In May, Usher turned heads at the Met Gala by sporting a $5 million Jacob & Co. Billionaire III watch. This stunning timepiece featured 147.65 carats of emerald-cut and rectangular-cut rubies, making him the latest male celebrity to embrace the trend of jewelry watches.
Following this, French luxury brands showcased their haute jewelry collections in June, including timepieces encrusted with an array of colorful gemstones.
Gem-set watches have never been more in demand.
With that spirit in mind, here are three new timepieces that uniquely reinterpret the concept of jewelry watches. Let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 41mm
In 2018, Audemars Piguet introduced its robust and masculine Royal Oak Offshore model with a camouflage-patterned rubber strap. In March this year, the brand released two new versions of the Royal Oak, featuring chromatic ceramic and gold materials with similar camouflage patterns.
At the end of May, Audemars Piguet pushed the boundaries of its design further by launching two fully gem-set 41mm Royal Oak Selfwinding watches. The camouflage motif extends from the dial to the case and bracelet, set with 861 baguette-cut gemstones that transition between gradients of blue, green, brown, and black, adding a wild disco flair to the brand's most iconic model.
The Royal Oak Selfwinding 41mm with an 18k white gold case is embedded with a total of 44.32 carats of gemstones. The blue version features sapphires and Swiss blue topaz totaling 44.32 carats, while the other model (also in 18k white gold) combines 39.91 carats of black sapphires, garnets, and smoky quartz for a more traditional camouflage color scheme.
Piaget Emerald Cuff Watch
In June, Piaget unveiled "Essence of Extraleganza," an haute jewelry collection celebrating the company's 150th anniversary. The standout piece among the collection’s 96 unique jewelry and jeweled timepieces is a cuff watch adorned with 26.11 carats of rectangular-cut Colombian emeralds.
Each element of this striking cuff, including baguette-cut diamonds that overflow onto the sides, is set at varying heights to accentuate its depth. This watch features a coiled gold bracelet and a green enamel dial.
"It's stunning, gorgeous, bold, unique, but so wearable and modern—truly Piaget," said Piaget CEO Benjamin Comar.
The 18k gold cuff watch is encrusted with diamonds, 26.11 carats of emeralds, and enamel.
Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders: Koi’s Garden
For its new Escale trilogy, Louis Vuitton crafted three limited-edition watches inspired by the personal collection of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, grandson of the brand’s founder, and the "cabinet of wonders" ethos that fueled his passion for collecting.
These pieces stand out for their intricate craftsmanship, depicting various scenes by blending exquisite materials. The Escale Cabinet of Wonders Koi’s Garden watch (shown below) is the result of 150 hours of meticulous handcrafting. The dial portrays two koi fish swimming in a stream, surrounded by smooth, colorful pebbles.
The watch features hand-engraved white gold koi fish covered with translucent blue lacquer, while smoky quartz and rock crystal form amber and white pebbles, respectively. Diamond-studded pebbles scattered around evoke the glistening effect of sunlight on water. Blue crystal pebbles layer atop a mother-of-pearl disk etched with the Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers, mimicking the appearance of ripples in water.
Will Lab-Grown Diamonds Blur the Line in Watchmaking?
As these exquisite timepieces continue to redefine the boundaries between jewelry and watchmaking, one must wonder if lab-grown diamonds could similarly impact the watch industry. With their versatility, affordability, and ethical advantages, lab-grown diamonds might indeed become the next big trend in haute horology.
Information courtesy of www.ebooom.com.