ISLAND STYLE
Changing faces of time

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

A watch is an important accessory because it's not a sometimes thing: Our busy lives demand that we wear one nearly every waking moment. A watch, therefore, becomes a beacon of personal style.

Designers seem to be catching on to that fact, creating watches for every style and budget. We asked fashion-forward folks around Honolulu what their watch du jour is. Here's what we learned.

On the high end, Rolex is out, Bulgari is in. On the lower end, Casio offers the time in 24 time zones, while Freestyles satisfies surfers' needs.

Among the hot trends in watches is the chronograph, an instrument that registers and records intervals such as the duration of a Scrabble game or time it takes to run a mile.

Louis Vuitton, the French luxury-good company, has introduced its first watches.

Though they've been around for several months, Fossil watches designed by Philippe Starck ($95 to 145) are hottest among the young and fashion-conscious. The ultra-sleek lines, stylish digital readout and color selection — lime green, orange, silver and bronze — make them a standout.

Tiffany & Co. recently unveiled the Tiffany Mark, a watch series modeled after the company's 19th-century pocket watches. Prices start at $1,150.

Diesel's retro punk-like wide bands work well with the maker's line of popular 1980s-style clothing.

Christian Dior's "Malice" watch has a similar vibe: edgy and wild, but at a higher price ($575). It's got bondage-style lacing across the wide black leather strap.

Town & Country Kahala said South Shore surfers are buying Freestyle watches in a style called Shark Tide ($100); it informs when high and low tides occur each day.

Casio makes a watch with geek chic: it calculates, stores data and keeps time in 24 zones ($75).

With a flick of the wrist, the band of a Michelle watch can be changed to match any outfit. Each comes with one carat of diamonds on the face.

Appealing to the avid athlete is the Grip Clip from Timex ($25-30). It can be clipped on to a belt loop or shorts. It's water resistant and has a nightlight and alarm. Colors include yellow and black, blue and turquoise.

Speaking of color, Hermes' H-our watch comes in the company's signature orange — both the band and the face ($995).

On the North Shore, the watch of choice, when not surfing, is Brighton ($85-$100). Silver Moon Emporium said Brightons are a top seller at the North Shore Marketplace boutique. The leather and silver watches have a slightly western feel, working well with the denim, fringe and prairie looks of the season.

For the fashion-conscious male, Seiko's Chronograph Collection includes a sexy S-shaped stainless-steel case with a high-tech look inspired by the dashboards of European sports cars ($450-475).

For an in-your-face fashion statement with a price to match, Cartier's latest watch has a mink strap ($22,000). It's meant to be worn on the side of the wrist — a design popularized in the 1930s with the development of the automobile, it was created for a driver to tell time while his hands were on the wheel.

As we head into the holiday season, we all know there's no better gift than the gift of time. So why not a watch, fashion's hottest accessory?