A Gucci watch, popular in the 1990s for its interchangeable plastic bezels in a range of bright colors, is back.
Newly named the Gucci Play, the updated 28-millimeter goldtone steel design was introduced this month with a white dial, anti-reflective sapphire glass and seven ceramic bezels (green, red, pink, white, black and navy along with one in Gucci’s signature green-and-red colorway). The bangle bracelet of the quartz timepiece is available in three dimensions: 14, 15 and 16 centimeters (about 5.5, 6 and 6.3 inches).
The reissue, which sells for 2,500 euros and $2,950 in the United States, has retained some of the original’s quirky appeal, with a newly engineered ceramic mechanism recreating the same distinctive “click” that the original made when bezels were changed.
The Play has not been the only recent introduction at the Kering-owned brand, which has been struggling with flagging sales. In September, Gucci appointed Francesca Bellettini as chief executive, and in March, it named the mononymic designer Demna as artistic director. Amid the changes, the brand’s publicists readily offered information on the watch, but declined to make an executive available for an interview.
The reissue, according to Balazs Ferenczi, the head of brand engagement at the online watch retailer Chrono24, probably was prompted by the recent surge in interest in the bezel watch, particularly among Gen Z and millennial buyers.
It originally debuted in the mid-1980s as Reference 11/12.2, with 12 bezels, and was redesigned in 2010 as the Gucci U-Play by Frida Giannini, the house’s creative director at the time.
“Demand for vintage Gucci watches,” Mr. Ferenczi wrote in an email, “especially the 11/12.2 Reference, has spiked on our platform. It’s now our best-selling Gucci model.”
Some of that demand likely is derived from the original timepiece’s robust life on social media in recent years. TikTok videos showcasing the design have drawn millions of views and vintage examples have sold online for more than $1,000.
Mr. Ferenczi said he expected that Gucci’s new Play model would drive even more attention toward the earlier designs. “A new release usually boosts attention for the originals,” he wrote. “Increased visibility often translates into higher prices for vintage pieces.”
In general, he added, fashion watches from the 1980s and 1990s are trending. “Cartier is leading that movement,” he said, “but Gucci and Hermès are seeing strong demand, too. Slim, dress-oriented designs are back in style.”
Mayu Ichimori, a vintage watch dealer in Los Angeles who specializes in timepieces from the 1970s to 1990s, said she had sold several examples of the earlier designs through her online shop, Lorinaté. “Once they go live, they sell really quickly,” she said. “People love that you can switch out the color depending on your mood or outfit. It feels more like jewelry than a watch.”
Spencer Barbosa, a Canadian content creator with more than 12 million TikTok followers, echoed that opinion. “I feel like I have 12 watches in one because of how many colors you can wear,” she said, noting she was particularly fond of the pink one.
She recently attracted 2.7 million views of a video that showed off the vintage U-Play that her boyfriend had given her on the anniversary of their first date: “I’ve actually met probably 10 people in real life who’ve come up to me and said that they saw my video about the watch.”
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