Emerald Watches

Shopping for an accessory featuring a beautiful stone, distinguished by its rich green color? Find unique vintage and antique emerald watches today on 1stDibs.

Emerald wristwatches, pocket watches and other watches set with the vibrant stone are sophisticated and glamorous, and that verdant color, and the cachet of wielding a gem beloved and worn by so many queens and princesses (hello, Cleopatra!), could seduce anyone.

Dorothy may have worn ruby slippers, but it was the Emerald City that she was trying to get to. Upon her arrival, she was advised to wear green-tinted eyeglasses to protect her eyes from all the “brightness and glory” in L. Frank Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz. Jewelry lovers born in May can wear their striking birthstone on their way to see the Wizard or any other magical place.

While emeralds graced the engagement rings of style icons Wallis Simpson and Jackie Kennedy — and emeralds and yellow diamonds are adding boldness to today’s engagement rings — perhaps no one liked emeralds and emerald jewelry more than Elizabeth Taylor (or her alter ego, Cleopatra). 

During the December 2011 auction of Taylor’s jewels that was held at Christie’s, there was a suite of emerald jewels that had been by Bulgari and gifted to the actress by Richard Burton to commemorate their engagement (no celebrity, or civilian for that matter, can rival Taylor in her fervor for Bvlgari). The suite consisted of an emerald and diamond ring, an emerald and flower diamond brooch, an emerald and diamond necklace, an emerald and diamond pendant brooch, a pair of emerald and diamond ear pendants and an emerald and diamond bracelet. 

Emeralds were first discovered in Egypt around 330 BC. The stone’s name originated from the ancient Greek word for green, “smaragdus.” According to the Gemological Institute of America, “Emeralds from what is now Colombia were part of the plunder when 16th-century Spanish explorers invaded the New World. The Incas had already been using emeralds in their jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years. The Spaniards, who treasured gold and silver far more than gems, traded emeralds for precious metals. Their trades opened the eyes of European and Asian royalty to emerald’s majesty.”

A decorative watch is the world’s most versatile accessory. Whether in bracelet, pendant, brooch or ring form — or a more conventional timepiece set with emeralds and other gems — jewelry watches can be worn with anything from casual looks to cocktail wear to full evening dress. And yes, it is perfectly acceptable — in fact, perfectly au courant — to wear a watch with a ball gown, despite some objections to the contrary. Watchmakers have tucked their movements into all manner of precious baubles, from lapel pins to cocktail rings. The result is dazzling, wearable art that will get you to the party on time.

King Edward VII of England called Cartier the “jeweler of kings and king of jewelers.” Established in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, the French maison was from its beginnings a darling of the aristocracy. But it was the founder’s grandson, Louis Cartier, who cemented its reputation as a trendsetting watchmaker. The brand, refusing to be confined by the round form, is the master of shaped watches. (Emeralds can be found in Panthère necklaces, and the original Panthère de Cartier bracelet features a diamond-and-onyx-encrusted panther with marquise-cut emerald eyes.) 

Find vintage emerald watches on 1stDibs.