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STYLE | Watches & Jewellery

Rihanna's customised watch is now a mainstream icon — here's how to get the look

Be prepared to fork out a kingly sum for these gilded pieces

By Imran Jalal - 

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Now that the world is done talking about Rihanna‘s baby bump which she debuted recently via a street style-themed shoot with celebrity lensman Miles Diggs, let’s talk about the Rolex on Riri’s wrist: a customised gold King Midas.

The brainchild of cult watch designer Gerald Genta (he’s the man behind other iconic timepieces such as Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak), this elusive vintage design was created in the ’60s and carved from a single piece of 18K gold.

Known for its asymmetrical silhouette, the ingenuity of the King Midas is apparent when you flip it on its side to showcase what looks like a silhouette of a crown. In actual fact, however, Genta drew from another Hellenic inspiration: the architecture of the Parthenon temple.

Now, Rihanna did put her own golden touch to her King Midas timepiece by roping in independent Bangkok-born, Central Saint Martins-trained jewellery designer Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura to engrave amorphous designs into the bracelet.

But you don’t really need to take the personalisation route to turn your watches into cool fashion statement pieces. In the gallery ahead, we show how brands like Cartier and Bulgari do an amazing job in giving their gold watch designs a stylistic edge.

Panthere de Cartier 18K yellow gold watch on matching cuff, $61,500, Cartier

Credit: Cartier
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Resurrected from Cartier’s 1983 archives, the Panthere de Cartier is remade into a contemporary jewellery piece that features a 22mm watch case embedded into a cuff made up of chain links.

Grip Gold 18K yellow gold watch with diamonds on matching bracelet, price unavailable, Gucci

Credit: Gucci
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Named after the grip tape on a skateboard, this Brutalist-looking 18K yellow gold timepiece is Alessandro Michele’s answer to haute horology at Gucci. The watch is fitted with a jump hour movement module and given a glamorous touch with 44 baguette-cut diamonds around the case.

Serpenti Tubogas 18K pink gold watch with diamonds on 18K yellow gold and 18K white gold bracelet, $63,500, Bulgari

Credit: Bulgari
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Bulgari reimagines the tri-colour gold trend of ’60s jewellery with this lithesome timepiece that features the Italian house’s signature snake-head case design.

Big Bang Integral Time Only 18K yellow gold on matching bracelet, price unavailable, Hublot

Credit: Hublot
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Recently unveiled at LVMH Watch Week 2022, this timepiece – traditionally made for men – boasts all the things we love about the Big Bang Integral model: it’s a fuss-free sporty watch (no chrono counters, just a cool exposed dial design) with a sleek integrated bracelet (read: it sits seamlessly on your wrist). The other thing we heart? At 40mm, this is also the most compact rendition of the model and will not look out of place on most women’s wrists.

Extreme Lady 18K rose gold watch with diamonds on matching bracelet, $85,500, Piaget

Credit: Piaget
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The shimmering gold bracelet of this sophisticated timepiece resembles the texture of raw silk and is achieved through a delicate hand-engraving process called “palace decoration” which takes its cues from haute couture techniques.

Gem Dior 18K yellow gold watch with diamonds on matching bracelet, price unavailable, Dior

Credit: Dior
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The organic shapes and the articulated bracelet design of this open cuff watch make this one of the most playful timepiece outings by Dior Joaillerie’s artistic director Victoire de Castellane.

Boy.Friend Tweed 18K beige gold watch with diamonds on matching bracelet, $56,150, Chanel Watches & Fine Jewellery Boutique

Credit: Chanel
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The three-dimensional texture on the bracelet of this handsome Chanel timepiece is an ode to the Maison’s famous tweed fabrics.

This article was first published in Female.

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luxury watches
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