On Her Watch: Why high jewellery and Métiers d’Art timepieces are the ultimate luxury for women, from Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé collection to Bruguet and Jaquet Droz watches

Jun 9 , 2022

Chanel’s jewellery pieces and watches are known for their timeless appeal. Photo: Chanel

In the third of our six-part series, we delve into the world of watchmaking, where cutting-edge horology, jewellery craftsmanship and Métiers d’Art meet

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon dazzles with a rainbow gem-set dial while Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé Camélia Skeleton is ultra-luxe with diamonds

A different kind of fascination comes with looking at jewellery and Métiers d’Art watches. Whenever I’m presented with one, I find myself scrutinising it separately for its merits as a finely made timepiece, a beautifully crafted jewel or indeed a miniature art piece. Then I stop, because really, these pieces are not meant to be dissected. Instead, they should be appreciated in their entirety and valued for the way different crafts from across disciplines all come together harmoniously.

As brands toe that fine line between watches and jewellery, the level of innovation and creativity seen is extraordinary. Here, we see how skilfully and impeccably gemstones are set on a dial, all while not encroaching on the intricate mechanism that makes it a time-telling device.

Accent on aesthetics

Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé Camélia Skeleton watch. Photo: Chanel

Some brands do this elaborately, while others side on restraint. To the latter, Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé Camélia Skeleton comes to mind. Known for its minimalist aesthetic, Chanel keeps this watch refined but at the same time ultra-luxurious with its full diamond setting on its case, bezel, dial, down to its buckle. It’s a dazzling piece to say the least, but in typical Chanel form, ever sophisticated.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Breguet’s unapologetically ornate L’Orangerie timepiece, which delights with a cornucopia of stones assembled to form three dimensional floral patterns. While Breguet was never one to shy away from creating grandiose jewellery watches, the L’Orangerie is among its most elaborate. A testament to the brand’s long established watchmaking expertise, it also demonstrates its mastery in jewellery craftsmanship.

Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon. Photo: Audemars Piguet

Even Audemars Piguet, with its distinctively masculine aesthetic, has produced a few jewelled iterations of its watches. The gem-set Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, for instance, features gemstones in graduating hues set on the case and frame its open-work dial to highlight the complication with a rainbow effect.

Can you keep a secret?

Chanel watches, such as the Hors-Série Mademoiselle Privé Bouton Golden Pearl Motif ring, incorporate delicate features. Photo: Chanel

Now a variation that leans more towards a jewel rather than a timepiece is a secret watch. A product that emerged in the early 19th century out of social conventions, secret watches are essentially time-telling devices disguised as jewelled bracelets or bangles. While delicacy is key here, so is watchmaking expertise as the movement must be small – minuscule even – so that the piece looks more like a jewel than a watch.