Would you wear a dress watch on a regular/daily basis?

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I like watches. My dream wish list had like 7 watches on it and the idea was to have watches at all differing levels of formality. But I’ve fallen in love with a very expensive watch (by my standards) which is a dressy, jewelry watch. It’s the sweet Alhambra guilloche bracelet watch - this one:




I figure if I cull my wishlist down I can swing it, cost wise. I’d essentially then just have 3-4 instead of the 7 I wanted (one full steel, one steel but with diamonds, one blingy YG, and maybe one steel+RG far off in the future).

But is this a watch I can wear relatively “regularly”? Even if not to work or something, but out with friends, to lunch, to casual weddings, birthday parties, for dinners etc. Or is it too much and will be something I should save only for really formal occasions, eg a formal wedding?

 

[mjea]

Hi! FWIW, I don’t know how you dress on a daily basis, but I think it would work for most occasions! When you’re super casual maybe go with your all steel option, dressier go with the Alhambra watch, and really dressy (black tie) I’d probably skip a watch all together unless you have a super fancy one

To me, because it’s the same line as the 5 motif bracelets you have, it feels cohesive like you might be able to layer those to make it more casual.

Edited to add a photo from Vogue Singapore. If the jacket came off it’s just a nice black sweater

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Hi! FWIW, I don’t know how you dress on a daily basis, but I think it would work for most occasions! When you’re super casual maybe go with your all steel option, dressier go with the Alhambra watch, and really dressy (black tie) I’d probably skip a watch all together unless you have a super fancy one

To me, because it’s the same line as the 5 motif bracelets you have, it feels cohesive like you might be able to layer those to make it more casual.

Edited to add a photo from Vogue Singapore. If the jacket came off it’s just a nice black sweater

I thought the pave motifs may make it too dressy, good to know it doesn’t come across that way!

I don’t like to stack or layer bracelets, but you make a good point that it looks similar enough to a bracelet that it would make it less “formal”. I’m quite a blingy person but at this point I only have two plain watches and this would be my first super dressy one. So I was hesitating. Thanks for your input!!

 

[Phoenix]

I'd absolutely wear that watch to all the occasions you mentioned. It's beautiful and should not be kept only for super special occasions.

 

[Phoenix]

Hi! FWIW, I don’t know how you dress on a daily basis, but I think it would work for most occasions! When you’re super casual maybe go with your all steel option, dressier go with the Alhambra watch, and really dressy (black tie) I’d probably skip a watch all together unless you have a super fancy one

To me, because it’s the same line as the 5 motif bracelets you have, it feels cohesive like you might be able to layer those to make it more casual.

Edited to add a photo from Vogue Singapore. If the jacket came off it’s just a nice black sweater

I really love this combo.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I'd absolutely wear that watch to all the occasions you mentioned. It's beautiful and should not be kept only for super special occasions.

Thank you for weighing in! I am kind of known for being blingy as a person so maybe I should just embrace it. I have a milestone birthday coming up in 1-2 years so perhaps this will be my present to myself for that!

The other issue is that there are other blingy watches I also REALLY love, like the Bulgari serpenti. But I can definitely only do one - not both. Since they are both roughly the same amount, I’ll save up for it and take myself on a birthday spree closer to the date

 

[LilAlex]

It’s the sweet Alhambra guilloche bracelet watch - this one:

I think it's very wearable. You'd certainly wear it as a bracelet every day. It just has a watch face in it. (Well, you'd mix it up to minimize overexposure, maybe.)

It's hard to think of a watch that's too dressy for everyday wear for a man. Maybe too nice to beat up but not too dressy. Most expensive watches are not particularly dressy.

EDIT: OK maybe the serpenti is a bit diva-ish for every day but that's it!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I think it's very wearable. You'd certainly wear it as a bracelet every day. It just has a watch face in it. (Well, you'd mix it up to minimize overexposure, maybe.)

