Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Ralph & Ricky Tuxedo Watch

Ralph Lauren is expanding its Polo Bear collection this fall with a model dressed for the evening. The Polo Bear Ralph & Ricky Tuxedo Watch pairs a 38mm stainless-steel case with a Sellita automatic movement. Its cream-white dial carries two 3D-printed bears in dinner jackets.

From Equestrian Codes to a Brand Mascot 

Ralph Lauren entered the watch and jewelry business in 2009. Its first lines, Stirrup, Slim Classique and Sporting, drew on classical design vocabulary and delivered what one expects from a fashion house with horological ambitions: elegance, equestrian references and solid Swiss mechanics. The watch program gained a distinct identity in 2018 with the first Polo Bear collection. Its four motifs—Flag Bear, Martini Bear, Preppy Bear and Spectator Bear—were hand-printed on cream-lacquered dials, moving the brand’s best-known mascot from knitwear to the wrist.

The bear models have since become the most individual watches in the Ralph Lauren lineup. They have a loyal following among collectors, even if traditional watch circles often dismiss them as fashion statements. The new Polo Bear Tuxedo continues the line and revives the popular tuxedo motif.

Ralph & Ricky in Black Tie 

The dial shows two bears instead of one, both in black tuxedos and bow ties, with one wearing sunglasses. Inspired by a photograph of Ralph and his wife, Ricky, attending a black-tie awards ceremony in the 1970s, the pair embodies the love, unity and elegance reflected in the original image.

As with every Polo Bear model, the dial is the focal point. The base is lacquered in cream white, and the bears are applied by 3D printing, a process Ralph Lauren introduced in 2020 on the Polo Watch, where the polo-player logo was printed in multiple layers to create depth. On the Tuxedo, the layered build-up produces a relief that shifts with the angle of the light, something flat pad printing cannot achieve.

Hours are marked by oversized, black-printed Art Deco Arabic numerals framed by a black railroad minute track. The hour and minute hands are lacquered in glossy red, while the central seconds hand is black. The color choice is functional: red is the only strong accent in an otherwise black-and-white composition, so the hands stand out against both the light dial and the bears’ dark jackets. The “Polo Ralph Lauren” signature at 9 o’clock is partly overlapped by one of the bears.

Dress-Watch Proportions 

At 38mm in diameter and 9.9mm thick, the polished stainless-steel case hits the dimensions a black-tie watch calls for. An automatic watch of this size that stays under 10mm will generally slip under a shirt cuff without trouble. The domed sapphire crystal has an internal antireflective coating, the caseback is solid and engraved with “Ralph & Ricky,” and water resistance is 50 meters, adequate for a watch of this character. The steel crown bears the brand’s Pony logo.

The strap choice is equally consistent: rather than leather, Ralph Lauren uses black grosgrain lined with Alsavel microfiber. Grosgrain is a traditional material for tuxedo lapels and bow ties, so the strap echoes the dial’s theme in texture, not just color. It tapers from 20mm to 18mm, closes with a polished steel pin buckle and is interchangeable.

Proven Sellita Mechanics

Inside is the RL200 caliber, a Sellita automatic. With an 11½-ligne diameter, 26 jewels, a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, and approximately 38 hours of power reserve, its specifications match the high-volume standard Sellita has supplied with its three-hand calibers for years. The movement displays hours, minutes and central seconds, with no date.

The Polo Bear Ralph & Ricky Tuxedo Watch (Ref. 472B58680001) is priced at $1,750. Those who have viewed the Polo Bear line as a curiosity will not be converted by this model. For collectors of the series, however, it is the most formal interpretation of the motif to date, translating the brand’s humor into the codes of eveningwear with surprising consistency.