The Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Ralph & Ricky Bear Watch

Like other big fashion and lifestyle brands, Ralph Lauren decided watches were missing from his emporium and introduced three lines in 2009 that expressed Lauren’s love of all things equestrian and his passion for vintage cars. When it comes to Ralph Lauren watches, every last detail speaks about his American vision of laid-back sophistication and nonchalant elegance. The latest Ralph & Ricky Bear watch is the most intimate model of all, a testament to Ralph Lauren’s relationship with his wife and muse, Ricky. Depicting two hears holding hands wearing classic Ralph Lauren clothes, this 38mm automatic three-hand watch comes in a stainless steel case from the Polo Bear collection.

Ralph Lauren’s foray into watchmaking came about as a joint venture with Richemont in 2008, resulting in the Ralph Lauren Watches and Jewelry company based in Geneva. Since then, collections like the equestrian-inspired Stirrup and rugged outdoorsy Safari have materialised along with the handsome Automotive line-up inspired by Ralph Lauren’s iconic Bugatti (the one that inspired Urwerk’s UR-112 Aggregat). Another successful line is the RL867, with its Art Deco styling taken from the brand’s flagship store on 867 Madison Avenue. As one of the brand’s strongest clothing lines, there had to be a Polo watch, which appeared in 2018. However, in a winning move to fuse two icons and celebrate Ralph Lauren’s 50^th anniversary that same year, the Polo Bear watch collection also materialised, a clever marketing move allowing the brand to dress the Bear in signature preppy Ralph Lauren looks, earning him the “best-dressed bear in the world” namesake.

Bears

Bears are gaining a presence in the watch world, and I bet you can name the ‘other’ brand associated with a bear. It’s worth pointing out that Ralph Lauren’s bear predates Oris’s and materialised in 1991. Ralph Lauren’s first Polo bear, made by the famous German toy manufacturer Steiff, was dressed in tiny Polo apparel and soon appeared on just about every item of clothing imaginable.

Ralph & Ricky Bear

Dressed in classic Ralph Lauren gear, Ralph bear wears a navy double-breasted blazer on top of his roll-neck sweater and jeans, and Ricky, the wife, a white roll-neck sweater bearing the American flag. The two bears, walking hand in hand, are modelled after a photograph taken of the couple at their estate in Bedford, New York. To achieve a high-quality image of the bears, they have been 3D printed on the off-white lacquered dial.

Large glossy black Arabic numerals and a railway minute track are indicated by shiny lacquered red hour and minute hands and a slim black lacquered seconds hand. The words Polo and Ralph Lauren are printed at 9 o’clock, but the bear’s arm hides some of the letters. The scenery is housed in a 39mm stainless steel case with a height of 9.9mm (other models in the Polo Bear collection measure 42mm). Entirely polished, the case features the crown at 2 o’clock with a Pony logo and rounded stirrup-like lugs.

Swiss Automatic

The sealed caseback, engraved with the words Ralph & Ricky, hides an automatic Swiss movement – calibre RL200, based on the Sellita SW 200-1  – with a frequency of 28,800vph and a power reserve of 38 hours.

Price

The Ralph & Ricky Bear watch has an interchangeable blue navy calfskin strap and polished stainless steel pin buckle. The watch is part of the permanent Polo Bear collection and retails for USD 1,450 / EUR 1,600 /CHF 1,450.

For more information, please visit RalphLauren.com.