is bling still a thing?
I have gone back and forth over my feelings of bling or not to bling, with regards to wearing gemstone-laden timepieces. Over my years of watch collecting, I have only owned a total of four watches, if memory serves me well, that had some form of gemstones incorporated within the watch design. Each of my former gemstone watches, lasted only a few months before I finally ended-up flipping (selling) the pieces.
Don't get me wrong, diamonds are still a girls best friend, and I'm pretty sure the guys are pretty fond of diamonds too. For me, the choice to not favor gemstone-clad watches was based more on functionality over anything else. Since I try to wear each of my timepieces, there were very few times that presented an opportunity to dawn my gemstone timepieces. Gemstones are incorporated into timepieces for a few reasons, to add an air of flash, pop, and / or elegance to a timepiece. In my case, it was very hard to reconcile attempting to dress-down a watch dripping with bling, with a casual look of a polo shirt and jeans; perhaps someone else can pull that off effectively.
So, my gemstone-timepieces were relegated to sit aimlessly in the watch box or winder, awaiting that rare opportunity to be worn in my rotation. As I craft this blog post, I currently have the very watch pictured for sale, further emphasizing my point.
In the end, as with most fashion choices, to bling or not to bling will be a matter of individual taste. However, regarding gemstones, the bling level should at least match the level and style of your dress, as to not be overly ostentatious.