It's hard to think of a watch that's too dressy for everyday wear for a man. Maybe too nice to beat up but not too dressy. Most expensive watches are not particularly dressy.

EDIT: OK maybe the serpenti is a bit diva-ish for every day but that's it!

If I did the serpenti, I’d probably do this one:





This makes my heart pound. It’s in the same ballpark price wise. But it feels less wearable casually and not as wearable formally. So I’d have to think about it.

 

[LilAlex]

I mean it's certainly a signature piece and not intrinsically dressy but very "highly styled." It's absolutely super-cool.

It skews youthful -- if you're going to buy it, better to buy it now than 20 years from now.

I think between that and the VCA, it's night and day in terns of the heads you will turn. To the uninitiated (e.g., me, pre-PS), the VCA is pretty, elegant, and barely there. The Bulgari is part Wonder Woman and part Xena: Warrior Princess. It reads much more statement-y and signature piece, imo.

It depends on your work crowd and social set. Where I work, you'd be "the lady with that watch that kinda looks like a snake." Where some of you live and work, you'd be that lucky lady with the killer Serpenti.

Caveat: I have a decent eye and admire women's jewelry -- but do not let my shoot-from-the-hip opinion carry too much weight since I really don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[dk168]

I used to wear my chunky Ebel Beluga Manchette with MOP and diamond hours dial.

Nowadays it is one of those Fitbits that count steps and I changed the straps to a chunky stainless steel ones.

To me personally, the watch in question is an occasional watch and not one for everyday wear as it is very ornate.

All IMHO and personal preferences etc..

DK

 

[dk168]

If I did the serpenti, I’d probably do this one:





This makes my heart pound. It’s in the same ballpark price wise. But it feels less wearable casually and not as wearable formally. So I’d have to think about it.

I would love one in SS, black dial and diamond surround, however it does not look good on my chunky wrist when I tried it on!

DK

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I mean it's certainly a signature piece and not intrinsically dressy but very "highly styled." It's absolutely super-cool.

It skews youthful -- if you're going to buy it, better to buy it now than 20 years from now.

I think between that and the VCA, it's night and day in terns of the heads you will turn. To the uninitiated (e.g., me, pre-PS), the VCA is pretty, elegant, and barely there. The Bulgari is part Wonder Woman and part Xena: Warrior Princess. It reads much more statement-y and signature piece, imo.

It depends on your work crowd and social set. Where I work, you'd be "the lady with that watch that kinda looks like a snake." Where some of you live and work, you'd be that lucky lady with the killer Serpenti.

Caveat: I have a decent eye and admire women's jewelry -- but do not let my shoot-from-the-hip opinion carry too much weight since I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I love your descriptions. I bolded the part that I resonate with, lol, I’ve been OBSESSED with the serpenti for ages. I find it so chic and cool.

I think a big part of why I haven’t taken a decision yet about which watch I want is that I love them both and they have really distinct looks. I want to get the one that I think “fits” me better as my dressy watch, because whichever I don’t get I’ll get a toned down version instead (eg, if I get the double-wrap serpenti, I’ll buy one of the cheaper Alhambra watches at some point; and if I get the guilloche bracelet Alhambra, I’ll get one of the cheaper serpenti watches eventually. And then I’ll be done with watches for the foreseeable future). But I want my dressiest watch to be the one I wear the most!

I think I probably need to think about my personal aesthetic more to figure out which to get, as well as try both on. But I’m glad that a dressy watch in general is pretty okay for regular wear!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

nope
i have a very nice good watch i got for my 21st and it sat in its box so long the battery leaked and i had to get a new part because the acid ate through it
so i spent $300 for it to sit back in the box
and it is currently flat

 

[missy]

So my answer might seem corny but wear what you love.

