Description
Elegance and sophistication combine in this stunning timepiece presented in black and silver.
The Maxim Black II retains its forerunner’s beautiful textured dial and striking silver markers whilst the small second hand has now been re-imagined in a more classic form.
The new look Maxim Black II evokes the vintage period and charismatic style of the watch’s inspiration, Maxim de Winter, the main protagonist from Daphne du Maurier’s landmark novel, ‘Rebecca’. Like the man himself, the Maxim Black II combines style and sophistication in a stunningly elegant timepiece, suited to both day and evening wear.
The Maxim Black II boasts multi-layered, non-reflective sapphire glass, silver markers and elegant slim-line hands. The silver flash of the small second hand adds unique interest whilst the beautifully textured jet black dial gives the piece outstanding presence.
This watch is designed for all occasions and ensures you stand out from the crowd
RRP £445.00
Free UK Standard Delivery
The Maxim
I first saw Maxim de Winter in Hitchcock’s Oscar winning adaptation of my grandmother’s most celebrated novel, “Rebecca”. Portrayed by Laurence Olivier, this Maxim was dashingly handsome, impeccably groomed and sophisticated. I was impressed by his suavity &, if I’m to be honest, have always fancied myself as aspiring to be a little bit like him. Or maybe my sartorial aspirations were more Laurence Olivier, who knows? Regardless, between the Maxim on the page & the Maxim of the silver screen, it made an indelible impression.
This all probably goes some way to explaining why I chose Maxim as the inspiration for the first men’s watch in our Du Maurier collection.
Such was the norm for a gentleman in the 1930’s that a well-heeled character like Maxim would only have possessed two watches at most: a day watch and an evening, dress watch. This was an important factor in the design and I focused on creating a timepiece that was highly versatile, suiting all occasions and aspects of our everyday lives.
The design also needed to reflect the classic, vintage styling of the 30s but hold its own in the present day. Words such as classic, sophisticated, elegant were ever present during the design process and the final result, I hope, embodies all of this and more.
The first limited edition Maxim has long since sold out and I reworked the design for this second generation model, giving the small second hand a cleaner look. Before embarking on the redesign, however, I re-read ‘Rebecca’ and realised that, now in my 40s, my take on the iconic Maxim is constantly evolving. That however is the beauty of this design process and I can’t help but wonder if Laurence Olivier may have chosen to wear a Maxim watch!
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