Lot 76
An exceptionally sculptural and visually striking vintage ladies jewelry watch, crafted as a custom solid gold nugget bracelet incorporating a Seiko quartz timepiece, representing the height of late 20th century goldsmith artistry and luxury jewelry watch design.
This remarkable piece exemplifies the distinctive nugget gold aesthetic that rose to prominence during the late 1970s and 1980s, a period when fine jewelers began integrating precision quartz movements into sculptural solid gold bracelets to create wearable works of jewelry that functioned simultaneously as timepieces.
The bracelet is executed in a dramatic organic nugget texture, featuring a richly dimensional surface composed of polished gold fragments and textured relief clusters designed to evoke the appearance of natural gold formations. The sculptural composition reflects light beautifully, producing an exceptional visual presence on the wrist.
At the center of the bracelet sits an elegant rectangular watch case seamlessly integrated into the design. The gold-tone dial is signed Seiko Quartz and features minimalist applied markers including distinctive pyramid indices at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions with dot markers at remaining positions. Slender black hands provide crisp legibility against the warm gold dial surface.
The dial is further marked at the base:
Japan 1N01-0C40 R2
indicating the Seiko quartz movement reference.
The integration of a reliable Japanese quartz movement within a heavy sculptural gold bracelet reflects a common practice among high-end jewelers of the era, who favored the precision and durability of Seiko quartz calibers when creating custom gold jewelry watches.
The bracelet tapers elegantly toward the clasp and maintains the consistent nugget-textured surface across its entire length, creating a unified sculptural composition.
Based on the weight of approximately 26.7 grams, the bracelet appears to be crafted from solid gold rather than plated metal, making this piece not only a timepiece but also a substantial item of fine jewelry.
The watch presents in excellent vintage condition.
The gold bracelet retains strong luster with minimal signs of wear. The sculptural nugget texture remains crisp and well defined with no visible structural damage. The watch crystal appears clean with only minor age-appropriate surface wear. The dial remains well preserved with clear printing and intact applied markers.
The watch is accompanied by its fitted red leatherette presentation box with white contrast stitching and molded black sides, which remains in very good condition with only light storage wear.
Custom nugget gold bracelet watches from the late 20th century have become increasingly sought after by collectors and jewelry buyers due to their distinctive sculptural design and strong association with the gold jewelry boom of the era.
Examples incorporating solid gold bracelet construction combined with reliable quartz movements are particularly desirable, offering both intrinsic metal value and wearable vintage luxury appeal.
The integration of a Seiko quartz movement further enhances reliability while maintaining the aesthetic of a high-end custom jewelry watch.
The combination of solid gold construction, sculptural nugget design, integrated watch case, and original presentation box makes this a highly attractive example of vintage gold jewelry watch design.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $99 | $5 |
| $100 | $299 | $10 |
| $300 | $499 | $25 |
| $500 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $9,999 | $250 |
| $10,000 | $49,999 | $500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $1,000 |
| $100,000 | $999,999 | $5,000 |
| $1,000,000 + | $10,000 |