To answer your question about wearing a dress watch daily... Yes. I used to wear my Rolex watch daily. I haven't worn any watches since 2014 now but then I wore it every single day. Only occasionally switching to my Cartier tank which was more casual. I dressed according to my mood...whatever I wanted to wear that day I wore.

There is no right or wrong IMO regarding the jewelry (or clothing) we wear. It's what we enjoy wearing that makes it work. Meaning if you feel it you will rock it and it will look great. So go for what your heart desires and don't worry about what others would do.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

So my answer might seem corny but wear what you love.

To answer your question about wearing a dress watch daily... Yes. I used to wear my Rolex watch daily. I haven't worn any watches since 2014 now but then I wore it every single day. Only occasionally switching to my Cartier tank which was more casual. I dressed according to my mood...whatever I wanted to wear that day I wore.

There is no right or wrong IMO regarding the jewelry (or clothing) we wear. It's what we enjoy wearing that makes it work. Meaning if you feel it you will rock it and it will look great. So go for what your heart desires and don't worry about what others would do.

Thank you @missy! I know being “over blinged” isn’t a good thing either, so it’s good to know in general it won’t look like I’m trying to show off or that I don’t understand what is acceptably blingy.

Buying any of these watches is a way-away, but I’m looking at available options on the two websites and I just realised I was way off about prices.

The guilloche bracelet watch is comparable in price to the full pave serpenti:




Basically both of these are almost the same price (£19.9k vs £21k).

While the guilloche single motif watch is comparable in price to the RG tubogas without diamonds (£7.3k vs £8.4K).






The tubogas id been eyeing is £15.5k, meaning that if I get that AND the guilloche I wanted, I save almost £4.5k:



So decisions need to be made! I guess since this is a while away I could always just go try them on in store. The full pave watch is a LOT cheaper than I expected (still crazy expensive, but it could definitely be worse!) I didn’t think a full pave watch could ever be in reach for me so it’s definitely tempting me!!

 

[missy]

Thank you @missy! I know being “over blinged” isn’t a good thing either, so it’s good to know in general it won’t look like I’m trying to show off or that I don’t understand what is acceptably blingy.

Buying any of these watches is a way-away, but I’m looking at available options on the two websites and I just realised I was way off about prices.

The guilloche bracelet watch is comparable in price to the full pave serpenti:




Basically both of these are almost the same price (£19.9k vs £21k).

While the guilloche single motif watch is comparable in price to the RG tubogas without diamonds (£7.3k vs £8.4K).






The tubogas id been eyeing is £15.5k, meaning that if I get that AND the guilloche I wanted, I save almost £4.5k:



So decisions need to be made! I guess since this is a while away I could always just go try them on in store. The full pave watch is a LOT cheaper than I expected (still crazy expensive, but it could definitely be worse!)

You know, now that I’m older I truly believe there’s no such thing as wrong when it comes to bling. Wear what your heart desires. And to that end I don’t believe one can be overblinged if you are confident and rock it. More power to you. I mean that sincerely. Maybe my old age has brought some wisdom to me at least. But if you’re not comfortable that’s your answer. Wear what you love and feel comfortable in…sorry to repeat myself but I think it bears repeating. No matter what you decide you’re going to look gorgeous and rock it.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

You know, now that I’m older I truly believe there’s no such thing as wrong when it comes to bling. Wear what your heart desires. And to that end I don’t believe one can be overblinged if you are confident and rock it. More power to you. I mean that sincerely. Maybe my old age has brought some wisdom to me at least. But if you’re not comfortable that’s your answer. Wear what you love and feel comfortable in…sorry to repeat myself but I think it bears repeating. No matter what you decide you’re going to look gorgeous and rock it.

It’s so funny that I was so sure I didn’t want to be “overblinged”… and now I’m considering a bling^max watch after seeing the price of the pave serpenti I’m wondering how “worth it” the guilloche bracelet watch is. I could literally buy another piece of jewelry with the savings. Or I could get a watch that would make me the talk of the town instead. So much more worth it IMO.

