Limited Edition IWC Big Pilot Saint Expert White Gold IW500420
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A 46mm IWC Big Pilot Saint Exupery Edition crafted in white gold.
18k Gold, White Gold
IWC 'Pilot' Spitfire Chronograph, 18k Rose Gold, Complete Set, Outstanding
By IWC
Located in Canterbury, England
Our stunning IWC (Pilot) Spitfire Chronograph features a 18k rose gold 43mm case with ardoise dial, chronograph and date functions.
Rose Gold
IWC Rose Gold Full Hunter Keyless Lever Pocket Watch C1900s
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
International Watch Company 14ct Rose Gold Full Hunter Keyless Manual Wind Lever Movement Pocket Watch C1990's.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Portuguese Rose Gold 7 Day Power Reserve Automatic Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC Portuguese 7 Day Power Reserve 18K Rose Gold Men's Watch Ref 5001 - 01 - Automatic winding. 18K Rose Gold (43 mm).
Rose Gold
IWC Rose Gold Silver Dial Portuguese Regulateur Manual Wind Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
An 18k Rose Gold Portuguese Regulateur Gents Wristwatch IW544402, silver dial with 2 sub dials, hour dial at 12 0'clock with 18k rose gold applied 3, 6, 9 and 12 arabic numbers, smal...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Rose Gold Silver Dial Portuguese Regulateur Manual Wind Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
An 18k Rose Gold Portuguese Regulateur Gents Wristwatch IW544402, silver dial with 2 sub dials, hour dial at 12 0'clock with 18k rose gold applied 3, 6, 9 and 12 arabic numbers, smal...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Rose Gold Portuguese Perpetual Calendar Automatic Wristwatch, 2008
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Ref: W4156 Model Number: IW502119 Condition: 9 - Excellent condition Age: 19th May 2008 Case Diameter: 44 mm Case Size: 44mm Box and Papers: Box, Manuals & Guarantee Movement: A...
18k Gold
IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar 18 Karat Rose Gold 5021 - 19
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar 18K Rose Gold 5021 - 19 - Automatic. 18K Rose gold ( 44.2 mm ).
Rose Gold
IWC Limited Edition Pilots the Last Flight Rose Gold IW388006
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
Fitted to an original brown leather strap with an original 18k rose gold pin buckle. The watch is in mint condition and comes complete with an IWC box and papers dated May 2015.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Sold|$26,395
IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar Watch IW502218
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
Matching the sophisticated complication inside is a sophisticatedly simple look outside. The IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar Watch IW502218 features a 42.3mm case in 18K white gold...
18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage IWC International Watch Co. 18k Yellow Gold Minimalist Automatic Dress W
By IWC
Located in Zurich, CH
The layout is beautifully balanced, accented by applied gold baton hour markers, fine dot-style perimeter minute tracking, and a matching gold handset.
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Schaffhausen Pave Diamond Gold Wristwatch on Alligator Band Unisex
By IWC
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Rare 1970s IWC Schaffhausen diamond onyx dial wristwatch 18k yellow gold featuring a 2 piece rectangular stepped case, secured with four screw on back.
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
IWC Portugieser IW371611 18K Yellow Gold Mens Watch Box Papers
By IWC
Located in Great Neck, NY
IWC Schaffhausen Potugieser IW371611 Mens Watch. 41mm 18K yellow gold case. 18K yellow gold bezel.
Yellow Gold
Sold|$16,515
IWC Portugieser Chrono White Dial Watch
By IWC
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Brand: IWC Style: Portugieser Chronograph 2853282 Case Material: 18k rose gold Case Diameter: 41mm Bezel: Smooth 18k rose gold fixed bezel Dial: White Chronographic dial with rose go...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Portuguese Rose Gold Black dial Manual Winding Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC Portuguese Rose Gold Hand Wound Men's Watch - Manual Winding. 18K Rose Gold ( 44 mm ).
IWC Portugieser Automatic Chronograph Watch 371482
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
This IWC Portuguese Automatic Chronograph Watch, reference number 371482, features a 18K Yellow Gold case measuring 40.9 mm in diameter.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar 18k Rose Gold Watch IW502213
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
Brown strap with rose gold IWC deployant clasp. Pre-owned with IWC box and papers.
