https://www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/fashion-watches/7-stunning-diamond-studded-watches/
dec 2018 watch spread 7 diamond watches
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01 IN EQUILIBRIUM
Brilliantly cool and angular in form, the 32 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin are warmly balanced out by plenty of other elements: These include the deep-brown dial decorated with the brand’s Petite Tapisserie engraving pattern and the pink gold of the watch’s 41mm case. Holding its own against all these striking elements is the tourbillon of the ultra-thin, manually wound Calibre 2924.
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02 FUTURISTIC FLAIR
The first ultra-thin – or extra-flat, as the company likes to call it – tonneau-shaped timepiece by Richard Mille, the RM 67-01 Extra-Flat focuses on achieving the brand’s characteristic visual depth, despite a case thickness of just 7.75mm. This is achieved through a high level of skeletonisation of its automatic movement and the absence of a traditional dial. In the case of this white gold version of the RM 67-01, which measures 47.52mm by 38.7mm, viewers’ eyes are further dazzled by the profusion of diamonds that cover the entirety of the curved bezel.
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03 DATE-CENTRED DAZZLER
In 1996, Patek Philippe launched the world’s first wristwatch with an annual calendar, which requires an adjustment only once a year (at the end of February). Housed in a 40.5mm rose gold case and powered by an automatic movement that also features a chronograph, the Ref. 5691R annual calendar timepiece continues this grand tradition. Making things even grander is the profusion of bling: thirty-six baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, 22 baguette diamonds on the folding clasp – and then eight more of those, set as hour markers on the black dial.
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04 WORLD OF WONDER
Powered by a manual-winding movement, the Cle de Cartier Mysterious Hour watch houses plenty of what Cartier is famous for. There is, of course, the Mysterious complication, where the hour and minute hands appear to be floating (they are actually mounted on sapphire-crystal discs). And then there is its signature openwork dial, which is cut out around bold Roman numerals. Last but not least, the 41mm pink gold case is set with the watch and jewellery house’s diamonds – 152 brilliant-cut ones, to be exact, totalling 1.24 carats.
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05 TIME TO SHINE
Breguet’s Classique wristwatches generally offer plenty of dial space for the brand to display its fine guilloche patterns, but in the case of the Classique Complications 5359, the dial – along with the rest of the watch – serves as a surface to showcase a smorgasbord of gems. The bezel, lugs and caseband of this 40.3mm timepiece are studded with 134 baguette-cut diamonds weighing 10.37 carats, while 356 pave diamonds cover its dial. Adding even more drama to this hand-wound white gold watch is a tourbillon at six o’clock, topped by a blued-steel cursive B indicating the subsidiary seconds.
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06 A FINE VINTAGE
One of the more elegant options among tonneau-shaped watches, Chopard’s L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru gets an even dressier finish here with a black lacquered dial and a border featuring 3.05 carats of baguette-cut diamonds. Measuring an evening-appropriate size of 38.8mm by 38.5mm, the watch’s ultra-slim white gold case houses an automatic movement developed in-house.
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07 READY TO ROCK
Hublot has never been about subtlety, and this release affirms that. Firstly, let’s talk about the watch itself: The Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Croco High Jewellery is covered with 380 baguette-cut diamonds weighing 13.5 carats, cut and arranged to look like exotic-skin scales. That’s just one part of it. The 45mm white gold watch – made in partnership with ultra-luxe fashion brand Karmaloog – can be bought as a set that includes a black croc-skin jacket. In true Hublot over-the-top style, the jacket is bullet-resistant, thanks to a lining featuring tightly woven carbon-nanotube fabrics. This customisable set is yours for US$1 million (S$1.37 million).
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Illustrations by Ariel Lim
