Golden Globes, BAFTA, Oscars, tons of to-die-for gems and dresses have been everywhere in the news...the happy kind of news. The Cannes Film Festival isn't too far off and Valentine's day just passed you by. In the middle of all this splurge, you didn't get, or didn't treat yourself to, the right amount of diamonds, of gold, of everything shiny you secretly desire. But weep not, for there's still a way to look completely fabulous without bleeding cash. More than one actually. There is a deep trend for value propositions in current watchmaking, where measured amounts of precious metal and stones will afford you the actuality of luxury without draining your bank account. 
Steel is your best friend. Yes, and don't deny it : you think it looks as good as white gold, which it does under the right circumstances, which are mainly a matter of manufacturing quality. So are quartz movements, which will absolutely do the job for a substantially smaller amount. Case in point, an Omega Trésor, a Chopard Happy Sport will look fab on you, provide you with the light of gem-set metal, and you'll get to keep both your arm and your leg. Plus a Montblanc Bohème will do just that with an automatic movement, which is more chic. 
But here's an even cleverer way to go about it. Go to Longines for a decently priced gold and diamonds watch. A 26 mm rose gold case Record with a total of 45 decently-sized diamonds will be easy on the eye and the wallet. Finally, there's another door you might want to open : ladies' complications. Indeed, you might be able to afford Maurice Lacroix's Masterpiece Embrace, where two hearts rotate against one another in an unlikely circle, for an unlikely fee.
