Everything from fashion to music goes through a cycle where old styles are revamped, refurbished, or fused with others in order to make them appear fresh and current. And jewelry – being a close relative to the fashion industry – is really no different when it comes to the “every old is new again” adage.

Here are some of our favorite past trends that are circling back as the new and au courant look of today.

The Choker Necklace
A 1980s fashion staple, the choker necklace is showing up again everywhere—from the streets to red carpets—and we’re loving this throwback style so much.

The greatest thing about a choker is its versatility. From a simple a satin ribbon with a cross charm attached to elaborate designs, loaded with thousands of miniature prong set diamonds, chokers exude sex appeal that not many other jewelry items can. We’re happy to see the choker back and hope this trend sticks around for a while.

---

---

Zodiac Themed Everything
Zodiac jewelry saw a huge jump in the 70s when, “What’s your sign?” seemed to be that decade’s most popular pickup line. Now almost forty-years later, the trend is hot again with every generation from X to Z (and the millennials in between) wearing statement rings, ankle bracelets, mismatched earrings emblazoned with their Zodiac sign.

---

Huge Hoop Earrings
Cool in the 60s, 80s, 90s and now cool again, hoop earrings have never really gone out of style, just been more or less ubiquitous. But truly big and oversized hoops (think, Jody Watley big) are on the rise. Whether you go for a simple, silver pair or hoops tricked out with gemstones or colorful patterns, huge hoop earrings will give you the fiercely fabulous look you’re going for.

---

---

Jewels with a Message
Want to make a statement without opening your mouth? Well, you can thank the jewelry gods then, because message jewelry is back and bigger than before. A variety of jewelry designers are engraving famous quotes, religious versus and even cheeky expletives into their necklaces, rings and cuff bracelets.

---

Pearl Rings
We saw pearl necklaces come back strong in recent years, but it’s time for the beauty-from-the-sea to adorn ring fingers yet again. Pearl rings aren’t for everyone, but, when set in geometrically-shaped mountings, they give a modern twist to an old classic that one cannot deny is a stunning change of pace for such a typically conservative gemstone.

---

And remember, if a style of jewelry you love haven’t quite come back around yet: don’t worry, chances are it will. And if it doesn’t, you can always bring it back, yourself!

 

A huge—and sometimes surprising—part of watch collecting is the incredible, tight-knit community that has grown around this tradition and pastime. If you’re eager to break into the world of watch collecting, here are some ways for you to connect with fellow enthusiasts, expand your network and knowledge about this fascinating hobby.

Pose questions in a watch forum.
Whether you’re a new or seasoned collector, watch forums are an incredible resource and easy way to quickly connect with other watch fans. Lively discussions unfold here as collectors post questions, list watches they’re interested in purchasing or recently added to their collections and invite feedback.

Join one of the lively discussions on WatchUSeek, TimeZone and Vintage Rolex Forum. Post a question and you’ll receive a variety of intriguing responses and opinions to make you a well-rounded collector.

There are also brand-specific watch forums if you’re a devotee of one particular brand like Omega Forums or On the Dash for TAG Heuer fans and

Join a local RedBar Chapter.
A fun and causal way to meet other watch collectors in your area is to grab a drink and geek out over watches at a RedBar meeting. RedBar is a vast international network of collectors who come together every week to discuss—you guessed it—watches. Meetings are low-key affairs where members bring in select pieces from their own collection for

others to take a look at and talk about. From there, conversation just free flows (admittedly slightly facilitated by a cocktail or two) and attendees easily chat and swap watch knowledge.

What makes this a particularly fun group of collectors is the club’s uniquely unpretentious and easy going vibe. That said, new members are vetted, but don’t be intimidated! TrueFacet’s contributor and head of RedBar’s Miami chapter, Sophy Rindler explains that, to preserve RedBar’s open and casual attitude, she welcomes fellow watch enthusiasts who are, “cool, nice to others, not a snob and willing to learn from or teach to other members.”

To attend a RedBar meeting, reach out to your local chapter through Instagram or fill out their contact form here.

Read watch blogs—and the article’s comments.
Bone up a little bit on general watch industry news and history by reading a handful of watch blogs like Watchonista, A Blog to Watch, and Hodinkee. More mainstream publications like Robb Report, Forbes and Business Insider have staff writers dedicated to the watch industry as well.

