It was one that really bore no likeness to the aforementioned bracelets due to its open design. Nobody was a specialist in creating steel bracelets at that time, so GF was a necessary partner.Īt that same time, Frères did the ladder bracelet for the Zenith El Primero.
Oh, Gay Frères was also instrumental in working with Audemars Piguet to create a steel bracelet for the Royal Oak and with Patek Philippe to create the Nautilus bracelet. Frères did takes on the beads-of-rice style in the mid-20th century, most notably for Heuer. Fun fact: Way back in 2016, the most expensive watch sold was the Patek Philippe 1518 (which sold for the pauper’s fortune of $11 million) that had a Gay Frères beads-of-rice bracelet. Frères also did work for the other big boys, creating bracelets for Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. It was the first bracelet supplier for Rolex in the 1930s and 1940s, supplying what can reasonably be described as the proto-Oyster bracelet (decades later in 1998, Rolex would outright purchase the firm). There aren’t many watch bracelet makers whom enthusiasts, let alone casual fans, would know by name, but Gay Frères is up there.
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