Best of 2013: jewellery watches

Jewellery watches have had a stellar year in 2013 with more exciting models than I have ever seen before. This is because watchmakers are experimenting with techniques beyond the usual and daring to mix it up. Paillonné, cloisonné and grand feu enamels, along with miniature painting, diamonds, engraving and marquetry and a big dollop of imagination, are combined in ways we have never seen before. And in the case of Chanel, even some needlework.

So we see amazingly complex works of art such as DeLaneau’s enamel miniature paintings or Cartier’s Fabuleux Frogs. This watch, with its many layers of decoration, features a dial painted with the scene of a serene fish pond, atop which are carved stone and enamelled lily pads and flowers complete with a diamond-set frog. Chaumet’s ‘Attrape-moi…’ watch spins a web of mother of pearl, gold and diamonds around which rotate a spider and bee, and Stephen Webster brings his eerie Batmoths to a watch dial.

Brands like Chaumet, Graff, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier bring the animal world to life in the small confines of a watch dial. Patek Philippe, de GRISOGONO, Backes & Strauss, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Chopard, meanwhile, make an art of embellishing cases and bracelets with some seriously valuable gems. Piaget swings to the vibe of the 1960s with a slinky gold cuff watch made using a chainmaking technique so long out of vogue. And Harry Winston takes inspiration from Mrs Winston in a glamorously wide diamond cuff watch.

The prize for the cutest jewellery watch of 2013 has to go to Cartier for the Fabuleux Baguette Panthère, which features a diamond-pelted panther cub clinging to the bracelet and dial, her emerald eyes gazing out and tail curled in delight. Then again, I have become very fond of DeLaneau’s Frog watch and Chaumet’s delightful night time-in-the-garden scene, complete with a little ladybird. The truth is, I’ve been spoilt for choice this year. And guess what? It won’t get easier next year. Expect many more exciting jewellery watches in 2014 as it looks like we are on a roll.

Cartier Fabuleux parrot watch and ring; watch and ring in rhodium-plated white gold set with brilliant-cut diamonds, beak in mother of pearl, eyes set with emeralds.
Stephen Webster Fly By Night watch with Tiret in white enamel and white diamonds (£29,100).
Cartier Fabuleux snake watch, a numbered edition limited to 60 pieces. Case in white gold set with brilliant-cut diamonds.
Cartier Fabuleux Baguette Panthe`re watch; case and bracelet in white gold set with brilliant-cut and baguette-cut diamonds.
Inspired by the clean lines of Art Deco, this year’s Gondolo Ref. 7099 has an icy white gold case decorated with a floral tapestry of diamonds.
Boucheron Ajourée Héra jewellery watch, shortlisted for the Jewellery Watch award.
Chaumet Montre Precieuse ‘Attrape-moi… si tu m’aimes’ rhodium-plated watch in white gold, set with 64 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.64ct) and 12 polished pink gold indexes. The bee indicates the minutes and the spider the hours.
Chanel Mademoiselle Privé Camélia Brodé watch with a hand-embroidered dial.
DeLaneau’s one-of-a-kind Dôme Frog watch.
Piaget Couture Pre´cieuse gold chain cuff watch in rose gold set with 400 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 2 ct).
Graff Emerald Butterfly Watch in white gold, set with 335 diamonds, 78 emeralds and 22 diamonds on the buckle, and fastened with a green crocodile strap.
Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Lady Arpels Papillon Bleu Nuit’ in white gold case and bezel set with diamonds. Dial features blue mother-of-pearl, champlevé, plique-à-jour and paillonné enamel, and diamonds. Limited to 22 pieces.