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NEWS: The Ralph Lauren Safari: Ralph ups his watch game NEWS: The Ralph Lauren Safari: Ralph ups his watch game

NEWS: The Ralph Lauren Safari: Ralph ups his watch game

Felix Scholz
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The Ralph Lauren Safari RL67, in its natural environment.

Ralph Lauren is one of the stalwarts of American Menswear – his singular vision has created one of the most enduring, and (appropriately for our subject matter) timeless styles.

Given that Mr Lauren offers a complete lifestyle solution it would be remiss of him to ignore the important luxury-sports lifestyle watch. Thankfully for all urban adventurers this new range has got your back by doing great things for your wrist.

Enter the Safari.

Lauren explains that the Romance and adventure inherent in the concept of safari is crucial inspiration for his designs.

“When I started out as a designer, I dreamed of going to Africa, to safari…Safari is the dream of adventure. It’s about living the life you want and pushing yourself beyond your limitations. It’s the dream of experiencing the wild and seeing the farthest reaches of the world.”

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Like an elegant, (yet powerful) cheetah, the Ralph Lauren Safari Flying Tourbillon emerges from the savannah.

It must be said that Ralph’s interpretation of the safari aesthetic is distinctly in the ‘glamping’ school of outdoor travel and accommodation – but hey, would you expect anything less.

The watches themselves certainly look the part. The time-only RL67 comes in an everyday 39mm and a super masculine 45mm.These watches speak of an aged elegance, with beautifully textured anthracite dial complete with creamy beige luminous numerals, and a gunmetal/black case (RL calls it black ‘aged’ stainless steel). The strap is a nicely aged canvas, lined with leather for comfort and durability.

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A pair of Safaris in the wild.

If these two watches represent the mainstay of the Ralph Lauren Safari collection, then the 45mm Safari Flying Tourbillion ups the ante to a whole other level. This watch shares the same design language and aesthetic with the RL67, but pops the luxe factor with the exposed tourbillion cage at 6, and the distinctly automotive feeling burl elm wooden chapter ring.

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The guts behind the glory – the beating heart of the Safari Flying Tourbillon.

It’s encouraging to see a fashion lifestyle brand like Ralph Lauren develop serious timepieces, complete with tourbillons and a COSC certification that go beyond mere ‘me-too’ tokenism. But, better still, there are genuinely thoughtful and ‘on-RL-brand’ touches to this new collection that indicate a unique design language, too.