IWC Rose Gold Portuguese 7-Day Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC 18k rose gold Portuguese 7 Days perpetual calendar wristwatch, Ref.
IWC 18 Karat Yellow Gold Vintage Manual Winding Ladies watch
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
This pre-owned IWC NA is a beautiful Ladie's timepiece that is powered by mechanical (hand-winding) movement which is cased in a yellow gold case.
Yellow Gold
IWC Pilot's Spitfire Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Rose Gold B&P IW379105
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
Fitted with the IWC brown leather strap is a rose gold deployant clasp.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Da Vinci Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 18k Gold Watch IW375402
By IWC
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Movement: handmade swiss mechanical Function: hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, month, year, moon phase, chronograph functions Case: round 41.50mm 18k yellow gold case, fixed 18k y...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Metropolitan Boutique Edition 18 Karat Gold Olive Dial
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
An 18k Rose Gold Portuguese Tourbillon Metropolitan Boutique Edition Gents Wristwatch B&P IW546304, olive dial with applied arabic numbers, small seconds at 6 0'clock, tourbillon dis...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Vintage Shark Fin 18 Karat Rose Gold Gents, 1960s
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Ref: COM1282 Serial Number: 159**** Condition: 9 - Excellent Condition Age: 1960's Case Size: 37mm Box and Papers: Box Only Movement: Mechanical Wind Case: 18k Rose Gold Dial: Silve...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Da Vinci 18 Karat Rose Gold Gents IW375811, 2000s
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Ref: COM1304 Model Number: IW375811 Serial Number: 316**** Condition: 9 - Excellent Condition Age: 2000's Case Size: 41mm Box and Papers: Box Manuals & Open Guarantee Movement: Auto...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1950s IWC Schaffhausen Manual Winding 35Mm In 18K Yellow Gold
By IWC
Located in Houston, TX
Brand: IWC Metal Type: 18K Yellow Gold Watch Length: 9.00 inches Band Length: 8.50 inches Band Width: 16.0mm Weight: 36.53 grams Mens 18K yellow gold, IWC Swiss made watch.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Ltd Boutique Edition Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Rose Gold IW502613
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A Limited Boutique Edition 18k Rose Gold Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Gents Wristwatch, black dial with applied arabic numbers, date sub-dial and power reserve indicator at 3 0'clock...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Yellow Gold Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Self-Winding Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Greenwich, CT
IWC Schaffhausen has established an international reputation creating masterpieces of haute horologerie that combine precision engineering with exclusive design with its passion for ...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Rose Gold Oversized Wristwatch Retailed by Tiffany & Co circa 1945
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
IWC 18k rose gold wristwatch with sweep center seconds, retailed by Tiffany & Co, circa 1945.
Rose Gold, 18k Gold
IWC 18k Yellow Gold Cream Dial Manual Wind Vintage Men's Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A 33 mm 18k Yellow Gold Vintage Men's Wristwatch, cream dial with applied hour markers, a fixed 18k yellow gold polished bezel, a brown leather strap with a gold plated pin buckle (b...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 18K Rose Gold Automatic Men's Watch IW503202
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
This pre-owned IWC Portugieser IW503202 is a beautiful men's timepiece that is powered by a mechanical (automatic) movement which is cased in a rose gold case.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Yellow Gold Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Moon Phases Self-Winding Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Firenze, IT
Very fine, tonneau-shaped, center seconds, self-winding, water- resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases and an 18K yellow gold IWC buckle.Box and p...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sold|$24,290
IWC Portuguese Chronograph Gents IW390402 Watch
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
REF W3755 MODEL NUMBER IW390402 SERIAL NUMBER 389**** CONDITION 10 - Unworn condition GENDER Gents AGE 2017 CASE DIAMETER 42 mm CASE SIZE 42mm BOX & PAPERS Box, Manuals & Open Guaran...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Sold|$24,290
IWC Portuguese Chronograph Gents IW390402 Watch
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
REF W3758 MODEL NUMBER IW390402 SERIAL NUMBER 387**** CONDITION 10 - Unworn condition GENDER Gents AGE 2017 CASE DIAMETER 42 mm CASE SIZE 42mm BOX & PAPERS Box, Manuals & Open Guaran...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage IWC 18k Gold Diamond & Onyx Cushion Case Automatic Watch 36mm - 3278
By IWC
Located in Orlando, FL
Vintage IWC 18k Yellow Gold Watch with Onyx Inlay & Diamond Bezel – 36mm A striking and uncommon design from International Watch Co.
