Sometimes, a thin strap on a wristwatch just doesn’t satisfy. It’s too small, too demure. You want to be bolder. In comes the Gucci Twirl line to satisfy your need for a more robust wristwatch experience.

There it is in Black and White

The YA112516 Twirl Black Acetate is a watch mounted on a bracelet, thus making the band more of an accessory than a necessary afterthought. The watch portion itself is discrete but well placed for easy reading. Speaking of easy reading, the dial is black and the hands are silver-tone, providing good contrast–which you may need as this watch has no need for silly things like hour markers. Consequently, you should pay attention to which way the Gucci is written because this symmetrical design gives no other cues as to which way is up. Failure to pay attention to such little details could lead to embarrassing missed appointments.

The bracelet (it makes little sense to call it a band) dominates this piece, permitting the watch to grace it, which is a nice change from the normal hierarchy of wristwatches. The bracelet is constructed of Stainless steel outer bands, black acetate innerbands, and the innermost band is white acetate. This neutral arrangement will go well with a variety of outfits, but just screams for a large blocky handbag. I can’t help but wonder if perhaps there is a handbag manufacturer that makes bags like that with the appropriate stylings to match. Clearly further research on the subject is required.

The movement is Swiss quartz (naturally) and the display window is Gucci’s standard scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal with anti-reflective coating. The watch housing itself, like the main structure of the bracelet, is stainless steel.

Personally, I like the stainless steel outer bands because normally, I would be concerned about an acetate band getting cuts during normal wear and tear. Usually these start with scrapes at the edges, but with stainless steel trimming the edges acting as guards against stray scrapes, you can be more confident of the longevity of the inner band.

The biggest downside I see is that all that metal means more weight, and irony considering the recommendation to pair with a larger heavy purse style. If the black and white appearance seem too austere, there are several other models in different colourations that might serve your needs better.

Specs:

• Model YA112516
• Swiss Quartz Movement
• Scratch Resistant Sapphire Crystal display
• Water Resistant to 30 meters
• Stainless Steel housing