After quietly making its presence felt in recent years, the oval is now officially back in abundance. The shape, which first found its expression in art-deco glamour, before being revived in the 1950s and hitting its stride in the 1960s, "draws the eye and helps elongate the wrist," explains Daniel Somlo, director of Somlo Antiques, "making for a more graceful presence". Leading the charge is Cartier, which already teased us last year with its Cartier Libre collection of fantastically stretched, inverted and bedecked ovals. The house has now followed this up with an official Baignoire collection, complete with 14 new references that ooze the Gallic glamour of the Baignoire fans: Catherine Deneuve, Romy Schneider and Jeanne Moreau. For 2019, only subtle tweaks were needed, such as a slimmer bracelet and redesigned Roman numerals, while the "bathtub" shape remained pretty much untouched.
Several major luxury brands appear to have revived the oval watch for women, with Cartier releasing its official Libre collection, which has maintained its iconic bathtub shape. Breguet has launched Reine de Naples, whose engine-tuned silver dial and Arabic numerals echo those of the world's first wristwatch, created by the company in 1812. Meanwhile, Graff has showcased yellow diamonds for its most recent oval addition to the market.