| It's a bit tricky talking about fancy wristwatches | | | | cheat. Previously, fob watches suspended from |
| chez nous. Fact is, I've got a drawer full of | | | | delicate chains or else brooches to be pinned like a |
| Rolexes, Omegas and Tags, but they're all fake, | | | | corsage to a dress or coat were a woman's best |
| the result of two or three holidays in exotic | | | | way to keep track of the passage of time. |
| places where such things are traded by street | | | | Eventually, these became small enough to be |
| vendors for very little money. Needless to say | | | | attached to a leather strap and worn around the |
| the Business Manager (Mrs P) wants me to get | | | | wrist. Indeed, some can be found in both gold and |
| rid of them. | | | | silver which were capable of being one or the |
| Nor did it help when, about 15 years ago, I went | | | | other, the brooch pin being detachable. |
| to an auction in which the redundant stock of a | | | | However, almost all were invariably in plain, |
| retired jeweller was being sold off. There were | | | | utilitarian cases with little or no hint of decoration |
| literally hundreds of watches and and I couldn't | | | | save perhaps for simple engine turning or enamel |
| resist bidding on a his 'n' hers pair of Zenith | | | | highlighting. All that changed after the First World |
| battery-driven jobs, which were cheap but | | | | War. In the same way that jewellery |
| somewhat more money than I thought she'd | | | | manufacture became far more adventurous after |
| think I should have spent. | | | | the lean years of the early 20th century, plain |
| So, not wishing to face her wrath on returning | | | | watches and styles became more exotic and |
| home, I did a deal with a woman I worked with in | | | | desirable. Women took their jewellery out of |
| the office. We split the cost and she paid me half | | | | safekeeping in bank vaults, previously scarce |
| for the lady's version. It was a mistake. I should | | | | precious metals became more readily available and |
| have faced the wrath and given the BM the other | | | | the Art Deco era beckoned. |
| watch. She's never let me forget it. | | | | It was a period of decadence and it lasted until |
| It doesn't help that Valentine's Day is also her | | | | the 1930s, during which time women gain the right |
| birthday. So, I thought I'd cast around to see if I | | | | to vote and with emancipation came short |
| could find a fancy watch that she might | | | | dresses and bobbed hair, red lipstick and the |
| appreciate. I sense it's going to be a long search. | | | | swathe of distinctive motifs and design elements |
| With real Rolexes, Omegas and Tags costing a | | | | which can be seen in both jewellery and |
| small fortune for what is, after all, just a means | | | | wristwatches: shapes were geometric, influenced |
| to tell the time, my thoughts turned to buying her | | | | by the Cubist movement; diamonds were set in |
| what I suppose is called a dress watch, that is | | | | platinum, the only contrast from white on white |
| something of a fashion statement as well. | | | | being the addition of emeralds, sapphires and |
| Needless to say, with champagne taste but beer | | | | rubies and influences from Egypt followed the |
| pocket money it will be none of the ones pictured | | | | discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1923. |
| here. These aren't just watches, they're | | | | The diamond-encrusted cocktail watch was a |
| jewel-encrusted miniature works of art, | | | | must-have with pieces by Cartier, Tiffany and |
| handmade by craftsmen, that not only sport | | | | Van Cleef & Arpels among the most |
| some of the most complex, precision made | | | | desirable. |
| movements, but also combinations of precious | | | | However, it was probably in the Sixties that the |
| metals and gemstones that take their | | | | watch as a jewel finally arrived and while it would |
| eye-watering values into another time zone. | | | | be wrong to claim that accurate timekeeping |
| Interestingly enough, the first watches were | | | | became of secondary importance to |
| made by locksmiths and not surprisingly, some of | | | | manufacturers and their customers, it is certainly |
| the best were based in the Bavarian city of | | | | true that in many cases it is only the two hands |
| Nuremberg, historically the craft and industrial | | | | of the watch that indicate its true purpose. |
| heart of Europe, which was also the home of | | | | Favourite dial shapes remain the circle and the |
| early diamond cutters. The invention of the coil | | | | oval, the latter worn either vertically or |
| spring made the manufacture of portable clocks | | | | horizontally, but they are often devoid of |
| possible and the first truly portable watch is said | | | | numbers, only rarely have a date aperture or |
| to have been made in the early 16th century. | | | | seconds sweep hand and in some cases, even |
| In her will dated 1566, Mary Queen of Scots left | | | | the winding button is hidden. |
| Darnley, her second husband and father of James | | | | Among the world's most desirable watches are |
| I, a watch garnished with 10 diamonds, two rubies | | | | those by Piaget, a company founded in 1874 by |
| and a cord of gold. Wristwatches were somewhat | | | | Georges Edouard Piaget, a farmer in |
| later invention, the first appearing in around 1790. | | | | La-Cote-aux-Fees, a village in the Jura mountains |
| Ingenious fantasy watches were all the rage | | | | of Switzerland. In 1960, Valentin Piaget created |
| among the wealthy during the 18th century. The | | | | the flattest self-winding movement in the world |
| fops in European Courts vied with each other to | | | | for its time -- it measured 2.3 mm -- enabling the |
| be dressed in the most flamboyant fashion | | | | company to produce watches with extremely slim |
| possible and to sport the most outrageous | | | | profiles including some that were made to |
| jewellery that each could afford. The individual | | | | represent coins. The real breakthrough came |
| who turned up with a gold and red enamel | | | | when it launched the first dials to be made from |
| strawberry on the end of a chain or ribbon which | | | | hard stone such as elegant black onyx, turquoise, |
| opened to reveal a watch was probably highly | | | | translucent opal, malachite, coral, tawny tiger eye |
| jealous of another modelled as an exquisite tiny | | | | and lapis lazuli. |
| mandolin in blue enamel, set with a gold flower | | | | Using platinum or 18 carat white and yellow gold, |
| and a delicate motif of a fragment of music | | | | the watch cases and straps were embellished |
| manuscript. | | | | with all manner of precious gemstones in designs |
| The fashion continued even into the 19th century, | | | | which, if you'll pardon the pun, remain timeless. |
| when one of the most interesting examples I've | | | | Jackie Kennedy and Gina Lollobrigida were among |
| ever seen was a watch shaped like a beetle with | | | | the jet-setting customers who sported Piaget |
| articulating wings and ruby eyes, all set in gold set | | | | watches and helped the luxury brand achieve |
| with rose diamonds. | | | | international recognition. Just don't mention it to |
| The first wristwatch proper for ladies did not | | | | the BM. |
| appear until about 1900 and it was something of a | | | | |