My fellow editors and I are always putting each other onto something new. Sometimes it's a designer one of us has been following for years. Other times it's something one of us wore to lunch. Those are the finds I tend to look up on my way home, especially if I can already picture them with what I have on. That's how the Movado Museum Velura Mini made it straight onto my wish list.
My colleague wore hers with an oversized white poplin shirt, the cuffs rolled back just enough to show the bracelet, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. The face is petite, the woven mesh has the shine of a favorite bracelet, and I can already picture it peeking out from the gray sweater I wear at least twice a week. Naturally, I had a few questions.
What makes this little watch stand out?
The bracelet caught my eye first. It's made from Milanese mesh, a traditional Italian metalworking technique that weaves fine metal links into a band supple enough to move like fabric. The 21mm case gives the weave room to show, while Movado's signature dot at 12 o'clock stands out even on the scaled-down Museum Dial. I'm partial to the yellow gold-tone version. The dial and bracelet are the same shade, but the smooth face has an even gleam while the mesh catches the light with every turn of the wrist.
How much do I need to spend for a little shine?
The answer is less than I expected. The stainless steel Mini is $895, and its silvery mesh has plenty of luster on its own. If it's a diamond watch you're after, the wider Museum Velura collection offers a 25mm version with a lab-grown diamond bezel from $1,895. The diamond-set Velura is the one I'd want peeking out from a tuxedo jacket at a holiday party. The steel Mini is the one I can picture putting on the next morning, with a button-down and the same silver earrings.
Can I wear it from errands to dinner?
This is where the mesh earns its keep. It has the shine I'd usually save for a cocktail bracelet, but the flexible band sits easily under a coat sleeve and feels as soft as a leather strap. I'd wear the rose gold-tone Mini with a gray crewneck and jeans for Saturday errands, then change into a black silk top for dinner and leave the watch exactly where it is. By evening, with a little more wrist showing, it can do the work of the bracelet I'd otherwise have gone home to put on.
