The Channel 9 Watch Now Signature Grenat is dominated by a 39.9 carat garnet.
In this era of what some might call excessive dial decoration, several brands including Chanel, Graff, and Van Cleef & Arpels, are actually covering up their watch dials. The “secret watch” is a ladies’ jewelry watch with a cover that moves via hinges or springs to hide or reveal the dial by activating a release somewhere on the watch.
The secret watch was invented during the roaring ’20s, when it was more important for a lady to be luxuriously adorned than it was for her to know the time of day. Dials were hidden behind hinged or swiveling covers that were elaborately gem-set, engraved, or enameled. This may have been partly to protect the glass over the dial before the days of sapphire crystals, just as men’s pocket watches were covered with case fronts that were often elaborately decorated. Secret watches were some of the first wristwatches ever made.
Covers went out of style with the beginning of mass production of timepieces and improving materials. By the 1950s, the wristwatch had become a common tool for everyday life, and with the advent of quartz in the 1970s, almost everyone wore a timepiece. Today, with watches fulfilling a role that is maybe one part functional and two parts decorative, the covered watch – mainly the ladies’ secret watch – is back in style at the high end. The revival is evidence that we have come full circle to another golden age of adornment, with highly decorated and gem-set pieces. Many women own a sensible daytime watch and at least one elite complication, but among those who can afford it, it is increasingly essential to have a watch that is more jewelry than timepiece.
Today, the masters of the art include jewelry companies that have also mastered watchmaking. Putting the two capabilities together gives them an edge, and has resulted in some modern-day masterpieces. As one of the world’s top diamond companies, Graff approaches its high-jewelry watches from a jeweler’s point of view, evident in two new secret watches this year. The Graff Princess Butterfly is a masterpiece of gem-setting, with tapered baguette diamonds on the bezel of the dial, and tapered baguette and pave sapphires set on the butterfly wings that form the cover of the watch.
While men’s versions do exist, Chanel’s attention has and will continue to be women’s watches. I have really always been a fan of the men’s watches, and expect they do release some new ones shortly. In its heart, Chanel will always be a rather powerful women’s new. Last year in 2013, I said that in my opinion, the most effective women’s watch collection of this year was that the Chanel Premiere (hands-on here). Pieces such as the Chanel J12 G10 play on those strengths rather than attempt to reinvent the notion of what desired women’s luxury is.While much of the watch business will concentrate on complex high-luxury women’s watches for 2015 and beyond, brands like Chanel will always occupy an extremely safe and prominent position since the brand combines good looks, timeless fashion, a bit of sporty fun, plus a desired brand name which few different brands may compete with. Now I’d like to review the Chanel J12 GMT Matte ref. H3101 men’s watch from a new that typically makes matters for ladies. Undoubtedly you are most likely knowledgeable about the Chanel J12 household of watches. For at least a while in mid 2000s, the J12 was possibly the hottest luxury woman’s watch around. You could travel all over the world viewing the white porcelain versions onto the wrists of ladies of all ages, shapes, and backgrounds. Chanel did a great deal of important things with the J12 by a style perspective. It created the white watch “sexy” for women, and it erupts in the unbelievable popularity of ceramic as a substance for watches.
The Graff Princess Butterfly Secret Watch.
They spring open by pushing on each end of the center row of diamonds, which depicts the body of the butterfly. It is set with 9.29 carats of sapphire and 5.61 carats of diamonds, and priced at $135,000 and up, depending on the gemstones used.
The Graff Princess Butterfly Secret Watch.
The Graff Swan Secret watch, also introduced this year, is fitted with a cover that is hinged to swivel outwards to reveal the time and then swivel back in to click into place. It is set with 6.22 carats of diamonds, and priced on request only.
The Graff Swan Secret Watch.
The Graff Swan Secret Watch.
Chanel has been making jewelry watches since Coco Watch Channel V Online included them in her first jewelry collection circa 1932. The four cuff-style pieces in this year’s Les Éternelles de Chanel collection are comprised of links that mimic the brand’s iconic quilted motif. Each watch is highlighted by a massive center gemstone set on a hinged frame to serve as the dial cover. The Chanel Signature Morganite is set with a spectacular 43.6-carat cushion-cut morganite, surrounded by 18k gold cushion shaped links that are set with 953 diamonds totaling 103.8 carats.
The Chanel Signature Morganite is set with a spectacular 43.6-carat cushion-cut morganite.
The Chanel Watch 1987 Price Signature Saphir is centered by a 17.2-carat cushion-cut Padparadscha sapphire, surrounded by 48 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 4 carats and 913 round diamonds totaling 61 carats.
The Chanel Signature Saphir is centered by a 17.2-carat cushion-cut Padparadscha sapphire.
The Chanel Signature Saphir is centered by a 17.2-carat cushion-cut Padparadscha sapphire.
The Chanel Watches Denver Signature Grenat is dominated by a beautiful, highly saturated garnet of 39.9 carats, also cut in a cushion shape. It is surrounded by 2.5 carats of yellow diamonds, 30.4 carats of orange sapphires, 2.5 carats of spessartite garnets and 78.9 carats of diamonds. What can I say about these pieces except that they are just spectacular? My favorite is the garnet because of the dynamic colors, which you really want on a cuff bracelet, which is the go-to piece of jewelry for showing color. There is also an Eternelles Diamant, with a 5.2-carat rose-cut diamond, 3 carats of triangle-cut diamonds and 30 carats of round brilliant-cut diamonds. Prices range from $555,000 – $1,292,000.
The Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Secret watch.
Van Cleef & Arpels can always be counted on to create some kind of special movement or mechanism to add a movable dynamic to its decorative watches. This year it is a secret watch with a case that is pulled out like a drawer from the side a cuff bracelet. The Van Cleef Ruby is made from an exceptional batch of 115 Mozambique rubies weighing a total of 151.25 carats. They are cut in slight variations, from oval to cushion, and arranged in three rows in an 18k white gold bangle-style cuff. Each row is separated by round and square diamonds. The watch is hidden in a secret drawer, opened by delicately pressing on the rubies. It slides in and out to a tolerance of a hundredth of a millimeter, emerging just under the stone’s girdles without touching them. It took more than a year to create this piece, and it is sure to be over a million dollars (but official pricing is not disclosed).
The Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Secret watch.
The movements in these and most other secret watches are quartz, but let’s face it, these statement pieces are not about the technical prowess of the movements; they are a different kind of masterpiece altogether. Jeweled secret watches are complicated in their own way, what with elaborate hinging and springed mechanisms and rare, custom-cut gemstones set to fine tolerances. They are certainly as worthy of conversation and admiration as a flying tourbillon or a high-frequency chronograph. Plus, if you really need to, you can use them to tell the time.