Oscar de la Renta the man may be gone, but Oscar de la Renta the brand lives on. Inspired by his jewelry designs, Oscar de la Renta LLC and Detroit-based Shinola have come up with a 1,000 limited edition of three women’s watches called The Lattice. The collection features a faceted sapphire crystal, white mother-of-pearl dial and signature mosaico crown. The 36-millimeter case houses Shinola’s Argonite 751 high-accuracy quartz movement. The three different numbered styles are a polished stainless steel case, inset with 68 VS, full-cut diamonds and a black alligator strap ($2,700); a polished gold PVD-plated case with a blue alligator strap ($1,600); and a polished stainless steel case with a red alligator strap ($1,400).
The company, founded in 2011 by Tom Kartsotis of Fossil clothing and accessories fame, makes watches, journals, bicycles and leather goods. The watch factory – in which 25 people create 5,000 movements a week; the company just added a Saturday shift – is located in the College of Creative Studies, the former Argonaut building, an old General Motors plant. Thus Shinola is part of the revitalization of Detroit.
Given Oscar’s own charitable efforts – particularly among the children of his native Dominican Republic – you have to think that he would heartily approve.
For more, visit Neiman Marcus Westchester in White Plains, shinola.com and neimanmarcus.com. – Georgette Gouveia