Brand Marketing

Perspective: Here's the Skinny

For over a century, timepiece brands have advertised a curious idea: the thinner the watch, the better

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One of the lesser known dogfights of the branding world happens to belong to one of its most refined sectors: luxury wristwatches. And the brinkmanship is not about what you'd think. Sure, precious metal cases, jewel encrusting, features like moon-phase calendars–all are nice. But when it comes to convincing consumers that the wristwatch in question is truly chic, it's all about being skinny.

In 1904, the Cincinnati-based pocket watch maker Gruen was 10 years old and looking to up its market share.