Summer has arrived, and with it, the 106th edition of Pitti Uomo, the bi-annual men’s fashion trade show in Florence. With sleeves rolled up in the Tuscan heat, there was no shortage of amazing watches as the 15,000 or so attendees took to the street and enjoyed the event’s reputation as a Mecca of men’s style.
More than any previous edition, this season marked a sharp change in tastes, with exotic, often bespoke leather straps replacing tried-and-true NATOS and a mix of Genta-inspired designs and Tank cases proving the popular format for watches. At Pitti Uomo, vintage Rolex has kept the crown for decades, and for the first time, new models (particularly the latest brightly colored faces from the Oyster Perpetual line) shook that up. Green faces, in particular, seemed popular, be they new or vintage (just ask the team from Caine Clothiers).
But what do the watches have to say about the latest fashion? For the first time in a decade, things are getting formal again, which is saying something in the Florentine heat! Pitti Uomo has always been known for suits, and they are back in center stage, but this time in reserved tonal colors – like warm greys and nearly blacks – and free of extraneous accessories… except, of course, a great watch.