Precious Time: High Jewellery Watches that Make Every Second Spectacular

December 10, 2020

By Katerina Perez

7 min read

When it comes to demonstrating a refined appetite for high jewellery, is there anything more ostentatious and covetous than a jewelled watch? These conversation-starting timepieces often take bold creative leaps with shape, volume, and dimension. Those wishing for a demure, understated number should look away now. With the winter holiday celebrations fast approaching, these timepieces have the power to stand-out against swathes of black and long sleeves, making them a luxurious addition to party attire.

Finding a ‘secret’ watch dial hidden behind a doorway of diamonds and gemstones never ceases to make me smile. There’s something inspiring about the artistry of high jewellery watches, whether it’s the miniaturisation of watch faces, the spectacular use of gems or the creativity associated with blending two concepts – time and decoration – into one cohesive design. As these pieces are often one-of-a-kind, they also demonstrate the core tenets of a brand’s design ethos and often draw on its signature motifs, connecting the wearer to decades, if not centuries of a maison’s experience. The high jewellery watches included here are so striking, I would probably spend every second, of every day, just staring at my wrist.

Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Rainbow with 18.95 carats of diamonds and sapphires

Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Rainbow with 18.95 carats of diamonds and sapphires

Van Cleef & Arpels

The belt buckle-inspired Ludo bracelet, first introduced in the 1930s, is something Van Cleef & Arpels connoisseurs will instantly recognise as a signature of the Maison. This year, the French Maison reinvented the style with a series of three secret high jewellery watches embellished with ornamental stones like coral, lapiz or chrysoprase. The Ludo watches are especially fascinating to me because of their construction: individual hexagonal ‘links’ are set with precious stones and combined together in a way that creates fluid movement. In keeping with the Maison’s tradition of transformable pieces, these creations can be worn in a variety of ways: the motif with the dial can be replaced on the bracelet by a hexagonal mesh buckle set with precious stones, to create a new jewel. The rose can also be transformed into a clip or a pendant, threaded onto a long chain.

Van Cleef & Arpels Ludo Secret watch with blue and pink sapphires, lapis lazuli, white mother-of-pearl and diamonds

Van Cleef & Arpels Ludo Secret watch with blue and pink sapphires, lapis lazuli, white mother-of-pearl and diamonds

 Van Cleef & Arpels Ludo Secret watch with rubies, coral, white mother-of-pearl and diamonds

Van Cleef & Arpels Ludo Secret watch with rubies, coral, white mother-of-pearl and diamonds

Chaumet

Continuing the story of the Perspectives de Chaumet High Jewellery collection, launched in July, is Ondulation: a new chapter filled with warm yellow gold, enamelling and coloured gemstones. This selection of pieces are inspired by architecture and as such are crafted with ‘building blocks’ of gold that appear to have been paved by hand and set with coloured gems. Of note is the Ondulation high jewellery timepiece – a yellow gold cuff bracelet with a miniature dial set with brilliant cut diamonds. One side of the bracelet is lined out with calibrated yellow sapphires that were hand cut one by one to perfectly fit the design. This watch is a real celebration of gold – one of the colours inevitably associated with Christmas.

Chaumet Ondulation jewellery watch from the Perspectives de Chaumet High Jewellery Collection with diamonds and yellow sapphires

Chaumet Ondulation jewellery watch from the Perspectives de Chaumet High Jewellery Collection with diamonds and yellow sapphires

 Chaumet Ondulation jewellery watch with a pavé diamond dial set in yellow gold

Chaumet Ondulation jewellery watch with a pavé diamond dial set in yellow gold

 Chaumet Ondulation jewellery watch with calibrated yellow sapphires and bezel-set diamonds

Chaumet Ondulation jewellery watch with calibrated yellow sapphires and bezel-set diamonds

Dior

Victoire de Castellane, Dior’s creative director of fine jewellery, is no stranger to dreaming up outrageously gorgeous high jewellery timepieces. Within the latest Dior et Moi high jewellery collection are two fairy-tale pieces that hide decorative mother of pearl watch faces behind fantastical opals, each accompanied with semi-precious stones, precious coloured gems, and vibrant lacquer. The white opal secret watch marries sapphires, garnets, peridot, emerald and lacquer in white and pink gold, while a black opal secret watch blends kunzite, diamonds and lacquer with white, yellow and pink gold. This is colourful creativity taken to a whole new level.

