When it comes to truly enjoying her collection, Emily Goldstein proves that there’s no time like the present.
Emily Goldstein
“I love that a watch is functional fashion,” says designer Emily Goldstein. “Not only does it tell time, but it can also tell you a lot about a person’s style.” Goldstein, an L.A. native who founded her successful fine jewelry line, EF Collection, in 2010, formed an appreciation for timepieces at a young age—her dad is an avid collector—but didn’t start building her own collection until her early 20s. “My first watch was a Rolex Datejust 41 in Oystersteel with a white face and a Roman numeral dial,” the West Hollywood resident shares. “It will always hold a special place in my heart because it was gifted to me by my parents for my 21st birthday. It was also a Rolex! I felt special and cool wearing it.”
Heure H gem-set steel case with polished alligator strap, $18,800, Hermès, Beverly Hills, hermes.com
From there, her collection grew. “When I started EF Collection, my dad told me that I needed to ‘step up my watch game.’” He passed down his platinum Rolex Day-Date 40 with a Roman numeral dial and President bracelet, and now, it’s Goldstein’s go-to. “When I put it on, I think of him,” she says. A Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas watch in stainless steel was a “to-me, from-me” present. “It’s like a work of art on my wrist,” she says. An Hermès Heure H stainless steel and diamond watch gifted to Goldstein was purchased at a charity event. “It originally belonged to Sharon Stone and had a sentimental message engraved on the back,” Goldstein explains. “It came with a bracelet band, but… I decided to purchase an Hèrmes red crocodile band to make it more youthful and fun.”
From top: Day-Date 40 in white gold, $37,550, Polacheck’s Jewelers, Calabasas and rolex.com; Datejust 41 in Oystersteel, $7,350, Polacheck’s Jewelers, Calabasas and rolex.com.
Goldstein gets great mileage out of her favorite pieces and is a pro at putting different looks together. “If I’m wearing one of my bolder watches, I’ll coordinate my other jewels so they don’t compete.” And as far as rules go, she’s is in the do-your-own-thing camp. “There really are no rules,” quips the bride-to-be, who’s hard at work on a bridal collection and expanding her brand globally. “More and more, I’m seeing women wearing their formal watches every day with jeans and a tee, and why not? Enjoy them!”
Serpenti Tubogas watch in stainless steel, $11,100, Bulgari, Beverly Hills, bulgari.com
Photography by: portrait by Alex La Cruz | watch photos courtesy of brands
