Mens IWC Schaffhausen 18k Solid Gold Jumbo 37mm Manual Wind 1960s Vintage RA440B
By IWC
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Timeless classic, Men's 18k solid gold IWC Schaffhausen dress watch in jumbo 37mm size, c.1960s, in excellent working condition.
18k Gold
IWC Portuguese Chronograph Boutique Edition 41 Mm Portugieser Men's Rose Gold Wa
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
IWC Blue strap with 18K rose gold IWC buckle. Pre-owned with IWC box and papers.
IWC Perpetual Calendar III Hemisphere Blue Dial Watch IW502121
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
The bezel, crown, and the round 44.2 mm case are all fashioned from 18K white gold. This Swiss made automatic watch is powered by IWC Caliber 51613 with a seven day power reserve.
18k Gold, White Gold
IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Special Edition Watch IW502639
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
The IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Special Edition watch, reference number IW502639, comes with an 18K rose gold case that boasts transparent back.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Pilots Limited 18K Rose Gold Leather Brown Dial Automatic Watch IW387805
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Details: MSRP 34500 Brand IWC Model Number IW387805 Model IWC Pilot's Watch Department Men Style Dress/Formal, Luxury Band Color Brown Dial Color Brown Case Color Gold Display Analog...
IWC Portugueser 18K Rose Gold Arabic Silver Dial Automatic Men's Watch IW371480
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Details: MSRP 16600 Brand IWC Department Men Model Number IW371480 Model IWC Portugieser Style Dress/Formal, Luxury Band ColorBrown Dial Color Silver Case Color Gold Display Analog D...
IWC Pilots Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery Watch IW387805
By IWC
Located in Southampton, PA
This watch’s 43mm case is crafted from an opulent 18K Rose Gold, which complements the luminescent Rose Gold hands.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Portuguese 7 day boutique edition gents IW500121 watch
By IWC
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
REF W3004 MODEL NUMBER IW500121 SERIAL NUMBER 383**** CONDITION 10 - Unworn condition GENDER Gents AGE 2016 CASE DIAMETER 42 mm CASE SIZE 42.3mm BOX & PAPERS Box, manuals & o...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
IWC Pilot's Doppel Chronograph 18K Gold White Enamel Dial Men's Watch IW3711-11
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
This pre-owned IWC Pilot's IW3711-11 is a beautiful men's timepiece that is powered by mechanical (automatic) movement which is cased in a yellow gold case.
Lady's Art Deco Platinum and Diamond Mesh Wristwatch IWC
By IWC
Located in Firenze, IT
PLEASE NOTE: OUR PRICE IS FULLY INCLUSIVE OF SHIPPING, IMPORTATION TAXES & DUTIES The oval dial with Arabic quarters and baton hour markers to a brilliant-cut diamond bezel, openw...
Diamond, White Gold, Platinum
IWC Portugieser Steel Leather Silver Arabic Dial Automatic Men's Watch IW371604
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
Pre-Owned IWC Portugieser IW371604 Men's Watch. Gold-Tone Hour markers and minute and hour hands.
International Watch Company Gold Hunting Case Pocket Watch
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
Engraved thin mens 18k yellow gold hunting case IWC pocket watch. 10 jewel quartz IWC movement Length: 42.40mm Width: 42.51mm Case thickness: 8.23mm Crystal: plastic Dial: gold Ins...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
International Watch Co. yellow Gold Mesh Band Dress Manual Wind Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
Gold tone dial. 18k yellow gold Length: 7.5 inches A ladder can be added to make the watch longer – the mesh can be cut and shortened 90.0 grams Length: 34mm Width: 34mm Band width ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
International Watch Company 18 Karat Yellow Gold Ladies Watch
By IWC
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Movement: mechanical Function: hours, minutes Case: 20.96mm by 17.62mm oval 18k yellow gold case, plastic crystal, pull/push crown Band: 18k yellow gold mesh bracelet, fold down cla...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
International Watch Company Gold Keyless Lever Open Face Pocket Watch C1920S
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
An International Watch Company 14ct yellow gold, keyless lever open face pocket watch, C1920s with it's original presentation box. Dial: A Beautiful White Enamel Dial in perfect con...
