Ralph Lauren might be the most credible watch guy in all of fashion. The man as an avid vintage Cartier collector, and when his label got into watchmaking, it skipped the usual licensing shortcut and partnered with Richemont for the real thing. That pedigree surfaced in 2018, when the brand’s 50th-anniversary American Western collection put hand-engraved silverwork on the wrist. Eight years later, the standout of that lineup returns in a friendlier size as the Western Cushion 38mm.
Silver That’s Supposed to Tarnish
Sterling silver is nearly extinct as a case metal in modern watchmaking, and for good reason. The stuff is soft, and it has a bad habit of tarnishing pretty easily.
Ralph Lauren decided to go all in anyway. Each cushion case is hand-engraved, and then deliberately aged. It feels less like a polished dress watch and more like the concho belts and vintage rodeo silverwork that inspired it.
Seeing that it’s Ralph Lauren, the theme runs deep here, too. The crown wears hand-engraved RL initials, the interchangeable calfskin strap is tooled with floral carving, and even the pin buckle gets the same aged silver treatment. At 9.3mm thick with 50m of water resistance, it’s definitely still a watch at the end of the day, despite what its heirloom jewelry inspiration might suggest.
Three Dials, One Obvious Winner
Buyers get three different flavors to choose from. Black lacquer carries off-white numerals on a black strap, and the off-white lacquer pairs black numerals with brown leather. But it’s the last one that’s got our attention; a dial cut and polished from natural turquoise stone. And because the stone is genuine, the veining shifts from piece to piece, so no two dials leave the workshop looking alike.
All three share the charmingly antique mix of Roman and Arabic numerals, an inner 24-hour track, and Breguet-style hands. Fitting, given the original 2018 collection included a 50mm hunter pocket watch running a vintage IWC caliber.
The $26,000 Question
Inside beats the RL514, a self-winding caliber Piaget produces exclusively for Ralph Lauren, dressed in Côtes de Genève and perlage with 40 hours of reserve. To be fair, that’s a legitimate manufacture engine in a fashion brand’s watch.
It’s also time-only, in silver rather than gold, and it’s priced at $26,000. For context, the discontinued 42mm reportedly ran $40,100 in rose gold, which makes the new size this collection’s idea of a value play. You’re paying for hand-engraving, Piaget internals, and Ralph’s Western fantasy.
Spec Sheet
Model: Ralph Lauren Western Cushion 38mm
Case Size: 38mm
Case Material: Hand-engraved, aged sterling silver
Thickness: 9.3mm
Movement: Caliber RL514, produced by Piaget for Ralph Lauren
Winding: Self-winding
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Frequency: 3Hz (21,600 vph)
Jewels: 26
Water Resistance: 50m
Dial: Black lacquer, off-white lacquer, or natural turquoise stone
Strap: Interchangeable tooled calfskin with engraved sterling silver pin buckle
Limited Edition: No
Pricing & Availability
Both lacquered dial versions land at $26,000, while the natural turquoise commands $29,000. Unlike plenty of past Ralph Lauren watch releases, there are no limited edition games here.
Recap
Ralph Lauren Western Cushion 38mm
Ralph Lauren’s hand-engraved sterling silver Western Cushion returns in a wearable 38mm, with a natural turquoise dial leading the three-watch lineup.
