When I met Carl Cohen, founder of Veralet, I knew very little about luxury vintage watches. In my mind, they were out of my budget and unnecessary as I could always find the time from a myriad of electronic devices around me. What did I need a watch for? Before I knew it, Carl helped me understand the true value and beauty of a luxury vintage watch.
I knew of some luxury watch brands, such as Rolex and Cartier, but I had no idea about the variety of brands and watches available, from different dials and straps to sizes and shapes. It was overwhelming but exciting to learn about the world of vintage watches, and Carl was willing to take the time to educate me. I soon discovered that I loved the factory stone dials that Rolex produced primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. Stone dials are unique, vibrant, and a true work of art on the wrist. I never realized such exotic dials existed! These rare, beautiful vintage watches feature stone dials made of bloodstone, coral, lapis lazuli, malachite, or tiger’s eye, amongst other stones and materials.
As someone who has spent most of my career wearing plain suits in a corporate environment, I have found that accessories and shoes are the primary way for me to express my style and adding a stunning factory stone dial vintage watch has been the ultimate fashion statement. It is classic, yet edgy and bold. It adds a pop of color to an otherwise monochromatic look. It exudes confidence and elegance. And it easily transitions from day to night, and across all occasions.
My first luxury vintage watch, purchased from Veralet in early 2018, was a Rolex 36mm 18K yellow gold Oyster Perpetual Datejust with a factory tiger’s eye dial and fluted bezel. What struck me about this watch from the 1970s was the incredible gold and brown banding of the factory stone dial. I had never seen anything like it! The dial changes appearance based on the lighting and angle of view. I purchased a few different straps to transform the look of the watch based on my mood or occasion, but have found a dark brown cordovan leather strap to be the perfect complement to the watch. The look is clean and crisp, and I have worn it from the office to evenings out with friends.
It gives me great pride to wear my watch, and while I still don’t need another way to tell time, I appreciate the opportunity to take a break from my electronics and gaze down at my beautiful vintage watch!
Stacy B.
Investor Relations, NYC
Veralet Client
