If the 190-year legacy of WOLF can be distilled down to a single word, it’s presentation. Obviously, presentation is the name of the game for one of the world’s foremost makers of watch winders, watch boxes, and jewelry boxes, but this word applies equally well to the brand’s current head Simon Wolf. As the fifth generation of the proudly family-owned brand stretching back to 1834, Simon Wolf clearly has a serious legacy to uphold, but he and the rest of the team at WOLF seem to approach the challenge of preserving this heritage nameplate with showmanship and flair. On June 4, 2024, the brand put this flair for presentation to the test, celebrating its 190th anniversary by bringing retailers, high-profile collectors, and media from around the globe to London for a full day of events, major unveilings, and world-class watch spotting.
Image courtesy of WOLF
The first of WOLF’s festivities for the day was the grand opening of the brand’s first-ever retail store, located in the Seven Dials shopping district in London’s fashionable Covent Garden. As the first time the nearly two-century-old brand has built an independent retail space under its own name, there’s an opportunity for new forms of presentation here, and the neat, crisply decorated showroom space cleanly presents WOLF’s broad product range, from massive winder-equipped 16-watch safes to delicate, finely embroidered travel jewelry pouches. It’s a difficult challenge to create a standalone retailer for products exclusively meant to store, carry, and wind other items, but WOLF rises to the occasion with appropriately luxurious flair.
Image courtesy of WOLF
Image courtesy of WOLF
Of course, the real flourishes were saved for that evening, when the brand used the opulent, richly historic Royal Opera House in Covent Garden as the stage for a lavishly produced black tie gala. Five ornately decorated alcoves were set about the event space, each representing a different generation in WOLF’s history with a corresponding new commemorative product.
Image courtesy of WOLF
Image courtesy of WOLF
First up was the WOLF Silver Legacy Box, nestled within a recreation of company founder Philipp Wolf I’s silversmithing workshop in Hanau, Germany. With a simple, hobnailed polished finish embossed with the WOLF crest logo on the lid, this combination watch and jewelry box is the simplest and most classical of the collection, with a texture and style that calls to mind the Omega Constellation presentation boxes of the ‘50s. The following display, made to resemble a busy train platform, commemorated Ida Wolf, who moved the business to Sweden and greatly expanded its focus on jewelry cases. The Ida jewelry case aims to capture her era with 19th-century understated class, featuring olive drab canvas accented by deep brown leather and brass hardware. On the more modern side, a ‘70s-style living room alcove paid tribute to the tenure of Philipp Wolf IV. The corresponding Philipp men’s watch and jewelry box echoes the funky flair of this era, with deep burgundy vegan leather accented by cream-colored nubuck, an oversized polished clasp, and a swoopy, double-sided applied “P” monogram on the lid. A clean, fully monogrammed area housed current head Simon Wolf’s own commemorative piece, the Earth Watch Winder. As a nod to the brand’s current commitment to sustainability, the Earth Watch Winder’s smooth olive green exterior is finished in apple-skin leather, while the interior features matching recycled satin jacquard embroidered with a repeating WOLF “W” monogram pattern in shining gold thread. These winders also showcase the brand’s high-tech approach to winders, sporting Bluetooth connectivity, full mobile control, and customizable programming. However, the highlight of the evening was the massive jewelry box at one end of the room. With the turn of a massive key, the strains of Tchaikovsky’s famous ‘Swan Lake’ began to play, and the lid opened to reveal Simon Wolf himself rising from beneath the box in the style of the classic music box ballerina. Former WOLF head Philipp Wolf III was the actual inventor of the musical ballerina jewelry box, and this cultural touchstone formed the centerpiece of WOLF’s commemorative efforts. Naturally, the new Ballet Wooden Musical Jewelry Box reflects this human-sized showpiece, with a richly embroidered and mirrored lid lining, deep blue Ultrasuede interior pockets, and a wooden marquetry exterior.
Given the depth and breadth of the guest list for both events, it’s little surprise that the watches in attendance were just as spectacular as the celebrations themselves. From classically dressy choices like a ‘60s-era vintage Wempe three-hander to a modern Breitling Chronomat Automatic GMT and the rarely-seen Tudor Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue, the watch selections across both celebrations were eclectic, thoughtful, and generally far from obvious. Simon Wolf himself stood out in particular in this regard, sporting a distinctive antique single-hand Hermès in gold on a left-field olive green NATO strap. Yours truly personally couldn’t pass up the opportunity to live out some personal fantasies at a black-tie party in London, and so my personal Omega Seamaster Professional 300M 2200.80.00 “Casino Royale” accompanied me on the wrist. Other standouts included a well-loved Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Boréal on the wrist of Analog/Shift founder (and former aBlogtoWatch contributor) James Lamdin. All in all, there were fewer “luxury lifestyle checklist items” on people’s wrists than one might expect, and instead it was clear to see a genuine love and breadth of knowledge for watches among the attendees.
Whether it was in the boutique, at the gala, or on the wrists of the attendees, Simon Wolf and the WOLF team created a sense of presentation, spectacle, and genuine enthusiasm to honor the 190-year milestone. While the family-owned company’s nearly two-century legacy is no easy act to follow, it seems that the future of this heritage luxury marque is in excellent hands. To learn more about WOLF’s newly announced products, please visit the brand’s website.
