Movado Makes a Comeback: Reintroducing the 1917 Heritage Automatic, an Homage to a Rich Past

The American timepiece icon, Movado, is making a stunning re-entrance into the sphere of horology. Known for its craftsmanship spanning over a century, the brand has recently veered away from the enthusiast spotlight. It’s a surprising turn of events, considering Movado’s penchant for creating aesthetically pleasing mechanical and quartz creations that collectors typically find irresistible. The latest offering, the 1917, from the Movado Heritage collection makes this comeback exciting and worthwhile.

Some will surely notice a resemblance to the Cartier Santos in the square design of the Heritage’s case, bezel, and lug. Even though Movado seemingly capitalized on the Santos’ success, it doesn’t aim to merely emulate but instead takes inspiration from its own historical timepieces. In fact, the Heritage 1917 represents a tribute to the square-cased watches that the brand produced back in 1917, at a time when square wristwatches were the norm. Thus, while the square design is trendy, the Movado Heritage 1917 is authentically rooted in its own historical design narrative from the Art Deco and Roaring ’20s era.

The Movado Heritage 1917 collection, at its launch, consists of 11 distinct models with size options of 25mm-wide for women and 35mm-wide for men. All come with stainless steel cases, some featuring IP colored sections, as evident with the reviewed version. The smaller versions utilize Swiss Made quartz movements, while the larger versions are equipped with automatic mechanical movements.