Diamonds trump all

Luxury timepieces, particularly jewelry watches, have become the ultimate accessory as we enter what will be remembered as a new era of adornment. A flash of diamonds on a ladies’ wristwatch is nothing new, but recent developments in both the technology and design of jewelry watches has raised the bar. It is now not enough for a brand to simply take a model in a collection and pave it with round brilliant diamonds. New cuts, setting techniques and design codes have given high jewelry watches a prominent, important status in the watch collector’s market, especially when they are combined with mechanical movements. Adornment of all watches is especially relevant now, when the decoration of the outside of a timepiece is becoming as crucial as the inside – as stipulated by the new rules of the Poinçon de Genève, one of watchmakings most prestigious hallmarks.

Masterpieces of craftsmanship

The most impressive jewelry watches are rendered in a combination of metiers, finishes or gem sizes, cuts and colors. The new Omega Ladymatic, for example, combines bezel-set diamonds with Akoya pearls in a random setting pattern that results in one of the most impressive bracelets to appear on a watch. The bezel is equally impressive, with snow-set diamonds – set side by side but in random sizes in order to create a sparkle effect, like snow.

Special cuts are also a mark of high craftsmanship, as Harry Winston demonstrates with the new Premier Glacier. The dial is a mosaic of tapered baguette diamonds, meticulously cut to fit a complex pattern. The 108 diamonds, weighing approximately 8.88 carats, are set into a specially made dial plate with an elaborately carved grid. The bracelet is set with another 254 baguette-cut diamonds and the case with 130 baguette-cut diamonds. The grand total is 497 diamonds, weighing 30.59 carats. Only five pieces will be made. Look for this one at auction in a few years as a coveted masterpiece of craftsmanship – which also happens to tell time.

Future collectibles

Not to be outdone, the Chopard Happy Sport Diamantissimo is set with 958 baguette-cut diamonds and 1,978 brilliant-cut diamonds, totaling 65 carats – which must be some kind of record for a jewelry watch. The dial, case and bracelet are invisibly set, which means each diamond must be perfectly cut to create a seamless diamond-studded surface showing no spaces and no setting prongs. The happy diamonds that distinguish this collection are, in this case, embellished with side diamonds, creating an even more spectacular effect than usual. The Happy Sport is a perfect example of the new wave of jewelry watches in another sense: it contains a Chopard manufacture movement, automatic caliber L.U.C 96.17-L. Another future collectible.

It is this combination of high watchmaking and high adornment that also qualifies the Ulysse Nardin Royal Ruby Tourbillon as the ultimate modern jewelry watch. The bridge and mainplate are made of synthetic ruby, which serves as a dramatic window through which to view the movement. The inner bezel is set with 12 rubies to mark the hours, accompanied by 48 diamonds. Another 69 diamonds are set into the outer bezel, and 92 illuminate the case, for a total of 3.27 carats. The case is platinum. It’s a limited edition of 99 pieces.

They’re not for everyone

Finally, we must mention the Hublot contribution to the notion of the set watch. Last year it was the $5-million Big Bang that was scooped up by Beyoncé as a birthday present for her husband Jay-Z. This year it was the Classic Fusion Haute Joaillerie Tourbillon Skeleton, set with 1,185 baguette-cut diamonds totaling about 40 carats. This is a big watch, with a lot of bling, and it is considered by some to be a man’s watch – and perhaps it is, if you’re Jay-Z, who is among the few who can pull this look off. However, if someone were to offer this watch to me (in my dreams) I would certainly not hesitate to wear it. And I know I’m not alone, though only eight of these watches will be made. You’ll pay six or seven figures for one of these beauties which is why they’re limited – they’re not for everyone. But that’s what makes them collectible.