The most unconventional jewellery watches of the year

Jewellery watches have always held a unique place in the world of luxury — sitting at the intersection of fine watchmaking and fine jewellery. But are the gemstones that sparkle across these creations truly valuable, or are they simply decorative flourishes?

The answer is both: every stone used by the most esteemed heritage luxury houses — from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels to Chopard — is of exceptional quality, often selected by the same stringent standards applied to their standalone jewels. These diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and ornamental stones are not just embellishments; they are integral to the design language and storytelling of each maison.

This year’s most unconventional jewellery watches make a strong case for collectability, thanks to their bold and sculptural quality. Whether it’s Cartier’s Panthere leaping across a gem-set cuff, Hermes’ anchor-link bracelet reimagined as a horological jewel, or Van Cleef & Arpels’ couture-inspired ribbon set with a flawless diamond, each piece demonstrates how serious watchmaking and jewellery-making can coalesce into a single, extraordinary creation.

Cartier

It isn’t any wonder that bangles are an intrinsic part of Cartier’s design language, with the shape being the figurative representation of the brand name’s first letter. And the house’s jewellery watch releases this year simply brims with the boldest expressions of said construction. 

The maison’s emblematic black-spotted feline once again re-merges, in full 3D glory, on one end of the Panthere Jewellery Watch. This radiant architectural masterpiece assumes the “Toi et Moi” (“You and Me” in French) construction — an open-ended cuff set with gems on both sides — with the cat seemingly pouncing towards a delicate dial. 

It is offered in two versions: yellow gold with black lacquer for the spots and diamond-bezelled dial, or white gold replete with 1,100 pavé and snow-set diamonds and onyx spots.

Conjuring illusions is yet another Cartier signature, and this time, the magic lies in the mirror effect of the Reflection de Cartier watch. Geometric and voluminous, it blends openwork and polished gold with elongated lines, refined edges, and an elegant white gold dial that reflects its likeness against the flat surface of the other cuff end. 

Apart from full rose gold, yellow gold, and diamond versions, there are two high jewellery showstoppers. The first comes in Cartier’s peacock palette, featuring chrysoprase, obsidian, emeralds, Paraíba tourmalines, and blue-green lacquer. The second introduces a new chromatic harmony with opal, tiger’s eye, amethysts, and spessartite garnets.

What we think is the most outstanding and dramatic design this year is the Tressage Watch, which boasts an unexpected juxtaposition of a stiff half-bangle with a soft calfskin strap. The interplay of opposites continues with flat lines against curves, contrasting colours and textures, as well as a rectangle dial flanked by voluptuous gadroons — the latter evoking braids or “tressage” in French.

Each of the four models comes with two straps, available in either shiny or matte leather. Three scintillating diamond-dialled models complement the yellow gold, accompanied by a black-lacquered dial version. The most elaborate is a white gold piece set with 726 diamonds and 330 blue sapphires.

Hermes

One of the most fascinating releases this year is the Maillon Libre, whose anchor chain link design is derived from the maison’s famous icon. The focal point of this complex bracelet watch is the dial, which features six bead-set brilliant-cut diamonds on a vertical central bar, complemented by polished baton-type hands. 

Exemplifying the contrast between softness and tension, this contemporary semi-rigid showpiece is available in either rose or white gold, with the four prominent gem accents featuring terracotta tourmalines for the former and diamonds for the latter.

Both are adorned with additional brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds decorating each chain link. Depending on the bracelet length, the total number of diamonds ranges between 230 and 336. 

The watch dial design is also distilled into a simpler but no less interesting brooch watch, which is absolutely genderless. Available in a matt onyx or rose gold dial, it is set with diamond brilliants as well as an indicolite tourmaline for the former and a terracotta tourmaline for the latter. 

This one-of-a-kind Hermes creation is made to be worn on its own — on the lapel, jacket sleeve, collar, or anywhere you wish — or transformed into a pendant by attaching it to a leather cordlet with a matte black alligator or black swift calfskin clochette (bell-shaped pouch), which recalls the brand’s leatherworking-saddlery heritage.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Only a single model of this couture-inspired Ruban Mysterieux high jewellery watch is made, due to the sheer preciousness of its gemstones. Atop the white mother-of-pearl dial is a 3.72-carat oval-cut D-colour, internally flawless diamond, so clear that you can see right through it. 

