Like a film director, Ralph Lauren has a gift for creating evocative sets and conjuring moods to accompany the numerous products that issue from his lifestyle emporium. The images accompanying the release of the new RL67 Safari Grand Date watches could almost be used for a sequel to the film Out of Africa. As the designer confesses: “The romance of safari is a dream that I have returned to many times. It is an adventure, a world of refinement set against a rugged and powerful landscape.”
The two new models joining the rugged Safari watch collection are distinguished by a larger case size of 50mm and a prominent big date window located just below 12 o’clock. The look of the watches is weathered and casual, backed up for real life wear and tear with a robust mechanical movement, excellent legibility and water-resistance cases.
Scene One: the adventurer
Parked in the sand, a rugged American V8 Jeep with camping gear and supplies awaits the return of the adventurer decked out in khaki. The mood is classic Ralph Lauren and the watch accompanying this scene is the RL67 Safari Grand Date with a black dial.
An aged steel case measuring 50mm, luminescent hour and minute hands for consulting the time in the dark, a bright-orange seconds hand, an olive-green canvas strap and a Swiss mechanical automatic movement resistant to depths of 100 metres make this watch the perfect travelling companion for our intrepid explorer.
Scene Two: the love interest
Any self-respecting African adventure film has to have a love interest, and Ralph Lauren is right on cue. A beautiful model - complete with gold sequinned harem pants, a ripped khaki shirt, leather belts, a canvas satchel and a felt hat – is pictured holding the handle bars of a vintage motorbike and looking back over her shoulder. Is she making a getaway from the hunter in the Jeep or has she run out of gas and needs to be rescued?
Luckily, our hero consults the time and realises that it is getting late and that his motorcycle and the girl are missing. It’s high time for his next adventure...
