Watch collectors love to debate the merits of triple-axis tourbillons and high-frequency calibres, but mention a gem-set watch, and their eyes tend to glaze over. Even a masterpiece of jewelling is routinely dismissed as just “a ladies’ watch.” But it’s time jewelled watches got some of the merit they deserve, and these 10 new pieces may be the tipping point.
Setting gems into a timepiece is a task as demanding as any that a master watchmaker faces when assembling a grand complication. Techniques have evolved in recent years, with the aim of creating maximum brilliance when light enters a diamond and bounces off one of the side or lower facets at just the right angle.
Jewellery watches hold or appreciate in value because diamonds and gemstones are commodities in their own right that can be sold separately. They add intrinsic value to a watch, giving them an edge on the secondary market. “We are seeing more jewelled timepieces at auction,” says Rémi Guillemin, head of watches for Christie’s Europe. “Many men’s as well as women’s wristwatches are now bejewelled.