Watch of the Week: Gucci Play
Gucci revives one of its most playful designs from the 1980s, reintroducing the iconic interchangeable-bezel watch with a modern twist and a renewed sense of joy.
- Words By Scarlett Baker
The art of naming captures the essence of how something is perceived in just a few syllables. In watchmaking, it can feel as integral as the design itself, giving a voice to a ticking object. The Gucci Play is testimony of just that: proof that the Italian Maison, lauded for its eclectic language, have well and truly come to play, carving out their own unique – and joyful – pathway within the universe of stylised timekeeping.
The Gucci Play is a revival. Your eyes do not deceive you, you might’ve seen this spherical bangle in the annals of your past before. From its inception in the mid-1980s, an era imbued with a mood of individualism, rebellion and nonconformity, the Gucci 11/12 (its original moniker), captivated its wearers with its bracelet-like presence, a petite gold-plated bangle framing the wrist. But its metamorphosis between jewel and watch wasn’t the hallmark that made this such an icon for the Italian powerhouse, rather its interchangeable acrylic bezel that could be substituted with an entire spectrum of alternative coloured bezels, allowing the wearer to change the identity of the watch and colour their mood to the moment.
Following its release, it garnered attention among fashion circles, and while it might not have spoken to a classical crowd of horological types on debut, the time that has elapsed since has changed its scope, amassing a cult-like status as an incongruous, but playful relic of the past. Such emphasis on its whimsical nature prompted the perfect time for a reissue.
Full disclosure, Gucci revived this icon at the very end of last year, but its renaissance should sit atop of your list for the year ahead. Why? Because it brings variety to your wrist without the need to change your watch – giving your collection effortless versatility and accessibility, all without compromising on style.
Under its new name, it’s apparent exactly why the Maison bestowed such an imperative in its title, reissuing the feeling of joy that comes in switching up the bezel that gave this icon its stripes in the first place. Once more, the wearer can design their own ticker, through a set of six ceramic bezels in green, red, pink, white, black, navy – and of course, the insignia of the brand, a dual green-and-red colourway. Each bezel affixed is complimented by a matte white dial, and with the onus on ease, an updated click-ball mechanism attaches the bezel firmly to the watch case, quicker than you can say Guccio Gucci.
While this new edition remains faithful to the quartz-powered original, it welcomes a few changes, subtly increasing to a 28mm for bolder authority on the arm. Bezels are crafted from ceramic, as opposed to the former acrylic offering, for maximum durability and those in favour of stacking. The bangle remains in gold-plated stainless steel, but it’s now sized up, with a thicker circumference too. But best of all, it comes in an updated collectible box, that’s ball-shaped glossy presence (in Gucci Green, naturally) houses the rainbow roster of bezels for you to switch up for each day of the week.
It comes at a time when personality in design is craved more than ever, and the lines between what is a watch, and what is jewellery exist in a liminal space. Yet, what matters most is that these objects evoke connection and interaction, and that rapport is fundamental to the very DNA of this watch. There’s no need to clear out the watch box, when there’s an entirely new one awaiting you. For Gucci is well and truly ready to play again.
The Gucci Play is available from Gucci, priced at £2,210. Discover it at gucci.com.
