Continuing his 50th anniversary celebration, Ralph Lauren is launching the Polo Bear Collection, which combines Swiss watchmaking with the Polo Bear — a favorite icon in the designer’s world.
The collection represents the first time Lauren has created timepieces specifically for the Polo brand. The four bears that are featured are Flag Bear, Martini Bear, Preppy Bear, and Spectator Bear, each inspired by his personal style and retailing for $2,000 apiece.
In an interview at his Manhattan office last week, Lauren, who was dressed in an embroidered RL sweater and sat at a coffee table overflowing with memorabilia — including two stuffed Polo Bears — said the idea of the watches was just for fun. They’re not smart watches, nor are they rife with complications such as minute repeaters, chronograph, time zones or moon phase.
“It’s purely a fun project. It was not about who’s out there and what are they doing. I find that when I do things like this, with a smile on it, it works. It’s not planned to be a big thing. If it is, we’ll take it, but it’s not planned. I find for me, that’s what works,” said Lauren, chairman and chief creative officer of the $6.2 billion
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