Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates - even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements.

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. 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.įorm watches - the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches - are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. Antique, new and vintage 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.Ĭertain 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.īvlgari’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.

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