Every year the awards shows are a parade of the latest fashion trends. I ohhh, ahhh, or boo each designer gown as much as any girl. But, as you may have gathered from my first blog, I am a bit of a watch geekette!

I spent Emmy night glued to the set, ready to spot not only the “Best Dressed” but the “Best Accessorized.” The Emmy Red Carpet still had me shouting, “Why don’t the ladies wear watches?” My girlfriends remind me, “Why do you need the time, when you can have Diamonds? Duh!”

Cheryl Hines from Curb your Enthusiasm is a perfect example of where accessorizing with diamonds AND a watch would have made perfect sense. InStyle.com’s parade of Red Carpet Arrivals shows her posing in a silver one-shoulder Zac Posen gown accented with 70-plus carats of Chopard jewels.

Her stylist could have made the same sophisticated diamond statement if Cheryl’s wrist was draped in this gorgeous Chopard Haute Joaillerie collection multi-strand diamond bracelet watch, below left. And this Chopard diamond Ice Cube, below center, would have screamed diamond bracelet. For a nod toward old Hollywood glamor, this Paris-New York cuff from Piaget’s Limelight collection, below right, would have amped up her look in true starlet fashion.

Most of my girlfriends – and a certain arch-nemesis – might still argue that a diamond watch does not a diamond statement make. But what’s more luxurious, or do I dare say more frivolous, than wearing a diamond watch when time is the least of your worries? Seriously, I don’t’ think any of the Emmy Red Carpet starlets had a coach waiting for them that was going to turn back into a pumpkin at midnight!

August is the time of year when ALL the fashion magazines are rolling out the fall season trends. I love looking at the new styles, but tend to get a little exasperated with all the clothes, shoes and handbags shouting from the pages.

My spirits soared, though, when I came across this Must-Have Accessories for Fall editorial over at Harper’s Bazaar online! They included a few ladies’ watches. Sure, they were spotlighting this fall’s on-trend leopard and bold red, but my eye was quickly drawn to the model’s wrist. Lo and behold, there was my must-have fall accessory – a gold watch!

Here, Harper’s Bazaar styles a gold Cartier and gold Chopard Ice Cube with their fall looks. Cartier and Chopard have long been the ultimate go-to for ladies fashion and high-jewelry. If you’re like me, though, and want something a bit out of the ordinary, obsess with me over these gold watches:

I love the sporty yet totally feminine look of this red gold Corum Admiral’s Cup Competition 40 watch with its mother-of-pearl dial and unique 12 side diamond-set bezel.

And what is there not to love about this totally elegant yet quirky Piaget Limelight Magic Hour pink gold watch. Its movable oval diamond-set bezel gives you 3 different looks in just one watch.

So now when you feel like you can’t look at another pair of shoes or another “it” handbag, remember this season’s true must-have accessory — a gold watch at your wrist.

PS. Here’s another picture of the Piaget Limelight Magic Hour so you can see each of its three looks. Thanks for your question, Silvia!

Oh, how I love juicy gossip. As I’ve trolled the internet these many months looking for tasty bits on my favorite brands (all for you, Dear Readers), there’s been one story that’s kept cropping up. When it did, I’d raise my fist to the sky and say “Aww, shucks, how did I miss that one?” To my delight, the New York Post – known for all things juicy – has just re-aired this bit of dirty laundry, and so now I have a timely excuse to share my lurid fascination with one little detail in a tale of love gone wrong.

The love gone wrong is that of celebrity chef Todd English and his ex-fiancée, whom he (maybe) dumped at the altar and who (maybe), get this, “socked him with a Chopard watch during a fight over a prenup.” Everything, of course, is alleged, and I’ll leave debating the veracity of these tales to those who care. True or not, I am massively entertained that it’s never just a watch, it’s a Chopard. That is only right and proper, no?

The New York Post article, as is to be expected, is no random piece of news fluff. English is back in the limelight promoting his new restaurant, Ca Va, at the InterContinental New York Times Square. In the article, he’s pictured all decked out with “piercing blue eyes and tousled gelled hair” – and a massive wristwatch of indeterminate make. Please go have a look, and if you have any luck identifying it, let me know. Somehow I suspect it is not a Chopard.

