Are mesh bracelets having a moment, and do we have microbrands to thank for that?

Borna Bošnjak

Before it ended up as a shark bite-proof method of attaching a dive watch to your wrists (which tend not to be as shark-proof, or so I hear), the ancient metal ring-weaving technique of Milanese or mesh bracelets dates all the way back to the Etruscans. Since those ancient times, they’ve been fashioned of precious metals as jewellery, and when it comes to watches, peaked in the 1970s with makers like Jean-Pierre Ecoffey making metal flow like silk. As with most things, they were eventually cycled out by ever-changing trends, but a few recent releases from both micro and big box brands alike have made me think the style is slowly merging with the mainstream.

Always in the background, but now widely adopted

Just as a quick disclaimer, I’m in no way claiming that mesh watch bracelets are a new development. In fact, they enjoyed a particularly popular spell in the 1970s, fitted to watches like the original Omega Ploprof and soldered to the case of many a Patek Philippe. Modern watches like the Breitling SuperOcean above and the Longines Legend Diver have long been available with this bracelet style, and while you’ll certainly see them out and about, they’re not enough to prove a trend is true.

The watch that made me curious about this is actually another Omega, more specifically, the slew of recent Seamaster Diver 300M releases. Many of them now sport mesh bracelets, using the style in multiple materials, and (at least in my view) vastly improving upon the extant link bracelet in style and on-wrist comfort.

It’s not just Omega, either. The Patek Philippe Ellipse is back on a mesh bracelet (and looks stunning at that), while Jaeger-LeCoultre brought it to the Reverso earlier this year and pretty much took the people’s choice prize for the best dress watch of Watches and Wonders 2025. Since I’m listing new watches with mesh bracelets, I should also point out the funky Mido Commander 1959 Pixel, Leica’s ZM series, and Hamilton’s new 40mm Khaki chronos.

In many ways, this perhaps shouldn’t be that surprising. Trends are famously cyclical, and the watch world is also famously stuck in its own ways, so while fashion has already reached the odd capri and hoodie pairings of the ’90s, watches are just about now fully coming ’round to the 1970s. It’s not just the mesh bracelets – we’ve seen the trend of shapely, design-first pieces explode over the last year from both big and small brands.

Micros are doing the heavy lifting

So, we’ve established that the idea of the mesh bracelet isn’t really that novel, and that several big box brands have featured them in their collections for some time. And yet, microbrands have played a crucial role in the emergence of this microtrend. Sure, the SuperOcean has had a mesh bracelet option for some time, but you could’ve just as easily gone with a rubber strap. Watches like the Serica 5303 or Baltic Prismic, however, have made the mesh bracelet a part of their identity, making it more than just a stylistic choice that fits the watch.

Yes, those watches are available with other strap options, too, but lose just a bit of their original charm once you put them on a leather strap. Though Furlan Marri’s Disco Volante is quite nice on a leather strap, you could put it in the same category.

So, if they didn’t come first, what makes them so important? Unlike a brand that’s part of some huge conglomerate with an overly complicated corporate structure and a stifling HR department, many micros and independents can take bigger risks, including when it comes to design choices.

The original microbrand idea (and a bit of a running joke in the community) – is that of the vintage-inspired diver. There are plenty of them out there from household names, but it was the micros that really took the idea and ran with it, spawning a myriad of designs in the process. Shaped watches fared similarly – not exactly a fully original idea given the existence of Cartier – but brands like Anoma, Toledano & Chan and Berneron made it cool again.

A quick word on vintage

I’ve already mentioned the effect of the 1970s, but didn’t really talk about the watches from the period. With so many customers now turning to vintage for their next purchase, the silky smooth bracelets made by Gay Frères, Ecoffey, and Cornu have been popping up more and more. With the geezer watch trend alive and kicking, I can only expect mesh bracelets to become even more common.

Note: Patek Philippe bracelet by Gay Frères in feature image courtesy of Wind Vintage.