Watches used to have two hands and some numbers, and were made to tell the time. Now they are objects of desire, collectors' items and fashion accessories. And some people still use them to tell the time.More likely, however, they will tell people about taste, style and even the size of the wearer's bank account.
They come with chronographs and chronometers, in analogue or digital, and some have romantic tales attached to them.
One of Cartier's latest editions, La Doa de Cartier, was conceptualised from the desire of a famous Mexican actress to have a necklace made in the shape of her pet crocodile. She arrived at Cartier with the pet in tow. The concept inspired a watch which is yet to arrive in SA.
The design of the oversized and particularly macho BRM (pictured) was based on a V8 engine. There are plastic bling Rolex Donax watches surrounded by diamanté (not yet available here), reversible Jaeger-Le Coultres and enamel Cartiers, where a gallery of animal portraits appears on the dial of classic watches, made from combination of enamel, engraving and diamonds.
The popularity and desirability of having a beautiful timepiece so close to one's pulse means that watchmakers can't keep up with global demand. That's a bit different from a few years ago, when the Swiss watch industry was almost destroyed by the world domination of Japanese quartz watches. It was Swatch that saved the industry - and suddenly Swiss was fashionable again.
Because of the interest in watches, jeweller Charles Greig is opening a specialist watch boutique close to its Hyde Park jewellery store, as well as in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.
"Instead of jewellery, men wear watches," says Christopher Greig, owner of Charles Greig in Hyde Park, Sandton. "Thirty years ago, they owned only one or two. Now some of my clients own more than 100. Men are wearing a different watch every day."
To meet the demand for growing collections of watches, new designs are constantly being brought onto the market as must-haves for the avid collector.
There is also a big trade in second- hand watches, mostly on the Internet, where websites aimed solely at watch owners trade in old and new.
One of the trends in men's watches is for big, chunky and oversized watches, which are ultra-sporty and macho compared with slim and elegant dress watches, though these are still worn by some (Cartier Tank Americaine, pictured).
Rolex, which was one of the first designer watch brands to become fashionable in SA, is still popular, which probably has something to do with its strong resale value. Panerai (pictured), originally designed for the Italian navy and now owned by Johann Rupert's Richemont group, is also a big seller, as are the company's IWC and Jaeger-Le Coultre.
While macho is big for men, diamonds are still a girl's best friend (Cartier Divan, pictured). According to Greig, women's collections are mostly made up of Cartiers, since "they're elegant and stylish. We've already had a lot of interest in the La Doa, though it isn't yet available in this country." In other words, the waiting-list is growing.
But women also want to wear a different colour with their different outfits - or, perhaps, depending on which colour car they are driving on a particular day. "They no longer want a universal watch but prefer to have, say, a lime-green one one day and a diamond-encrusted one the next," Greig says.
But whether it's two-faced or macho, new watches will keep coming. And, yes, they still tell the time.
Elegantly smooth Cartier Tank Americaine Automatic. Price: R68 800. Yellow gold; brown alligator skin strap
Serious macho BRM. Price: R107 500. Based on V8 engine block. Hermes watch strap; second grade titanium. Only 2 000 made annually
More macho Panerai Luminor. Price: R22 900. Basic model; waterproof with rubber strap; also comes with leather strap. Trademark shrouded winder
Women's watches
Two-faced Jaeger-Le Coultre Reverso Duetto. Price: R59 100. Two-faced watch; day and night. One face has a strip of diamonds, the other is plain. Single movement for two faces
Best friends Cartier Mini Tank Divan. Price: R151 200. 18-carat white gold; bevelled diamonds; silk strap
SOURCE: CHARLES GREIG
Ranking the Analysts 2009
