Guides
The houses
A great house is recognisable long before you see its name. You know it by a particular stitch, the weight of a clasp, a quilting pattern, a crown or a screw-head motif. Each of these guides introduces one house: where it began, what it is known for, the materials it favours and the details our specialists look at when a piece from that house reaches our studio.
Leather goods
- Hermès: Parisian saddlers since 1837. The hand saddle stitch, the Kelly, the Birkin and the Constance.
- Chanel: quilting, the interlocking CC and the chain strap, from the 2.55 to the Boy bag.
- Louis Vuitton: trunk-makers turned leather-goods house; Monogram, Damier, the Speedy and the Neverfull.
- Gucci: Florentine leather, bamboo handles, the Horsebit and the Double G.
- Bottega Veneta: intrecciato weaving and the quiet confidence of an unbranded bag.
- Mulberry: Somerset leather and the British bag, from the Bayswater to the Alexa.
Watches
- Rolex: the Oyster case, the Perpetual rotor and the models that defined the sports watch.
- Omega: the Speedmaster, the Seamaster and a long history of chronometry.
Jewellery
- Cartier: the jeweller of kings; the Love bracelet, Juste un Clou, the Tank and the Santos.
- Tiffany & Co.: the Tiffany Setting, Return to Tiffany and the Schlumberger designs.
Reading a house guide
Each guide opens with a key-facts table: when the house was founded, its signature techniques, its icons and its usual materials. It then works through the house's history, the pieces most often asked about, the details we inspect, and how to care for them. From there you can go on to the model guides for individual icons, or to authentication for more on our process.
Encore Luxe is not affiliated with any house featured.
All guides in this section
- Audemars Piguet
The history, craft and icons of Audemars Piguet, from the Royal Oak to the Code 11.59, and what our specialists look at in a pre-owned watch. - Balenciaga
The history, silhouettes and bags of Balenciaga, from Cristóbal Balenciaga's couture to the City and Hourglass, and what to look for pre-loved. - De Beers
The story, collections and craft of De Beers jewellery, from solitaires to platinum wedding bands, and what our specialists check pre-loved. - Hublot
The history, materials and icons of Hublot, from the 1980 gold-on-rubber original to the Big Bang and Classic Fusion, and what to look for pre-owned. - Loewe
The history, craft and icons of Loewe, from the Amazona and Puzzle to the Flamenco and Basket bag, and what our specialists look at pre-loved. - Loro Piana
The story, fibres and icons of Loro Piana, from baby cashmere and vicuña to the Open Walk and Summer Walk, and what our specialists check pre-loved. - Messika
The story, collections and craft of Messika, the Parisian diamond house behind Move, Joy and Skinny, and what our specialists check pre-loved. - Raymond Weil
The history, collections and character of Raymond Weil, the family-run Geneva watchmaker behind the Tango, Freelancer and Maestro. - TAG Heuer
The history, innovations and icons of TAG Heuer, from Edouard Heuer's 1860 workshop to the Carrera, Monaco and Aquaracer, and what to look for pre-owned. - Versace
The history, signatures and icons of Versace, from Gianni Versace's Medusa and Baroque prints to Versace Jeans Couture, and what to look for pre-loved.
Questions we’re often asked
- Which houses do your guides cover?
We currently cover Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Cartier, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Omega, Mulberry and Bottega Veneta, with further houses added through the year.
- Do you only write about houses you have in stock?
No. Our house guides are written to be useful whether or not we currently have a piece available. Where we do, each guide links to the pieces in the shop.
- Are you affiliated with these houses?
No. Encore Luxe is an independent retailer of authenticated pre-loved luxury, and house names are used only to describe the pieces we discuss and offer.