Exclusive: James Dean's Watches at Michael Bastian's Show

September 12, 2011

Michael Bastian's long been my favorite designer, so imagine my excitement when the designer asked me to source the watches for this season's show — his comeback collection, after a few seasons off. New clothes from Bastian, less expensive ones than before, is something I can appreciate.
"A day with James Dean" — that's the theme of this season's show. From his tousled coif to his Jack Purcells, Dean had a style that, ultimately, all men strive for — one that's masculine, distinctive and effortless. Sadly, though, he wasn't really a watch collector. He only owned three watches, one of which was a pocket watch by Standard Watch Company. This was purchased in 1951 when living in New York. He had it engraved with his initials and wore it with a gold chain given to him from his father (he was afraid he'd lose it.) The others included a Westclox Wrist Ben (bottom left, worn in Rebel Without a Cause) and a LeCoultre PowerMatic Nautilus — the one he was wearing during his tragic car accident.
To find watches that fit the theme, it was easy to find Westclox and Standard Co pieces via eBay and Etsy. But I also wanted to use watches and timepieces that really capture Bastian's new collection. Luckily, I managed to get my hands on a few IWC DaVinci's, which have cases that resemble watches worn when Dean was alive. The blue alligator straps (above) give a nice pop, which I hope will show on the runway. The designer also really fell in love with the IWC Portofino Chronograph — the one with the milanese steel mesh strap above. In a sea of NATO straps on the wrists of stylish men right now, these mesh ones add a nice contrast.
One of my favorite looks really called for a more "blacked out" watch, though. For that, I used a Hublot Big Bang in black ceramic. For two days, we sat going through each look in castings, pairing each of these watches with the clothes and models that fit best. I kept waiting for Bastian to come in and say, "No, no, no, Jeremy. What are you doing?" Instead, all I got was this: "I'm not worried at all." For a man on the brink of a major comeback, those aren't the words you expect to hear. But that sort of confidence — and taste in great watches — is what makes Bastian's new work so highly anticipated.