Five Essential Handbags & The Watches We’d Pair Them With

A classic no-brainer of a pairing (that fashion victims will tell you ranks right up there with sneakers or whisky in terms of its niche appeal) we’re tackling fine leather handbags for this month’s edition of ‘In Good Company’ - and of course, the watches we’d pair them with.

Without wanting to overstate the obvious, there are any number of reasons why excitable shoppers have banged on about the merits of the luxury watch/luxury bag pairing.

Both categories traditionally serve as excellent platforms for the showcase of traditional, region-specific craftsmanship (sometimes referred to as métiers d’art); whilst also offering a wealth of collecting opportunities.

More importantly, bags and mechanical watches have a tendency to impact an individual’s personal style in a manner that is figuratively and literally disproportionate.

The very definition of a ‘small but mighty’ accessory, both are diminutive wrist-borne objects; often saying more about a person’s identity than the clothes on their back. Put two and two together, and you’ve got pretty much everything you need to understand what a given individual is into.

As with our March formalwear focus, this month we are once again enlisting the expert eye of Ms. Vanessa Sin - a London-based fashion marketer with a predilection for all things worn crossbody or in the crook of one’s arm.

From classic wardrobe staples to avant-garde creations which give off a real ‘IYKYK’ vibe, here are five essential watch and handbag pairings worthy of your consideration. 

Bottega Veneta ‘Jodie’ (In Green)

Building upon the work of the design team at Bottega Veneta in the early 2000s, the ‘Jodie’ (nicknamed after Academy Award winner Jodie Foster) is actually a relatively new addition to the world of luxury handbags - characterized by its knotted handle, woven intrecciato leather, and pointed absence of branding.

First launched in 2020, Sin describes this as “an instantly recognizable cult classic”: a now-established bit of kit, available in three sizes, offering tremendous wearability in a range of daily situations.

Wear It With: Royal Oak ‘30th Anniversary’ Italy Edition

Why It Works: Both iconic design objects (which just so happen to be wearable) in their own right, we’ve opted to match the Jodie - in Bottega’s signature shade of bright, apple-crisp green - with a Royal Oak LE made to commemorate Audemars Piguet’s 30-year relationship with its Italian distributors.

The ‘Jodie’ and this classic 39mm evocation of the Royal Oak share an excellent, immediately eye-catching form language; and, for some added synchronicity, we think the latter’s khaki dial picks up subtly on the brighter, white tones you’ll find in the Jodie’s distinctive intrecciato exterior. 

Lady Dior Medium (In Blush Cannage)

A “classically feminine” style from the House of Dior, the ‘Lady Dior’ is to handbag aficionados what neo-vintage chronographs are to watch collectors.

First seen on the arm of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1995; it was subsequently christened the ‘Lady’ in her honor. The design has figured prominently over the decades in the work of numerous Dior Creative Directors including Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

According to Sin, the style is popularly worn as an occasional bag, be it for “a romantic candle-lit dinner” or “spree of shopping in Selfridges”. Typically, the plain calfskin models are stitched using a chequerboard pattern known as cannage: itself a house code which derives from Christian Dior’s well-documented love of the Napoleon III armchair.

Wear It With: Royal Oak Self-winding Rose Gold (Gem-set)

Why It Works: On the most fundamental level, the ‘Lady Dior’ is a classic top-carrying style of handbag, which we’d readily characterize as refined, elegant, and maybe even a little dainty.

For all those reasons, you really can’t go wrong throwing this on alongside a precious metal Royal Oak. The popular ‘blush’ cannage colorway offers a number of subtle visual contrasts reminiscent of gem-set Royal Oaks: with the latter also being built around the interplay between metal hardware and pink, textured surfaces. 

Chanel ‘Classic’ Small (In Grained Black Calfskin)

A bag that shall be recognizable to even the most brand-agnostic of consumers, the Chanel ‘Classic’ is the modern embodiment of a design heritage going all the way back to the 1950s.

Originally conceived by founder Coco Chanel as the ‘Flap Bag’, the ‘Classic’ takes its spiritual predecessor’s core elements and embellishes them. Many of these were popularized by Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s highly influential long-time Creative Director, and include (in no particular order): the signature pebbled ‘Caviar’ leather, interlocking double-C clasp, and combination metal/leather chain.