If you’re new to watch collecting, the language can be difficult to understand at first; these posts are often incredibly technical and peppered with industry-speak. What’s helpful though is articles often interlink to past stories and information to offer new readers more context for why a new tourbillion is such a breakthrough or the backstory for a brand’s recent relaunch.

Also, it’s always worth combing through the comments of posts. Similar to a watch forum, readers will share their opinions and sometimes even disagree with the author. Either way, it’s a fascinating look at what’s going on and how watch fans are reacting to new releases and industry news.

Ready to start chatting about watches? Call 1-800-690-3736 and speak with one of our expert concierge associates to learn more about your favorite brand and receive personal recommendations on how to build your own collection.

 

 

Hero image courtesy of The CEO Magazine.

Whether you’re adding to your collection or ready to invest in a smart but affordable watch, here are our expert’s 15 favorite entry-level watches.

Breitling: Standout and Impressive Timepiece
Breitling is widely praised for its precise time-keeping and is considered the leading manufacturer of aviation watches. The Breitling Chronomat in particular is a smart entry-level watch: an iconic and robust design at an accessible price point.

---

IWC: Classic Meets Modernity
IWC has a long and deeply respected history and is marked for their precision engineering and streamline designs. The IWC Portofino, IWC’s entry-level watch, is nice balance between the tradition of Swiss watchmaking and modern, minimalist design.

---

Omega: Gamechanging Diving Watches
Omega’s most recognizable styles include the Speedmaster, Seamaster and Seamaster Aqua Terra. Noted for the handsome design, these models were also breakthroughs in watchmaking when they debuted. If you want to own a significant piece of horology history, invest in an Omega.

---

Rolex: More Affordable Than You’d Think
The iconic Rolex Datejust transcends eras and fashion trends. This longtime collector’s favorite is a timeless style and, while Rolex watches quickly creep up the price scale, a Datejust is a surprisingly budget-friendly way to add a Rolex to your collection and wardrobe.

---

TAG Heuer: A Watch for Gear Heads
The TAG Heuer Carrera watch was inspired by the infamous and dangerous car race, the Carrera Panamericana. Since then, TAG Heuer has become a reliable starter watch, beloved for its casual and sporty design and wallet-friendly price.

For more tips on how to start a watch collection, read our post on the topic here!

We rounded up the five most popular New Year’s resolutions and share the watch and fine jewelry pieces that can help you actually keep your resolution!

New Year’s Resolution #1: Get fit.
You would be pleasantly surprised at just how much wearing some slick fit gear will inspire you to hit the gym more frequently. So toss out your ratty college t-shirts and gym shorts with the worn-out elastic band and upgrade your athletic attire. A fresh pair of sneakers, new sweat-wicking tees and a sporty watch with a rubber strap will motivate you to keep up your new fitness regime.

---

New Year’s Resolution #2: Focus on well-being.
The new year is a time when a lot of us look inward and think about improving our mental and emotional health, namely by starting to put yourself first. And, as a part of making room for more “me time,” we suggest a piece of jewelry with personal significance to serve as a daily reminder to love yourself.

---

New Year’s Resolution #3: Travel more.
The increase in commercial travel during the mid-century inspired a lot of revolutionary watch complications like slide rule and rotating bezels to help pilots make in-flight calculations. So, if your resolution is to rack up frequent flyer miles, jet-set in style and invest in a GMT watch. The GMT bezel allows you to effortlessly set a second time zone, making it a practical and stylish travel companion.

---

New Year’s Resolution #4: Learn a new hobby.
Broaden your horizons and build a watch collection. It’s far more than just buying cool watches: a fundamental part of collecting watches is understanding their intricate inner workings and the rich tradition of haute horology. There is also an incredible community aspect to watch collecting that makes it a very social new hobby to enjoy. Jump into this new world by investing in a watch with a design and history you can study and appreciate.

---

New Year’s Resolution #5: Get organized.
This is the year you finally weed through your closet. As your clean out your closet and purge the pieces you no longer wear, take a peek at your jewelry box. Anything in there you can part with? TrueFacet’s consignment program can help you earn money for the items that no longer suit your style. (Talk about an incentive to stick to your resolution!) Learn how you can earn more here.

Cross those last few names off your holiday list and shop these fan-favorites, all available for RUSH SHIPPING. Order by 11:59PM PST on Thursday, December 21st to receive your gift in time for Christmas!

1. Cartier Trinity Collection
Express your love with this pendant necklace by Cartier. The three different golds of their Trinity collection symbolize core tenets of your relationship: white gold for friendship, yellow for loyalty and rose gold for true love.