On one side of the ribbon-like piece is a seamless “trimming” of velvety blue sapphires and emeralds, which is precision-set with the maison’s signature Mystery Set technique patented in 1933. Providing a dramatic contrast are dazzling snow-set, brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds, rendering the underlying white gold structure invisible. A small manual-winding mechanical movement, which required meticulous assembly, powers this timepiece.

Fans of the Perlee collection, which features playful gold beads hand-wrought by the Parisian maison’s high jewellery artisans, should celebrate the fact that there is now a bangle cuff secret watch showcasing this demanding technique. 

Crafted in the “Toi et Moi” jewellery style, this rose gold creation features, on one end, a smaller rose quartz cabochon, and on the other, a larger green jasper piece that swivels outwards to reveal a white mother-of-pearl dial bordered by round diamonds. There is another version with blue quartz and green chrysoprase.

Chopard

Imagine wrapping an embroidered fabric of bling around your wrist — that’s the lavishness and romance channelled by this Chopard high jewellery watch ref. 104278-1001. Crafted with ethical white gold and 436 diamonds, this creation epitomises the maison’s signature diamond lacework that demonstrates its deep affinity for couture-inspired jewels.

Interweaving metal with gems, it features a dial rim and bracelet set with a ribbon of statement round-cut diamonds, both further accentuated with slimmer brilliant diamond rows in a design that evokes the stitching of guipure lace. 

Airy and comfortable, the timepiece is topped by a diamond-faceted sapphire crystal dial divided into 12 sections, each paved with diamond brilliants. Making telling time easy against all the 9.13 carats of high shine are delicately blued hour and minute hands.

Piaget

In its new jewellery watch collection themed “Shaping Beauty Through Time”, the Swiss maison celebrates its heritage of interpreting time through experimenting with shape, form, case, bracelet, jewellery, and watchmaking — beginning in 1969, the brand termed this period its “creative renaissance.”

This year’s timepieces pay homage to that rich legacy with their signature swinging sautoirs, wide textured-gold cuffs, partially hidden dials, and seamless gemstone colour gradient. A stand-out is an organically shaped rose gold bracelet watch showcasing either a black opal or turquoise dial within a nugget-like case. Every chain link is a hand-made, free-form piece lined with diamond brilliants, while the bright gem dials speak of Piaget’s love of ornamental stones.

Tiffany & Co.

With the US jeweller’s recent watchmaking revival, which heavily references the aesthetic codes of its pre-eminent 20th-century creative director Jean Schlumberger, comes this new Rope Watch. Thanks to his family’s history as textile manufacturers in Alsace, this design was inspired by the tassels, braids, and weaves familiar to him during his youth.

On the thick bezel, two concentric rows of finely worked twisted gold enclose a ring of round brilliant-cut diamonds. Made of yellow gold, the watch is available with either a white mother-of-pearl or glossy black dial. The 27mm version is set with 38 diamonds totalling nearly 0.52 carats, while the 33mm one features 39 diamonds weighing a total of 0.9 carats. 

It is even more special that this creation ties to the house’s first solar-powered movement, sourced from Swiss manufacturer La Joux-Perret, which combines high timekeeping precision with an exceptionally long power reserve — eight months without exposure to sunlight. How is that possible? The dials are semi-translucent, allowing the solar cells underneath to charge the watch in just two minutes, which enables it to run for 24 hours.

Bvlgari

The new Serpenti Aeterna Watch is the Roman jeweller’s most radical reinvention yet of its snake icon. An exercise in aesthetic purity, the enigmatic reptile is stripped of eyes, scales, and excess to be reimagined as a sleek, futuristic bangle that coils around the wrist in a single fluid gesture. 

The snow-set diamond dial “head” and diamond-paved rose gold body accentuate its hypnotic geometry with a diffusion of light. At the same time, the underside of the bangle displays subtly etched hexagonal scales paying tribute to its heritage.

Two years in the making, the invisible clasp offers ultimate wearability and comfort. Versatile by design, it effortlessly adapts to personal style and pairs seamlessly with other Bvlgari creations.