What’s in a name? Quite a lot it seems. Manufacturers dedicated purely to making sunglasses, and watchmakers dedicated purely to making watches are often outsold by designer labels who made their name in apparel long before they decided to branch out into lifestyle accessories and life’s little luxuries. What’s even more remarkable is that many of the top designer name watch brands are actually supplied by dedicated watch manufactures. It just goes to show the sheer power of branding.

Here then is a selection of well known designer brands who have managed to achieve market dominance beyond clothing, purely on the strength of a desirable brand image.

Emporio Armani Aviator Shades

Emporio Armani – a sub-brand of the famous Italian fashion house – holds an impressive high-end, ready-to-wear clothing collection, and its accessories aren’t at all bad either.  Take for example Emporio Armani’s Aviator shades; pure luxury in caramel-coloured mirror lenses, surrounded by a brilliant gold-coloured metallic frame.  A reworked model of the original Seventies classic, they have a more modern twist thanks to the coloured lenses and the tubular, ‘Emporio Armani’ laser-engraved logo temples. 

Emporio Armani Gents Sport AR5995 Watch

Armani watches are equally as classy, and there is a model to suit all tastes.  The Gents Sport Watch AR5995 carries on the rich splendour of honeyed tones, with its rose gold-tone steel 43mm case and chocolate-brown leather strap, and boasts an opulent white dial with finely-flecked gold indices, hands that pass over three subdials and a date display between 4 and 5 o’clock.

Michael Kors Dark Tortoise Venice Sunglasses

Perhaps better known for designing classic American sportswear lines for women, New York-based designer Michael Kors has clearly branched out over the years with a sublime offering of fashion accessories – and clothing – for both sexes.  His Dark Tortoise Venice sunglasses are an impressive take on the classic tortoiseshell, a material that has become so widely used and possesses a beautiful patina like no other.  The hues here are more subdued than the usual ambers and ochres, however, with the dark brown-tinted lenses maintaining a sense of mystery.  The frame is of sturdy construction, with subtle engraved signatures of its creator engraved into the temples.

Michael Kors Espresso Stainless Steel Runway Chronograph

Michael Kors has seemingly effortlessly turned his attention to watches too. The Espresso Stainless Steel Runway Chronograph captures the essence (or aroma) of its title perfectly; looking at the dial is akin to gazing down at a rich, swirling cup of delicious coffee.  The ‘espresso’ element, namely the coloured 43mm case and dial, is constructed from stainless steel, with the bezel interestingly textured to break up the smooth surfaces.  Rather than gilded indices or hands, the use of white is employed instead, contributing to a clear, modern display.

Dolce & Gabbana DG4122 Sunglasses

Luxury items and urban-inspired fashion are the lifeblood of Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana, and their versatile approach has led to the realisation of a wide range of stylish accessories.  Channelling the likes of Buddy Holly and Johnny Depp, the DG4122 sunglasses in black and grey is a striking, statement pair of shades with a bold, rectangular black plastic frame.  The grey parts – the lenses and tips of the temples – keep the colour scheme monochrome but stylish, with an unimposing but obvious logo embellishment.

Dolce & Gabbana Sandpiper Watch

It is not apparent why the Sandpiper watch is named after a wading bird, but maybe it has something to do with the species’ silvery feathers or long, thin bill resembling the colour of the 40mm case and shapes of the luminescent hands respectively.  The watch exudes a high shine from its stainless steel foundations and, together with the white dial, seems to emanate an inner glow that may justify use of the shades mentioned above.

Guess GU6608 Green Polarized Sunglasses

American-born brand Guess has ventured far beyond the stereotype of being a popular jeans manufacturer and has established itself fully as a producer of many lifestyle accessories.  Stepping away from the monochrome and standard colour schemes, Guess have unearthed a real gem (or should that be emerald) with these green-tinted GU6608 polarized sunglasses.  What really ups the ante is the black, faux leather trim panels found on the temples – complete with gothic-style cut-out ‘G’ – and the upper frame that sits on the bridge of the nose.  The gunmetal finish of the full rim frame harmonises with the green, and creates a statement of unconventional cool.

Guess Gents Marathon Green Silicone Watch

Whether or not you intend to participate in such a race, the Guess Gents Marathon Green Silicone watch is the perfect accompaniment to the bold green shades.  The watch itself is bold, asserting itself in emerald green and black, and its strong black steel 46mm case with rotating bezel contains a clear, concise dial with luminescent hands and generously-sized hour indices.

Burberry Spark Sunglasses

Burberry is of course world famous for its distinctive Burberry check and its gabardine check lined trench coat so beloved of Japanese, American and now Chinese tourists. However the wholesome British fashion house has other strings to its bow, too.  Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative officer has a well-documented obsession with new British music and has up and coming bands  including Coastal Cities, The Night VI and Broken Hands sporting the obligatory shades.  Therefore, it was a natural decision to ask these bands to model Burberry’s new line, Spark.  These glasses are finished in high-shine, fluoro metallic colour, with the choice of striking primary colours including peacock blue.  The square frame is crafted in black acetate, and encases smoke-grey, scratch resistant lenses.

Burberry Blue Heaven Diver’s Watch

There is nothing more satisfying than colour-coordinating stylish accessories, and Burberry’s Blue Heaven Diver’s Style watch nicely finishes off this blue ensemble.  It continues the colour scheme precisely, with a coal black, 44mm brushed steel case incorporating touches of smoky grey and blue on the chronograph dial, surrounding bezel and luminescent hands.

Ralph Lauren Polo 3042 900287 Black Yellow Sunglasses

Last, but by no means least, there is Bronx born Ralph Lifshitz, better known to you and me as Ralph Lauren. Like no other designer of the 20th and 21st centuries, Ralph Lauren has managed to create not just a brand but a complete and much admired and emulated preppy lifestyle. These sunglasses come with the famous Polo Ralph Lauren logo emblazoned on the temples with cool grey lenses. As with everything Ralph Lauren touches, they are in pure, clean good taste. The Polo Ralph Lauren Eyewear Collection is synonymous with the timeless elegance imbued in all his clothing and accessories and is distinguished by contemporary lines.

Ralph Lauren Sporting Watch

This stunning watch, launched in 2010, was inspired by Ralph Lauren’s well known passion for collecting vintage sports cars. In particular, this watch draws on the interior design of one of the most celebrated antique cars in the world, one that has elevated Mr. Lauren to an elite status in the car collecting world, the 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic coupe. The outer dial of the RL Sporting Watch is made of elm burl, the same type of wood found on the dash of Lauren’s Bugatti. Within the elm burl frame you’ll find a matte black galvanic dial that, just like the gauges on the Atlantic coupe, feature Arabic numerals for increased legibility. The hour and minute hands are arrow-shaped and rotate around an open railroad-style track. Seconds are displayed in a sub-register at 6 o’clock. The watch marked a magnificent if belated entry into the world of high quality watchmaking from one of the world’s most famous designer clothing brands.