As the first wristwatches designed by a luxury fashion brand, Gucci wristwatches are known for their daring mix of haute couture and classic watch styling. The roots of Gucci wristwatches are relatively recent—in 1970, a chance phone conversation connected company head Guccio Gucci with Swiss watchmaker Severin Wunderman. Gucci partnered with Wunderman to produce the world’s first designer-label watches, and by 1972, the Severin Montres company was the official licensee for all Gucci wristwatches, manufacturing its designs in the horological center of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Wunderman’s greatest innovation for Gucci was the decision to combine diamonds with stainless steel cases. Gucci’s new watches had the desirable look of upscale brands like Longines and Omega, which produced timepieces in gold and silver, but Gucci wristwatches were much more affordable because of their steel fabrication.

In 1997, Gucci acquired Severin Montres and released the first wristwatch in its famous “G-watch” line, a series that incorporated the company’s recognizable “G” logo into the ti...mepiece's face. In the following years, Gucci created its first fully mechanical watch, using traditional Swiss technology, as well as its first automatically winding watch, which was part of 2007’s Pantheon collection.