The bezel is the unusual part. Instead of metal it is a mottled tortoiseshell-effect ring in cream and brown, wrapped around a mother-of-pearl dial. Two natural-looking materials on one small watch could easily have gone wrong, and the pale grey strap is what keeps it calm. Case and Wrist Presence Thirty-two millimetres and slim, with a rounded bezel ring that stands slightly proud of the dial. The ring is thick enough to be the first thing you notice, which shifts the watch away from tool and towards accessory. Silver-tone keepers hold the strap at the lugs and pick up the tone of the numerals. On the wrist it sits flat and low, and at this size it reads as a bracelet with a dial in it. Dial and Legibility Mother-of-pearl, which means no two of these dials are identical – the shell is cut and laid, so the grain runs differently on each one and the colour shifts between white, cream and pale blue as your wrist turns. Silver-tone Roman numerals sit at three, six, nine and twelve with slim batons between. The hands are fine and silver-toned. Mother-of-pearl is a low-contrast dial by nature and this one is no exception: you read it comfortably in daylight and by hand position in the dark. Functions Hours and minutes. No date window, no sub-dial and nothing else on the dial, which is the right decision – a date cut into a mother-of-pearl face would have spoilt the grain. Set the time through the crown and leave it. Strap and Fit Pale grey leather, smooth-finished, with polished keepers at both lugs. Grey is a more interesting choice than white against a tortoiseshell ring and it is far easier to keep clean. Soft leather at this width takes the shape of the wrist within a week. Keep it away from hand cream, which is the usual cause of a light strap discolouring. Who This Watch Suits Someone who wants a watch that does not look like every other one on the table. The tortoiseshell ring and shell dial give it character at a size that stays wearable every day. Care and Maintenance Mother-of-pearl and resin both dislike solvents – clean with a barely damp cloth and nothing stronger. Take the watch off before swimming. When the battery goes, use a watchmaker: a shell dial shows every speck of dust that a careless caseback opening lets in. About the Brand Emporio Armani watches follow the label’s own instincts: pick two good materials, keep the shapes simple, and let the eagle at twelve be the only branding the dial carries. Technical Specifications Attribute Specification Brand Emporio Armani Reference AR11002 Case diameter 32mm Case shape Round Bezel Tortoiseshell effect Dial Mother-of-pearl Markers Roman numerals and batons Strap Pale grey leather Gender Women’s Warranty 24 months Buying With Confidence Twenty-four months of international manufacturer warranty cover the movement. The battery and everyday wear sit outside that. The watch arrives new and unworn in its original box with the manufacturer’s paperwork, delivered by tracked courier nationwide, and an unworn watch in its original packaging may be returned under the Consumer Protection Act.