Gold, 14k Gold
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Date Gents 18 Karat Yellow Gold Silver Dial 140.1.87
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
A 37 mm 18k Yellow Gold Master Date Gents Wristwatch, silver dial with applied hour markers and applied arabic numbers 3, 9, and 12, small seconds at 6 0'clock, day and month apertur...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
International Watch Co. Schaffhausen Yellow Gold Pocket Watch Box and Papers
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1900 I.W.C. International Watch Company, Schaffhausen Hunting Case Pocket Watch, 14k Yellow Gold 50 M.M. Hunting case with inside dust cover. Engine turned Front and Back cove...
14k Gold
IWC Schaffhausen Yellow Gold Mechanical Vintage Wristwatch
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1960 IWC International Watch Company, Schaffhausen Wrist Watch, 33 M.M. 18K Yellow Gold 3 Piece case with curved lugs. 19 Jewel Caliber 401 Nickel Lever mechanical, manual wind...
18k Gold
I.W.C. Schaffhausen 18Kt. Yellow Gold Open Faced Pocket Watch, Circa 1910
By IWC
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: International Watch Company / Schaffhausen STYLE / REFERENCE: Open Faced Pocket Watch METAL / MATERIAL: 18kt Yellow Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1910 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Diamet...
International Watch Company Automatic Gents Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in London, GB
This is a vintage 18ct yellow gold watch from the designer IWC. The watch features gold hour markers and gold hands.
Gold, Yellow Gold
International Watch Company Full Hunter Keyless Manual Wind Lever Pocket Watch
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
Movement: The fully jewelled keyless lever movement, micrometer regulation, spiral blued steel Breguet overcoil hairspring stamped IWC. This watch is a lovely example of an IWC Pock...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC International Watch Company Large Rose Gold Pocket Watch
Located in Southampton, PA
18k rose gold large 54mm pocket watch by IWC International Watch Co.
18k Gold
Tiffany & Co by IWC 18 Karat Yellow Gold Open Face Pocket Watch
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Baltimore, MD
Tiffany & Co by IWC 18K Yellow Gold Open Face Pocket Watch 44mm Metal: 18k yellow gold Weight: 57.6 grams Case: 44mm Crystal: Acrylic Movement: International Watch Company 19 jewe...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Tiffany & Co. Yellow Gold Manual Wind Pocket Watch
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany & Co.Yellow Gold Pocket Watch - Manual winding - movement by IWC. 18K yellow gold, unusual case. elegantly repose engraved bezel, ivory colored dial.
Tiffany & Co.Yellow Gold Manual wind Pocket Watch
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany & Co.Yellow Gold Pocket Watch - Manual winding - movement by IWC. 18K yellow gold, unusual case. elegantly repose engraved bezel, ivory colored dial.
Art Deco Ladies International Watch IWC Gold Diamond and Sapphire Wristwatch
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1940 International Watch Co. IWC Schaffhausen Ladies Wrist Watch, 17 M.M 14K Cress Arrow Yellow Gold case with a Diamond set Bezel and Square cut Sapphires Lugs. 17 jewel IWC M...
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold
IWC White Gold Rectangular Wristwatch circa 1962
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
IWC 18k white gold rectangular wristwatch, circa 1962.
White Gold, 18k Gold
IWC Portifino Rose Gold Automatic Wristwatch IW353318
By IWC
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Brand: IWC Style: Schaffhausen Portifino IW353318 Case Material: 18k rose gold Case Diameter: 38mm Bezel: Smooth 18k rose gold fixed bezel Dial: Black dial with rose gold hour marker...
Rose Gold
Sold|$6,000
IWC Calatrava 18K Rose Gold Jumbo 36mm
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
This is a pristine IWC 36mm jumbo Calatrava from the 1950's. This watch is a rarity since its case size was huge considering its decade of manufacture. The watch has unique bow lugs....
