Most eyeglasses and sunglasses are made from a plastic-like substance derived from wood pulp called acetate. It is easy to mold, very durable and closely resembles the animal horns and tortoise shells used for luxury glasses frames in the past.
As it turns out, tortoiseshell acetate looks just as good on a watch as in glasses frames.
Because authentic tortoiseshell glasses were a luxury item for centuries, the material’s distinctive appearance took on an elegant vibe, making the modern synthetic version a logical material for dress watches.
Yet somehow, Briston is the only watchmaker making tortoiseshell acetate look classy on a watch case. The French brand has been taking advantage of the material since it was founded in 2013, but it has never looked better than on the new Streamliner Kennedy collection.
The 36mm square case Streamliner Kennedy Auto has tortoiseshell acetate panels attached to the sides of the vertically brushed steel case with exposed screws.
Inspiration clearly comes from the Cartier Santos, but Briston has established a distinctive look that makes it one of the best-looking automatic dress watches under $1,000.
