A beads of rice bracelet is a metal watch bracelet with a row of five small, rounded centre links set between larger, flat outer links. The design is credited to Gay Frères of Geneva. It was fitted to some of Patek Philippe’s most important watches and became important to Omega in the 1960s.
What does a beads of rice bracelet look like?
Each row of the bracelet has a line of five rounded links in the middle. Larger, flat links sit on either side of them. The inner links are usually polished. They look somewhat like small metal grains of rice. The result is a rounded, beaded texture through the centre of the bracelet, framed by flat edges.
Where it comes from
The design is credited to Gay Frères, a family-run bracelet maker in Geneva. It supplied its bracelets to the major watch brands. The firm is said to have been founded in 1830, and it first made chains for pocket watches. Gay Frères made beads of rice bracelets from the 1940s into the 1960s.
How do you spot a vintage beads of rice bracelet?
Look closely at where the bracelet meets the watch case. Vintage beads of rice bracelets typically attach to the case with straight end links. Later bracelets use fitted end links instead. Original Gay Frères examples are scarce, and collectors pay a lot for them. That demand is why modern makers such as Forstner sell reproductions of the design.
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