Introducing: Movado’s 1917 Heritage Collection Finds The Future In Its Past

What We Know

Movado is an old soul. Founded in 1881 and shaped by steady design shifts throughout the twentieth century, the brand has long returned to the same ideas of geometry and proportion. When I visited the company’s headquarters this fall to see the new 1917 Heritage Collection—shown alongside early wristwatches, stepped bezels, rectangular cases, and colorful designs from the 1970s—it felt like a clear continuation of Movado’s design DNA.

The collection feels more of a boomerang than a throwback—because in 2025, it looks just as relevant as it did when it was first conceived a century ago. After Movado began its transformation from a pocket-watch maker to a modern design house, the 1917 reinterprets the clean geometry of those early wristwatches for today, a moment when vintage design sits comfortably in the mainstream. 

To bring that sensibility to a broader audience, Movado looked to Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. “I’ve always been told I have an old soul,” he told me. “I love older music, vintage fashion, old furniture—and when I saw the 1917, it just fit. I love a square watch. It’s timeless but with more personality.” He kept it on throughout the postseason and told me he’d worn it in his engagement photos the day before our call. “It works with everything,” he said. “High fashion or casual. It feels right.”

The 1917 features a rectangular case, a stepped bezel, and a stripped-back dial that recalls Movado’s pre–Museum Dial era. The 1917 Heritage Collection is available in two sizes that pay homage to the brand’s Art Deco heritage. The larger 45.2 mm version revives the original silhouette with stylized Arabic numerals and a newly updated unilink bracelet. 

It’s available in stainless steel with sunburst ombré dials in blue, charcoal gray with a yellow-gold-tone bezel, green, or silver white, each powered by a Sellita automatic movement and fitted with an exhibition caseback. The bracelet uses individual solid-steel links that taper toward a butterfly clasp, and on the wrist, I can attest that it wears slimmer than the measurements suggest. More on that below. 

The 34.1mm version carries the same design cues in a more compact profile, and it also wears a bit smaller than the measurements suggest. Both models mix stainless steel or yellow-gold finishes with champagne, taupe, cherry, or green ombré dials. Some add lab-grown diamond bezels or a flower-motif crown inspired by early Movado designs.

The collection is available now in a wide variety of models, movements, and colors (outlined below), and costs anywhere between $795 and $1,795.

What We Think

Vintage Movado has been covered plenty on these pages, most recently in a fantastic article by Rich Fordon, but seeing the modern collection, I was curious how the brand would balance the two. Having such a strong vintage catalogue, I think, is a net positive; however, it does come with its own set of challenges. As a brand, how much do you acknowledge that? Do you fear that the brand falls into the canonical response of “the new stuff is good, but not as good as the vintage stuff?” It’s a tricky dance, but one I feel like Movado does well here. They lean into that heritage without shying away from it, but with modern sensibilities, which brings me to the thing I was most curious about: the size.

Even with my small wrist, I prefer the 45.2mm version because it’s quite compact for its size. I know what one might be thinking here… really? 45.2mm wears small on the wrist? Well, as someone whose daily watch is 36mm, I shared that skepticism upon hearing the size, yet when I tried it on, I was shocked. There’s no doubt it’s on the bigger side, but I think I could pull it off. On paper, the 34mm should be more my size here, but in fact, it is not. I was surprised to find myself preferring the 45.2mm to the 34mm. I’d venture a guess that introducing a 45.2mm case into the catalog is an attempt to complement the brand’s vintage offerings with a larger, modern-leaning size—and it’s one I think they do pretty well.

Speaking of vintage Movado, another common entry point is undoubtedly the Museum Watch. In both instances, it’s good that the brand has such a century-old tradition of watchmaking. Still, naturally, the brand wants to introduce a modern offering to take it into the next generation, which is what the 1917 Collection ultimately does. There’s no doubt that geometric cases are en vogue right now. At the under-$1,000 starting point, this offers the accessibility and availability many folks crave, making it a great entry into the (modern) brand.

The Basics

Brand: Movado
Model: 1917 Heritage Series
Diameter: 45.20mm, 34-35mm
Case Material: Stainless steel or yellow gold IP
Dial Color: Vintage Blue Sunburst Ombré, Elemental Blue Sunburst Ombré, Charcoal Sunburst Ombré, Vintage Green Sunburst Ombré, Silver White Sunburst Ombré, Blue Sunburst Ombré, Taupe Sunburst Ombré, Champagne Sunburst Ombré, Silver White Sunburst Ombré, Green Sunburst Ombré, Cherry Sunburst Ombré.
Indexes: Arabic numerals
Strap/Bracelet: Stainless steel unilink bracelet, cognac leather strap, black leather strap, and cherry leather strap (depending on the reference).

The Movement

Caliber: Sellita SW200 (45.2mm models), quartz (34-35mm)
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Diameter: 25.60 mm (45.2mm)
Thickness: 4.60 mm (45.2mm)
Power Reserve: 38 hours (45.2mm)
Winding: Automatic (45.2mm)
Frequency: 28,800 vph (45.2mm)
Jewels: 26 (45.2mm)

Pricing & Availability

Price: $795 – $1,795
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No

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