Dior 'Dior et Moi' Secret watch with white opal, sapphires, garnets, peridot, emerald and lacquer in white and pink gold

Dior 'Dior et Moi' Secret watch with white opal, sapphires, garnets, peridot, emerald and lacquer in white and pink gold

 Dior 'Dior et Moi' Secret watch with black opal, kunzite, diamonds and lacquer in white, yellow and pink gold

Dior 'Dior et Moi' Secret watch with black opal, kunzite, diamonds and lacquer in white, yellow and pink gold

Graff

You can certainly trust Graff to be indulgent with fancy colour diamonds. The design team received a rare collection of yellow gems and decided to channel their vibrancy into a new high jewellery watch. 14 cushion-cut yellow diamonds are set to surround a square, pavé yellow diamond set dial, which is overlayed with a transparent yellow material faceted to emulate the cut of the surrounding stones. All this colour is made to appear extra vivacious thanks to graduated rows of round white diamonds that in any other creation would be the star of the show.

Graff high jewellery timepiece with 14 cushion-cut yellow diamonds

Graff high jewellery timepiece with 14 cushion-cut yellow diamonds

 Graff high jewellery timepiece with yellow diamonds, white diamonds and a pavé set yellow diamond dial

Graff high jewellery timepiece with yellow diamonds, white diamonds and a pavé set yellow diamond dial

Piaget

The new Piaget Wings of Light Exquisite Moments secret watch represents the third and final chapter in the Wings of Light High Jewellery collection launched in 2020. It’s designed to evoke a tropical paradise, with voluminous feathery wing-like shapes that wrap around the wrist and draw the eye to two fancy vivid yellow diamonds. The “Piaget Bird’s plumage” is rendered in 87.23 carats of white diamonds – that’s 491 marquise-cut diamonds in 69 different sizes to create a gradient, just like a bird’s wing. The pavé diamond-set secret watch is hidden by one of the yellow diamonds; just slide it towards the centre of the wrist to reveal the timepiece beneath. According to Piaget, this timepiece required 800 hours of meticulous work by its master artisans.

Piaget Wings of Light Exquisite Moments secret watch with yellow and white diamonds

Piaget Wings of Light Exquisite Moments secret watch with yellow and white diamonds

 The Piaget Wings of Light jewellery watch includes 87.23 carats of white diamonds and two fancy vivid yellow diamonds

The Piaget Wings of Light jewellery watch includes 87.23 carats of white diamonds and two fancy vivid yellow diamonds

 The Piaget Wings of Light jewellery watch was inspired by a bird's feathery plumage

The Piaget Wings of Light jewellery watch was inspired by a bird's feathery plumage

Backes & Strauss

Within the Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina collection by Backes & Strauss is the Ballerina Jonquil – a high jewellery timepiece with a white-to-yellow colour gradient that flows like a wave up the bracelet to the dial. There are 1,301 diamonds with a total weight of 14.12 carats across the watch, which also features an open case back and a decorated mechanical movement. This is the timepiece of choice for those who like their high jewellery with a dose of horological expertise. Elsewhere in the same collection, there’s the Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Rainbow with 233 white diamonds and 1,068 multi-colour sapphires totalling 18.95 carats.

Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Rainbow timepiece with diamonds and sapphires

Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Rainbow timepiece with diamonds and sapphires

 The Backes & Strauss Ballerina Rainbow includes 233 white diamonds and 1,068 multi-colour sapphires

The Backes & Strauss Ballerina Rainbow includes 233 white diamonds and 1,068 multi-colour sapphires

 Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Jonquil with 14.12 carats of white and yellow diamonds

Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Jonquil with 14.12 carats of white and yellow diamonds

Harry Winston

A true original, Harry Winston’s The Ultimate Kaleidoscope is a hybrid of a watch, fully-functioning kaleidoscope, art object and pendant that evokes the magic of childhood toys and continues the house’s tradition of creating unique pieces, like its Broadway Glasses binoculars and New York Companion clutch. The Ultimate Kaleidoscope is a to-scale reproduction of an original piece in the Harry Winston archives, crafted in 18ct gold and decorated with 100 baguette-cut diamonds, white mother of pearl, blue and yellow sapphires, and Paraiba tourmalines. The timepiece is housed at the very top of the cylinder and is affixed with a handle that allows the piece to be worn around the neck. While far from being a traditional high jewellery timepiece, there’s something wonderfully tactile about this that brings out my inner child!

