Ernest fancy silver-plated bracelet watch with rectangular dial and rhinestones

A rigid openwork bangle, not a strap

What goes round the wrist is a rigid bangle cut into open arches that cross at the base, two flat plates rather than a chain of links. Behind the wrist it stays open, so the watch slides on from the side and comes off just as quickly, with no buckle to set and no holes to choose between. That also means the fit is fixed: it sits where the metal lets it sit, usually a little higher on the wrist than a strap would. If you would rather compare shapes before deciding, you will find a rounded case or a quieter dial in the same range.

Reading the time on a rectangular dial

The case lies across the wrist, wider than it is tall, which is what gives the piece its jewellery look. Its bezel is edged with rhinestones along both long sides, close-set rows that frame the dial without crowding it. Inside, the ground is white, the numerals black and spread right round the edge, the hands pale: the time still reads at a glance. The Ernest signature and the word quartz sit below the centre, and the winding crown shows on the right.

What a silver-tone bracelet watch goes with

Silver here is a colour, the colour of the fancy metal used for the case and the bangle, and it is an easy one to place: it sits as well under a shirt cuff at work as it does with a navy knit at the weekend. The rhinestones do enough on their own that a stack of bangles beside it only muddles the effect, so this is a watch that can carry the whole wrist. Keep to cool tones if you do add something. If the label is what draws you, the catalogue holds more watches signed Ernest.

Keeping the bezel bright

Hand cream and perfume are what dull a rhinestone bezel fastest, leaving a greasy film between the stones that swallows the sparkle. A soft dry cloth across the glass and under the bangle brings it back in seconds. Store the watch flat afterwards, away from harder pieces that could mark the open arches.