Elfry Ladies Diamond Cocktail Watch

From the 1920s through the 1960s, small ladies’ ‘cocktail’ watches were all the rage. These timepieces — thin, and often in precious metals with matching bracelets — were unobtrusive and elegant, with diminutive dials and mechanical movements whose small size is notable even today. (The famed Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 is still the world’s smallest mechanical movement, and has held this distinction since 1929.) Though no longer widely produced, this type of ladies’ timepiece remains the perfect accessory to a cocktail dress or evening gown — and vintage versions are steadily gaining in popularity among the fashion set. This particular cocktail watch is a lovely piece from Elfry, a defunct Swiss firm of the pre-Quartz era. Measuring 17mm in a round case with an unsigned winding crown, an acrylic crystal, a diamond-set bezel, and spectacular diamond-set lugs, it features a patinated silver dial with applied yellow gold 'dart' and 'Arabic' indices and a matching gold 'pencil' handset. Powered by a hand-wound, 17-jewel movement and paired to an incredible diamond-set bracelet with a hook-and-loop closure, this beautiful timepiece offers Art Deco elegance, reliable Swiss mechanics, and a plethora of precious stones for the discerning collector. And while the name on the dial might be unfamiliar, its construction and quality can't be denied.