SpotlightFeeling Festive: Watch Pairing Recommendations For Women

As Navratri begins, Dusshera coming next week, and Diwali just around the corner, this is the perfect time to add sparkle to yourself. After doing the work-home-work routine on repeat for the past several months, this festive period is the refreshing break everyone looks forward to. From a little TLC to buying fashionable treasures, ’tis the season to look Insta-gorgeous and have epic fun.

Fashion can be a hard pursuit when trends are as temporary as Snapchats. Don’t worry. Finding a trendy yet timeless classic can be fun with our list as we zero down on well-tailored, seamless silhouettes with tempting colours that will make your heart skip a beat. Discover a round-up of stellar looks for the ladies by leading designers, perfectly complemented with finely crafted women’s watches to let you start the festive season on just the right note.

Pretty In Pastels

Pastels mean mint, soft pinks, mauve, periwinkle and more. A somewhat elusive colour palette, pastels have been used to perfection by Mumbai-based designer Sonaakshi Raaj—who has found a fan-following in Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor and Jacqueline Fernandez—in her edgy fusion sari outfits. Talking about her upcoming collection at The Wedding Junction trade fair, she says, “Sorbet colours are your best option this season. They are versatile and look understated yet glamorous.”

Pastel shades have the scope to work with any complexion and can be picked by anyone without a second thought. Their fruity freshness also lends an uplifting vibe to the wearer. Powder blue, mint and dusty pinks also buoy up the otherwise heavily detailed ethnic outfits. For instance, Raaj has embedded stonework and metallic tassels on her creations, with soft colours making for a subtle balance, rather than an over-the-top look. She feels that such colours even help in making silhouettes look more fluid, as opposed to restricted and structured.

Another advantage pastels have is that they perfectly complement gold- and silver-toned watches. If leather is a comfortable choice, Omega’s De Ville Prestige is your watch for the occasion. The 36.8mm case in red gold with the white satin-brushed leather strap create a similar seamless look, while there are a few standout elements that are still nuanced in their details. Its intricate mother-of-pearl dial with butterfly motifs and the diamond-set indexes and bezel add glamour to this white beauty. Fitted with the co-axial calibre 2500 self-winding movement, this chronometer offers a power reserve of 48 hours. The highlight though are those butterflies—dainty and crafted to perfection!

Dreamy And Delicate

Designer Anita Dongre too has her ethnic outfits light and breezy, if you go by her recent collections for Lakmé Fashion Week. Continuing with aspects of the colour palette we’ve seen above, in her upcoming collection, Dongre sure is keeping elegance in focus. The dreamy outfits exude a soft and delicate nature—a quality that you would like your ensemble to reflect this season. The reason why pistachios, baby blues and yellows stand out as favourites is because they reflect light. Without a doubt, on the festival of lights, you vie to look bright and radiant.

Capturing the dazzle quotient is none other than Bulgari’s Serpenti Tubogas which coils onto the wrist in layers. Nothing short of a jewellery piece, this quartz watch has steel and rose gold tones cascading on the wrist. The 18-carat rose gold bezel in contrast to the white opaline dial create a mesmerising effect in the 35mm oval case. The round brilliant-cut diamonds are our favourite element as they reflect the shimmering quality that the season demands. This timepiece is from a long line of creations that have been reinvented many times, retaining the bracelet twist each time.

Tradition With A Twist

The hashtag, #SariNotSorry is not new, but wearing saris can actually be quite an innovative exercise even this festive season. For those looking to be different, the edgy take on the whole nine yards is presented by designers such as Amit Aggarwal, Shivan and Narresh, Sonaakshi Raaj, Shantanu and Nikhil, Gaurav Gupta, to name a few. “I love to do fusion outfits such as sari gowns or dhoti saris,” Raaj shares.

“They are Indian in essence but imbibe an international outlook, which is perhaps why they have captured the imagination of many. They speak to the woman of today who wants to accentuate her curves but camouflage her not-so-flattering features. This is why I work with bodycon silhouettes that show your body shape in a sexy, glamorous way.”

The same unabashed and resplendent attitude can be found in these Hublot Spirit of Big Bang watches that come in many colours such as Titanium Blue, King Gold Blue, Moonphase King Gold Pink, Moonphase Titanium Purple and many more. As is evident in the King Gold blue watch, the palette, in contrast, is creating a stark stand-out moment. The painstaking details are evident right from the first glance. Set with 48 blue sapphires on the bezel, this fine piece of craftsmanship represents Hublot’s ‘Art of fusion’, much like the fusion sari outfits set out to do.

The tonneau shape of the 42mm 18-carat King Gold case can also add spunk to your out-of-the-box dhoti sari as the black rubber and blue alligator strap makes it nothing less than a marvel of horology on your wrist. Offering a massive 50-hour power reserve and 100m water resistance, this watch is high on functionality with the HUB1770 self-winding big date moonphase movement set in the skeleton dial.

Sheer Elegance

The tease of a fabric and some skin is also perfect when wearing dainty drapes. Ruffles and sheer fabrics are also going hand in hand this season. Designer Amit Aggarwal’s creations carry the right mix of playfulness and elegance that you could carry at a Diwali cards party. His craftsmanship with fabrics and silhouettes is unparalleled and leaves many coveting his designs.

The Carl F. Bucherer Pathos Diva, as the name suggests, is just the right accessory for this glamorous avatar. The diamond-encrusted 34mm case houses a mother-of-pearl dial that ups the opulence quotient for the wearer. It is pristine yet bold, and playful yet elegant, especially as its sword-like hands cut through the fabric of time with precision and exactitude. Powered by the CFB 1963 calibre, this automatic watch offers a power reserve of 38 hours. The 18-carat rose gold—also seen on the rose gold bracelet—is the only metallic tone you need with fluttery ruffles and lace to create an enchanting look.