It's hard to ignore the number of watches on the market today that look exactly like ones that were on shelves four decades ago. This seems to be case across the entire industry. From the high-end, established brands to the more accessible timepieces, the desire to create watches with distinctively vintage cues is evident.

Of course, it’s not just the watch world that has seen this shift towards rediscovering old designs. Fashion, gaming and even films seem to be reaching into the archives to bring a new life to what was once forgotten. We thought it worthwhile to take a closer look at some of the re-issued models in the watch world, while also exploring why they have become so prevalent. At its very core, this topic could almost be considered an existential one for the industry. Are the best days of horological design behind us? 
 

The clear similarities and start differences of the Chronomaster Revival.

 

Take Longines’ Military Marine Nationale. It offers no complication, not even a date window. It’s plain and unadorned, bar the dial, which has the speckled yellow coloration of something which has aged over several decades. Although made in 2020, superficially it’s an almost exact replica of a watch made in 1947, right down – as some complained – to the 30m depth rating, shallow by today’s standards. Winding back the clock seems to have taken on a whole new meaning. 

“[These kinds of historical] models are meeting a growing success and we think it’s a sign that, for many people, and especially for younger ones, watchmaking and tradit