There’s something eternally alluring about pearls – from royalty to rebellion they’ve always carried with them this antique-y sort of romance. Vivienne Westwood‘s iconoclast style captures that duality with the brand’s latest treasure. The Special Edition Strand Pearl Watch, a glimmering ode to Westwood’s iconic Three Row Pearl Bas Relief Choker from the autumn/winter 1990-91 Portrait collection, is a piece that feels like jewellery first and a trusty time-teller second.
Instantly recognisable to any Westwood devotee, the design is pure iconography: three delicate rows of Swarovski glass pearls cradle a central orb watch case, encrusted with light-catching crystals. The orb opens to reveal a satin sunray dial that shimmers and shifts with every movement, powered by an intricately refined Swiss mechanism. The orb itself – that enduring symbol of Westwood – sits at the intersection of anarchy and grace, rebellion and refinement.
This new silver-plated addition to Westwood’s beloved pearl universe redefines what a timepiece can be. It’s jewellery that tells time, art that makes a statement – or perhaps tells a story of a woman who refuses to choose between elegance and edge, just like Westwood intended.
A future heirloom, the Special Edition Strand Pearl Watch is available now at Vivienne Westwood boutiques in London and across the UK, Paris, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand, and online at here.
Photography courtesy of Vivienne Westwood.