“On any list of essential, classically elegant handbags,” says Sin, “including this is a no-brainer”.

Wear It With: J12 in black ceramic

Why It Works: In the spirit of not wishing to overcomplicate things, we’ve opted to pair Chanel’s timeless pebble grain flap design together with a simple mechanical three-hander - from the company’s own watchmaking division no less.

Much like the Classic, the J12 demonstrates Chanel’s unwavering commitment to a set of defined aesthetic and functional codes.

The latter’s pearlescent ceramic construction mirrors the sumptuous, very nearly tactile sensation of the signature caviar leather; and whether you’re wearing them in tandem or separately, you can be assured they’ll be hard-working additions to any wardrobe that involves high-end executions of classic fashion staples.

Hermès ‘Birkin’ 30 w/Palladium Hardware (In Gold Togo)

A totemic symbol of the luxury goods industry all around the globe, Hermès’ Birkin handbag - presently made by the French leather goods specialist in 4 different sizes - offers a blueprint for the archetypal ‘it bag’.

The consummate example of an object that is “often imitated” but “never duplicated”, it was borne out of a conversation in 1984 between actress-singer Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, the then-CEO of Hermès.

A doyenne of the jetset, Birkin was adamant about the need for a daily carry she could comfortably utilize during travel. The resulting product offered a peerless combination of elegance and practicality; and in the ensuing 40 years has become a grail item of practically universal desirability.

Whether you prefer deadstock Jordans or the outrageous decadence of a couture house like Schiaparelli, chances are - when presented with the opportunity - you’d have no reservations about styling either with Hermès most popular daily carry. Practical features such as the lengthy top handles and multi-part lock closure play a huge role in this widespread appeal.

As Sin is at pains to point out though, with Birkin love comes the legendarily thorny issue of supply. “When it comes to Birkins,” she says, “you never choose the bag - the bag chooses you”.

First-time buyers fortunate enough to receive an allocation are often denied a say in the kind of leather and hardware their Birkin will arrive with; but, assuming you have the option, Sin suggests that “you can never go wrong with gold togo”. A drummed style of leather introduced by Hermès in 1997, it is beloved by first-timers for its strength, lightness and surprisingly weather-resistant properties - all things one needs in a good everyday bag.

Wear It With: Aquanaut Rose Gold (‘Chocolate’ Dial)

Why It Works: An independent luxury house of Hermès’ stature deserves a watchmaker with a similarly rabid following; and if wanton popularity and exclusivity are the qualities you’re looking for, then the elephant in the room is most certainly Patek Philippe.

Like the Kelly, Patek’s family of Aquanaut sports watches is geared toward collectors who demand practicality, but with zero concessions as to style. This particular reference (the 5167R) offers a continuation on the theme of warm, reddish browns established with the gold ‘togo’ leather; yet wears effortlessly in virtually any situation - all thanks to the vulcanized rubber strap and self-winding movement.

Alaïa Rose Marie Small Laser-Cut Clutch

Named for a notable model that Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa shared rooms with upon first arriving in Paris in the early 1960s, the ‘Rose Marie’ is the consummate illustration (in clutch-like form) of all the deft tailoring and form accentuation for which Maison Alaïa is known.

By turns elegant and edgy, its most eye-catching characteristic is the vienne style pattern that runs all around the bag’s exterior - bringing to mind images of delicate lace or traditional Tunisian architecture.

For an option “aptly highlighting the level of craftsmanship that Alaïa is known for”, Sin suggests the ‘optic white’ colorway - a stark backdrop against which to enjoy the veritable matrix of criss-crossing perforations and shapes.

Wear It With: Franck Muller Long Island Stainless Steel

Why It Works: Stop us if you’ve heard this one, but for a personality in the world of watchmaking whose creative process is reminiscent of Monsieur Alaïa, we think Franck Muller makes a pretty compelling fit.

The independent Swiss watchmaker has used his well-documented qualifications in the art of traditional horology to inform the creation of products that are visually striking and mechanically avant-garde.

For the fashion lover who isn’t afraid to stray from the pack (and we assume Alaïa clients aren’t) Muller’s ‘Long Island’ design provides a ton of fun on the wrist - characterized by bold typography and a curvex form language that is subtly distorted. A real ‘chess, not checkers’ choice that we think complements an equally individualistic handbag.