This 1920s Lady May wristwatch is a beautiful example of early wristwatch elegance, capturing the refined restraint of the era while still offering strong presence on the wrist. Larger than many ladies’ pieces of the time, it wears with confidence while maintaining a quiet, understated sophistication.
The engraved gold filled case is richly detailed, paired with a large crown that reflects its transitional roots from pocket watch design. The dial features painted Arabic numbers, an inner rail track, and a sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock. A striking syringe-style minute hand is balanced by a temple-style hour hand, creating visual contrast and subtle dynamism. The dial has aged gracefully, adding warmth and authenticity that only a true century-old piece can offer.
Inside is a 15 jewel mechanical movement, built during a period when reliability and serviceability were paramount. These early wristwatch calibers were directly influenced by pocket watch architecture, scaled down but retaining robust construction.
The 1920s marked a pivotal shift in horology. Prior to World War I, pocket watches dominated personal timekeeping. But wartime practicality pushed wristwatches into the mainstream, and by the Roaring Twenties they had become symbols of modernity and refinement. Watches like this Lady May reflect that transitional moment, blending pocket watch scale, large crowns, and cushion style cases with the emerging elegance of Art Deco restraint.
Quiet luxury, refined and constrained yet dynamic in detail, this Lady May is a graceful survivor of an important era in watch history, a wearable artifact from the dawn of the modern wristwatch.
This 1920s Lady May wristwatch is a beautiful example of early wristwatch elegance, capturing the refined restraint of the era while still offering strong presence on the wrist. Larger than many ladies’ pieces of the time, it wears with confidence while maintaining a quiet, understated sophistication.
The engraved gold filled case is richly detailed, paired with a large crown that reflects its transitional roots from pocket watch design. The dial features painted Arabic numbers, an inner rail track, and a sub-seconds register at 6 o’clock. A striking syringe-style minute hand is balanced by a temple-style hour hand, creating visual contrast and subtle dynamism. The dial has aged gracefully, adding warmth and authenticity that only a true century-old piece can offer.
Inside is a 15 jewel mechanical movement, built during a period when reliability and serviceability were paramount. These early wristwatch calibers were directly influenced by pocket watch architecture, scaled down but retaining robust construction.
The 1920s marked a pivotal shift in horology. Prior to World War I, pocket watches dominated personal timekeeping. But wartime practicality pushed wristwatches into the mainstream, and by the Roaring Twenties they had become symbols of modernity and refinement. Watches like this Lady May reflect that transitional moment, blending pocket watch scale, large crowns, and cushion style cases with the emerging elegance of Art Deco restraint.
Quiet luxury, refined and constrained yet dynamic in detail, this Lady May is a graceful survivor of an important era in watch history, a wearable artifact from the dawn of the modern wristwatch.