Polo's Ralph and Ricky Bears Put On Black Tie For Another Fantastic Tuxedo Watch

Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bear watches have everything working against them. They are made by a fashion brand, they have the novelty cartoon bear from the sweaters printed on the dial, and they're priced near €2,000. Crazy, right? Well, I just might be, because I can't stop falling for these Polo Bear watches. And I know I'm not alone. There are dozens of us crazy people out there that love this thing. This new variant uses Ralph and Ricky, in black tie, and this time the bears are 3D printed rather than flat.

The case is polished steel, 38mm wide and 9.9mm thick, a sensible size for a dress watch. On top is a curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inside, the crown has the Pony logo, and the caseback is closed. Water resistance is 50 meters. All quite elegant

The dial is off-white lacquer with black printed Arabic numerals and a minute track at the edge. The two bears are strolling down the center of the dial in their jackets and bow ties, built up in layers so they stand slightly proud of the surface. Ralph Lauren first used layered printing on its Polo logo watches in 2020, and it gives the bears far more presence than the flat hand-printed versions from the original 2018 collection. The hour and minute hands are red lacquer, the seconds hand black.

Inside is the RL200, an automatic made for Ralph Lauren by Sellita. It beats at 4Hz and about 38 hours of power reserve. It’s a dependable movement any watchmaker can service, and the closed caseback means nobody will miss seeing it. The strap is black grosgrain with an Alsavel lining, 20mm at the lugs and tapering to 18mm at a polished steel pin buckle.

The Polo Bear Ralph & Ricky Tuxedo Watch (ref. 472B58680001) should be on sale now, priced at €1,800. Sure, expensive, but cool. See more on the Ralph Lauren website.