Movado ophthalmic styles MV113 (top) and MV114 (bottom)

Movado has become synonymous with the clean, modern lines that originated from the Bauhaus international design movement of the 1920s. Yet, even when the company was founded in 1881, the La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland-based company's mission was to design each watch as if it were functional art.

The brand has evolved over the years due to its commitment to keeping function and form simple and pure. Among its most popular designs is the Museum watch designed in 1947 by American artist George Horwitt that had a single dot at 12 o'clock symbolizing the sun at high noon. This famous numberless dial is part of permanent collections in museums throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Hence its name.

To reinforce its longstanding heritage for creating product as functional art, the company has expanded into eyewear. Licensed through Lantis, the Movado eyewear collection is targeted toward affluent male consumers who associate the name Movado with high performance and clean design. "They are the CEOs of the world who pursue luxury goods," says Hannah Sarbin, director of design and development for Lantis. Omar Torres, design director for Movado, adds, "Because Movado motifs are simple geometric shapes such as circles and triangles that are contemporary, the collection is modern without looking outdated six months down the line."

Movado's Museum watch

The collection consists of 15 frames: Three plastics, nine titanium, and three monel metals. Many styles incorporate the Movado concave disc logo at the temples. And building on Movado's heritage for innovation, five styles feature screwless hinges. The ophthalmic collection wholesales from $78 to $138 with $195 to $345 suggested retails.

In the sunwear collection, Sarbin explains that the line is focused on high-performance lenses. All styles are polarized, with anti-reflective coatings and a scratch-resistance coating that the company reports is 7.5 times more durable than standard SR coatings. The line consists of nine styles, which feature plastics, stainless steel, and nickel silver metals as well as four aviator frames. Wholesales range from $95 to $122, with suggested retails ranging from $190 to $245.

The ophthalmic line is now available to select optical retailers, and the sun line launches in January 2001. The sunwear collection will initially be available at department stores and five retail boutiques in New York City and Las Vegas.

"We worked very closely with Movado to fuse clean design with pure function in each and every style," says Sarbin. "And I think the result is a line of simple beauty that speaks for itself." FB