It was grandchildren of Raymond Weil, Elie and Piere Bernheim who founded the watch company, 88 Rue Du Rhone. Their ethos for the company was incredibly simple from day one, to produce quality wristwatches that were affordable and luxurious. One of the most interesting aspects of the company name is that nobody knows where its exact location is. Rue Du Rhone, a high end street location in Switzerland runs right through the heart of Geneva and flows parallel to the river Rhone which flows down from the Swiss Alps, feeding into Lake Geneva before travelling back out at the location where the brand takes its name from. 88 Rue Du Rhone refers to a building number along this street that does not exist. It does not fall upon the door of any luxury boutique but does overlook the River Rhone, affording the most beautiful view of which 88 Rue Du Rhone watches take their name from.
The number 8 carries many connotations; good fortune, luck, ambition and power to name just a few. The number 8 when turned on its side also makes the symbol for infinity, which coincides with the endless flow of water – a concept that many 88 Rue Du Rhone watches take inspiration from. The free and endless flow of running water is one of the inspirations behind the brand’s Rive collection. The timepieces from this family of watches reference the River Rhone in their designs and feature the number 8 which has been adapted in countless ways throughout the brand’s entire portfolio. The 88 in the Rue Du Rhone name represents the face of the watch with the hands positioned at 10:10. The number 8 is also incorporated into the counterweight of the second hand and has been stamped onto the surface of each watch’s crown. The textured dial of an 88 Rue Du Rhone watch is often represented in the form of the repeated number 8 to make a pattern. The number enables 88 Rue Du Rhone to be creative with its style of watches in a wholly unique way.
The Bernheim Brothers Elie and Piere have balanced two forms together in the design concept of every timepiece – Swiss precision and contemporary interpretation. Although the techniques used in the manufacture of 88 Rue Du Rhone watches may be traditional, these Swiss made watches are certainly brought into the 21st century with a distinct timeless elegance. In addition to 88 Rue Du Rhone’s Rive watch collection, a range of men’s Double 8 Origin watches and ladies Double 8 Original watches are on offer. These wristwatches come in a variety of different dial colours, case finishes and styles. From chronograph dials highlighting the 8 o’clock location in a contrasting colour, to the classic and simple three handed dress watches with date apertures, Double 8 Origin watches are broadly showcased, offering a style for every modern watch wearer.
The smooth contours of every rounded watch face within the 88 Rue Du Rhone watch collection represents the fluidity of the River from which many designs take inspiration from. Some models feature integrated bracelets, others feature black PVD coated finishes and other models boast sparkling diamond dot indexes placed on ‘88’ decorated dials. The importance of the designs behind the Bernheim brothers’ innovative spirit, however, is to continue creating wristwatches from these popular lines that will be as relevant in 50 years time as they are right now.