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Ref. IW390505
By IWC
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Pre-owned IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph (ref. IW390505), featuring the Calibre 89361 self-winding automatic movement; gray dial with applied gold Arabic numerals; date displ...
Rose Gold
IWC II Destriero Scafusia Grand Complication Yellow Gold Tourbillion Watch 1868
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Super rare watch. Comes with the original box and papers. 1998 card. The box starts ripping off due to age as in the pictures. IWC Il Destriero Scafusia was presented In 1993 for i...
Yellow Gold
IWC Portuguese Perpetual Calendar 18 Karat Rose Gold Gents IW502302, 2011
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
REF W3408 MODEL NUMBER IW502302 SERIAL NUMBER 367**** CONDITION 9 - Excellent condition GENDER Gents AGE 12th June 2011 CASE DIAMETER 44 mm CASE SIZE 44.2mm BOX & PAPERS Box, manual...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC 14k Gold Pocket Men's Hunting Case Antique Pocket Watch
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC 14k Gold Pocket Men's Hunting Case Antique Pocket Watch - Manual winding. 14k gold hunting case (56mm).
IWC Yellow Gold Cal.83 Mechanical Wind Wristwatch Ref 1075770 1941
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Ref COM780 Model Number 1075770 Condition 9 - Excellent condition Gender Unisex Age 1941 Case Diameter 33 mm Case Size 32.5mm Box & Papers Box Only Movement Case 14k Y...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Portuguese 7 Day Gents 18 Karat Rose Gold Silver Dial IW500101
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A 42.3 mm 18k Rose Gold Portuguese 7 Day Gents Wristwatch, silver dial with applied arabic numbers, 7 day power reserve indicator at 3 0'clock, date at 6 0'clock, small seconds at 9 ...
18k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Gents 18 Karat Rose Gold Black Dial IW502119
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A 44 mm 18k Rose Gold Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Gents Wristwatch, black dial with applied arabic numbers, date and 7 day power reserve indicator at 3 0'clock, month sub-dial at ...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Mens IWC Schaffhausen 18k Rose Gold Manual Watch 1960s Vintage Luxury RA326
By IWC
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Timeless luxury, Men's large size IWC Schaffhausen solid 18k rose gold dress watch, c.1960s, unrefurbished.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage IWC 18K Rose Gold Off-White Dial Hand Wind Mens Watch
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Original images are attached. Brand: IWC Type: Wristwatch Department: Men Model Number: n/a Country/Region of Manufacture: Switzerland Style: Classic Model: IWC Vintage: Yes...
Rose Gold
Men's Vintage International IWC 36mm 18k Gold Mechanical Wrist Watch Cal. 89
By IWC
Located in Montclair, NJ
Watchmaker: International Watch Co. (IWC) Movement: Mechanical - Hand Winding - Swiss-made Caliber No.: 89 Case Material: Solid 18k Yellow Gold Case Height: 42mm (Lug to lug) Case W...
18k Gold
IWC Portuguese 18k Gold Silver Dial Power Reserve Automatic Men's Watch IW500101
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
This pre-owned IWC Portuguese IW500101 is a beautiful men's timepiece that is powered by mechanical (automatic) movement which is cased in a yellow gold case.
18k Gold
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Watch 3750
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
The IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch, reference number 3750, belongs to the first series of perpetual calendar wristwatches that IWC introduced in 1985.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Portuguese Tourbillon F.A Jones Limited Edition 18K Rose Gold Watch IW544705
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Pre-owned in good condition. Limited Edition piece of 500. Comes with original box and papers.
Rose Gold
IWC Schaffhausen Oman Khanjar Wristwatch. Yellow Gold, Onyx Dial, Year 1972.
By IWC
Located in Canterbury, England
Our vintage and extremely rare IWC Schaffhausen in 18k yellow gold with integrated bracelet features an onyx dial with applied red Oman Khanjar.
IWC Portuguese Chronograph 18K Rose Gold Silver Dial Mens Watch IW371480
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Unworn IWC Portuguese Chronograph 18K Rose Gold Automatic Men's Watch.