Thank you for your thoughts!! They really helped! And I hope everyone who weighed in earlier will weigh in again on my new options

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I used to wear my chunky Ebel Beluga Manchette with MOP and diamond hours dial.

Nowadays it is one of those Fitbits that count steps and I changed the straps to a chunky stainless steel ones.

To me personally, the watch in question is an occasional watch and not one for everyday wear as it is very ornate.

All IMHO and personal preferences etc..

DK

I would love one in SS, black dial and diamond surround, however it does not look good on my chunky wrist when I tried it on!

DK

Sorry I missed replying! The tubogas is kind of edgy/cool and the one issue I can foresee is that it may not look as cool when I’m older.

It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I get a watch that’s occasional wear since I have a daily wear watch already, but I would want one that I can wear regularly.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

nope
i have a very nice good watch i got for my 21st and it sat in its box so long the battery leaked and i had to get a new part because the acid ate through it
so i spent $300 for it to sit back in the box
and it is currently flat

Fix it and wear it Daisy! But I personally love watches and feel naked without one, so I’ll always advocate for wearing one!

 

[Phoenix]

My vote is still for the VCA guilloche pave watch.

 

[icy_jade]

But is this a watch I can wear relatively “regularly”?

Depending on where you are and how safe it is but I think yes.

Then again if I have something like that and if it really makes me happy then I would even wear it to the supermarket so my bling tolerance is fairly high. So maybe not quite reflective of the general population view but hey this is PS.

For both definitely try and see how comfy they are. The Serpenti looks a tad more uncomfortable due to the many loops (and what happens if you need to adjust the size say due to weight gain or loss) and the VCA may flip. Would those be deal breakers or are you fine?

 

[mjea]

I think these are all great options for everyday wear as long as you love them! As a caveat, my opinions are only based on aesthetic and not movement. Also, is this your first big watch purchase or do you already have a few that fall into the everyday/sport category?

I might be an outlier here, but the serpenti watches (even the full pave) while definitely statement, don’t necessarily read as dressy or “fancy” to me, they read as fashion watch. The VCA options feel “fancier” to me but would still work for your everyday purposes.

If I had to choose from the ones you shared, I’d probably get a single coil tubogas and the single guilloche watch - but I’m a sucker for leather strap watches

You can’t really go wrong if you love it and will wear it!

 

[kenny]

I like the idea of a fine Swiss watch.

I love and appreciate very fine man-made things, woman-made things too, trans-made things too, and things hand made by every one of Facebook's 58 gender-made things too,. (Oh, why can't we climate languages' mention of gender when it's irrelevant to the jist of what one is saying? It's turned into a huge unnecessary PIA!

Back in the 80s I bought a new S&G Rolex.
After not wearing it even once for around 15 years, I recently traded it for a fantastic high-end guitar and a nice pile of cash.
I can really use those things.

I'm also MUCH less status-symboly and fashion-statementy now than I was a generation ago.
My self image these days is based less on what I have/drive/wear than what I do.

To me high-end musical instruments are not about having nice things.
Their value lies in their ability do a better job of making music that sounds better.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Depending on where you are and how safe it is but I think yes.

Then again if I have something like that and if it really makes me happy then I would even wear it to the supermarket so my bling tolerance is fairly high. So maybe not quite reflective of the general population view but hey this is PS.

For both definitely try and see how comfy they are. The Serpenti looks a tad more uncomfortable due to the many loops (and what happens if you need to adjust the size say due to weight gain or loss) and the VCA may flip. Would those be deal breakers or are you fine?

I think I live in an area where it’s relatively safe and people do tend to wear big bling. So either watch would be “safe”.

I think trying them on is going to be crucial! I believe the serpenti is flexible so size shouldn’t really be an issue - it just wraps and hugs your wrist tightly. The single loop would be more comfortable than the double though. That’s another check in the single plain/pave tubogas column. The one that I love (double tubogas) may be uncomfortable. Besides, I’m fairly petite, so my other concern is that it may overwhelm me. I haven’t tried any of these watches on so it’s difficult to know what I like/want!