Rose Gold
Antique IWC Pocket Watch Hunter 14 Karat Gold
By IWC
Located in Berlin, DE
IWC Pocket Watch Hunter 14 Karat Gold. Pocket watch can be wound and works.
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Rose Gold Wristwatch Retailed by Tiffany & Co.
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
IWC 18k Rose Gold Wristwatch Retailed by Tiffany & Co.
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage IWC Schaffhausen Yellow Gold Mechanical Wrist Watch
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1950 IWC International Watch Co. Schaffhausen Wrist Watch, 34 M.M. 18k Yellow Gold 3 piece case with fancy stepped lugs.
18k Gold
Vintage IWC 14k Yellow Gold Hand Winding Men's Watch
By IWC
Located in Washington Depot, CT
IWC 14K Yellow Gold Hand Winding Watch This vintage IWC watch is set in 14K yellow gold Hand winding movement circa 1940's Aged dial with gold Arabic markers and gold hands Cas...
Yellow Gold
IWC Schaffhausen Vintage 18K Yellow Gold Watch Leather Band
By IWC
Located in Westport, CT
An authentic 18K yellow gold IWC (International Watch Company) Schaffhausen watch, circa 1960s.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
18 Kt Gold IWC Wrist Watch Caliber 89, Calatrava
By IWC
Located in Antwerp, BE
18kt Pink Gold IWC Wrist Watch Caliber 89, Calatrava Beautiful collectors watch in mint condition Movement : Mechanical Manual Winding Caliber 89 Case : Solid 18kt pink gold, Diam...
Gold
IWC Schaffhausen Rose Gold Large Manual Wind Wristwatch, 1940s
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1940s International Watch Company IWC Schaffhausen Wrist Watch. 37 MM 18K Rose Gold 3 Piece case with Flared Lugs.
18k Gold
IWC International Watch Schaffhausen Yellow Gold Manual Wind Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1960 IWC International Watch Company Schaffhausen Wrist Watch, 33 MM 18K Yellow Gold 2 Piece case. 17 Jewel Mechanical, manual wind Nickle lever movement.
18k Gold
IWC Yellow Gold Manual Wristwatch, circa 1950s / 1960s
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
Vintage New Old Stock IWC Manual Men's Watch - Manual . 18K Yellow Gold original finish ( 32.5 mm ).
IWC for Boucheron. A Gold Keyless Dress Pocket Watch C1920
By IWC
Located in Mayfair, London, London
International Watch Company for Boucheron. A Rare 18ct Two Colour Gold Keyless Dress Pocket Watch with 18ct White Gold Chain C1920. Dial: The beautiful silvered dial with two tone e...
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Yellow Gold Open Face Manual Wind Pocket Watch
By IWC
Located in Dallas, TX
Manual winding. 14k yellow gold case with argyle design on case back and Art-Deco style engraving around edge (47mm diameter). Champagne colored dial with gold Arabic numerals; subs...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC International Watch Company Yellow Gold Art Deco Pocket Watch
By IWC
Located in Berlin, DE
Beautiful IWC Art Deco pocket watch in 14k gold. Diameter is without crown and eyelet.
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Yellow Gold Wristwatch with Sweep Center Seconds circa 1950s
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
IWC 18k yellow gold wristwatch, circa 1950s, 35 mm, manual-wind movement, gilt alpha hands, sweep center seconds, raised gilt Arabic and baton indexes.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique, Historical IWC Hunter Pocket Watch, 14 Karat Yellow Gold
By IWC
Located in Berlin, DE
Antique, historical IWC Hunter Pocket Watch. 14 Karat yellow Gold.
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage IWC Schaffhausen Yellow Gold Manual Wind Wrist Watch
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1950 International Watch Company Schaffhausen Wrist Watch, 36 M.M. 18k Yellow Gold 2 piece stepped case with Horn Rim Lugs. 17 jewel Manual wind movement, Silver satin dial wit...
