5 New Timepieces Keeping The Spirit of the ’60s and ’70s Alive

The late 1960s and early 1970s were a complicated time for the Swiss watch industry. It was the dawn of the quartz era, and many mechanical watchmakers, egged on by the Japanese, decided to create their own ill-fated, Swiss-made quartz movements known as Beta 21s. For years, the clunky, chunky, asymmetrical timepieces were derided as symbols of Switzerland’s most challenging period, when 60,000 watchmakers were made obsolete. Now, nostalgia for the decade is alive and well. At the recent Baselworld fair in Switzerland, numerous brands introduced vintage-inspired models that derive their groovy good looks from pieces introduced around the start of the “Me Decade.” Here, we highlight the best of the bunch.