---


2. Omega Speedmaster Chronograph
Sporty, sleek and steeped in history, the Speedmaster is one of Omega’s most iconic timepieces—and guaranteed to wow.

---

3. Rolex Day-Date President
Surprise them with the only gift they really want this year: a Rolex Day-Date President. This ubiquitous Rolex style is an everlasting classic and sure to be a gift they will treasure for decades.

---


4. Breitling Chronomat
The weighty Chronomat is Breitling’s most recognizable style. This standout model makes for a seriously impressive present and a perfect watch to sport every day.

---

5. Cartier Love Collection in Rose Gold
The ultimate gift of devotion, the Cartier Love Bracelet is guaranteed to delight its recipient. Plus, its trendy rose gold finish is a fresh update to this beloved bracelet.

---

6. Patek Philippe Calatrava
This Patek Philippe Calatrava is the season’s #1 most jaw-dropping worthy gift. The lucky wearer will be the envy of every watch collector.

---

7. Omega Seamaster
Delicate touches like a mother of pearl dial and diamond markers add a new dimension to this Omega Seamaster, elevating it from a diver’s watch to a beautiful timepiece to treasure.

---

8. Rolex Datejust
Spoil them with this Rolex Datejust. The time-honored style is sure to become their most prized possession.

---

9. Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Open Heart Necklace
A sweet symbol of your love, this Tiffany & Co. pendant is a delicate necklace they can wear every day.

---

10. Shinola “The Runwell” Watch
Shinola is the brand of choice for trendsetters looking for an off-beat timepiece with an inspiring story. Give them this Shinola Runwell as a cool conversation starter.

Automatic watches are popular among collectors who admire the traditionalism and artisanship, but not the upkeep, of mechanical watches. However, when not in very frequent, if not every day, use, these watches wind down and eventually lose power. For collectors who don’t wear all their automatic watches often, the constant need for time resetting can become tedious.

Enter the watch winder: this machine is built to keep an automatic timepiece wound even when it’s not being worn. It moves the watch in specific patterns so that the weighted movement winds itself and never loses power: this way, the watch continues keeping impeccable time without interruption. Then the watch can be taken out and worn immediately whenever the owner sees fit without the timepiece having to be rewound and reset.

A watch winder can be a significant investment, so we’ve put together this checklist to help you decide whether a watch winder is really right for you.

1. Do you have one or more automatic watches that you don’t wear regularly?

Automatic watches were made for very frequent, almost everyday use, since their mechanisms are powered by the kinetic energy provided by the movement of your wrist. The automatic watch that you don’t wear regularly will wind itself down, lose power, and stop telling time until you wind it back up.

2. Do you spend a significant amount of time resetting automatic watch(es) that have wound down on their own?

Winding and setting an automatic watch is not at all difficult, but if you have to wind it every three or four days, it can get annoying, especially if you have two or more in rotation that need frequent winding. Some collectors enjoy the time they spend winding and caring for their watches, but others prefer the convenience of picking up a watch and wearing it without having to set it.

3. Would you spend at least $200 for a machine that could save that time for you?

While you could find a cheap watch winder for about $60, you’d run the risk of the machine breaking down within a month of use, or, in the worst-case scenario, the machine ruining the motor of your watch by moving it incorrectly for long periods of time. As such, you’d really need to make an investment into a watch winder to make sure it’s keeping your timepiece in good shape.

The price point for a good watch winder fluctuates based on the quality of the machine, the number of watches it can wind at once, and whether it has a warranty or not, since they need to be serviced every once in a while. A basic winder that can store one watch, is of decent quality, and has a limited warranty will run for about $200. Meanwhile, a luxury winder with enough storage for 12 watches, custom spin settings, lots of extra space and accessories, and an international warranty costs $9,000.

If you choose to spend for a watch winder, the price point will really come down to how much space and how many accoutrements you need.

If you answered NO to two or more of these questions, then you probably do not need a watch winder. However, if you answered YES to most of these questions, then you should consider looking into investing in one.

Interested in automatic watches? Contact our concierge service here for some guidance about which model is best for you, or peruse some of our suggestions below. 

Header image from SwissWinder.

The Rolex brand is arguably one of the most well-recognized watch brands in the world, and their models are just as iconic. The Rolex Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, and Day-Date are just some of the brand’s most distinguished models. However, a big part of their fame is their distinct and familiar design. As such, to put a personal touch on their Rolexes, or even just to update a vintage model, collectors will sometimes modify the watches’ designs. Once those modifications are made, the watch then becomes known as an after-market Rolex.