IWC Portuguese 7 Days Perpetual Calendar 18k Rose Gold Men's Complicated Watch I
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
Strap band with 18k rose gold IWC deployant clasp. Pre-owned with IWC Box, book, polishing cloth, and blank card.
Rose Gold
IWC Portuguese 7 Days Perpetual Calendar 18k Rose Gold Men's Complicated Watch I
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
Strap band with 18k rose gold IWC deployant clasp. Pre-owned with IWC Box, book, polishing cloth, and blank card.
Rose Gold
IWC Portuguese 18k Rose Gold Black Dial Automatic Men Watch IW371415
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Pre-owned IWC Portuguese 41mm 18k Rose Gold Black Dial Automatic Men Watch IW371415.
IWC Stainless Steel and Yellow Gold Porsche Design World Time Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
Black dial with gold markers. Black IWC strap band and titanium buckle.
Stainless Steel
Sold|$18,694
IWC Big Pilot Buenos Aires Watch IWC5004-23
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
The IWC Big Pilot Buenos Aires Watch, reference number IWC5004-23, is a limited edition design made for Argentinian jeweler Simonetta Orsini.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Yellow Gold Mens Watch IW375003
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Yellow Gold Mens Watch IW375003 - Automatic winding; 44-hour power reserve. 18k yellow gold case (39mm diameter).
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Gents 18 Karat Gold Black Dial B&P IW502119
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
An 18k Rose Gold Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Gents Wristwatch, black dial with applied arabic numbers, date sub-dial and 7 day power reserve indicator at 3 0'clock, month sub-dial...
Rose Gold
IWC Portuguese Grande Complication 18k Gold LTD Edition Silver Dial IW377402
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
This never been worn IWC Portuguese IW377402 is a beautiful men's timepiece that is powered by mechanical (automatic) movement which is cased in a rose gold case.
One of Switzerland’s major luxury watch companies was started by an American who saw the potential of bringing Switzerland’s superb watchmaking into the modern age through industrialized manufacturing and high-precision interchangeable parts. The New Hampshire–born watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones (1841–1916), who founded International Watch Company — known today as simply IWC — in 1868, was interested in “combining all the excellence of the American system of mechanism with the more skillful hand labor of the Swiss.”
Setting up the company with another American watchmaker, Charles Kidder, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Jones used hydropower from the River Rhine for his plant’s machinery. Rethinking watch design would lead to one of IWC’s early successes: the Pallweber pocket watch. Based on an 1883 patent by Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber, the watch employed numbered disks for jumping hour and minute displays, making it a pioneer in digital timekeeping.
After Johann Rauschenbach-Vogel took over the watch manufacturer in 1880, four generations of his family led IWC into the 20th century. In 1905, Ernst Jakob Homberger and his brother-in-law Carl Jung — the famed Swiss psychiatrist — acquired IWC. Homberger bought out Jung’s holdings in 1929, and in the 1930s, the company introduced pilot watches, which were particularly robust and aimed solely at the civil aviation industry. These durable wristwatches were designed specifically to remain operational during extreme temperature shifts. (As blue watch dials are particularly hot right now, IWC's blue-dial Big Pilot is having a moment.)
The company still operates alongside the river where it was founded, having gained an international reputation over the past 150 years for its elegant designs and expert craftsmanship. Vintage IWC watches are prized by collectors — of whom there are many these days — and while the company continues to guard its attention to detail and quality, it has pushed its classic designs forward with modern innovation intended to stand the test of time.
IWC’s 2013 Ingenieur watch collection, with its precision based on an inventive constant-force mechanism, looked back to a 1955 Ingenieur model that featured a durable soft-iron inner cage as well as a 1976 update by leading Swiss watch designer Gérald Genta that encased its mechanism in a sleek steel case. IWC has also had a recent push toward sustainability, designing watches that are made to last a lifetime and beyond and earning the highest environmental ranking of any Swiss watch company in a 2018 report published by the World Wide Fund for Nature Switzerland (WWF).
Find vintage IWC wristwatches, Art Deco–style pocket watches and more on 1stDibs.
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
Antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.
Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.
Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.
Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.
In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.
Find antique, vintage and luxury wristwatches for sale on 1stDibs.