Exploring the Gucci 25H Watch Collection

Whether you have been following Gucci over the years for its innovative approach to daring jewellery designs or its luxurious leather goods, watches or fashionable clothes designs - you may be aware that the famous Italian fashion house has recently celebrated its 100th year of existence. To mark the occasion, Gucci has entered watchmaking on a serious level with a collection named the 25H line. In total, over 30 high-end timepieces have been released over four different collections, yet it is this 25H line that stands out for several reasons in particular. For the first time, Gucci implements its own in-house developed movement into the 25H watch, whilst on the exterior, these models adopt a clear and assertive sports watch aesthetic.

There is, of course, an interesting back story to the labour of love behind the 25H watch collection. Gucci, after all, was the first fashion house to enter the world of watchmaking back in the 1970s. Yet it was the watches it developed during the 1990s that really put Gucci on the map for its bold and daring wristwatches.

A brief history of Gucci watches

It was the Severin Montres Group who first obtained the license to produce Gucci watches in Bienne Switzerland. Having made some important changes to his business, Belgian-born businessman Severin Wunderman relocated his head offices to Switzerland to be closer to the watchmaking side of things. At the same time, the company was growing exponentially whilst he opened a US office for the distribution of Gucci watches. It was in around 1997 that Gucci acquired ownership of Severin Montres Group, internalising production of its own wristwatches – a move that many other fashion brands would follow in.

Today Gucci is part of French luxury group Kering, which owns two other high-end watch brands; Ulysse Nardin and Girard Perregaux. Kering has also produced its own in-house movements, allowing for the opportunity to combine horological innovations with the world-recognisable aesthetics of an iconic Gucci watch. This high-end level of watchmaking has enabled the 25H watch collection to arise. In true sports watch form, the Gucci 25H watch collection combines a steel case with an integrated bracelet, along with the accuracy and reliability of the new GG727.25 family of movements.

It seems the sensible option for Gucci to go down the route of creating a steel sports watch since the surge in luxury sports watches over the last decade has massively grown. Under the influence of Gucci’s Creative Director, Alessandro Michele, the collection took its name from the designer’s favourite number and the designs take on a cushion-shaped case that is both bold but also pleasingly thin – another key feature of the steel sports watch genre. Measuring a very manageable 40mm diameter, these new Gucci 25H watches sit at 7.2mm on the wrist and house the aforementioned in-house automatic movement. The case is constructed from three fine layers, whilst the bezel covers the crown.

The clean lines of these new unisex Gucci 25H watches, which appear crownless once donned to the wrist, surround a horizontal striped dial pattern, housed underneath a strong layer of anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. The versions include an all-grey stainless steel model, a diamond-set steel model, a full 18ct yellow gold model with a matching golden dial and a platinum model with a silver dial. The 6 o’clock location of the dials of the latter two belonging to the new Gucci 25H series boasts an open-heart feature – a unique glimpse into the performance and arrangement of the tourbillon movement that sits within these two iterations.

The satin-brushed finish on the surface of all four dials adds dimension and depth to each model. This textured dial is accompanied by the calibre number printed on its surface, whilst the upper half of the dial also features the double-G logo. Skeletonised central hour and minute hands have been treated with a Super-LumiNova dot at their tip, as have the baton markers around the hour track. All four of these new models feature a five-link integrated bracelet to complete a very sport-oriented look.

The Gucci GG727.25 Caliber

It wouldn’t be fair to introduce these new Gucci 25H watches without talking a little about the movements that put these sporty watches in the high-end bracelet. Gucci has worked hard to develop a design that equally reflects the craftsmanship invested in the development of the movement itself. The ‘standard’ Calibre GG727.25A, with a traditional regulator, powers the all-grey steel and the diamond-adorned steel automatic models. These engines are made visible on the back of the case through a see-through exhibition caseback feature. The Calibre GG727.25T with a tourbillon regulator features in the yellow gold and platinum models and is also made viewable through the back of the case. The Gucci logo on the rotor and unique Gucci guilloche wave-effect is made visible in this same way. The movements offer a 60-hour power reserve and perform at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour.

Gucci 25H watches are perfect examples of a design that has the potential to grow significantly. Could this be the beginnings of a very successful future in high-end watchmaking for Gucci? We hope so. It has been encouraging to see a fashion brand grasp the concept of what it takes to become a competitor within this sector of the industry. A sector that we hope to see Gucci fill more and more in years to come.

If you would like more information on any of the new Gucci 25H watches we have featured in this article, you can check out the collection in full here at Jura Watches or call and speak to a member of our sales team on 01335 453453. Alternatively, you can check out our entire online range of genuine Gucci watches here.