Europe in the 50s was a period of timeless, cool elegance as represented by screen stars Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo, to name a few. Bringing this classy, timeless vibe with a more modern twist is French watch brand William L, which makes its debut in the Philippines.

Founded in October 2015 by French entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet, William L aims to combine vintage, classic style with contemporary technology. Laidet was inspired to create his brand after receiving a 1950s unbranded, gold plated Swiss chronograph that once belonged to his great-uncle as a graduation gift and deciding to wear it with a modern watch strap. Having paid a steep price for the restoration, Laidet drew admiration for his one of a kind watch but his friends thought he spent way too much on it.  He then decided that he wanted to find a way to combine vintage European watch design with affordability.

Having worked for the Swiss watch brand Zenith in 2009, then the Swiss watch group Richemont, Laidet had decided to launch the brand on the website Kickstarter. Within the same year of the launch, Laidet received almost 192,000 euros in pledges, proving the brand’s marketability. The brand is now distributed in over 20 countries, including France, Germany, the UK, China, and Japan.

Vintage Style Small Chronograph, Vintage Style Calendar, and Vintage Style Chronograph

William L’s most recognizable collection is the Vintage Style Chronograph, which features a 40 mm stainless steel chronometer. Inspired by the two counters style chronographs popular in the 1950s, the collection features a dial with a telemetric scale, a black and white dial, a tachymeter, and dauphine hands. Wearers can customize it with a range of straps, and it features modern innovations such as double-domed sapphire crystal and Miyota Quartz movement.

Meanwhile, a more modern version of the chronograph is William L’s Small Chronograph collection. With a 40 mm diameter, the collection features a chronograph on the 12th hour and a sixty minute counter. The classy piece features a sun-brushed dial, hand applied numbers, dauphine hands. The case is plated in either yellow or rose gold and comes with interchangeable straps.

Also giving the classic watch style a modern twist is the Vintage Calendar collection. Featuring a 40 mm face, the collection has three subdials, one for the date, one for the day of the week, and another with the time in a 24 hour format. The collection features hand-applied numbers, a blue and white modern dial, a yellow or rose gold plated case, Seiko VX9J movement, double-domed sapphire crystal, and interchangeable straps.

William L is available at Daniel Wellington stores, My Diamond, My Tempo, and Washington stores.