Ernest Fantasy Flower Multicolor Watch

Numbers tucked in wherever the flower leaves room

The white numbers, outlined in black, are not evenly spaced: each one has been dropped into whatever gap the petals allow, which is what gives the face its hand-drawn look. Five red-orange petals open around a pink spiral, two green leaves run towards the bottom of the dial, and the deep blue behind them keeps the whole thing readable. Slim silver-coloured hands pass over the drawing, and the red crown on the right picks up the colour of the petals.

How much of it shows depends on your sleeve

This is a watch that needs room. Under a shirt cuff only a couple of links stay visible and the picture is lost; with a three-quarter sleeve or a rolled-up one, the strap reads from end to end and the two paintings, dial and band, finally make sense together. Keep the rest of the outfit quiet, since the watch already carries five or six colours. If you would rather compare prints before choosing, the other watches on this same stretch band sit together in one place. Ernest also makes watches without a print, for days when a plain face works better.

A second picture runs round the strap

The band isn't just there to carry the dial. On a soft pink ground, a blue flower with a black stem grows out of a green pot dotted with yellow; further along, a red tulip stands against vertical bands of pink, yellow and blue. The flat links are mounted on a spring, so the strap stretches as your hand slides through, then settles back without any clasp.

Ernest Fantasy Flower watch: case, glass and movement

At 38 mm the round case is wide enough to let the flower breathe, yet narrow enough to sit on a slim wrist. Mineral glass covers the dial, and a Japanese quartz movement drives the three hands.

A dry cloth, and a place away from other jewellery

Running a dry cloth along the links at the end of the day keeps the drawing sharp, particularly where the strap rubs against a sleeve. Take the watch off before a shower or a swim, and lay it flat away from other jewellery, which scratches the glass more easily than anything else.