What jewellery to wear with your watch (according to Jeff Goldblum’s stylist)
Time+TideOur European editor, Mike Christensen, teams up with Andrew Vottero – Jeff Goldblum’s personal stylist – to help fellow timepiece aficionados ensure any bling they wear is complementing their watches and not detracting from them.
We all love watches, that much we can agree on. But are we wearing them correctly with other pieces of jewellery? This is a question that cropped up in Time+Tide’s weekly team meeting a few weeks back. Naming no names (surprisingly it wasn’t Nick), there was a difference of opinion over the acceptability of wearing a Rolex a couple of inches away from a gold ring on your pinky finger (the digitus minimus manus for those more au fait with human anatomy in Latin). It has consequentially opened up a larger debate we’re about to dive into, that is: what jewellery looks good next to your favourite watch, and what should you steer clear of.
As stylish a bunch as the Time+Tide team is (Andrew is GQ alumni FYI), we figured it necessary to call on someone who knows their stuff about watches and style in a professional capacity. Andrew Vottero is as good a judge of style as anyone I know. Indeed, he is guilty of draping film star Jeff Goldblum in Prada, Saint Laurent and Cartier to such success that the Hollywood royal is now a certified style icon. The duo have even set up @goodasgoldblum, an Instagram account that documents their sartorial adventures together (note the recent post of a custom Rolex Milgauss).
When it comes to watches and jewellery, as a general rule Vottero believes minimal is best: “I’m over guys piling on tons of bracelets and beads with their watches. I’d say just wear the watch,” he tells us. Personally, his go-to is to wear a single strand of freshwater pearls his mother gave him alongside a vintage Rolex Air King from the same year he was born, and on the other wrist he wears a single gold wire infinity bracelet which is welded on and can’t be taken off.
We have shortlisted some friends (read: celebrities we like who wear jewellery with their watches) to form this cursory guide for jewellery do’s and don’ts. While we aim to help you to make the right choices to draw attention to your watches for the right reason, we maintain that style is personal so if you’re happy with the way you rock beaded bracelets, gold chains and custom-made rings with your wristwear, then good for you. All we ask is that you really own it. Here, our top tips:
Jeff Goldblum
The Jurassic Park star is a fan of wearing multiple rings of different shapes and sizes made of various precious metals. Here, paired with his Cartier Tank, he’s wearing five rings with four on his watch hand. As a general rule especially for a daytime look, Vottero thinks it’s best to keep things simple. “I like a lot of rings when Jeff’s playing a jazz gig or performing in some way, but for day-to-day rings one or two, at most, works best.”
Chris Hemsworth
As binge watchers of Normal People can attest, thanks to the show’s lead character, Connell, gold chains on men are back in fashion and personally I’m all for it (as is Chris Hemsworth as seen here on his wife’s Instagram). Most importantly though, you need to know what length and thickness suits you. Vottero – who loves a gold chain on a man – has this advice: “For someone of Chris’ physique, I would do something simpler and shorter, and keep it to just one necklace. The rings and glasses are good though, too.” And it goes without saying that it’s best to match gold with gold, so as not to clash.
J Balvin
The Columbian signer has not one but two sleeve tattoos so it’s fair to say there’s already a lot going on in the wrist area. For that reason, Vottero reckons you can go all out when you have the tattoos to carry the look. “If you have fully-tatted up arms you can wear whatever and as much jewellery as you like.” Judging by J Balvin’s right wrist here, that also includes wristbands for getting into the club at the weekend too.
Justin Bieber
Granted not all of us (read: none) are as minted as the Biebs, who can afford to splash out on what’s known for being one of the more bling watch collections out there, but when it comes to complementing watches with jewellery, having money doesn’t necessarily equate to having good taste. Given some of the Bieber’s special timepieces, Vottero feels he could raise his game in the jewellery stakes: “Taste is not the same as money and I think Justin’s jewellery is more about money than taste, although the tatted arms do give him a lot of leeway.” The takeout here is that refined jewellery doesn’t have to cost the world so don’t make the same mistake as Bieber; instead go for what looks good over the price tag.
Drake
While no one can knock his music, Drake is guilty of committing arguably the biggest no-no in watch-wearing etiquette, which is: overshadowing your timepiece. His gold Oyster Perpetual Day Date is gorgeous, or as Vottero says, “It would be if he wore it alone.” Indeed, in Vottero’s humble opinion, Drake should go “super simple, super classic, old Hollywood, Frank Sinatra vibe instead of whatever it is that he’s doing.” It’s an important lesson to us all – wearing two things of beauty at the same time isn’t a good idea as more often than not one will detract from the other.
Brad Pitt
In my eyes, Brad Pitt can do no wrong (and on the rare occasion he has done wrong he’s fessed up like the decent man he is) but – deep breath – for a man of his age and grace, his choice of jewellery to sit alongside his burgeoning collection of Breitling watches is wide of the mark. Vottero loves Pitt just as much as I do but says, “This looks like someone’s weird aunt in Topanga or something.” His advice: “Simplify. If you want to wear a bracelet – which on a man is tricky – be careful as this is not right.” Take note and go easy on the bracelets unless of course, you just want to be like Brad Pitt.
Michael B Jordan
Lastly, bringing us back to where this discussion started – Michael B Jordan gives us the proof we required to demonstrate that, yes, you can wear a ring on your pinky while sporting your favourite timepiece. In fact, the Hollywood superstar does it so well, he wears rings on both pinkies. And this combination comes with Vottero’s blessing too, as he believes out of all the looks we’ve reviewed, this is the best combo. “Simple, stylish, personality, subtle,” he says. And we wholeheartedly agree.