An asymmetric case is a watch case whose two halves do not mirror each other. Watches with these cases are seen as a category apart from the rest of the watch industry. Examples include the Cartier Crash, which WorldTempus says best typifies the type, and the Hamilton Ventura.
Who designed asymmetric watches?
In January 1957, Hamilton unveiled the Ventura at a press conference in New York. Its boomerang-like case was designed by Richard Arbib. Hamilton still uses this triangular, asymmetric case shape in its Ventura line. Also in 1957, the designer Gilbert Albert became workshop manager at Patek Philippe. He made a collection of asymmetric watches called Les Asymétriques.
How was the Cartier Crash made?
Cartier London created the Crash in 1967 under Jean-Jacques Cartier. He developed watches and cases together with the designer Rupert Emmerson, who drew the Crash. Emmerson’s first design was softened before it was approved, and a planned cracked dial was dropped. The case was made by craftsmen at the Wright & Davies workshop. Its irregular shape took longer to make than an ordinary case. Phillips puts an ordinary watch case at about thirty-five hours of work and uses that figure to show how much more time the Crash case needed. The shape also broke with Cartier’s more classic designs.
Which other watches have asymmetric cases?
The Omega Speedmaster has had an asymmetric case since reference 105.012 in 1964. That reference came out before the Moon landing. So the asymmetric shape was already part of the Speedmaster before that event. The Zodiac Olympos is another example. Its asymmetry comes from steep shoulders that slope down to the lower lugs.
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