Defining After-Market

The line between after-market and genuine Rolexes is incredibly well defined in the watch collecting community: any alterations to a Rolex that have not been made by an authorized Rolex dealer will make that specific piece an after-market Rolex.

For example, if your watch’s dial gets damaged because you went swimming with the crown left open and it sustained water, it would still be considered a genuine Rolex if you brought the dial to an authorized dealer to be replaced. However, if you brought the watch to any old watch repair shop, the new dial would not be Rolex certified, and the watch as a whole would be considered after-market.

Aesthetic customizations, like the ones we outlined in this post, are almost always after-market because authorized Rolex dealers will not make alterations to watches that are not part of their original design. For that reason, collectors will take their timepieces to outside sources to have them customized with parts that are not Rolex-certified, rendering their watches after-market.

Is After-Market For You?

If you’re considering customizing your Rolex or purchasing a pre-owned model with after-market parts, you should know that there are caveats to consider. While watch customization can have its advantages, it also most certainly has its disadvantages.

The biggest advantage to customizing your own Rolex is that you get to make the watch suit your style perfectly. If you’re the type to prefer black watches or to show off a completely iced-out, diamond-studded timepiece, then these customizations make it so the watch expresses your taste perfectly and makes an extra-personal addition to your collection.

In addition to that, you could end up saving money by choosing to customize a watch rather than buy a more expensive version of it. For example, Rolex makes watches with diamond dials that are still considered genuine Rolexes because the dials are Rolex-certified and come from the brand’s factories. However, genuine Rolexes with diamond-studded dials cost significantly more than Rolexes with regular dials. Those who like the diamond-studded look can choose to customize a regular Rolex with a non-Rolex diamond dial and achieve a very similar look for less.

There are several problems with Rolex customization, however. If you customize a Rolex you bought from a dealer yourself, you end up voiding the watch’s warranty if you alter it soon enough after purchasing it. If you insist upon owning a custom watch, however, and are concerned about the warranty, you are far better off buying a pre-owned model that has already been customized. You may not get exactly the customization you want, but pre-owned watch and jewelry marketplaces often offer short warranties on products that are outside of their original manufacturer warranties, so you would at least have some protection for your custom timepiece.

If you intend to resell the watch, whether you bought it new and customized it yourself or bought it pre-owned, the value of the watch will generally decline because of the watch’s customizations. Considering the sunk cost of those customizations, this decline just puts you out of even more money than it would have if you were reselling a genuine Rolex.

When buying a watch pre-owned, be extremely wary of the vendor you’re purchasing from. The shadier vendors can sometimes charge much more for the watch than it’s really worth by marketing an after-market watch as a genuine Rolex, or even by switching cheaper, non-Rolex parts in for genuine Rolex parts and presenting the altered piece as authentic. To avoid scams like this, only shop at marketplaces that authenticate their watches and specifically mark every after-market part used in their timepieces.

TrueFacet’s team of experts authenticates every watch and piece of jewelry made available on our marketplace. If you would like to know more about our selection of after-market Rolexes, feel free to contact our concierge service for help here.

The holiday season is flying by and it’s now final countdown to December 25th. But there are still people on your Nice List and you haven’t even started shopping for their presents!

Breathe. Don’t panic.

Our editors picked their favorite gifts from TrueFacet Brand Boutique, all available for rush shipping. Order by December 21st so you can surprise them Christmas morning with an exquisite gift! Phew!

Dana Rebecca Designs
Dana Rebecca Designs’ collections carry an immediately personal look and feeling, making it a romantic gift for the holiday season. Double up the number of delicate rings, bracelets and pendants you gift so your fashionable loved one can mix and match, stack and separate them to suit their unique style.

---

Frederique Constant
Frederique Constant watches are the perfect blend of trend-right minimalist design and exceptional Swiss craftsmanship. And, even better: these exquisitely-made watches are wallet-friendly and include smart-watch options. Win-win!

---

Phillips House
Phillips House’s array of elegant cuffs and diamond-covered pendants strike a beautiful balance between being a striking statement piece and sleek enough to slip easily into any woman’s wardrobe, regardless of her day-to-day style.

---

Questions about shipping? Feel free to email support@truefacet.com or call us at 1-800-690-3736 and a concierge associate can help track your package.