Vintage style watches that will transport you back to The Great Gatsby

If you’ve been paying even marginal attention to the horology world, you’ll know that designs have been downsizing – in a good way. It could be that people are simply tired of the XL watches (think 40-42mm) that have been dominating for the past decade or so – they can potentially feel a tad too ostentatious for these times, and let’s just be honest, they’re also much heavier to wear.

There are several reasons for the ousting of the juggernauts – the rampant fever for all things archival in fashion and pop culture has been impossible to ignore, and vintage watches are typically much smaller than their modern day counterparts at 36mm and below.

Couple that with a renewed interest in tiny, dressier timepieces (over say sports watches) and it’s clear that much like in fashion and pop culture, the horology industry is well and smitten with the more ornate vibes found on older styles. That said – not everyone is comfortable with picking up secondhand items, and obscure vintage models can be hard to secure. If you dig the look but want a brand-new piece, we’ve got you covered with some iconic styles that can be readily found in stores now.

Chanel Premiere Edition Originale yellow gold-coated steel watch with leather and steel strap, $9,050

First launched: 1987

The story behind it: The Premiere, for the uninitiated, is Chanel’s very first timepiece, and it’s a brilliant one that cleverly infuses the maison’s history and elements from its various ateliers. Take its chic octagonal case (FYI, the sapphire crystal glass that protects the dial is also octagonal, thanks to its beveled corners and edges, helping to add additional sense of depth) for instance – that’s a reference to the N°5’s perfume bottle stopper. Similarly, the Premiere’s distinctive gold-coated chain link bracelet interwoven with leather recall those found on the brand’s classic quilted handbag.

Yep the black-and-gold colour scheme might be redolent of the ’80s – but the Premiere has clearly transcended the idiosyncrasies of that era; it made quite the statement for resolutely feminine styles during a time when the watch industry was dominated by designs for men. Small wonder Chanel saw fit to re-issue this evergreen number under the name Premiere Edition Originale in 2022 with a campaign fronted by house ambassadors Lily Rose-Depp and Jennie Kim.

Cartier Baignoire Small 18K yellow gold watch on matching bracelet, $37,800

First launched: 1912

The story behind it: When it comes to the horology industry, Cartier’s carved out a niche for what some would say are unorthodox experimentations with shape and silhouette – but they typically pay off handsomely. Take the Baignoire – French for bathtub – which became the maison’s first oval timepiece with its unusual elliptical shape when it was conceptualised in 1912. It would go on to become a mainstay at the house, evolving further in 1958 to become today’s slightly curved case that complements the contours of the wrist easily. Cartier christened it with the name Baignoire in 1973.

Some would say the wildly popular, jewellery-esque and very stackable Baignoire Mini – the XS version that debuted last year at Watches & Wonder – has a big part to play in the ongoing movement towards smaller sizes. But for those who prefer something a tad heftier (the Mini rings in at 24.6mm length by 18.7mm), there’s also its sculptural sister, the Baignoire Small pictured here (31.4mm by 23.1mm), a perfect everyday piece with a twist.

Just ask Kendall Jenner – the model was sported wearing the Baignoire Small design last January, though she’s just the latest of many famous faces (think the likes of Catherine Deneuve and Gloria Steinem) who took a shine to this watch.

Hermes Kelly 18K pink gold watch with diamonds on matching bracelet, from $55,000

First launched: 1975

The story behind it: The Kelly watch is of course modeled after the maison’s iconic bag of the same name that was designed by Robert Dumas back in the ’30s – its unusual (and adorable, if you ask us) 16mm padlock case drawing from the signature lock found on the Kelly bag. When it debuted in the ’70s, the early Kellys boasted a single or double tour leather strap, designed to resemble the side straps of said bag, and has largely been untouched in the decades since – why mess with perfection?

That changed in 2022 when the maison gave it a contemporary refresh by introducing a metal link bracelet version (available in rose gold or steel) – its metalwork being inspired by the the design of the four-studded clasp serving to secure and open the padlock on the Kelly bag. And if that isn’t innovative enough – the padlock case is detachable; it can be added to existing necklaces or leather cords you may have so that it becomes a necklace that tells the time or attached as an accessory to a bag for instance.

