Art Deco Watches
Fascination with the Jazz Age is endless, and even today jewelry designers continue to be inspired by authentic Art Deco jewelry and watches.
The Art Deco period, encompassing the 1920s and ’30s, ushered in a very distinct look in the design of jewelry. There were many influences on the jewelry of the era that actually began to take shape prior to the 1920s. In 1909, Serge Diaghilev brought the Ballet Russes to Paris, and women went wild for the company’s exotic and vibrant costumes It’s no wonder, then, that jade, lapis lazuli, coral, turquoise and other bright gemstones became all the rage. There already existed a fascination with the East, particularly China and Japan, and motifs consisting of fans and masks started to show up in Art Deco jewelry.
However, the event that had the greatest influence on Deco was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922. When the world saw what was hidden in Tut’s burial chamber, it sent just about everyone into a frenzy. Pierre Cartier wrote in 1923 that “the discovery of the tomb will bring some sweeping changes in fashion jewelry.” And he couldn’t have been more right. “Egyptomania” left an indelible mark on all of the major jewelry houses, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Georges Fouquet. (Cartier created some of the most iconic jewelry designs that defined this era.)
While a lot of Art Deco jewelry was black and white — the black coming from the use of onyx or black enamel and the white from rock crystal and diamonds — there is plenty of color in jewelry of the era. A perfect accent to diamonds in platinum settings were blue sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and these stones were also used in combination with each other.
Many designers employed coral, jade and lapis lazuli, too. In fact, some of the most important avant-garde jewelers of the period, like Jean Després and Jean Fouquet (son of Georges), would combine white gold with ebony and malachite for a jolt of color.
A lot of the jewelry produced during this time nodded to current fashion trends, and women often accessorized their accessories. The cloche hat was often accented with geometric diamond brooches or double-clip brooches. Backless evening dresses looked fabulous with sautoir necklaces, and long pearl necklaces that ended with tassels, popular during the Edwardian period, were favored by women everywhere, including Coco Chanel.
Find unique Art Deco necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
1960s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
14k Gold, Gold
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Watches
Steel
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Swiss Art Deco Watches
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Watches
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
20th Century Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1950s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1930s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold Plate
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Watches
White Gold
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1950s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Yellow Gold
1910s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Silver
Early 19th Century Mexican Antique Art Deco Watches
Diamond, Pearl
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
20th Century Art Deco Watches
Diamond, Platinum
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Watches
9k Gold
1930s Vintage Art Deco Watches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Steel, Stainless Steel
1960s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled, Yellow Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Platinum
1950s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
White Gold
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Marcasite, Silver
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1930s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Diamond, Platinum
1930s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold
1950s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled
1910s Dutch Vintage Art Deco Watches
Diamond, Platinum, Enamel
1990s Swiss Art Deco Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s French Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Platinum
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Rose Gold
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
1960s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Rose Gold
1930s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold-filled, White Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
1940s French Vintage Art Deco Watches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
1970s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Gold
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
Silver
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Watches
14k Gold, White Gold
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Watches
18k Gold