Time For Watches With Van Peterson 925 At Debenhams*

Many, many moons ago, when I was younger, richer and healthier, I considered myself to be a bit of a designer diva. Everything that I bought had to have the right label and I was obsessed with having the right handbag, the right pair of shoes and the right watch. I was probably a bit shallow back in those days but as circumstances have changed so have I. Nowadays I consider myself to be a bit more of a bargainista - I'm always looking out for the best buys and the best prices and 9 time out of 10, I don't like spending more money than I have to . 

Despite my new bargainista lifestyle it is still possible to buy items with a designer label for less by buying from a brands diffusion line. One off high street and designer collaborations are now common place but Debenhams is one high street store that's take this idea of a collaboration one step further.

Walk into any Debenhams store, nationwide and you can find exclusive items from the Designers At Debenhams range from the likes of Henry Holland, Julien MacDonald, Betty Jackson and Jasper Conran, As well as clothing you can find home accessories, handbags and jewellery.

A few weeks ago now I was contacted by the lovely people at Debenhams offering me a little pressie from the Designers At Debenhams range to celebrate Random Acts Of Kindness Week. There were a couple of options to choose from including some fabulous Betty Jackson Black jewellery pieces but I decided to go for a watch.

The watch that I chose was from a Designers At Debenhams brand Van Peterson 925. Founded by Eric Van Peterson and his wife Lin over 30 years ago, Van Peterson is a high end, designer jewellery brand favoured by the the likes of Charlize Theron, Poppy Delevigne and Annie Lennox. Understandably though their pieces aren't cheap. Their  prices reflect the precious stones and metals that they use as well as their individual and one off designs. Thankfully though for those of us with a more moderate budget Eric Van Peterson has teamed up with Debenhams to produce a more affordable range of jewellery pieces and watches.

Like you would expect with any designer lead item, the packaging was perfection. My watch came beautifully packaged in a black and silver box, complete with a black ribbon bow, and the Van Peterson logo in silver and black. It really does look like a present and anyone receiving it would know that was something special inside.

Nestled around a black velour cushion was my watch. This is the Van Peterson Mini Branded Bezel Watch.

In silver tone, it has the traditional gate link strap, with the Van Peterson logo on the clasp.

The watch face is made from a gorgeous iridescent mother of pearl, and it features the Van Peterson logo in silver, silver tone hands, and each of the numbers are represented by a square crystal surrounded by silver.

The watch features a silver tone bezel, which features the words Van Peterson all the way around.

Fit wise this watch is a little bit loose on me but I actually like it like that. I love layering up my watch with bracelets and bangles so I actually don't mind the slackness or the fact that I can wear it further up my arm. Unfortunately you can't alter the strap on this watch yourself but there is some information within the box where you can get the strap altered for just £5.50 + postage.

I have to say I don't think any of my photographs actually do this beautiful watch justice. The silver tone is very, very shiny, and the mother of pearl face flashes with the most amazing rainbow shades.

I think that this is an ideal watch to take you from day to night. It has quite a traditional, masculine, utilitarian shape but the addition of the crystals and the mother of pearl on the dial give it a bit more of a glamorous look. 

I'm absolutely in love with this watch and whilst I would be the first to say that I'm not a regular watch wearer, I've worn this non stop since I received it, and I've had so many lovely comments on it already.

This Van Peterson Mini Branded Bezel Watch retails at £70 but unfortunately it's out of stock online

at the moment. If you're looking for a watch either for yourself or as a Mothers Day gift though, Debenhams have a large range of watches to choose from no matter what your budget. You can find watches from some of their Designers At Debenhams brands including  Jasper Conran, John Rocha, Van Peterson and Floozie by Frost French, as well as timepieces from well known brands such as DKNY, Skagen, Fossil and Guess.

Are you a fan of high street and designer collaborations? I'd love to hear your thoughts x 

(*Sample)