Vintage Gucci Bezel Watches: A Guide to the 1100L, 1200L & 1500L
Open the box of a vintage Gucci bezel watch and the first thing you see isn't the watch. It's the row of coloured rings beside it, sometimes a dozen or more, each one twisting onto the case to turn it into a different watch.
Purple today, gold tomorrow, lilac at the weekend. Look closely and you'll spot “Swiss Made” in tiny letters at the bottom of the dial, just under the interlocking G.
Gucci introduced the idea in the mid-1980s under the name 11/12, and it's still the reason so many people come looking for vintage Gucci today. Gucci even revived the design decades later, but for most collectors the original, in its green box, is the one to own.
The three vintage Gucci references we're asked about most are the 1100L, the 1200L and the 1500L. Here's how they differ, and how to choose between them.
Gucci 1100L: the bezel watch on a bangle
This is the one most people picture. A round dial framed by a removable bezel, on a fine gold bangle that slips over your hand. On the pieces we have, the bezel measures 2.6cm across and the bangle has two clasp settings, around 16cm and 16.5cm, so it sits loosely like a bracelet.
The bangle can't be shortened, so fit is the thing to check. Compare the length with a bracelet you already wear. If it works, it's one of the easiest watches there is to style, on its own as a statement or stacked with thin gold bangles. Full sets are what collectors chase, and the one pictured above, with 13 bezels, is about as complete as they come.
Gucci 1200L: the same idea on a bracelet
The 1200L keeps the 2.6cm interchangeable bezel and puts it on a link bracelet instead, made of rounded gold links that catch the light every time you move. It looks a little more like a classic watch, and the bracelet can be made smaller by removing links, which makes it the better choice for petite wrists. Ours measures about 14.5cm. If you want the bezel watch for everyday wear, this is the one.
Gucci 1500L: small and understated
No bezels here. The 1500L is a slim rectangular case, around 13mm across, on a rigid bangle with a Swiss quartz movement. It's the quiet one of the three.
The mother of pearl versions are the prettiest. In daylight the dial shifts between cream and soft pink, and at that size it reads more like jewellery than a watch. Ours has two clasp settings, roughly 15.5cm and 16cm.
Before you buy a vintage Gucci watch
Count the bezels. More bezels means more ways to wear it, and complete sets are much harder to find. Check the length against your wrist, especially on the bangles. Expect some wear to the gold plating on a watch this age, and make sure the photos show it clearly. And ask whether it's been tested with a fresh battery.
Every Gucci we sell is tested, fitted with a new battery and listed with full measurements and close-ups of any wear. Not sure about sizing? Message us on live chat and we'll measure it again for you.
The Gucci edit
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