Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1989)
a v * - « > 4 W •» V * * . *. , » » y < > 4 - ^ V * > « ^ Time’s right for fashion watches By Karen Engels Emerald Contributor Americans are not only ob sessed with time, but now with timepieces too A different watch for every mood, day or outfit is becom ing the norm as buyers are CUSTOM mCRO Student and Professional Computer Systems Configured for Your Application— . 824 CHARNEL TON EUGENt 4853545 Monday Saturday 10-5 TOSHIBA ■■minn mnovell NEC SANITY INSURANCE WHY INDOOR TANNING: «*■ ll'a like eontrolllotf the wn with the touch of e button. 5s V PaU« ua^r lUtMf-dlMrt lampa dmignad to attmiaata 96% of tha aun'a nMt haraAil ray*. W Eacapa tha coDafa rat-raca with two or throa 20-minuta aeaaiona each awak and aaa how modi batter you'll fcal - and looUI WHY 8UN8HQWER: ^ ■V Oo-campua location moat convanient far Dm huay univanity community. .^1 Of Frtandly, halpAil auff attunad to your collage Ufaotyia. SUNSHOWER TANNING 874 E. I3th Ave. (upataif by Kinko'«) 485-2323 RESUMES Give your resume a professional look, by hav ing it typeset at Letter Perfect Graphics. 300 EMU.bttf>-4381 9-5 Mon-Fri. r less interested in the time and more interested in the look Fashion watch sales are up and were popular tor Christ mas gilts, according to Crys tal O'Dell, who works in fash ion watches at Meier and Frank Because fashion watches aren't as expensive as a jeweler's watch, people are buying several People are wearing watches more often, whether or not they want to know the time, said O'Dell, who also owns several watch es. Watches are like pieces of jewelry, not just timepieces, said Frank Hamer, a salesper son in the fine jewelry depart ment of Meier and Frank Watch sales account for 25 percent of the business in that department, he said Now a valuable accessory, watches have taken on more impor tance as people seek unusual styles and new looks. • Shapes: The geometric look is in with octagons, triangles and squares. Hearts, half cir cles and undefinable shapes appear frequently. A trend now popular in France and just beginning here is the double- or multiple-faced watch Hamer said he has al ready had some requests for those. • Size: The bigger the better Woman need not be confined to dainty watches, with tiny bands Large faces are in de mand and the average diam eter of watch faces has ex panded for both men and women. • Colors: You name it, you can find it While black, silver and gold continue to sell well, display cases are full of green, red, orange, purple and multi-colored watches and bands. "Consumers are changing their perceptions," said Pam Singh, salesperson at Kaufman's. "They are changing their watches now with their clothes and moods." A different color watch with every outfit. Gucci markets a watch with change able bezel (the pari that encir cles the face) colors, which is selling well according to Hamer and is being copied by other companies Swatch is known for bright colored plas tic and creative bands and faces, popular not only with 1 Traffic WORKS INC. teenagers, but with adults too. according to salespeople Kamillion sells a "mood ring type watch that changes col ors • Modes of wearing: Not only are watch faces growing, but timepieces are abandoning wrists as creative new ways to tell the time pop up. Watch pins worn on lapels have an upside down face so they can be easily read Pocket watch es for men and women show up on necklaces or in pock ets Wide metal or chain bracelets with watches are making appearances as are jeweled cuff-like watches, and ankle watches in France may cross the Atlantic before long Pop Swatches can be at tached to clothing, wherever you like with a detachable back. • Busier faces: Moon phases "practically sold out this year,” Hamer said, and have been big sellers. Different ways of displaying the tradi tional date and time and more decoration proliferate this year. The see-through, watch the gears-turn look appears often Jay Jacobs sells a watch with a raised sundial that comes with instructions on how to read it Another watch there with a flair of rhinestones circling one watch face is selling well. Ro man numerals abound. How ever, despite all the decora tion, a glossy black Gucci watch with only hands and a plain face with sans numbers is one of the most popular, Hamer said. • Diver's watches: Watches that are sporty enough to wear windsurfing or in the of fice are holding strong this year. Whether waterproof to 300 meters or a water resis tant look-alike, they're selling. Other watches that reflect a hobby or sport show them selves in miniature golfers on watch faces or even Mickey Mouse, whose 60th anniversa ry this year increased sales at Meier and Frank. Rolex and its imitators are also going strong. "People want to make a statement," says Singh. "Peo ple wear watches for looks and for fun - time isn't the key anymore." Fossil, an inno vative watch designer, has several unique watches out this year. One has a bulky, wide band made entirely of safety pins and chains and an other has a face with blue liq uid and floating parts. (Both at Kaufmans, Valley River) Watches are now fashion, not function, Singh said. The prices might be encour aging increased sales this year Fashion watches range in price from $35 to $125 usu ally, according to O'Dell, and people are tending to have several watches instead of just one. But despite the expanding fashion watch business, fine jeweler's watches continue to be in demand, said Khristie Martlnka, salesperson at Har ry Ritchies. People are always replacing watches. Martinka said. A jeweler's watch ranges from $150 to $300, she said, and a 14 karat watch with dia monds can cost from $1,000 to $1,500