Bvlgari X Tadao Ando Serpenti Tubogas 18K yellow gold and steel watch with adventurine and diamonds on matching bracelet, $24,000

First launched: 1948

The story behind it: Snakes are a popular motif in jewellery but it’s Bvlgari that’s most synonymous with the reptile. After all, their best-selling Serpenti family has been around for nearly 80 years. Introduced in 1948 as jewelry-watches meant to coil around the wrist, Serpenti creations first appeared with a flexible, stylised design crafted using the maison’s signature Tubogas technique. Now they come in every shape, size and iteration, spanning both jewellery and watches.

The latest innovation in the Serpenti Tubogas family is a nature-inspired limited edition capsule designed by seminal Japanese architect Tadao Ando – the first ever artist collaboration for the Serpenti range. Consisting of four of the famous snake watches, each one represents a different season – Natsu (Summer, pictured here), Aki (Autumn), Fuyu (Winter) and Haru (Spring). Each model represents the different seasons through their dials; Natsu’s dial is made of green adventurine; Aki’s is tiger’s eye; Fuyu’s white mother-of-pearl; and Haru’s pink mother-of-pearl. They will be released across different intervals in the year, with Natsu hitting stores here next month, for obvious reasons.

Piaget Polo 79 18K yellow gold watch on matching bracelet, $106,000

First launched: 1979

The story behind it: Swiss horology powerhouse Piaget has a long heritage – it celebrates its 150th anniversary this year – and it has many icons but the Polo is pretty special. For one thing, it marked a milestone in the company’s history; it was Piaget’s first sports watch, and it was also the brand’s first watch with a specific model name (Alain Borgeaud, Piaget’s Officer of Patrimony, has previously stated that the family preferred to keep the focus on the brand, rather than a particular model).

The original Polo, with its trademark seamless integration of the watch into the bracelet, ultra-thin profile, and sleek geometric design, would go on to define the extravagance of the ’80s, with many of the rich and famous of the period such as Andy Warhol, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Miles Davis, Elvis Presley and more, spotted wearing the watch. With archival fever at an all-time peak, Piaget has smartly re-introduced one of its biggest hit this year, this time in an updated iteration named Polo 79.

The brand has very gently updated the original’s aesthetic (the Polo 79 boasts a slightly thicker and larger case at 38mm), and upgraded the movement from quartz to automatic (Piaget’s caliber 1200P1).

Van Cleef & Arpels Cadenas 18K yellow gold watch with mother-of-pearl on matching bracelet, $27,900

First launched: 1935

The story behind it: At first glance, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Cadenas (French for padlock) is certainly puzzling; the tiny angled dial on the padlock clasp meant that only those looking down directly at the watch (read: the wearer) could read the time discretely. In other words, it’s very much a design born of its time; women who wore the Cadenas in the ’30s and ’40s were not as likely obsessed with time as we are today (which may account for the decorative, jewellery-esque designs of many ladies’ watches), and time-reading openly was not considered to be polite.

The early versions had the padlock case attached to a slinky, double-snake-chain bracelet (pictured here), though there are now more conventional leather strap versions – and it has many famous fans, the most prominent being the late Duchess of Windsor, who had a platinum and diamond-set version that sold for a whopping CHF 362,500 (S$536,000) at auction in 2011.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Small 18K pink gold watch on leather strap, $22,600

First launched: 1931

The story behind it: Possibly the industry’s most iconic reversible watch (hence the name), the Reverso was created out of a need to protect the glass on polo players’ wristwatches – said glass was often damaged in the heat of the game. Businessman Cesar de Trey was tasked with the challenge of finding a way to safeguard the glass – and his ingenious solution was a sturdy case could be flipped inwards during the game. He collaborated with his friend Jacques-David LeCoultre, a third-generation member of the eponymous watchmaking family to manufacture the watch, with designer Rene-Alfred Chauvot being tapped to design it.

While the Reverso may have been birthed out of necessity, the back of the case is where things get more romantic – you can engrave initials, monograms, short messages or even have intricate miniature artworks painted on.

This article was originally published in Female.