The jeweled watch is a hard-to-define segment of the timepiece market, coming in small quantities and often on a made-to-order or bespoke basis. Marie-Laure Cerede, Cartier’s director of design for watchmaking, aptly expresses the modern jewelry-watch aesthetic: “Our creations transcend all categories. They are not just instruments for telling the time, nor are they simply jewelry. They are a third type of object with their own uniqueness.”
Colored gems have largely replaced diamonds as the main ingredient in these objects, and that means fewer creative boundaries. Here are five colorful jewelry watches that came out in 2024, representing five emerging trends in the category.
Nontraditional stones and cuts
Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts Reference 5089/300G-001
Traditional watch brands are becoming more creative — not just with colors and semiprecious stones, but with special cuts. This decorative Calatrava is part of Patek’s 2024 Rare Handcrafts collection, with a dial of grand feu cloisonné enamel and a bezel with 72 triangular-shaped blue topazes totaling 1.59 carats. There are another eight blue topazes on the buckle of the alligator strap. This model is a limited edition of 10 pieces.
Important gems
Bulgari Oriental Buds
Technically this is a watch, but it’s also a masterpiece of high jewelry with a blockbuster center stone: The dial cover boasts a cushion-cut, 5.65-carat Colombian emerald amid a pavé-diamond setting of Indian Mughal-inspired motifs. It took 900 hours to set the diamonds, tourmalines, emeralds and sapphire beads. Overall, the design aims to evoke a lush, exotic garden, while its geometric symmetry takes inspiration from Byzantine architecture. A matching necklace is available.
Pink it
Chopard Happy Sport Rose de Caroline
Pink sapphires have become the darling of the high-jewelry watch world. Chanel used them profusely in a new collection this year, and Chopard has always loved the gem. This model, available exclusively at Chopard boutiques, pairs a pink mother-of-pearl dial with a gradient of pink sapphires and a fuchsia alligator strap. It has a fun backstory: When Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s copresident and creative director, was creating the Happy Diamonds watch in 1993, her workshop foreman told her it was impossible to make. “Caroline,” he said, “if you manage to sell these watches, I’ll give you one rose for each of them.” He ended up gifting her a rose bush.
3D designs
Cartier Animal Jewelry watch
This striking design conflating zebra and crocodile motifs sparkles with tsavorites and diamonds and achieves the ultimate visual effect in high-jewelry design: Its layered, 3D construction makes it appear to be moving, or at least alive, like a real animal. It features 440 diamonds and 44 tsavorite garnets in white gold with black lacquer, and has a quartz movement. It’s also available with rubies or black spinels.
Setting the components
Roger Dubuis Sunrise Double Tourbillon
The bridge over a tourbillon escapement is a cumbersome strip of metal that holds the balance and hairspring in place — a utilitarian construct that, in this case, is also a decorative one. The brand’s signature star-shaped bridge contains a gradient of sunset-colored gems: red garnets, orange spessartite garnets, and yellow sapphires. The notched bezel is likewise gem-set. Limited to eight pieces, this model sells for about $400,000.
Main image: Cartier Animal Jewelry watches. (Cartier)
