TikTok has called time on stealth wealth dressing and ushered in a new era of Gen-Z “mob wives”, intent on swapping muted tailoring for look-at-me coats, latte shades for louche animal prints and clean-girl make-up for spider lashes. Carmela Soprano is coming for queen of Manhattan cool Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s spot at the top of Pinterest, and Ginger McKenna’s box of Bulgari jewels in Casino looks suddenly more covetable than Succession’s piles of Brunello Cucinelli cashmere.
Over in the snow-sprinkled villages that dot the Swiss Alps—where watchmakers tinker with finely crafted timepieces in picturesque peace—it’s unlikely there is much talk of the mob wife aesthetic. But a little like Ginger’s Bulgari Monete pieces, the yellow gold watches crafted here tick all the boxes when it comes to ostentatious, Sopranos-inspired style.
Piaget is kicking off its 150th anniversary celebrations with the release of the Polo 79. This reissued 38mm yellow gold timepiece—beloved by Bond girl Ursula Andress and the jet-set glitterati of the ’80s—weighs in at a hefty 200g, and features striking chunky links which flow seamlessly between the strap and case. “There’s a renewed fascination with the ’70s and the ’80s, of which this watch is the embodiment,” explains Piaget CEO Benjamin Comar. At that time, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly also favoured yellow gold watches—Taylor owned a collection of bedazzled Piaget timepieces, while Kelly wore a Rolex Lady-Datejust.
Similarly, Breitling’s recent collaboration with Victoria Beckham incorporates a limited run of 100 yellow gold timepieces, Louis Vuitton has unveiled a yellow gold iteration of its signature Tambour watch, and Bulgari has reimagined its Octo watch in the same metal.
“In uncertain times, clients look for authenticity, craftsmanship, but above all for genuine materials—such as gold,” says Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. “Clients lean towards yellow gold as it is perceived to be more authentic and more of a steady fashion choice than white or rose gold.” Meanwhile, Bulgari’s director of watches Antoine Pin, equates the current obsession with yellow gold with a “YOLO” attitude to getting dressed. It’s also what Comar refers to as “extra-eleganza”.
Thanks to the relentless pace of social media, the mob wife trend will come and go like all the other TikTok aesthetics, but the “extra-eleganza” of a yellow gold watch will live on. One piece of styling advice? Before leaving the house, always ask yourself the same question Ginger McKenna did while surveying the gleaming contents of her brimming jewellery collection. “Do you think it is too much if I wear these all on the same day?”
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
