They say love is chemical, but it’s all about the timing too. Literally. If you’re rocking couples watches with your partner, then are you really in love? The jury’s still out on Kylie J and Timmy C, revealing their main squeeze – matching Cartier Panthère’s together at the US Open – but it’s a sure start for something hopeful.
American sports power couple Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird share a love of Rolex. Or Cardi B and Offset, continuously one-upping the other with a new Patek Philippe. Call it love in its hautest form. A TAG (Heuer) team if you will.
So why not have some fun too, and discover the perfect timepiece to twin with your counterpart – depending on what kind of couple you consider yourselves to be. After all, as the age-old adage goes: If you’re attuned with your timepieces, you’ll stand the test of time.
The Power Couple
The power couple had prestige long before it got its credentials in the Oxford English Dictionary back in 2016. After all, Beyoncé and Jay-Z got married waaaay before that. But what keeps the clock ticking for the powerhouses of society today, is only complimented by the very timekeepers they sport on their wrists. Which is why Tom Holland and Zendaya proved they’d met their match by donning matchy-matchy Patek Philippe’s back on a press tour for the latest Spiderman. Much was the case for the Biebers, sharing ‘His and Hers’ Nautilus (plural) too.
So if you’re up for getting hitched horologically, and letting the world know that there’s a new dynamic duo in town, then try out twinning with a Piaget, instead. Certified status, without the fear of remortgaging, Piaget’s Polo Date Watch, in both 36mm and 42mm, nods toward the signature Nautilus shape, for a fraction of the price. Love is priceless after all, right?
The Party Couple
Those that feel in sync with their partner by syncopating on the dancefloor, calls for timepieces of equal attitude. Bold, assertive and unafraid. In the past we've seen Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey rock a Bulgari Octo Finissimo, but where was Sabrina’s? Where was Camila’s? Petition for this to be the ultimate party couple watch – particularly the Sejima special edition, which is basically metamorphosed as a disco ball. Given how slim (2.23mm) and light it is, it's fit for the wrists of both parties. Built with a mechanical manufacture in-house movement, the Sejima is rendered in 40mm of stainless steel, with a polished dial, with a mirror-like quality to it. Couples who Finissimo together won’t get finished.
The High-School Sweethearts
Anyone's whose romance goes way back to the frolic of school days, or blurry beginnings at university, history is a precedent. You’ve chronicled your tales over time, and deserve a watch that is imbued with its own rich history. Cue a pair of JLC Reversos, harking back to the '30s, when businessman César de Trey was challenged to find a way to protect the glass of a watch for polo players during polo. Hence a reversible face (hence its Latinate name), so the dial can be hidden. Think of it like turning back the hands of time and reminiscing on the halcyon days of your love's beginnings. With its often blank metal flip side, Jaeger Le-Coultre welcomes personalisation with monograms, emblems and personal messages. So pay homage to the tree you long-time lovers carved your names into at school, and recreate it on your own watch.
The Long-Distance Lovers (GMT watches)
Love is hard, and long distance isn’t for everyone. But a little GMT might help you on your way to becoming a transatlantic couple. Take a chance on the Tudor Black Bay, so you can keep track of the differing time zones with the friendly guidance of the bidirectional bezel, allowing you to view two time zones at once with the 24-hour hand. We're sure David Beckham has treated Victoria to one of these for when he's over in Miami. Available in rivet steel, to two-tone yellow gold, trust that time will be your friend.
The Opposites Attract Couple
They say opposites attract and you only have to look at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s watch collection for the validation you need. Take Rocky’s $200 affordable Kapital Watch with its infamous smiling dial, to Rihanna’s customised Rolex King Midas that she debuted alongside with her first bump. World’s apart, but epically cool. Unite your differences with the humble Cartier Tank, born in many variations to suit your varying aesthetics from your lover. Take the Cartier Tank Américaine, available this September, showcasing long rectangular lines, alongside this year’s renaissance of the Cartier Tank Normale, first launched in 1989, drawing inspiration from the curves of the Tank Cintrée. Pair that with your partner in a Cartier Tank Normale, also refashioned this year to showcase the perfect square dial. Here you defeat the whole ‘square peg, round hole’ conundrum and find yourself with two perfect oblongs, each an icon in their own right, but betrothed to the same family. Couples watches nailed, IMHO.
The PDA Couple
Love or hate a PDA couple, but they’re going nowhere. Neither is Rolex’s stellar ability to steal everyone’s attention. So if you’re into the whole ‘all eyes on us’ thing, then be daring with your dial and opt for one of Rolex’s 2023 novelties that got the general public talking, and then some. A sure enough way to let everyone know you’re in love, opt for Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 with the Puzzle Dial and the OP 41 Celebration Dial. Solve the puzzle of love by spinning through the Puzzle’s set of 31 emojis, found in the date window at 3 o’clock, and set the day of the week to ‘Love’ with the seven sayings in the place of the date window at 12 o’clock, so that it’s not just Friday you’re in love. As for the Celebration dial and its 51 bubbles that made its debut this year, let no one burst the bubble on your love.