Jewelry and watches are closely related. Designers and craftsmen have combined diamonds and rare gemstones into watch design and production, giving rise to the form of jewelry watches. Similar to bracelets in the jewelry category, watches have added functionality on top of the bracelet form. Well-crafted jewelry watches can showcase their aesthetic appeal, artistry, and value. For the wearer, they symbolize personal taste, status, and wealth.
Currently, most jewelry watches in the market feature concrete elements like an accumulation of gemstones and repetitive decorations, lacking innovation. This article introduces several refreshingly unique jewelry watch designs:
01
Watches by the Japanese brand TASAKA
As shown in the image, let’s examine this cluster watch from the renowned Japanese pearl brand TASAKA. It’s adorned with 86 pearls and complemented by 4 pyramid-cut morganites. Visually, it easily draws one’s attention to the mother-of-pearl dial and the diamond-shaped tip decorating the crown.
In terms of color scheme, the overall color transition is subtle. Beneath the pearls, a delicate pink-toned cherry blossom gold is used. TASAKA’s unique gold element is named Sakuragold(TM), in honor of Japan’s famous cherry blossoms.
This is another watch bracelet by TASAKA, primarily composed of simple pearl elements. Eight equally-sized hemispherical pearls are set on a K gold base, with a large pearl in the center surrounded by a circle of delicate small diamonds, emphasizing the main feature. Below the pearls, it borrows the opening mechanism of pocket watches, with the dial inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The overall design embodies feminine elegance, refined fashion, and grandeur.
02
Vivianna Watch
This is a piece by designer Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, perfectly blending watch functionality with jewelry. Its design is extremely simple, retaining some basic elements of a watch while breaking away from traditional watch designs. It features a stainless steel case that seamlessly flows into the bracelet, omitting other unnecessary functions and decorative details. It has no hour markers, no strap, and a mirrored dial. The bezel is set with a single row of brilliant-cut diamonds.
The entire watch has a fluid shape with an open bangle style that’s natural and curvaceous. It fully displays feminine elegance while embodying timeless connotations, revealing minimalist aesthetic design to the fullest.
Vivianna’s intention in designing this watch was to free people from the tyranny of time, advocating for a minimalist lifestyle. It’s very suitable for women with a strong sense of personal style in today’s world.
03
HM6 Watch
Next, I’d like to recommend a watch that leans more towards product design with less emphasis on jewelry elements. Due to its overall design style with impressive shaping and a strong futuristic feel, I’ve included it in this article.
As shown in the image, this is the MB&F, founded in 2005 by designer Maximilian Büsser. The founder is an independent watchmaker who came from a major watch brand. He attempts to help the watch industry rediscover lost craftsmanship and traditional production methods, seriously amplifying the “artistic” characteristics of mechanical watches to establish this brand.
The designer creates products with the strict requirements of an independent watchmaker. Generally, mainstream brand watches, due to the need for mass production and targeting a broad consumer base, often adopt the most popular designs and try to lower costs during production.
Independent watchmaking, due to scale limitations, cannot be mass-produced from the start. With fewer industrial and commercial constraints, they can use better materials and craftsmanship without being forced to reduce costs. Original creativity can be freely expressed, which is why many of the most imaginative and peculiar watch designs come from independent watchmakers and designers.
Designer Maximilian Büsser’s inspiration for the HM6 comes from the Japanese animated TV series of the 1970s and 80s: Capitaine Flam (Captain Future in English). Captain Flam’s spaceship, called the Comet, consists of two spheres and a connecting tube. Putting two such crafts together sowed the seeds for the “Space Pirate”.
The HM6 Alien watch draws inspiration from the biomorphic art movement, taking cues from design elements based on biological forms. It features biomorphic curves, animated spheres, “blinking eyes”, and a beating heart. At each of the four corners of the watch’s biomorphic case, there’s a 360° sphere, covered by transparent sapphire crystal domes on top and bottom.
Moving forward and upward, two spheres rotate vertically, displaying hours and minutes respectively. At the rear, dual spherical turbines rotate, regulating the automatic winding system to reduce stress and wear. The top transparent dome houses a flying tourbillon in flight, offering a glimpse of the complex engine inside. The sapphire crystal display back reveals more of the 475 finely finished components.
These components form a highly complex movement, which required the designer and watchmakers to spend a considerable amount of time to develop. The entire watch is known for its intricate structure and cool functions and appearance.
04
Bulgari – Serpenti Incantati Watch
Finally, I’d like to recommend a piece from the luxury brand Bulgari – the Serpenti Incantati watch. Serpenti has always been Bulgari’s most classic and representative brand symbol. The snake represents a form of rebirth and revival, showcasing its charm under a constantly changing form.
Unlike previous Serpenti series watches that always beautifully wrap around the wearer’s wrist, this new generation stands out through various diamond settings and jewelry designs, eye-catching and unique.
The new generation Serpenti Incantati watch has a completely different appearance. The snake shape encircles the outside of the dial in a spiral form and becomes part of the dial. The center of the dial reveals its mechanical beauty, adorned with multiple high-quality diamonds and gemstones, appearing more elegant.
These are the watch pieces from different designers and brands that I recommend. While appreciating them, you can learn from and draw inspiration from the design concepts or inspirations behind these works, which can also help stimulate our creative thinking.
Unveiling the Hidden Artistry in Jewelry Watches: Elevate Your Style Instantly!
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