Intricate, bejeweled ladies watches have never been my thing --but last night I saw a friend who was wearing the most stunning, drop dead gorgeous piece. It was a 32mm or 33mm round black dialed white gold watch, covered in a lattice work of leaf shaped white gold and diamonds. I was so awed I didn't dare ask what it was. But it did give me pause. Wait a minute, what was it I've found so interesting about beat up 1940s and tool watches? So to all of you, ladies and gentlemen, who keep an eye on women's watches, what do you find are the most beautiful "bejeweled" womens watches?` Edit - the closest equivalents I could find on line, although I don't like them as much, are the following :
https://omegaforums.net/threads/200...ck-dial-18k-white-gold-diamonds-beauty.28392/ If you looking for bejewelled
Really nice, but cheating a bit! It's a daytime watch, not a dressy watch for a formal evening! @Darlinboy, that Bulgari is quite a statement, wow (oh and of course there's a really impressive one avail BIN on Ebay for the humble sum of 42k dollars).
I often see elaborate womens vintage watches when browsing for watches more in my interest - and always get stunned by the low interest in them and how cheap they go at auctions. Asking my wife from time to time if she is interested in them. But no. Too small and fragile for her and not enough dress cocktail partys around for her to use them. Example - at auction now: http://online.auktionsverket.se/1605/380700-omega-damarmbandsur-18-k-vitguld/
It's true that even a dress cocktail party nowadays accommodates less ornate watches -- I can only think of a formal ball where one of those highly jeweled ones would get real use. Although my friend pulled it off with supreme elegance, wearing hers with jeans at a highly informal dinner party -- and it totally worked. But hers is much larger than the vintage ladies watches found on auction which are very small for today's fashion. Men's watches like the one below are more in line with today's larger dimensions but many seem readialed (and not enough bling perhaps to compete):
This is the watch the lady was wearing in the shop when I bought my PO it was lovely and sparkly OmegaSean
I'd recommend a look at eBay after 1930-1950's women's watches. They can be had for a pittance and are often really great looking. The gem setting isn't up to modern standards, of course, but neither are the prices
To my eye, the most beautiful bejeweled watches are the elegant vintage cocktail watches mentioned above. I think of these: Or, there are "covered" ladies watches that look like bejeweled bracelets rather than watches. Omega made some, like this: With today's perspective on fashion, the small dials do seem like an afterthought next to the jewels. I'd also think they would be hard to read, so you would need to @Mad Dog it, and wear a larger watch on your other wrist...
Well in that case maybe I should just call back my grand'mother's cocktail watch to active duty -- bad picture here saved from a few months ago, but I do confirm the dial is impossible to read. That being said, we know watches are no longer meant to tell the time even though we like them to.
Why not a nice example of a Reverso? If it absolutely must be be-jeweled (or Bedazzled, as many such watches appear to be) I think they've got that base covered, but a modest gold Reverso or even steel would look pretty cool at a cocktail reception etc. Just be careful not to pick out a quartz model.
Beautiful, you clearly picked a woman of taste! Is it more expensive than your most expensive watch ?
LOL by far I am a tool watch guy. Honestly I think for a blingy watch, it is actually quite well done. The machine work and moonphase with mother of pearl is gorgeous in person. JLC had a little standup outside their shop on Lunar New Year, and Foogirl tried it on, and swooned. Then she heard the price lol. Oddly the last watch she had a connection with was a a Patek Grand Complication. http://www.watchonista.com/patek-philippe/watches/reference-5204 She had no idea about the price, and when told while wearing it she about had an epileptic fit trying to get it away from her and not damage it all at the same time. She could care less about costs or brands, she just likes well designed things. Honestly she for the most part has a good eye for design... except she hates the 67 Ford Fastback.
Reversos are beautiful of course, and always a sound classic pick, but I would prefer something a bit more unusual, and cheaper. For example this 7 £ watch I just missed on the 'bay -- damn, that was the deal of the century and my finger slipped on my phone!! (kinda kidding of course, but at that price you can't really go wrong). http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-ladies-diamond-everite-watch-/231924467670?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&nma=true&si=wj7q9dqkZ77j%2FxMR0yOsthtD%2BaU%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=ncPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network
Not much into women's watches, but I always feel it's unfair that even very special ones retail so low. A couple of years ago I bid on one, but was not the highest bidder. A Olga Tritt Lemania in 18k. Now to the thing: Who was Olga? Some digging was required...... Designer Olga Tritt was a Russian beauty who trained as a goldsmith in Brazil. She opened her first shop in New York in 1910. In 1939, the Brazilian government commissioned her to design a collection of jewelry to showcase Brazilian-sourced colored gemstones for the New York World's Fair. This is an extract from an article about her dating back to 1912 from US magazine. Typos I guess comes from the OCR process. A Girl Watchmaker Miss Olga Tritt, a pretty little Russian girl, now only twentyfive years old, was apprenticed fourteen years ago to the trade of watch-maker. She found it necessary at eleven to earn her own living; but to her dismay, when she started out to search for work, she learned that there were few avenues of employment open to her. Deep down in her heart she was a craftsman ; she had always had a real love for precious metals, and at last, after using all her powers of persuasion, she succeeded in interesting an old watch-maker in her efforts to earn her living in the field she had chosen, and ho apprenticed her for seven years. She was first taught to be a watch-maker, and from that advanced to the designing of jewelry; for the two arts go hand in hand. At the end of her apprenticeship, she stayed on with the old watch-maker, and by the time she decided to emigrate to this country she was acknowledged to be an expert in fine metal work of all kinds. But, though she can execute the most intricate bits of jewelry, she does not disdain the smallest job. One of her specialties is the mending of shell fans, and she supplies to distracted owners copies of antique jewelry that has been lost or stolen. Incidentally, she might show you, as she did me, a rare and beautiful watch of old Venetian enamel, the works of which are more than 200 years old, which she has just repaired. The time-piece is not much larger than a dime; the work had to be done under a powerful magnifying Aand required supreme patience, ow, every one takes an interest in the little Russian, and from the Pt she landed at Castle there were many to hold helping hand to her. Down wholesale district, where alers in expensive gems heir quarters, she is alelcome, and they will give might refuse it to a man. Not only are they glad to see her succeed, but they appreciate her value as a craftswoman of the highest type. Misa Olga Tritt
Ah yeah, I guess the Reverso isn't quite as extroverted as what we're looking for here, and certainly is a bit expensive! I'll admit I'm a bit outta my league in this case, though like others have already posted I quite like the Bvlgari Serpenti in some of its manifestations. Still too expensive though! Maybe an older Movado or something might fit the bill. But then, why wear what your friend wears? You've got your own style with the 1940s tool watches, and it's not hard to guess which style gets my vote - and probably the vote of most of the dudes here