Why You Should Invest in a Bracelet Watch

Words by Eleanor Hibberd

If this season’s street-style sightings are any indication, bracelet watches will be sitting at the top of countless wishlists. Frankly, it’s impossible to resist the timeless, heirloom appeal of these classic pieces, as well as their ultimate wearability as part of an everyday fine jewellery stack. From the Cartier Baignoire to Bvlgari’s spiralling Serpenti, ultra-chic watches in precious metals are among the hallmarks of modern style.

The once-traditional ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach to watch design for women is a thing of the past, with gender-neutral pieces and chunkier profiles previously reserved for men now commonplace among the watch wardrobes of fashion mavens. As this season proves, though, there’s still room for delicacy. Coming in at 35mm or under, these bracelet watches are part jewellery, part timepiece – an ode to the origins of wristwatches, which were first designed for women as far back as Elizabeth I, when men preferred to carry a pocket watch. Undoubtedly influenced by the ‘quiet luxury’ effect, the fine watch status symbol has transitioned away from bigger-equals-better to the understated, classic elegance of heirloom pieces. Take the Panthère de Cartier – an icon of ’90s style (Gwyneth Paltrow remains a particular fan), the chain-strap design has recently been spotted on the likes of Bella Hadid, Zendaya and Dua Lipa. Evolving, too, is how to wear a bracelet watch. Purists would say that an investment piece is made to be worn alone, kept in pristine condition and uncluttered by competing accessories. But the beauty of a chain-link watch is that it can be mixed and matched with jewellery – and we’d actively encourage it. Just as a Birkin bag never looks chicer than when it’s filled to the brim and worn daily (as demonstrated by Jane Birkin herself), the editor-approved way to wear your bracelet watch is by stacking it with bangles or chains, plural.

Meanwhile, certain pieces – Bvlgari’s winding Serpenti Tubogas and CHANEL’s Première – truly put the ‘bracelet’ in bracelet watch, incorporating elements of jewellery into the design via ornamental dials and decorative straps. Once again, Cartier excels. Spotted on Kendall Jenner and Lou Doillon, the brand’s Baignoire watch has risen from the archive to modern signature. Dress them down, dress them up, a bracelet watch can do it all – it might even be the watch you wear on your wedding day. That’s what makes them truly timeless.