other – all of them are in perfect balance, except for the ‘heavy’ VIII and the ‘light’ IV; optical balance is re-established by also printing a ‘heavy’ IIII. It’s all done in the name of symmetry. If the watch face was divided vertically, exactly 14 Roman characters would appear on each side of the dial (left & right). If “IV” were used, it would throw off the perfect symmetry of the watch dial. Learn something new every day, right?