Quirky Backstory. Quirky Backstory. Quirky Backstory. Quirky Backstory. Quirky Backstory
Money Clips Watches. Money Clips Watches. Money Clips Watches. Money Clips Watches
21 August 2025
The Quirky Backstory Of Money Clips Watches
Wristwatches may dominate today, but for much of the 20th century watchmakers were restless experimenters, slipping dials into objects far beyond the wrist. Rings, pendants, lighters, even belt buckles. And then came one of the strangest hybrids of them all: the money clip watch.
Add a watch, and suddenly you had an object that blended practicality, ostentation, and novelty in equal measure.
Cartier, Baume & Mercier, Vacheron Constantin and a few others tried their hand at the concept. Designs ranged from sleek miniaturized dials tucked into geometric frames, to more playful models that incorporated compasses alongside the watch, a discreet nod to adventure, even if the owner’s true journeys rarely went beyond a cocktail party.
Some were detailed with Roman numerals, Breguet hands, or even jewels, reminding you that this was still haute horlogerie hiding in plain sight.
But as clever as they were, money clip watches were never destined for mass success. They were fragile, sometimes awkward to read, and bound to a very particular style moment. Once wallets and wristwatches became the norm, the trend faded, leaving only small runs and scattered survivors in the hands of collectors.
