Rolex watch bands

Let me make a point with an Orchid model from Rolex's Cellini collection.

Orchid is an extremely glitzy 18-carat gold watch. Its guilloche mother-of-pearl dial is set with diamonds, while the bezel and bracelet are bedecked with brilliants. The overall look is very ornate.

Now, Rolex had an excellent idea to offer an alternate wristband for this model: a plain black leather strap. Replace the bejeweled bracelet with the leather one, and voilà -the look is more subdued, though still quite dressy.

Rolex offers a wide variety of bracelets, ranging from rugged to elegant. They are available in steel, 18-carat white, yellow, or pink gold, or the combination of steel and gold called Rolesor.

Most of Rolex sports models in the Oyster Professional collection, such as the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, Explorer, GMT Master II and Yacht-Master, come with Oysterlock bracelets. Made of solid chunks of steel, or steel with gold, these bracelets are robust enough to resist all kinds of pressure. The Cosmograph Daytona sports a plain leather strap in addition to the Oyster.

Watches in Rolex's Oyster Perpetual line, such as Datejust, Lady Datejust, and Day-Date, come with a variety of dressier bracelets to offset the more elegant design of the timepieces. While the Oyster bracelet pops up on several models, the finer President band, as well as the Jubilee, which features closely woven rounded pieces of gold intertwined between larger chunks, is the dressiest of them all.

The Cellini collection sports mostly plain leather straps in various subdued hues, which complement perfectly the clean lines and the discreet elegance of the timepieces.

Whether you like the no-frills sports design, the flashy, gem-encrusted look, or, like me, prefer sleek and simple lines, the bracelet you choose will, in many ways, round out the look of your timepiece.