18k Gold
IWC Schaffhausen Gold Plate Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch, 1960s
By IWC
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1960 I W C, International Watch Company Schaffhausen Gents Wrist Watch, 34 MM Gold Plate case with Stainless Steel Back. 21 Jewel automatic, self winding movement. Original, M...
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
IWC Yacht Club Portuguese Chronograph, Automatic, 18 Karat Pink Gold, IW390209
By IWC
Located in Antwerp, BE
IWC Yacht Club Chronograph, Automatic, 18 kt Pink gold case, 45 mm With Box & Papers Reference: IWC Yacht Club Chronograph, IW390209 Movement: Automatic, self winding, Power rese...
18k Gold, Gold
IWC Shefhausen Vintage Manual Wind Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
Vintage 1939-1940 International Shefhausen round classic and all original 17 jewel wristwatch. Black dial with roman numerals and sub second hand. The case serial number clearly dat...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
IWC Ladies White Gold Diamond Blue Lapis Dial Dress Wristwatch
By IWC
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Movement: Swiss, Cal 185, 18 jewel, Adjustable 5 positions Function: hours, minutes Case: 24mm 18k white gold round case, sapphire crystal, Bezel: 36 round brilliant diamond set bez...
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, White Gold
IWC International Watch Company Yellow Gold Manual Watch, circa 1950s
By IWC
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: I.W.C Schaffhausen / International Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco / Round Style METAL / MATERIAL: 18K Solid Yellow DIMENSIONS: Length 38.5mm X Diameter...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
International Watch Company or IWC 18Kt Solid Gold Ladies Watch
By IWC
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: International Watch Company "I.W.C." STYLE / REFERENCE: Mid Century Round METAL / MATERIAL: 18kt Solid Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 23mm X Di...
Gold
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750, Automatic, 18 Karat Yellow Gold Case
By IWC
Located in Antwerp, BE
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, Automatic, 18 kt Yellow Gold Case, 39 mm Reference: IW3750 Movement: Automatic Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small-seconds, Day, Date, Month, Year, ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
18 Kt Gold IWC Wrist Watch Caliber 88 Rare Manual Winding Calatrava
By IWC
Located in Antwerp, BE
18 Kt Gold IWC Wrist Watch Caliber 88 Rare Manual Winding Calatrava Extremely rare IWC collectors watch in mint condition big size for the 1950 s Movement / Mechanical Manual Windi...
Gold
18 Kt Gold IWC Vintage Wrist Watch Caliber Rare 89, Fancy Lugs
By IWC
Located in Antwerp, BE
18 Kt Gold IWC Vintage Wrist Watch Caliber Rare 89, Fancy Lugs Movement : Mechanical Manual Winding Case : 18 kt solid gold Strap : Leather
Gold
IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar IW502608 Men's Watch in 18 Karat Rose Gold
By IWC
Located in New York, NY
IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar IW502608 Men's Watch in 18kt Rose Gold SKU: 106432 PRIMARY DETAILS Brand: IWC Model: Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Country of Origin: Switzerland ...
Rose Gold
1958 IWC Vintage Cal. 853 Automatic Mens 18K Rose Gold Watch - Original Papers
By IWC
Located in Suwanee, GA
We’re new to offering our carefully curated collection on 1stDibs, but we have sold over 10,000 fine watches and exceptionally served thousands of customers via other online sites wi...
Rose Gold
Mens IWC Calatrava C83 14k Rose Gold 35mm Manual Wind 1940s Swiss Vintage NA113
By IWC
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Timeless luxury, Men's 14k solid rose gold IWC Schaffhausen Calatrava C83 manual wind dress watch, c.1940s, in excellent working condition.
Rose Gold, 14k Gold
Vintage International Watch Company Yellow Gold Pocket Watch
By IWC
Located in Stamford, CT
Original 1940's IWC open face manual wind solid 14k yellow gold pocket watch Length: 62mm Width: 51.75mm Case thickness: 10.75mm Dial: Gold Inside case: 585 14k IWC 1013226 149 Move...
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
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.