If I wanted to make a deadly weapon of a Chopard timepiece, I’d throw in my lot with one of these babies:

The Miglia Mille, naturally, for its large case size and stainless steel construction. Really, when you’re going to bop someone on the head, a leather strap just won’t do. Chrono all the way, of course. Find someone with the right prison-gleaned shank-crafting skills, and I’m sure they could work wonders with those buttons. And then there’s the Ice Cube, because those square corners look so promising, and if you’re going to risk jail time, at least you’d do so looking good.

David Gandy is a guy you definitely recognize, but have no idea where you know him from. With his amazing good looks, it’s no surprise that he’s one of the most sought after male models in fashion today. You might have seen him working for Dolce & Gabbana, Zegna, Zara, and many others.

Here he is hitting the red carpet for the much anticipated action movie “The Expendables” in a dapper single button charcoal suit, perfectly finished with a black pocket square and a vintage Omega Speedmaster Chronograph watch. Solid choice, David!

Here are a few other supermodel-worthy timepieces we recommend for your next red carpet trek:

From left to right are: the De Ville X2 Co-Axial Chronograph; the Seamaster NZL-32 Chrono; and the De Ville Co-Axial Chronograph. All, of course, from Omega.

He may have started out as a school teacher, but Gordon Sumner (better know as Sting) had rock n’ roll on his brain from an early age.

Gordon cut his teeth on an old Spanish guitar abandoned by his uncle – but it was only a matter of time before Sting was a full blown musician.

Sting played in many jazz bands before deciding to move to London. He actually got the name Sting because he wore a yellow and black stripped shirt when he played live.

Once in London, he met Stewart Copeland and later Andy Summers, who together would become The Police. They became of of the biggest bands in rock and went out on top.

Sting went solo and received as many – if not more accolades for his solo work as he did with The Police.

So what does this Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee wear on his wrist? An undersized Bulgari…..

Would someone at Bulgari PLEASE read this blog and send Sting something bigger then 32mm?? It’s tiny and looks like he got it for his First Holy Communion or something…

So what would I put on the wrist of a rock-n-roll legend? Perhaps the Chopard LUC Twist or the IWC Portuguese Automatic Chrono. What would you pick?

Recent jewelry news has had us seeing green, and in more ways than one. Just this morning I ran across a tidbit over at National Jeweler about a recent auction by Gemfields, a colored-gem producer focusing on Zambian-mined emeralds. Their latest auction yielded their highest revenues to date, with $7.5 million generated from 800,000 carats of higher quality rough stones. Now, that means little to anyone who doesn’t follow these things, and even I don’t keep track of the rough market. Then I spotted this: the per carat prices were 83% higher than an auction of similar goods held by the same company as recently as November 2009. Yowzers. Does this mean it’s time to be buying emeralds, readers?

If you’ve never thought of wearing emeralds before, here are some tantalizing options from some of our favorite watchmakers, Chopard and Blancpain. I so rarely show you anything for the men in our audience, I thought it was time to switch it up with a few timepieces:

While you’re busy shopping watches that scream “Show me the money!”, someone somewhere is drying their tears after losing out in a recent dispute over an 840 pound rough emerald. Yes, 840 pounds. Currently valued at $400 million, the Bahia Emerald was purportedly purchased by one of the claimants for the measly sum of $60,000. Money well spent if the judgment goes his way (the judgment was expected this past Friday, but as of this writing it hadn’t reached the internet). Whoever wins, I wouldn’t want to be the gem cutter tasked with attacking that baby.

UPDATE: Looks like we’ll have to wait a bit as the ruling, and consequent tears, has been postponed until September.

Oscar winning actress Marion Cotillard appears on the July cover of American Vogue, though it’s the Mario Testino photographed editorial that’s of greater interest to us – for wholly self-interested reasons, of course. (Before I forget, though, you can likely still find this issue on the newsstands, else visit Vogue to see more pics and read the accompanying article.)

Our eyes, naturally, were immediately drawn to the image of Cotillard wearing a Dior watch. As always, we bemoan our inability to make out the exact model she wears, but we’ll enjoy speculating. Certainly looks like one of these:

Clearly, the yellow gold version is a red herring, but I couldn’t resist showing it to you anyway. I love the classic simplicity of these pieces; they’re at once modern and reminiscent of something from your grandmother’s jewel box.