Harry Winston The Ultimate Kaleidoscope decorated with 100 baguette cut diamonds, blue and yellow sapphires and Paraiba tourmalines

Harry Winston The Ultimate Kaleidoscope decorated with 100 baguette cut diamonds, blue and yellow sapphires and Paraiba tourmalines

 The Ultimate Kaleidoscope by Harry Winston features a removable jewelled timepiece

The Ultimate Kaleidoscope by Harry Winston features a removable jewelled timepiece

 The Ultimate Kaleidoscope is based on an original art object from the Harry Winston archives

The Ultimate Kaleidoscope is based on an original art object from the Harry Winston archives

The dream of owning a high jewellery timepiece is especially vivid in the winter months when we all need a precious pick-me-up to dazzle during family dinners and parties with friends. These fabulous examples are not the simplest way to tell the time, but they are the most luxurious for sure.

Christmas Treats: Jewellery We Would Love to Find Beneath the Tree

continue reading

Jewellery Manifesto: Tracing Three Pivotal Decades with Pomellato Collezione 1967

With Collezione 1967, Pomellato is presenting its ‘Jewellery Manifesto’ through 75 pieces, each inspired by one of three revolutionary decades in its creative history: the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Let’s take a closer look at the Maison’s artistic signatures, reinvented for a new generation of high jewellery lovers… 

by Sarah Jordan

Pink City Style: The Best-Selling Reversible Jewels of Gyan Jaipur

I would like to tell you more about the brand, its origin story, design inspirations and its popular Jaipur and Yami collections

by Katerina Perez

Fabulous Futures: Le Vian Unveils its 2026 Jewellery Trends in Las Vegas

Here's a rundown of what was included this year…

by Sarah Jordan

Exceptional Splendour: Jaipur Gems Celebrates 50 Years with Abu Dhabi Opening and New High Jewels 

Let me take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Abu Dhabi boutique and share some of my sparkling highlights

by Katerina Perez

Radiating Confidence: The Mother-Daughter Energy Behind Growing Brand Aponine

As one of this year’s Couture show debutants, Turkish brand Aponine impressed me with its blend of colourful creativity, timeless elegance, and stylish femininity. Let’s take a closer look…

by Katerina Perez

Sensual Silhouettes: Jewels with Curves in All the Right Places

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just us? As jewellers swap sharp lines for shapely swirls, we look at new collections that are embracing the raw power of sensuality inspired by the female form

by Rachael Taylor

Artistic Realms: The Enchanting Natural World of Histoire D’Elle

I had the pleasure of speaking with Pascale Van Maele, the Brand Manager of Histoire d'Elle, which celebrates the deep-rooted connection between quiet femininity, elegance and natural forms. Let's explore together…

by Sarah Jordan

Spinel Stories: Celebrating the Special Allure of Spinels with the House of Gübelin 

I visited the Geneva boutique of the family-owned business to indulge my passion for this overlooked gemstone and explore some of its beautiful creations…

by Katerina Perez

Golden Hour: Cosmic Creations in the Chanel Reach for the Stars High Jewellery Collection

The Reach for the Stars collection bounces between cosmic constellations of diamonds, elaborate, almost mythological neckwear, and starbursts of coloured stones, all with the Maison’s Parisian flair

by Sarah Jordan

Ultimate Guide to Promise Rings: What They Mean, How to Wear One and Where to Buy

While the promise ring's meaning has evolved, its emotional weight remains, making it especially popular among Gen Z and millennial couples seeking the perfect, personal pre-engagement jewel

by Claire Roberts

Exquisite Escapes: The Idyllic Inspirations Behind the Diorexquis High Jewellery Collection

In early May 2025, Dior Joaillerie's Artistic Director Victoire de Castellane showcased an unprecedented high jewellery collection, Diorexquis, to more than 300 VIPs at the Château de la Colle Noire in the heart of Provence. Let's take a closer look…

by Katerina Perez

Latest Stories

Add articles and images to your favourites. Just

Epic Evolution:Miseno Launches the Arco Collection to Celebrate a Fabulous Decade

I am pleased to present to you my highlights of the new Arco High Jewellery collection, which was formally showcased to the jewellery world at Couture from June 4-8, 2025

by Katerina Perez

Jewels Katerina Perez Loves

Continue Reading

In Conversation:Discussing Paraiba - The Legacy of a Color

with Vogue Singapore

by Katerina Perez

Jewellery Insights straight to your inbox

Style Guide

By using this website, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.