Moving on to the VCA - flipping motifs would drive me bananas. If the watch flips a lot that would be a deal breaker. I would then prefer to do the leather strap guilloche. But I haven’t tried it (I haven’t even seen the guilloche pave watch in person!) so I don’t know how it would “behave” on my wrist.

You’ve given me a lot to think about! Thank you!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I think these are all great options for everyday wear as long as you love them! As a caveat, my opinions are only based on aesthetic and not movement. Also, is this your first big watch purchase or do you already have a few that fall into the everyday/sport category?

I might be an outlier here, but the serpenti watches (even the full pave) while definitely statement, don’t necessarily read as dressy or “fancy” to me, they read as fashion watch. The VCA options feel “fancier” to me but would still work for your everyday purposes.

If I had to choose from the ones you shared, I’d probably get a single coil tubogas and the single guilloche watch - but I’m a sucker for leather strap watches

You can’t really go wrong if you love it and will wear it!

I have two watches that are really casual/everyday - one is a Tag Heuer and one is Cartier, but both are entry level steel watches. So I’m not looking to add to my casual watch collection. But since my watch collection isn’t going to be enormous, I would ideally like my “dressy” watch to still be one I can wear somewhat regularly, not just something I pull out 3x a year.

The fact that you think the serpenti is statement and not “formal” is actually making me lean more towards it. Imo the guilloche leather strap, which I would eventually also get if I did the pave/double tubogas serpenti, works well enough for “black tie”.

The other nice thing with the guilloche strap watch is that then I will have a leather strap watch as well! I don’t actually have one.

But the VCA bracelet is so prettyyyy…

I think like @icy_jade so astutely pointed out it’s going to come down to comfort and possible deal breakers!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I like the idea of a fine Swiss watch.

I love and appreciate very fine man-made things, woman-made things too, trans-made things too, and things hand made by every one of Facebook's 58 gender-made things too,. (Oh, why can't we climate languages' mention of gender when it's irrelevant to the jist of what one is saying? It's turned into a huge unnecessary PIA!

Back in the 80s I bought a new S&G Rolex.
After not wearing it even once for around 15 years, I recently traded it for a fantastic high-end guitar and a nice pile of cash.
I can really use those things.

I'm also MUCH less status-symboly and fashion-statementy now than I was a generation ago.
My self image these days is based less on what I have/drive/wear than what I do.

To me high-end musical instruments are not about having nice things.
Their value lies in their ability do a better job of making music that sounds better.

I do want to make sure that whatever watch I get, I really use. I hate the idea of having something just taking up space in my wardrobe and denting my wallet in the process!

 

[kenny]

I do want to make sure that whatever watch I get, I really use. I hate the idea of having something just taking up space in my wardrobe and denting my wallet in the process!

I'd also accept that I may change over the years.
People vary, over time, too.

In my case the Rolex didn't turn out to be wasted.
At first I loved it, and now I love what it I traded it for.
It's all good.

 

[Austina]

I'd absolutely wear that watch to all the occasions you mentioned. It's beautiful and should not be kept only for super special occasions.

^ This!!!!

 

[mjea]

But the VCA bracelet is so prettyyyy…

I get this so deeply.
Would the 5motif guilloche bracelet, or a mixed pave 5 motif bracelet in the future scratch this itch though without needing the watch version?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I get this so deeply.
Would the 5motif guilloche bracelet, or a mixed pave 5 motif bracelet in the future scratch this itch though without needing the watch version?

That's a great question. I think I need to figure out what is it that I actually like about the watch. Is it the guilloche motif (at which the single guilloche leather strap watch scratches the itch) or is the bracelet (at which I could just get the bracelet without the watch bit)?