Some people know him as Lawrence Zeiger – but the rest of the world knows his as Larry King – the tough talking host of the CNN late night show “Larry King Live”.

Larry always seems to have the “interview du jour” and his dance card is usually filled with names like Putin, Oprah, Clapton, Ahmadinejad, Obama, Trump and Dog the Bounty Hunter….Just to name a few..

Larry King was born in 1933 in Brooklyn and was raised in Florida where he spent most of his formative years. He cut his teeth in radio in the early 50′s since broadcast TV did not quite have the popularity as it does today.

Remember – this was back in a world where your TV set received 4 channels – and you liked it…. AND if you wanted to change the channel – you would get up off the couch and turn the dial to one of the other 3 channels (sometimes with a pair of pliers) .. Needless to stay Larry stayed in radio for a while.

Since the 50′s – Larry has had  successful careers in radio as well as cable tv receiving even more awards (+10) that he has had marriages (8).

So what does the host one of the most popular shows on CNN wear when he steps out on the town? A Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso!

Leave it to the house of Bvlgari to create a chic ladies timepiece that brings back that unforgettable icon of the 1980s–the futuristic digital time display! I’m referring to the unmistakable Ipno timepiece, without question one of the most distinctive and refreshing purely feminine watches available on the market at present.

While mechanical watches, preferable those with exotic in-house movements are what generally stir my blood, I find the little Bvlgari Ipno to be absolutely delightful.  It appeals on numerous levels at once.  How so?  It is a luxurious object that reflects artistry in an exotic combination of glossy ceramic, glistening steel, and scintillating round brilliant diamonds, yet it is simultaneously a fascinating style piece that is not derivative in the slightest.  The cylindrical case sits with perfect comfort on almost any wrist, and is sure to garner comments from curious admirers who simply can’t figure out exactly what it is.  In a market rife with imitations copying other imitations, that advantage by itself is no small attribute!

While there are numerous luxury watches out there of exceptional beauty for ladies, there are few to none that have the fetching combination of sleek elegance and futuristic cool that this one does.  For that reason (among others, clearly), the Bvlgari Ipno deserves a place in the timepiece collection of any woman.

Technorati Tags: Bvlgari

A highway might seem an unlikely source of inspiration for an ultra-luxury sports watch, but when it is one as famous as the Montauk–a picturesque strip of New York asphalt which traces a path through eastern Long Island and the prestigious Hamptons–it becomes a much easier thing to do.  At least that seems to be the thinking of Audemars Piguet, which recently debuted an eye-catching new edition/addition to the immensely popular Offshore Chronograph collection.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Montauk Highway Edition is definitely not for everyone, but those who love it will surely find the attraction strong.  While not as neutral and sartorially versatile as say, the classic AP Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph “Themes”, this special edition model has plenty of tasteful flair for the well-heeled collector–especially those already possessing an Offshore watch or two in their collection.  The signature brilliant light blue tachymeter scale and Arabic hour numbers are striking without being garish, and the rich chocolate chrono subdials create a pleasant contrast against the crisp white “grand tapestry” dial.  Then of course, there’s the amazing strap in chocolate brown hornback crocodile, which is almost as luxurious as the superbly finished case itself.  This beautiful (and costly) strap works wonders on many an Offshore Chronograph variant, including the Navy and the Safari, and it’s no less effective on the Montauk Highway Edition.  It buckles to the wrist via the famous “AP” folding clasp that artfully duplicates the brand’s insignia.

It’s amazing how many attractive guises the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore design can take on.  While some watch fans tire of the never-ending parade of limited editions from Audemars Piguet, even the most jaded must admit that many of these are really handsome, while demonstrating all the craftsmanship that has made AP a two-letter synonym for the best in high luxury sports timepieces.  The Montauk Highway Edition follows in that tradition, and gives the Audemars Piguet faithful another reason to continue their love affair with the legendary Offshore chronograph.   How many will be made, you ask?  Just 300.

Technorati Tags: Audemars Piguet, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore