The concept of jewelled evening bags began to fascinate Mario Buccellati, founder of the eponymous high jewellery and silverware brand, in the 1920s, when he turned his considerable talents to transforming the humble accessory. Combining velvet and oriental silk with an embellished clasp that became almost a piece of jewellery in its own right, Buccellati’s evening bags quickly became a tantalising part of the design history of the maison.

It is a history Buccellati is drawing on now with the release of three new embroidered bags in silk and velvet, decorated with precious stones in a celebration of the spirit of the original pieces. ‘They take inspiration from the models created by Mario in the 1920s, later revived by my father Gianmaria with more geometric shapes for the US market,’ says Andrea Buccellati, the brand’s president and creative director. ‘The inspiration for current creations comes precisely from these bags of the past, reinterpreting a timeless classic.’

Intricate details reveal an accomplished craftsmanship, which takes shape in smooth stitching and fluid, flowing lines. ‘The foundation for maintaining this balance lies in a thorough understanding of traditional craftsmanship techniques,’ adds Buccellati. ‘This allows us to make the most of the potential of materials and processes, creating complex yet harmonious forms. Attention to detail is essential to ensure a high-quality result. Every finish, every seam, every decorative element must be crafted with the utmost precision and care, contributing to the overall harmony of the design. The happy balance between considered craftsmanship and a flowing, streamlined design is achieved through a combination of knowledge, experimentation, attention to detail and collaboration.’

buccellati.com

When Théo Jaquet inherited his grandparents’ things, he was drawn to the intimacy of their jewellery. The simplest items were the ones that had what he calls ‘transgenerational appeal’: pieces that felt timeless rather than those that read as rooted in another epoch.

As recently as six years ago, Jaquet didn't wear any personal adornment, but he decided to re-appropriate one particular piece from his grandparents. What became the cornerstone of his jewellery brand, ALT Paris, was inspired by the chain of an old pocket watch (montre à gousset). Instead of leaning into the ‘vintage’ aspect – antique, storied, traditional – he created something modern and sylphlike. The necklace he designed featured a rounded carabiner clasp and a small engraved medal.

At the time, Paris-based Jaquet was working in digital communication for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, then as a freelance marketing consultant. It took him three years to decide to pivot and start his own brand based on the regular positive feedback regarding his accessory. His aesthetic has been inspired by American conceptual artist James Lee Byars, French poet and playwright Jean Cocteau, and Italian jewellery designer Elsa Peretti. In 2022, he officially began ALT Paris and started hosting pop-ups. By 2024, he opened a permanent boutique in the Marais on rue Picardie, in the shadow of the Carreau du Temple, a former covered market, in a conjoined space with his husband, who has a brand of canvas totes and leather clutches, Allemandi.

A second location was launched less than two months ago, in the second arrondissement’s Passage Choiseul – a 19th-century passageway full of restaurants and shops overhung by a recessed glass roof, not far from the Jardins du Palais Royal. The store’s previous occupier was also a jewellery brand, the owner of which Jaquet knew, and he was able to smoothly take over when they left: he was especially charmed by the rounded vitrine, which he felt resonated with the rounded shapes of his jewellery line. He describes the locale as a petit écrin (little jewellery box) – it’s a slip of a place with white walls and a central table that creates a welcome akin to ‘a dining table around which you could have a coffee’. The table is dotted with custom-made ceramic trays to display the pieces, and other items are sparingly hung on the walls. Jaquet loves that the passageway is both touristy and Parisian, drawing varied passers-by. Jaquet feels it is legitimitising to have a boutique, as it’s a way to ‘transcribe the universe the brand’.

The pillars of the perennial collection are earcuffs, bangles, and necklaces. Because of the unembellished style of the pieces, Jaquet loves that they can be layered: ‘You can wear four rings and it’s not too much,’ he advised (they come in up to five different thicknesses). One could also double up the earcuffs, use a ring as a pendant, or alter the length of a cable chain of faceted links to wear as a necklace or a bracelet.

Jaquet used his earlier involvement in the luxury world to seek out specialised ateliers in France to work with. ALT Paris is mostly sold in France, with offerings sprinkled in Biarritz, Marseille, and Saint-Tropez. The jewellery is also available at the new Printemps store on Wall Street in New York City, as well as boutiques in Tokyo and Osaka. The savoir-faire around artisanal jewellery is not specific to France, but Jaquet likes that his ateliers are readily accessible by train from Paris (they’re located near Reims and Lyon, respectively). This makes it easy to go and survey prototypes, and Jaquet also appreciates the facility of communicating on techniques in his mother tongue, rather than, for example, taking a plane to an atelier in Italy.

The brand is unisex – both aesthetically, in its neutral simplicity, and, more pragmatically, in the range of sizes that fit necks, fingers, and wrists of various dimensions. Each piece is available in silver, vermeil or 18ct gold. While ALT Paris has not committed to upcycling internally, Jaquet offers clients the option to melt down old jewellery – such as dated heirlooms that no one wears today, replicating his own story – to be redesigned according to the ALT blueprints. In this manner, Jaquet allows the familial heritage to mix with contemporary design.

alt-paris.com

Homer, Frank Ocean’s super-cool jewellery and accessories company, is growing. Two new stores, one in traditional London jewellery district Hatton Garden, and the other in Los Angeles’ jewellery district downtown, join the current store in New York’s Jewelry Exchange.

Designed by Homer and Abel Nile New York (ANY), the new stores stay faithful to Homer’s clean, futuristic aesthetic, championing minimalist surfaces and a striking materiality. These are distinctive design codes that run throughout the jewellery itself, which will be exclusively available at the stores.

To mark the new openings, Homer is introducing a new collection, Frankenstein-Cord. Designed in collaboration with New York artist Barry Kieselstein-Cord, the pieces unite historical and contemporary references, nodding to both Kieselstein-Cord’s textured 1996 Heart design and Homer’s screw motif. The resulting high jewellery pieces, encompassing a necklace, a ring, stud earrings and mini stud earrings, marry the two motifs in graphic, grunge style. A screw pierces a heart-shaped diamond in the ‘2 Livers with Bullet Holes’ high jewellery ring, while in the matching necklace, composed of two 9.275ct pear-cut stones, the symbol is cradled by twists of diamonds, sensually tangling their way up the neck.

Alongside platinum sits the joyful mix of materials we have come to accept from Homer, with jewellery also rethought in sterling silver, 18ct yellow gold and 18ct white gold, finished in pops of blue, green, red, yellow and pink enamel. Elsewhere, new collections Sodium and Beef Broccoli Life bring a geometric play to classic jewellery silhouettes.

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First introduced in 2002, Omega’s Aqua Terra watch collection has been reimagined in a slimmed-down, 30mm size for the first time. The new format debuts across 12 models, each powered by a freshly engineered movement built specifically to perform at this smaller scale.

‘I’m most excited about the balance we’ve achieved between style and innovation,’ says Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of the Swiss watchmaker. ‘It’s wonderful to offer the Aqua Terra in a 30mm size, but even more special to offer it with Master Chronometer certification. It means we can guarantee refinement as well as the highest standard of mechanical quality, which isn’t always easy in women’s watchmaking.’

Creating a mechanical movement to suit the 30mm scale presented a unique challenge. ‘The proportions of the watch itself were not the main challenge. What we really had to think deeply about was the creation of the calibre. The laws of physics are very rarely linear, so you can't simply rescale the parts of another calibre and reduce their size. Everything has to be recalculated and adapted to make it work. It took us four years, because the engineering had to meet the Master Chronometer standard that we demanded.’ Once the movement was achieved, attention turned to the design. ‘It was then about building the watch to ensure the emblematic Aqua Terra style was brought to life.’

The result is a collection of 12 timepieces, including stainless steel, 18ct Sedna Gold, and 18ct Moonshine Gold models – Omega’s patented gold alloys – as well as two-tone combinations. The stainless steel and two-tone versions are powered by the newly developed Calibre 8750, while the gold editions feature Calibre 8751. Both movements were built specifically for this smaller case size and are certified to Master Chronometer standards.

Each watch showcases a vibrant, sun-brushed dial with applied hour markers and a date window at 6 o’clock. The bracelet design is integrated, featuring a brushed and polished finish, the brand's patented screw-and-pin system, and a butterfly clasp with a 2mm comfort-adjustment feature.

To launch the collection, Omega has unveiled a new campaign titled My Little Secret, fronted by six women from the worlds of fashion, music and film. The cast includes model Ashley Graham, actors Ariana DeBose and Marisa Abela, singers Tems and Danielle Marsh, and Sunday Rose Kidman Urban – the last joining her mother Nicole Kidman as a new-generation ambassador for the brand.

‘As a group, they represent variety,’ Aeschlimann says. ‘Each woman also represents our values of ambition and excellence. They’re all fulfilling their talents in the most exciting way and representing the creative energy that we love about this generation.’

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The surge in pricing of watch models from legacy brands over the last five years is proving more disruptive than these historic names recognise, suggests Guillaime Laidet, co-founder of independent brand SpaceOne Watches. With increases of 20 per cent and climbing over that period – often attributed to inflation, unconvincingly – brand recognition is breaking down as a defining factor in watch purchase decisions.

‘Customers are well-informed and [via enthusiast blogs especially] do their own homework,’ he argues. ‘More than that, people aren’t stupid. They weigh up [the specifications] of a €2,000 watch and a €10,000 one and see they’re not that different. [Legacy brand] prices are becoming totally disconnected from reality.’

That understanding has come about, he argues, because of the growing number of comparison products from what were once sometimes haughtily dismissed as ‘microbrands’ – small, independent watch brands, chiefly operating online – such as SpaceOne Watches, Studio Underdog, Furlan Marri, and Echo/Neutra, to name just a few among hundreds. Arguably the most seismic change to the watch industry since the advent of the quartz movement, the rise of these small-scale, often enthusiast-led start-up watch brands – made possible by the new accessibility of parts and the ability to find an audience through the internet – is shaking up the status quo in ways also being seen in other industries, such autos and healthcare.

Certainly some microbrands are now increasingly able to compete with the legacy watch brands, especially with the latters’ more entry-level products, on specifications: microbrands Serica and Formex, for example, use COSC-certified movements; a few make their own parts; others are setting records – the world’s lightest watch now comes from the Ming microbrand. The new contenders are also right up there in terms of making products bearing those hallmarks that once set legacy brands apart, as seen in the open dial and integrated bracelet of exciting British watch brand Christopher Ward’s recent C12 Loco model.

But, argues Thomas Van Straaten, founder of Venustas Per Constantiam (VPC) – now working on the launch of the world’s thinnest 200m dive watch – where microbrands are really storming ahead is in aesthetics, standing out against the legacy brands through a more striking use of colour, typography and form. Legacy brands ‘have to cater to marketing and sales data’, he says – a necessity to reach a large global audience – as well as stay in the lane ascribed by their luxury conglomerate owners, often resulting in rather humdrum, same-again designs. By contrast, the business models of microbrands entail lower volumes and direct-to-consumer sales, allowing them to, as Van Straaten puts it, ‘get out of that specs rat race, because what’s next, trying for an in-house movement?’

That way lies competing with the legacy brands rather than carving out a proposition that democratises mechanical watch ownership, he contends. And for which there is clear demand, according to microbrands’ multi-million dollar turnovers, attendance at dedicated shows like the Windup Watch Fair, and even the possibility of the first multi-microbrand bricks and mortar retailers (retailer Pérpetual Gallery already operates both online and from a Dubai shop, for example).

Indeed, ‘the microbrand market is so incredibly crowded now that, in order to have longevity, a microbrand really needs to have something to set it apart’, argues Lewis Heath, founder of AnOrdain, which specialises in enamel dials – again, something that used only to be found in high-end watches. ‘It’s also become clear over the last five years how easy it is to launch a watch brand, so you have to be self-critical as to whether you’re adding anything or just making another “nice” watch.’

And therein also lies the next big question facing the microbrand sector: since its models could get ever more complex, technically and aesthetically, should its members also chase high prices – effectively seek to compete head-to-head with legacy brands, with many now in the €3,000-plus range – or stay small and accessible? Federico Zulian, co-founder of microbrand HTD, argues that the answer lies in maintaining the sector’s emphasis on good value. He would, he says, like to offer a gold chronograph at around €10,000. That’s a lot of money, he concedes, ‘but the point is that it’s hard to find a gold chronograph at that price [from the legacy brands]. It’s going to be important to keep telling a different story to them.’

No brand embodies cool minimalism quite like Shihara, which has mastered the art of clean, simple silhouettes. Jewellery follows geometric cues – think delicate, golden cubes hugging the earlobes and symmetrical signet rings – and, on the whole, is faithfully monochrome. Where, then, do pearls fit in?

‘With my Shihara collection, I purposely limit myself to using only yellow gold, white gold, platinum and some diamonds and pearls – and no coloured stones,’ says Shihara’s founder and designer, Yuta Ishihara, of how he maintains the brand's distinctive design codes. ‘When I came across these 3.5mm high-quality Akoya pearls from Japan, I felt the size and aesthetic fit the Shihara collection perfectly.’

The new collection, ‘Node’, pairs strings of these delicate pearls with 18ct yellow gold clasps. The clasps, which hold the pieces securely, can be positioned however the wearer sees fit, creating fluid necklaces, bracelets or earrings.

‘My jewellery design for Shihara is about incorporating the hardware and fittings into the designs of the pieces,’ Ishihara says. ‘Hardware such as necklace clasps and backs of earrings are often standardised, and their designs and functionalities are rarely addressed. When I design, I like to reexamine the functionalities of the hardware and incorporate that function into the design by redefining and reimagining the way it is worn. You can see this in my new ‘Node’ collection, where I have developed a rectangular gold clasp that can be secured around a strand of pearls to be worn as a necklace or bracelet as well as the gold earring clasp that can be fitted onto the pearl strand to create a pearl earring that can be worn in multiple styles.’

Working with pearls offers Ishihara a greater design flexibility. ‘It allows me to design new forms that I might not be able to achieve using only gold,’ he adds, ‘as well as allowing more range in pricing, as the price of gold is quite high right now.

‘Some of the challenges I have come across include ensuring stable sourcing of pearls – finding pearls that are the same size, colour and quality. Also, constructing them into jewellery pieces requires highly technical skills, as even simply threading 3.5mm mini pearls can be quite difficult.’

shihara.com

For all that mechanical watchmaking is usually about miniaturisation, sometimes its masters like to display their talents on a grander scale. In 2025, brands and collectors alike have been enticed by the showstopper appeal of the most incredible clocks –statement pieces that bring the best attributes of today’s watchmakers to room-filling stature.

It has been the same story in the vintage market. In May, Phillips sold nine Cartier clocks that it described as ‘museum grade’ across its Hong Kong and Geneva auctions. The star lot was Portico Clock No.3, a 101-year-old ornate table clock in the ‘mystery’ style for which Cartier became famous. It sold for CHF3.9m (£3.5m), and still wasn’t the top story in an auction that also saw independent watchmaker FP Journe acquire a clock it had made for Breguet in 1991, the Sympathique no.1, for CHF5.5m (£5m).

That masterpiece is destined for FP Journe’s forthcoming museum in Geneva. But others are headed for – or already reside in – private collections. At Watches and Wonders in April, Chanel showed the Diamonds Astroclock, a contemporary take on a classic planetarium style that was produced by specialist clockmaker L’Epee 1839 (recently acquired by LVMH). With the movement housed in a glass sphere, the clock celebrated the constellation of Leo, both in its timekeeping display and with a white-gold lion sculpture set with 5,037 diamonds at the clock’s base.

Astronomical timekeeping was a popular theme: Panerai showed an updated version of its Jupiterium, a 100kg perpetual calendar planetarium that celebrates the discoveries of Galileo. As brooding and modern as the Chanel piece, it features the constellations of the zodiac picked out in green Super-Luminova, in keeping with the brand’s tool-focused aesthetic.

Van Cleef & Arpels, meanwhile, opted for a more ornate approach to what it calls its latest ‘extraordinary object’. The giant table-mounted planetarium is an evolution of a decade-old design, with a stylised shooting-star motif inlaid into the pale wood and the most impossibly detailed depictions of the planets, which orbit atop a celestial plane of lapis lazuli, accompanied by a mechanical melody as a gem-set shooting star emerges from a hatch to tell the time.

It is possible, however, to create a sensational clock without amassing enormous weight or complexity. Piaget’s latest clock is described as a ‘high jewellery mobile’, and sets a golden oval, set within it a smaller oval of opal, against four counterweights, also in gold, three of which are inlaid with semiprecious stones. With each individual clock differing slightly due to the natural variation of the stones, the mobile must be balanced accordingly.

By cutting against the grain of size, heft and mechanical complexity, Piaget has shown that there is more than one way to translate the aesthetic of a fine jewellery brand into a clock, bringing elements of its 1970s and 1980s heyday that are enjoying such a moment in today’s watch market.

We are used to luxury brands collaborating with visual artists, partnerships that lend themselves to hyped-up limited-edition collectable products. But when a luxury house turns to literature, it opens a new chapter in cultural collaborations, one that’s worth noting.

This month (June 2025), L’École, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, joins forces with Italian publishing house Franco Maria Ricci to launch Dédale, a multilingual series of pre-existing but repackaged literary works, all loosely themed around the world of jewellery and the pleasure of collecting.

The Dédale series, named after the Greek craftsman Daedalus – a nod to the beauty of invention and discovery – debuts with three titles: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Stefan Zweig’s The Invisible Collection, and George Sand’s Laura: A Journey into the Crystal. Each book is published in English, French, and Italian, with two new volumes to be added to the series each year, one in spring and one in autumn.

The project is the brainchild of Nicolas Bos, former CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels and now CEO of Richemont Group, who in his youth was an avid reader of The Library of Babel, a series of classics curated by Jorge Luis Borges and published by Franco Maria Ricci. Around a decade ago, during a visit to Ricci at his headquarters at Labirinto della Masone, an idiosyncratic museum-cum-bookshop surrounded by the world's largest bamboo maze (Labirinto in Italian), the idea of a future collaboration took root.

The partnership is, in marketing jargon, totally on-brand. Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewellery has long drawn inspiration from literature, from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet to classic fairy tales and, in a more recent high jewellery collection, Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Publishing also aligns with L’École’s mission. Founded in 2012 by Van Cleef & Arpels, the school has released over 60 publications to accompany its free exhibitions and share the work of its research department. One such publication, the digital dossier Jewels and Literature, developed in partnership with France's Bibliothèque Nationale (National Library), marked the first in-depth exploration of the links between jewellery and the literary world.

Unexpected as it may seem, this publishing venture is in step with a broader cultural shift focusing on literature. During Milan Design Week 2025, Miu Miu held its second book club focused on classic female authors; in June, Chanel will award its inaugural Prix de la Mode et de la Littérature; and Montblanc is funding the €35 million restoration of Goethe’s house in Weimar, in addition to the various literary prizes and initiatives it supports. If luxury once sought credibility through visual art, today it’s moving into more layered cultural territory, and literature, with its associations of introspection as well as female empowerment – cue the many women-led book clubs, from Oprah Winfrey’s to Dua Lipa’s – offers rich ground.

The new series of books is available to buy at lecolevancleefarpels.com

Parisian jeweller Messika gives its signature ‘Move’ motif a tactile twist with ‘Move Ciselé’, a new fine jewellery collection featuring a chiselled gold finish. Launched to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary, the collection reflects two decades of innovation led by founder and artistic director Valérie Messika.

Since establishing the maison in 2005, she has built on a family legacy of diamond expertise, inherited from her father, renowned diamond merchant André Messika.

Described by Valérie Messika as ‘a natural evolution of satin-finished gold’, the new range builds on a textured surface first explored in the maison’s high jewellery creations. ‘Initially, we were drawn to the soft, matte elegance of satin finishes across yellow, white, and grey gold,’ she says. ‘As we delved deeper into the material, we were inspired to push the boundaries further – to not just finish gold, but to sculpt it.

‘Through extensive experimentation – varying thicknesses, textures, and depths – our artisans developed this chiselled effect, a tactile surface that gives the gold new life, texture, and dimension.’

Each piece is entirely handcrafted, beginning with the preparation and polishing of the metal using a diamond powder-coated bur. Then, with a fine chisel, the surface is carefully carved – the angle, pressure and curvature precisely controlled to form grooves that catch and reflect light. These are layered in a woven, mesh-like pattern, creating a surface of raised and recessed shapes that gives every piece a unique finish.

At the heart of the collection is the ‘Move’ motif – a slender, minimalist design set with freely moving diamonds. ‘Move Ciselé’ also sees the brand’s best-known silhouettes – including ‘Move Noa’ and ‘Move Classique’ – reimagined in this textured gold. The result is a technique that turns gold into a central design element rather than a supporting act. ‘It’s no longer a background for diamonds; it becomes a central element of the design, almost like a fabric carved from metal,’ Valérie Messika says.

For her, the connection between this collection and fashion is more than metaphorical. ‘The chiselled gold in the “Move Ciselé” collection evokes the world of haute couture through its precision, texture, and artisanal excellence,‘ she says.

‘The gold is treated like a fine textile – carefully sculpted, textured, and shaped to create a feeling of fluidity and softness, despite its inherent rigidity,’ she notes. ‘Both [materials] sublimate form through detail, and both celebrate the uniqueness of hand-made creation.’

This duality lies at the core of ‘Move Ciselé’. Each piece invites a closer look, revealing how such an intricate surface can transform a simple silhouette.

As Valérie Messika puts it: ‘We are always searching for ways to surprise – to take something familiar and make it feel new again. “Move Ciselé” is that moment of surprise, born from technique, but driven by emotion.’

messika.com

Founded in 1990, German watchmaker Nomos Glashütte has made a Bauhaus- inspired style its own. As much driven by mechanical innovation as aesthetics, the brand has made a recent move into the realm of worldtimer functions.

It can be notoriously difficult to translate simple design ticks into an inherently complicated watch, but the distinctive Nomos clean lines and uncluttered dial still appear, alongside playful pops of colour and sporty details, in its new Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer.

Featuring 24 different time zones, an outer ring is dotted with city codes, with the second time zone revealed with a single hand, making it easy to read two time zones simultaneously. Alongside two classic versions of the watch in silver and blue, there are six limited-edition colours, including this delectable deep olive green.

nomos-glashuette.com

This article appears in the July 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 5 June 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Revered architect Tadao Ando has disseminated his minimalist vision throughout the world. The Japanese octogenarian has also spread his wings to sign off on small-scale projects, including watches. But save for a few exquisite dial designs for Bulgari and a collaboration with Seiko, the Cauny Ando is his first clean slate watch design.

Tadao Ando, born in 1941 in war-torn Osaka, is a remarkably self-taught architect and the quietly spoken doyen of Japanese minimalism. Ando is known for his intense focus on the interplay between light and simple geometric forms – often exhibiting scenographic lines, but how does this translate to the micro-scale of a watch?

This project was initiated by the revived manufacturer Cauny, a legacy Swiss brand now under Portuguese ownership with a collection called The Architects Of Time. Within this portfolio, we find MoMA-stocked watches designed by fellow Pritzker award winners Alvaro Siza and Rafael Moneo, among others, and now Tadao Ando. The watch itself requires careful headline composition as it is a pared-back design inspired by an apple.

Ando-san says: 'This watch reflects the spirit of the green apple – unripe, a little sour, yet full of promise. American Poet Samuel Ullman wrote that youth is not a period of life, but a state of mind: the courage to face difficulty without fear, the resilience to keep dreaming despite setbacks.' The poetically loaded ideas of Tadao Ando are manifested in two versions of what is a watch in its purest sense.

The Cauny Ando has the same clean-slate approach as the Ikepod, the line of Marc Newson-designed wristwear. Here, alongside the minimalism is exhibited the architect’s passionate approach and sense of balance.

From the small crown to the apple leaf-inspired minute hand, each element is a distilled version of the familiar, without sacrificing function for form. The Cauny Ando has a smooth 37.5 or 31.5mm case with a lugless, pebble-round design. A domed dial and sapphire crystal underlines the brand’s emphasis on a durable elegance, with a thin Swiss quartz movement ensuring an understated form that slips under a cuff. The Cauny Ando comes in two variations, with the deliciously fresh green version appearing as the most literal interpretation of Ando-san’s vision. For the more monochromatically inclined, the brushed steel version features a vertically brushed dial, riffing off Tadao Ando’s love of steel and concrete, paired with a stitched black leather strap.

Daniela Jacobs hops off her bike, which she recently repainted, and sits at an outdoor table at a café in the West Village to discuss her longterm project, ARC Objects, unfettered by rumbling garbage trucks. Even after a decade, she speaks about it with endearment and enthusiasm.

Jacobs celebrated the ten-year anniversary of her project in the fall. ARC is the ongoing evolution of Jacobs’ senior thesis project as a student in 2014 at Parsons, part of an interdisciplinary educational programme. Her studies focused on the ethics behind consumption: sustainability (before the term was in regular use) and mindfulness regarding both materials and the life cycle of a product. She posited her thesis as a 'fake business', mostly articulated in porcelain, plus some nickel silver and brass. She chose porcelain because it is lightweight, thus ideal for being worn on the body. As a student, she learned how to do slip casting, a means of making moulds for creating multiples. 'I was interested in making wearable and usable objects,' she says, adding: 'I still have that interest.'

Her mentor, the interior designer Lisa Mayock, attended the thesis show and put a photo of ARC pieces on Instagram – the platform was relatively new at the time. Two buyers reached out. Mere weeks after she graduated, Jacobs found herself at a meeting with Saks Fifth Avenue. The takeaway was there was legitimate interest, which made her feel ready to migrate her 'fake business' into a real one. After moving into her first studio, she began filling wholesale orders.

'I wanted it to have enough of a framework that it was really a functional business, but also a loose enough guideline or framework so that it could be actually sustainable for a long period of time,' she said. 'I wanted it to be open-ended enough that this could potentially be my work indefinitely.' From the beginning, she intentionally called her work seasonless. 'Now lots of designers do that, but back in 2014, I got a lot of weird looks when I would meet with buyers.' She has her core collection, some pieces stemming as far back as from her thesis: the Day and Night plate set, the Crescent Moon plates, and the Moonbeam necklace. She introduces one or two new pieces to her roster intermittently, but feels no pressure to reinvent with any constancy. 'I still see ARC as a project or an experiment. On my website, I call it a concept more than a product, and that still feels true'.

Presently, she has a studio in her downtown living space and, unsurprisingly, it is readily integrated into the fabric of her life. 'I wake up, I have coffee, I go for a swim, and then I'm just in the studio as my hair dries: mixing the porcelain and answering emails.' Her moodboard is a firm pillar that essentialises her work: 'it really does feel like the inside of my inspiration brain.' From time to time, she revisits what’s on there, allowing it to expand and contract. Of the ritual revisiting, she says: 'I would take everything off, and I would sit down, and I would spread out what I was inspired by, and then decide where I put it back'. Mostly, it includes visuals of the sea from the Mediterranean coast and natural textures that she finds interesting, be it a fractured piece of a seashell or a weathered branch. When she looks at an image and it no longer does anything for her, she'll leave the space blank until the next thing comes along.

Though a native New Yorker, she has annually spent summers in Majorca since childhood, where her family has a home. She has a full studio set-up on site. Often she’ll be prototyping and developing new designs while she’s there; when she returns to New York, she’s more likely in production mode. 'No matter how hard I try, I'm never not busy in New York… When I'm in Mallorca, I often have more time, especially if it happens to be summer, because the sun sets around almost 10pm.' It’s a territory that she doesn't tire of: she's drawn to the way that the mountains change color depending on the time of day, what the sea looks like whether it's calm or rough, the weeds that grow along the Mediterranean. 'There's something very majestic about being close to the sea', she remarks.

The latest item that she’s released: the Volta earrings. Volta means, in Mallorquin, a spin around the sun, and is used as an expression for ‘going for a short walk’. At the café, she’s wearing the prototype: half circles hollowed out on the inside, so they're not too heavy. 'They're just a fun, bold statement earring. I wear them almost every single day lately, and I think they look great on all face shapes.' (She doesn't have pierced ears: her version are clip-ons.)

She also has on a glass bangle and glass ring, part of the glass collection launched in October to celebrate 10 years of existence. Does sporting glass accessories make you move differently? It’s easy to imagine feeling very protective of the material’s delicacy. It’s a question she frequently gets from buyers. 'I don't feel that precious about them,' she shrugs. 'It's been over 10 years now that I'm wearing porcelain on a daily basis, and I see how sturdy it really is. What I usually say is: how often do you really break a plate at home? Porcelain is usually used for making tableware, and this type of glass is also normally used for home objects, cups, plates, pitchers, etc. So unless you really bang it into something, or you drop it from a high distance… in terms of daily use and wear, it’s fine.' Her Full Circle ring was on her hand when she had the misfortune of being hit by a truck a few years ago: 'it flew off my finger, and it was fine,' she marvels at the recollection. 'They're more sturdy than you would think.'

In terms of aesthetics, she gravitates towards rounded shapes, good contrast, mixing what's considered fancy with what's considered casual, bold shapes made from delicate materials ('or what we often see as a delicate material', she clarifies). 'I think an element of surprise is really important in a composition,' she notes. She also abides by Coco Chanel’s famous adage: take one element off of what you're wearing, then you're ready. Indeed, Jacobs adheres to simplicity and minimalism as a key to her approach (even though 'that’s such an overused way to talk about things'). In her household growing up, careful restraint and consideration was the modus operandi, which affected her immensely. 'My parents wanted to raise me with an awareness of you shouldn't own a lot of things if you're not using them or needing them, or if they're not bringing you something. Minimalism, for me, is – without sounding too cheesy – a lifestyle choice. Whether it's the clothes or the jewellery or the objects that I have, they should all feel cohesive with each other.'

Nowadays, Jacobs is overseeing the very courses that shaped her – integrated design and product design – and she’s teaching at her alma mater. Teaching forces her to constantly 'revisit things that otherwise would just become sort of baked into the way you think.' She enjoys orienting the students’ self-reflection and critical thinking about design. 'It's also just really interesting to see how everyone's process is different, and to try to help people grow to as best they can', she notes. 'That inevitably translates into my own experience in studio: it makes you question things more in a way that is really nice.'

We’ve long kept an eye on Greek jewellery brand Lito for the evocative way it fuses historical symbols and traditional techniques with a modernist approach to shape, colour, style and precious stones. Founded by Lito Karakostanoglou, the brand is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and, to mark the occasion, it has chosen to add nine one-of-a-kind designs to its striking ‘Tu Es Partout’ collection.

Instantly recognisable for its reimagining of the all-seeing-eye motif, used for centuries by a wealth of cultures to ward off negative energy and protect from evil, the original collection features bracelets, necklaces and earrings, with each piece individually hand-painted, in a variety of colours, then enamelled, encased in gold and adorned with precious stones.

Launching on 16 June 2025, the nine new amulets elevate Lito’s signature eye motif into bold new realms of artistry, creativity and collectability. ‘“Tu Es Partout” has always been the soul of the brand, its gaze, its story, its magic. It only felt right to dress it in its finest, most radiant form for this milestone moment,’ says Karakostanoglou, who always sets out to create jewellery that her clients can connect to.

‘I wanted every piece to tell a different story. Each carries a different message on the back, which is one of my favourite things to do when designing – creating secret messages between me and the wearer. There is more than what the eye can see! Once you read the message, the jewellery resonates in so many more ways. It becomes more than a piece of jewellery. It’s that message that you carry with you always.’

Crafted in Athens in gold and hand-painted enamel, alongside a rainbow palette of semi-precious stones, from tanzanite to spinel, the new pieces include a spectacular pink and yellow gold brooch, featuring mother of pearl, diamonds and rubies, and a yellow gold necklace with sapphires and brilliant-cut diamonds.

The 25th Anniversary Eyes collection starts at £7,000 and will be available online from Lito Jewellery and at Lito’s flagship Athens boutique

Girard-Perregaux’s Deep Diver, brought back to life as a collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, is more than just another cute archive find.

The original dates from the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period that has been entertaining vintage collectors for years, bringing a pop of colour and sunshine that’s a refreshing change from the carefully inoffensive palettes more generally on offer. This new watch is beautifully realised, with its key details drawn from the original but re-engineered and updated for now.

The Deep Diver comes from a moment of confidence and technical ambition in the watch industry that saw groundbreaking developments on the movement side. It was matched with an ebullience of design that was the polar opposite of the minimalism of the (Omega) Speedmaster and (Rolex) Daytona. Out went a simple case, hand-wound movements and pared-back, monochrome dials and in came chunky cases, hot colours, lots of luminous tritium and, for the Deep Diver, a high-tech, 5Hz self-winding movement (as now seen in Rolex’s new Land-Dweller) and a rotating inner bezel.

The Girard-Perregaux and Bamford watch is an update not a copy, while key details, such as the 14-sided inner bezel that would later appear on the Laureato, and the boxy typography, are all correct and present. There is a polished titanium case, rubber straps that wick away moisture, blue-glowing SuperLumiNova and Girard-Perregaux’s current workhorse, the GP03300 calibre, as well as a very subtle Bamford signature on the dial. While it’s not a true compressor case, the water-resistance is rated at 200m – or pool-resistant to 20 bar as the caseback says (founder George Bamford was insistent that the Deep Diver is pool-safe, and it even comes with a pool-themed presentation box).

Given the positive reception the Deep Diver has already won and the sell-out of Girard-Perregaux's reinterpretation of the 1976 digital Casquette watch, it looks like archive finds are bringing much-needed visibility to a brand that really ought to be competing with the likes of Jaeger-LeCoultre and Audemars Piguet.

This watch is limited to 350 pieces and is available at Goldsmiths at £12,900 in the UK, and Watches of Switzerlandat $15,100 in the US

Fernando Jorge is a master of architectural silhouettes, crafting sleek and sensual jewellery that takes the curves of the body as its cue. Jorge, who works across a host of materials, from the precious to the everyday, is returning to focus solely on diamonds with his new collection, ‘Vertex’.

Building on 2017’s all-diamond ‘Brilliant’ collection, the new pieces take the baguette cut as their focus, juxtaposing its sharp angles with a streamlined architecture, in a sharp nod to New York’s skyline.

Here, the Brazilian-born, London-based jeweller tells us what inspired his new collection, why he loves diamonds and how he has stayed faithful to his signature aesthetic.

Fernando Jorge on new collection, ‘Vertex’

Wallpaper*: Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind this new collection?

Fernando Jorge: The new collection came together during the past few years, while I have been working on our showroom spaces – first in London’s Mayfair and then in New York. Immersed in the architecture of these cities and the spaces themselves, I started to lean towards a cleaner, more geometric aesthetic – something entirely new for me.

I had also been waiting to work again on a collection that focused on diamonds, something I haven’t done since 2017 with ‘Brilliant’. Then the idea came to explore the baguette cut, and while researching, I realised we were approaching the centenary of the art deco era. The fast pace, excitement and uncertainty of the 1920s seem to resonate with what we are living now, which encouraged me in the direction I was already heading in my mind.

The ‘Vertex’ collection evolved from this weave of ideas, not only to encompass diamonds and cuts, or as an homage to the past, but also to include the urban rhythm and atmosphere into my body of work.

W*: Why does it feel like a natural direction after your 2024 collection, ‘Deep Stream’?

FJ: There is a natural oscillation in my creative rhythm that I have observed over the years. When I feel like I have worked on an idea in depth, the natural response once the cycle is completed is to gravitate to a complementary idea, almost to open a new chapter.

‘Deep Stream’ was designed as an extension of ‘Stream’, a body of work that has evolved over the past decade since the original launch [in 2014]. It was designed for our debut at PAD in London and Salon Art & Design in New York, where I wanted to introduce my work with a core part of my signature. ‘Deep Stream’ explored sinuous sculptural shapes to convey feelings of nature and the body. From there, it felt natural and exciting to start working on the ideas of ‘Vertex’, where geometry and urban life are in focus.

W*: What do you enjoy about working with diamonds?

FJ: I am fascinated by diamond as a natural material that is superlative in its qualities: it has the purest molecular structure; it is the hardest natural material found in nature and is the most light refractive. Diamonds are considered the apex of gemstones for these reasons, and diamond jewellery consequently became known in the same way. Diamond pieces are often reserved for important occasions and significant moments. Diamonds inherently embody the idea of eternity because of their composition and structure that is indestructible.

I enjoy exploring these ideas, and when I was working on ‘Brilliant’, I was drawn to the light refraction that occurs with the cut. In ‘Vertex’, I have used the baguette cut as a nod to the past, as [it was] fashionable in the 1920s and during the art deco period. I wanted to reference this while also doing something different and completely modern. This is what I like about the language of jewellery and where diamonds play their part.

W*: How did you meet the challenges in celebrating the baguette cut while staying faithful to your signature fluidity?

FJ: I juxtaposed the two opposite ideas – creating designs that are about repetition and that have straight lines and edges but then adding movement and the engineering that I have used before. The result is a combination of geometry, structure and feminine fluidity and sensuality.

W*: What is your favourite thing about this collection?

FJ: It's the fact that it’s new, yet it’s very much a seamless extension of my existing body of work. I take my time to explore ideas and elements in jewellery that I like, waiting for when it feels right, and I enjoy shaping an entire collection around a simple element and its ramifications. I think ‘Vertex’ stems from a simple idea yet creates an interesting balance between the past and the future, feeling both new and familiar, which adds to my design language and aesthetic.

fernandojorge.co.uk

One of the most prominent jewellery trends to emerge from the resurgence of maximalism is layering necklaces. Although the style is about making a statement, it also feels casual – the throwing of styles on top of one another to create something coherent. But if you’re looking for lower-effort still, many jewellery designers have created ready-made stacked styles.

How to layer necklaces

The layered necklace look might look like an afterthought, but there is method to the madness. The trick is variation – combining different styles, lengths and even metals.

Balance is key: think about a graduation of length, from chokers to plunging pendant necklaces, and mix sleek, minimalist pieces with chunkier, more detailed statements. Numerous textures will also help to create variety: snake chains, rolo chains, rope chains, and so forth. Don’t be afraid to mix stones and metals or add beads, pearls and pendants, from charms to T-bars. Start with just two or three necklaces, and then layer on as many as you feel works.

To prevent tangling, you can try clipping the clasp from one necklace to the extension of another, allowing you to change their lengths.

A necklace detangler may also come in useful: you can attach multiple necklaces to this accessory, which essentially turns them into one multi-chain necklace, keeping them separated on your neck so that they don't twist around each other.

Wallpaper’s favourite layering necklaces

Audemars Piguet is cementing its links in the north of England with the opening of the new AP House – its latest immersive showroom designed to help clients connect with the brand – in partnership with the Watches of Switzerland Group. Located in a Grade II-listed, three-storey Georgian townhouse on King Street, Manchester, the opening marks the second AP House in the UK, following the 2019 launch of a London outpost.

Joining AP Houses across the world – including in Amsterdam, New York, Singapore, Seoul, St Barth, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Zurich and Los Angeles – the new 425 sq m space stays faithful to the series’ distinctive design codes in its clean minimalism, yet key details pay tribute to its Manchester location.

Draft beer on tap, brewed exclusively for Audemars Piguet, is a playful reference to buzzing pub culture. A room dedicated solely to music acknowledges Manchester’s rich history, with a tribute to Factory Records, which pioneered Manchester’s electronic music scene in the 1990s. And there’s a nod to the city’s symbolic working bee, in the form of geometric hexagonal silhouettes in the watch cellars.

These local touches join familiar brand symbols, which become hallmarks of an easy elegance throughout. The focus here is very much on comfort – clients are advised to sit, relax, have a drink in the stylish bar or perhaps on the generous roof terrace, rich in materials from Audemars Piguet’s Swiss home.

‘It feels particularly special to be bringing the concept to such a dynamic and culturally rich city – renowned for its distinct musical influence and spirit of hospitality,’ says country general manager of Audemars Piguet UK, Daniel Compton.

audemarspiguet.com

Over its ten year history, Mara Paris has secured its spot as one of the most interesting contemporary jewellery brands, perfecting an offbeat aesthetic defined by unexpected placements and sensual, twisting forms. Jewellery, whether curling round the neck yet not quite meeting in the middle, or climbing up the whorls of the ear, is always surprising, wearable - and very cool.

We were pleased to hear, then, that founder Ayça Özbank Taskan has marked the recent anniversary with an elevation of these forms, launching Mara Paris’ first fine jewellery collection. Taskan has drawn on her architecture training for Natura Forma, which sculpts pieces in 18 carat gold and diamonds into geometrical jewels.

Encompassing rings, lip and ear cuffs, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, the collection pays homage to imperfection and natural lines. Eschewing symmetry, undulating gold lines, often speckled with diamonds, are a key aesthetic throughout, bringing an informality often absent from fine jewellery.

It is a natural progression for Taskan, who began her career by studying architecture at Venice’s Università IUAV di Venezia, before travels through Italy and Scandinavia shaped her distinctive style,. Materiality with a minimalist twist - if this is the future of fine jewellery, we like it.

‘My passion for artists’ jewellery was born on the day Bernar [Venet] amused himself by rolling a thin strip of silver around my left ring finger as a wedding band. This was in 1985 when we lived in New York,’ says prolific jewellery collector Diane Venet, who over the years has amassed a vast collection of artist-designed jewellery. ‘This first gesture had a far-reaching impact on me,’ she adds. ‘It encouraged me to discover the scarcely known universe of such unique and precious works of art. Precious not simply due to their rarity, but also for the symbolic content that spurred their creation.’

Many of Venet’s pieces are now on view at West Palm Beach’s Norton Museum of Art exhibition, ‘Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection’, with jewellery from artists including Rashid Johnson, Alexander Calder, Niki de Saint Phalle, Yayoi Kusama, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, Pablo Picasso and Kiki Smith also available to try on.

Venet formed close relationships with many of these artists, occasionally undertaking collaborations with them, or suggesting they work in a new medium. ‘As I have been drawn further into this world, I have asked various artists for a contribution,’ she adds. ‘I gave César [Baldaccini, the French sculptor] a handful of family chains, bracelets and pendants that he then compressed into a pendant; or John Chamberlain, who out of friendship offered me his first-ever piece of jewellery made of painted aluminium.’

For Venet, each piece is synonymous with both friendship and creativity. ‘Artists might start off by declining the request, then, in the intimacy of their studio, they are tempted to put their artistic vocabulary to the test. Such was the case with Frank Stella, who one evening, after numerous refusals to Bernar, gave me a folded page from The New York Times containing a huge necklace; a design made of titanium and crudely painted gold.’

'Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection' is at the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, until 5 October 2025

norton.org

From cartoon legends, to racing designs, digital watches can make for playful and precise accessories. Here are five easy-to-wear watches perfect for summer days.

An interest in journeys is key for jeweller Shola Branson, who has crafted his new collection entirely in fully traceable 18 carat Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold.

Branson has chosen brushed gold from the Sabodala mine in Senegal for the Fragments collection, which draws from both antique and modern inspirations. Stones, including Colombian emeralds, white and brown diamonds, tourmalines, and sapphires, are set on blackened gold and rendered in a distinctive cartouche shape.

To set the stones in as little metal as possible, Branson assembles a precious jigsaw puzzle, flooding the recesses with stones of different sizes and hues.

‘They are somewhat inspired by Georgian diamond jewellery,’ says Branson. ‘They often set diamonds in oxidised silver, creating this rich contrast that enhances the brilliance of diamonds, particularly in candlelight. I think this setting technique paired with the bold brushed forms gives it a very different feel, something more contemporary.’

This article appears in the June 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 8 May 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

‘It is quite important to see the pieces as a kind of protection for the wearer, perhaps a mix between an armour and also a physical expression of magical thinking, of “If I wear it, I become a little like it”,’ says Sylvain Rieu-Piquet, whose forthcoming exhibition, ‘Chimaera’ at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London (opening 22 May 2025) will see the designer exhibit 40 pieces of jewellery and ceramics that articulate what he describes as a synthesis of language and form.

The exhibition name rightly suggests, with its inference of the mythical being in Greek mythology that is part lion, goat and serpent, that not only do Rieu-Piquet’s pieces possess an other-worldly quality, but also, they act as a wearable response to the idea of unrealistic ideas that are seemingly impossible to realise. ‘As an art student [at ENS Paris-Saclay], the memories I have were of feeling it was possible to think differently,’ he says. It is a belief evident in a jewellery practice that has experimentalism at its heart.

Rieu-Piquet’s interdisciplinary and visually omnivorous approach is also clear in his work. ‘I have done many different things, but there is a link, and for me it is drawing. I draw a lot. When I was very young, I was interested in anything that I found beautiful and I drew whatever it was. It could be an Italian baroque sculpture, a jewel, anything. I was not concerned with history or provenance, just the aesthetics. It was indiscriminate, totally natural. On the other hand, design is a method for me, a way to think.’

Success and accolades came early in his career: his reimagined Bic pens debuted at Design Parade Hyères and large-scale drawings were shown by Studio Liaigre in New York. However, he is now best known for his sculptures and jewellery, which allow him to explore the outer reaches of his imagination but through an approach rooted in design. ‘I began the jewellery after the ceramics, but for me the two are very close because the materials [clay and wax respectively] are soft and precise,’ he notes. He adds, ‘What I appreciate a lot from jewellery is the smaller scale. It is an opportunity to clarify style. So, you have to condense and be more considered with the choices made.’

Rieu-Piquet sees his jewellery practice and the ‘Chimaera’ series in particular as ‘a concentration of mineral, vegetal and animal’ and an opportunity to explore notions of fragility and vitality, elements that are present in the natural world and in people’s consciousness. They have the potential to be expressed in the one-of-a-kind pieces he creates. ‘The magic and tragedy of existence, the balance between strength and weakness’ are important, he notes.

Primarily in brass and bronze, and utilising silver and gold plating and patina, the collection features pieces that are set with sapphires, garnets and rubies. They vary in scale and oscillate between reflecting reality and subverting it. Of the rings in his series, Rieu-Piquet notes that they can just as easily be interpreted as a reptilian skin or a flower, and he is keen to note that the pieces are both absurd and imagined, allowing space for interpretation from the wearer. His methodologies also give his pieces a vintage quality: ‘The brass is a very cool material, as when I plate it and afterwards remove the plating, there is already the idea of lived experience in the finish,’ he says.

Although his work is increasingly collectable, Rieu-Piquet shies away from creating pieces that are ‘ego-driven artist-jewellery, with the bodies of others becoming a canvas for the artist’s work even if it is heavy or not comfortable’. Working from home allows him the time to spend with his three children and ‘to be in the right state, balanced in concentration and also relaxation’.

He adds: ‘When I am asked about my art, the question of family never appears, but for me it is a big thing.’ It's a neat riposte to an artist’s work being their sole raison d’être. And while Rieu-Piquet’s work is becoming an inevitable part of the jewellery canon, his is an insouciant approach to legacy. ‘It is complicated. In a few weeks I will have made another new piece and I will think the things of the week before are not at all important. Everything could be destroyed, perhaps it will be, and everything will eventually come to dust and it is not a problem.’

In ‘Chimaera’, Rieu-Piquet distils the fleeting truth of beauty, objects and life itself and how our perceptions and desires can be both illusory in thought and tangible in the wearing.

‘Chimaera’ is open from 22 May – 12 July 2025, carpentersworkshopgallery.com

We are seeing a renewed taste for colour in recent watch releases. espite a recent flurry of pastels, nothing is more evocative than a red dial, a strong presence this year on dress – and tool watches alike - here are some of our favourites.

When Patek Philippe launched its Cubitus two years ago, there were many concerned with its distinctive shape: depending on who you asked, it was too square, or maybe not square enough. 'The entire point of the watch is to have a recognisable case shape,' one Reddit user noted – that, after all, is a key factor in what makes a watch iconic, at least eventually.

Those complainers may wonder why the watch has since become a best-seller anyway, with grey market values topping three times the retail price. Perhaps, in part, it’s because any deviation from the traditional round form – which is said to account for at least 90 per cent of the watch market – stands out, gaining attention as consumers get used to the idea. Cartier’s wonky Crash (featured in Cartier's current V&A exhibition) and Audemars Piguet’s octagonal Royal Oak – designed by Gerald Genta – met similar disaffection at first too. Might, indeed, they be considered the pathfinders, with unusual shapes predicted as a key trend for 2025?

Dennison Watch, for example, has recently launched its ALD collection with a rounded ‘TV screen’ dial, despite the awareness that, 'square, cushion, oval, oblong, whatever the shape, it just isn’t commercial', as founder Toby Sutton puts it. 'But unusual watches that were just considered “ugly” five years ago are now classed as “different”, so we thought it was worth the risk.'

Maen has launched its first jumping hour with a twist on the tonneau, while Gerald Charles – Genta’s own brand – has just won the Luxury Watch of the Year at the Inhorgenta Awards for the Masterlink version of its asymmetric Maestro case.

Indeed, according to Federico Ziviani, the company’s CEO, 'having the right shape is extremely difficult, but that shape has [nonetheless] become our signature' – so much so that when he joined Gerald Charles in 2019, he discontinued production of all of its other shaped watches.

Other new launches so far in 2025 include the likes of a True Square skeleton and oval Tej Chuahan Diastar from Rado, an octagonal Laureato Aston Martin edition from Girard Perregaux, a rectangular Extraflat from Richard Mille, plus more stand-out ‘experimental’ pieces from the likes of Urwerk and MB&F. But the vast majority of new pieces? Still round.

'Roundness is written into the history of watches – it’s a classic form, many parts of the movement are round, the hands are centred and trace a round form, so it’s hard to escape. It’s what most clients want,' says the independent watch designer and MB&F regular Eric Giroud. 'I think you see a divide between brands with a watchmaking heritage, for whom round is logical, and those with a jewellery heritage, for whom a watch is also an exploration of form.'

Might the latter be moving to the fore? While there are several differently shaped watches that have eventually achieved iconic status – Tag Heuer’s Monaco or Jaeger LeCoultre’s Reverso, for instance – there remains a deep-seated reluctance to break free of the tyranny of the round. According to Matthieu Allegre, the designer behind Amida’s reimagined Digitrend driver’s watch, the 1970s marked the last boom time for unusual shapes, but the Quartz crisis then encouraged a return to safe options.

'With round the habit again, the more complex the shape the greater the volume of sales you need to make developments costs worthwhile. But the market is changing again,' he insists. 'Yes, these shapes take time to find acceptance, but they have a strong identity. The industry can’t keep thinking of them as risky, especially when, I think, there’s more of a demand for novelty in case shape, especially given social media and the need to stand out that it demands.'

Sylvain Berneron, designer of what has been widely acclaimed as one of the most innovative watches of recent years (his debut Berneron Mirage watch is entirely asymmetric and takes its case shape from the lay-out of the movement) argues that the slow rise of unusual case shapes is a counter-reaction to the watch market’s over-saturation by vintage-inspired steel sports watches. And, he adds, the reluctance of the major luxury conglomerates to experiment. 'For them, designing another chronograph movement that can fit into several different round models is just that much easier,' he suggests.

Berneron adds that the watch is undergoing a fundamental change of role, and especially for Gen Z: with acceptance that the idea of the time-telling tool watch makes less and less sense in the smartphone age, the move is towards more expressive designs and what he calls 'technical jewellery'. 'Nobody needs a rotating bezel,' he says. 'But the big brands of this extremely conservative industry haven’t understood that yet. It’s being slow to react to a consumer who is waiting for something more interesting, and the way to provide that is to be more shape-led.'

Jewellery designer Kimy Gringoire’s sculptural pieces rest at the intersection of jewellery and design. Gringoire, who is known for her large, heart-shaped precious cables, has enjoyed playing with proportions in the past, passing the pieces through walls or curving them into functional benches or lamps.

It is a love-filled concept she is continuing to build on with the release of new pieces. Smaller forms encompass silver rings and a mini lamp crafted in steel and bronze.

‘When I first launched Love Cables as a jewellery collection in 2021, the focus was on capturing the flow of love in a tangible form, adorning the body with elegant traces of this emotional energy,’ says Gringoire. ‘Since then, the concept has evolved into something more expansive with Big Love Cables. I’ve transitioned from small- scale, body-centric pieces to large-scale sculptures and functional design objects. Now, I have felt inspired to return to jewellery, specifically to redesign rings influenced by the Big Love Cables installations. This back-and-forth between scales demonstrates how, even within the same theme of Love Cables, there’s room for continuous reinterpretation. The new rings are more sculptural, embodying the bold, voluminous energy of the larger works. Through this design journey, I wanted to show how the same concept can evolve – how a piece of jewellery can vary depending on what we feel, what we experience, and how we perceive love at different moments.’

Core design details remain, with the smooth, uninterrupted flow of the cable continuing to symbolise the unbroken nature of love. The heart shape, composed of two rounded curves and a pointed tip, is key to this philosophy. ‘This simple geometry suggests so much, often holding opposing meanings at once. The two rounded arches feel soft and embracing, while the sharp point introduces tension, creating a duality within the same form. I love playing with this contrast, as it reflects the essence of love: tender yet intense, harmonious yet dynamic. Materiality is also essential; the transition from gold in my jewellery to handcrafted metal in my sculptures allows me to explore different textures and finishes while maintaining the same visual language. The contrast between the industrial nature of metal and the softness of the heart-shaped forms creates a compelling tension, reflecting love’s duality – strong yet delicate, structured yet free.’

Ultimately, the biggest challenge for Gringoire lays in striking the right balance between fluidity and structure, creating loops which feel effortless. ‘Working with materials like metal adds complexity – shaping, welding, and finishing large, continuous curves without distorting the purity of the form is technically demanding,’ she adds. ‘Each piece must retain a sense of movement while being physically stable. My aesthetic is bold, fluid, and emotionally charged. It blends minimalism with sensuality, using strong, simple forms to convey complex ideas about love, connection, and freedom. There’s an intentional play between softness and strength—organic, heart-like curves crafted from rigid materials like metal. I’m fascinated by dualities: light and shadow, emptiness and fullness, adornment and function. Whether it’s a ring or a large-scale installation, my work seeks to create an emotional resonance, inviting people to not just see the object, but to feel the flow of love within it.’

kimygringoire.com

Audemars Piguet’s new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is a very clever piece of engineering, an answer to a problem that’s been annoying watchmakers and collectors for decades, which is this. QPs, as these watches are known (from the French, Quantième Perpetuel), are designed to faithfully track the date over leap-year cycles, with some even accounting for the leap day to be skipped at the end of the century, an ability that is somehow beguiling despite having almost no practical use at all.

Quite apart from the status symbol value these watches have (they’re reassuringly expensive), QPs talk to the way watches track time in fractions of a second but are built to last decades, the purest antidote to built-in obsolescence available; they represent a level of patience and long-term thinking we all aspire to.

However, all that timeframe shifting comes at a cost – should these watches ever get left to run down or need a service or fall victim to restless fingers (and they will), the calendar will need to be reset. That means interfering with a delicate complex of gears that are designed to make their stately evolutions using the minimum of energy; consider that one revolution of the month wheel is derived from 126 million ticks.

Traditionally, the answer has been to have various pushers (that need special tools) to let you change the day, date and month and, because the system is so delicate, you can’t change the date or set the time for the hours around midnight. And even if it is safe to set the date, you need to do it in a fixed order. This is not exactly elegant engineering. And don’t even think about the loss of water-resistance all those pusher openings create.

Watchmakers from Patek Philippe downwards have been developing tweaks and workarounds to make things easier, but Audemars Piguet’s new movement is the most complete answer yet – everything is adjustable, at any time, in any direction from the crown. And, as with all proper watchmaking, the ‘how’ doesn’t get in the way, all the cams and wheels doing the work are accommodated within a movement that’s a remarkably slender 4.1mm. Which makes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar a truly refreshing leap forward.

audemarspiguet.com

Titanium watches have long had the edge over stainless steel when it comes to strength, weight and resilience. Now the material is also chosen by watchmakers for its aesthetic properties or as a conceptual statement, as they pair its inherent lightness with some of the most advanced horological developments available. These are some of our favourite titanium watches of recent times.

Nina Runsdorf has always loved jewellery, designing her first collection aged 12 at her kitchen table, and returning to the medium after her time spent working in the fashion industry. As she celebrates 20 years of her eponymous, New York-based brand in 2025, now felt like the right time for her to look back to where it all began.

‘I have always designed from instinct – guided by what I want to wear and influenced by the world around me,’ she says. ‘I feel that I’ve always evolved with the times. However, I have become more confident in taking risks, whether that’s relocating to be closer to my work or revisiting my archive for the brand’s 20th anniversary.’

Her designs remain timeless, as is evident in the new ‘Archive’ collection created to mark the two decades. Crafted, unusually for Runsdorf, in silver, the designs are faithful reinterpretations of some of her earliest works. ‘For the most part, the pieces remain almost the same, faithful to the original samples that I benched,’ Runsdorf adds. ‘We've made some refinements – adjusting the movement of the disc earring and swapping the stones for brown topaz. We've also introduced a scaled-down version of the large cuff bracelet, creating a more wearable alternative.’

Bracelets, earrings, rings and necklaces are thickly drawn in swirls of silver in the sculptural jewellery, as modern now as they were when Runsdorf originally created them in her early twenties. She found the process of bringing them back to life an enjoyable one: ‘The biggest challenge was finding the right manufacturer, especially since I hadn’t worked in silver since I was 18. That said, the process has been somewhat smooth... we haven't faced too many difficulties with “Archive”.’

ninarunsdorf.com

What is good watch design? A careful consideration of proportion, effortless balance between form and function and distinctive design codes are all key, but for a watch to become a timeless choice it must also embody a joyfulness, making it a pleasure to both look at and wear.

Watch brands including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Richard Mille, Omega, Rolex, IWC, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer and Longines have mastered this spirit of pleasure. Uncluttered dials, curves in precious metals and sharply drawn movements won't go out of style, making these watches a timeless choice.

A version of this article appears in the May 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 3 April, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

High jewellery, that melting pot of precious materials and incredibly elevated craftsmanship, can often veer towards the traditional in its aesthetic, something Athens-based jeweller Nikos Koulis has been determined to avoid.

Koulis’ high jewellery is a breath of fresh air. Fluid, modern and cool, his embracing of clever engineering and diamonds in unconventional cuts brings something wholly new to the field. ‘A client once told me that my jewellery is “kind” to women,’ Koulis says. ‘They said it has a gentle attribute, feeling light, fitting right, flowing with movement. I consider fluidity as a core characteristic of my aesthetic, an integral element of how I shape each of my creations. Sometimes, it’s strikingly visible in the design; other times, it’s hidden in the details – how a piece rests against the ear, drapes around the neck or embraces the wrist. It’s in the way it moves, in its softness, in the seamless connection between form and feel. It’s a challenge for craftsmanship, but a very deliberate aesthetic choice. Women should not have any restraints in wearing precious one-of-a-kind pieces, they should enjoy them in a nonchalant and comfortable style.’

In the ‘Wish’ collection, Koulis is inspired by the spiky yet soft character of a dandelion, its spikes here translated into diamonds set in gold, on aluminium. The fluffy seed-heads become unusual diamond cuts, such as the moval, a blend of a marquise and oval cut.

‘It all begins with my deep, almost sensual connection to stones,’ Koulis adds. ‘I am fascinated by searching for unusual cuts, old-mine treasures, rare gems that stand out not for their carat weight, but for their enticing allure. Diamonds, as creations of nature, possess an inherent, timeless beauty. The irresistible charm of a no-heat blue sapphire or a fiery ruby is unmatched.

‘And the magnetism of Colombian emeralds? It lies in their colour and their imperfections, all the more enchanting for their subtle inclusions. The conduit to originality is to experiment with different materials and techniques.'

Koulis enjoys embracing these unusual techniques to bring his vision to life. ‘An anchor for me is black enamel, heated in very high temperatures with a traditional Greek technique. It’s a nod to art deco, made with my signature. I embraced innovation with the clear enamel, where diamonds appear as if floating in a translucent surface. I explored new materials, introducing aluminum in “Wish”. The metal has soft and sculptural transformative powers and it’s so light and smooth, a contrast to how people perceive it. My purpose is to evolve and feed my curiosity.’

nikoskoulis.com

Tudor showed studied restraint with its new releases at Watches and Wonders 2025 – discover the brand's full collection here.

Tudor Black Bay 58

With its slim 39mm case, the Black Bay 58 is easily Tudor's best seller, and has been for a couple of years. This time, we are treated to a brand new burgundy dial, perhaps in a nod to the OG Black Bay with its much-loved 2014 burgundy bezel. But this is somehow tangier, fresher even. The new dial-and-bezel colour match provides a colourful contrast to the brushed steel of the case and bracelet, making the 58 a dressier proposition with its comfortable size. With a new offer of a soft five-link bracelet for the first time, the deep cherry red will no doubt be a tempting proposition for many.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono

There are a few quietly evolved details here, including the introduction of a new five-link bracelet, and the easy comfort of the Tudor T-clasp. Both are welcome tweaks to this COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute)-certified chronograph, which it has to be said, remains a solid alternative to the chrono icons, like the Omega Speedmaster and Rolex cousin the Daytona. With two monochrome panda dial options, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono offers a monochrome everyday toolwatch with an accurate heart and a rather comfortable bracelet.

Tudor Black Bay 68

We all know the allure of small watches and their rise in popularity, but there is also a growing wish for a return to bigger tool watches. Tudor has chosen to address this with the new Black Bay 68, featuring a METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology)-certified chronometer movement, the MT 5601-U with a 70-hour power reserve. With the choice of a deep indigo blue or crisp silver dial, this is the first Black Bay to come with a return to a clean-cut three-link bracelet and a more muscular design that still manages to offer ergonomics for smaller wrists. Its bracelet also comes with Tudor’s T-fit easily adjustable clasp, and 68 is a nod to the year Tudor debuted its trademark snowflake hour hand.

Tudor Black Bay Pro

With the new opaline crispness of a white dial, the Black Bay Pro will undoubtedly be a success, as proven by its matt black stablemate. The 39mm case is easy on the ergonomics, and it keeps the retro vibing faux-rivet bracelet we know from the series, though here representing a tougher demeanour. With its distinct snowflake handset and domed opaline dial, the yellow 24-hour GMT hand looks fresh, and it comes on three different strap options including a new hybrid leather.

Tudor Pelagos Ultra

If the Black Bay range is a studied blend of retro-elegance and modernity, the Pelagos Ultra offers the pure intent of a tool watch. Thanks to the use of titanium for its brushed case and bracelet, it is lighter than its smaller 41mm chronograph cousin, and the most technically capable Pelagos ever made, suitable for saturation diving. It boasts a 1,000m depth rating, and a proprietary bracelet adjustment system, representing a big stride in technical advancements, with a Master Chronometer certification from METAS as well. Two different luminescent colours aid legibility in the deep, while a Helium escape valve tops the spec list.

tudorwatch.com

Cartier is celebrating its rich, culturally illustrious history with a major new retrospective at the V&A in London. Set to open to the public this weekend (12 April 2025), the exhibition is curated by Helen Molesworth and Rachel Garrahan, and will encompass more than 350 objects, from jewels to gemstones, watches to clocks and unseen drawings, as well as pieces lent by King Charles and other private collectors.

‘It’s been a long-time dream on our side to see a Cartier exhibition organised by the V&A,’ says Pierre Rainero, Cartier image, style and heritage director. ‘The discussions with the museum started, I think, ten or 12 years ago, creating an interest among the team at the V&A to dedicate an entire exhibition to Cartier. What is important for us is not only to see that the Cartier creations are a subject of interest, but also to see how a new team of curators and a new scientific approach adopt a new angle, showing the public a new vision on the work of Cartier. This exhibition includes entire new chapters not treated in previous exhibitions.’

British architect and artist Asif Khan (behind London's new Canada Water bridge) heads the exhibition design, creating a Cartier scenography that makes an immersive backdrop for the storytelling at its heart. The exhibition is divided into three distinctive sections: Cartier’s creativity and inspiration, the Cartier workshops and the shaping of a now-iconic image.

‘It was quite complex for the team of curators on the V&A side to create the narrative, because they had many aspects they wanted to focus on – the history of the creation, the history itself, the dimension of Cartier as a company, the analysis of Cartier all through those different periods of time,’ Rainero says. ‘Also, because the exhibition takes place in London, [there is] the idea to give a focus on the specific British history of Cartier, so, the construction of a narrative was very interesting and I think they did achieve a very consistent approach. The journey of the visitors will be from one discovery to another discovery, and, at the end, it will leave a marvellous impression about not only the exhibition but Cartier itself.’

Spectacular highlights on show include the Scroll Tiara, commissioned in 1902 and worn by Elizabeth II at her coronation (and also by Rihanna on the cover of W Magazine in 2016), Grace Kelly’s engagement ring from 1956, and a brooch commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, featuring the rare 23.6 carat pink Williamson diamond.

The jewellery and watches pinpoint Cartier’s story, which goes from a decorative arts history to a look into the technical innovations of the craftsmanship, and a spotlighting of the actors, musicians and royalty who have loved the maison over the years.

‘We are always happy to see the public discovering the works, because, in fact, that’s what Cartier is about,’ says Rainero. ‘We are proposing real objects and they are enjoyable, desirable and subjects of curiosity and, I hope, also admiration. I think an exhibition like this is a way, especially given the approach of the V&A team, of showing the human adventure on the side of Cartier as a company; how Cartier was organised, who were the personalities at the origin of every decision taken and why and how.

‘Also there is the interaction with clients, which is a dedicated section of the exhibition, and how clients also “made” Cartier in many, many different ways. The fame of Cartier, the reputation of Cartier is linked to the importance of our clients and the way they adopted and shared their Cartier creations with the rest of the public. I think this is an important dimension, which is visible and people could perceive the human dimension of Cartier in many ways.’

Cartier is at the V&A, London, from 12 April – 16 November 2025, vam.ac.uk

The most enjoyable development at the recent Watches and Wonders 2025 in Geneva, to my eyes at least, has been the mini-boom in ‘jump hour’ watches (where the hours and, sometimes, minutes, are shown as numbers that ‘jump’ into place). Presaged, as it turns out, by Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Convergence shown in January 2025, there are watches from Bremont, Cartier, Gerald Charles, Hautlence, Sven Andersen and others that feature what is a curious watch sub-species.

The form first turned up in the wave of wristwatches that appeared in the 1920s as montres à guichets (window watches) – offering both protection for the dial (before crystal replaced glass) and the perfect canvas for that art deco concern with shape and surface – but never quite took off, partly for reasons of reliability (the discs that carry the numbers being far heavier than hands) and partly, I suspect, because it offered less scope for makers to distinguish their watches from others.

Nevertheless, it’s the jump hour is a form that pops up at regular intervals – Alessandro Michele’s first watch collection for Gucci included the nicely period Grip watch (in 2019), a cushion-shaped window watch that the brand claimed to be a product of surf culture.

Leading the way at Geneva’s Watches and Wonders show is Cartier’s new Tank à Guichet, a design that also cleaves closely to the 1920s template, though beautifully finessed in terms of surface texture and colour (and, in one of the four executions, the off-setting of the time windows). Bolder and likely more polarising, Bremont’s round case Terra Nova Jumping Hour was as unexpected at Gucci’s design, but has a kind of logic to it and should look quite striking once the bronze alloy case develops a patina.

Gerald Charles’ version follows the more usual pattern of keeping the minutes indicated by hand on a conventional, fully designed dial. It’s an approach that lends itself to more fully realised designs, whether it’s Gerald Charles’ balance of lapis lazuli and guillochage type treatment on the outer band or Svend Andersen’s ultra-restrained mother-of-pearl.

Jump hours have long featured in more complex watches, whether designers are looking to highlight the hour, as in Hautlence’s new HLXX, or just be a little more creative, as with Harry Winston’s 2002 Opus 3.

With a focus now, in the new jump hour watches, on a clean minimalism that invites the complication to take centre stage, a century-old design is given a welcome contemporary spin.

See more new watches shown at Watches and Wonders 2025

Marco Panconesi’s first series of design objects are as deliciously otherworldly as we would hope for, used as we are to the chic sensuality of his jewellery. In nine new pieces, including vases, a wine glass, a lamp, an ashtray, a clock and an incense holder, Panconesi traces the offbeat proportions of his jewels, here translated into functional pieces for the home.

‘I’ve always been fascinated by designing objects because it feels closely connected to jewellery,’ Panconesi tells us. ‘While jewellery is primarily ornamental, the challenge of creating something functional is equally exciting to me. I often find myself torn between the two – I deeply appreciate functional design, yet I’m also drawn to the beauty of purely decorative pieces for the home. Take the wine glass, for instance: my intention was to blur the line between jewellery and a utilitarian object. After all, an object doesn’t need a practical purpose – embellishment can be a purpose in itself.’

The works are a juxtaposition of material and form, celebrating unexpected combinations such as latex and precious stones, or indulging in an appreciation of pure materiality in marble ashtrays and porcelain coffee cups. ‘It’s about alchemy – how different materials interact and react to one another,’ Panconesi adds. ‘This is how we create jewellery – by blending codes and materials. For the lamp, for instance, the rawness of latex cloth contrasts with the smooth surface of the stones. The juxtaposition allows various materials and textures to coexist within a single piece, but it’s also important to show how a single material, like porcelain or glass, can stand on its own.’

To accompany the launch of the series, nine short films explore the character of each piece. ‘The inspiration for this comes from Sergei Parajanov’s Kyiv Frescoes. A single room transforms into nine different spaces, each serving as a metaphor – a constant, a vessel for transformation – while the characters embody movement and individuality, shaping the whole. We envisioned the room being inhabited over time by nine different tenants, each infusing the space with their own emotions and presence. Each vignette offers a fleeting glimpse into private rituals and intimate moments, all unfolding within the same setting. Through subtle shifts and gestures, each character undergoes an emotional transformation, reflecting the many personalities and perspectives that define Panconesi’s world.’

The collection is the result of a long creation period for Panconesi. ‘This collection represents the realisation of an experiment that had been taking shape in my mind for a long time,’ he says. On a practical level, the challenge lay in working with new materials – ceramic, glass – and allowing them to evolve organically, letting each piece take on a life of its own. Since launching the brand in 2018, I’ve envisioned creating objects for the home like vases and lamps, and this project became the perfect opportunity to bring those ideas to life in collaboration with artists and creatives I deeply admire.

‘I feel a strong emotional connection to the pieces we’ve created, not only because of their physical form, which is inspired by my work on jewellery design, but also the meaning they can evoke in the viewer. Whether through the expressive use of colour or the symbolism behind certain objects – like the clock that tells time through gemstones or the glass that wraps around the wrist – my intention was to stir emotion, to craft something collectible and truly one of a kind. It’s a similar approach to jewellery: deeply personal, intimate, and often cherished as an heirloom.’

marcopanconesi.com

Piaget is paying tribute to a glorious decade with a new women’s watch line named after a significant era for the maison, Sixtie, revealed this week at Watches and Wonders 2025.

In 1969, Piaget unveiled a new collection of jewellery watches, blurring the lines of horology and accoutrements in an avant-garde melting pot of design. During the 1960s and 1970s, designer Jean-Claude Gueit eschewed the traditional language of watchmaking, choosing instead to embed dials in thickly drawn cuffs, or swing them from sensuous sautoirs. In his hands, the timepiece became deliciously hard to define.

It is a moment that Piaget’s CEO Benjamin Comar and design director for Jewellery, High Jewellery and Watchmaking, Stéphanie Sivrière, nod to now in the silhouette of this new watch. Its distinctive trapeze shape and chiselled detailing on the bezel recall the Piaget watch that belonged to Andy Warhol, while the interplay of textures and gold pays homage to a jewellery tradition

The Piaget Sixtie is available worn on the wrist, in a satin-finished or brightly coloured dial, or as an option that stays faithful to its history, worn looped around the neck.

piaget.com

If measured by the length of the queue of journalists, the Cartier booth stood out when the doors of the Palexpo centre in Geneva opened for Watches and Wonders 2025. Booking a meeting with the brand, now also possible for private clients, is trickier than threading a proverbial needle, but it's worth it. Cartier has experienced an inexorable rise in popularity, and this week, it revamps four of its ranges in a move that only underscores the brand’s upward trajectory.

New Cartier watches

Cartier Privé Tank A Guichet

We are surely not the only ones to have been wishing for a rebirth of Cartier’s 1928 icon, and here it is. Within the top-tier Privé portfolio, The Tank A Guichets is reissued in three models, encapsulating the minimalist art deco chic of the original design, available in yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum.

And surprisingly, a fourth model sees Cartier offer a complete redesign, charmingly asymmetric in platinum. Its skewed numerals are rendered in a fresh tone of red seen through elegant windows in the brushed precious metal front of the watch. This is a bold move for the brand, with the red text echoing the use of a red cabochon for the platinum Tank Louis Cartier models.

Tank Louis Cartier

The Tank continues to grow in stature despite its svelte demeanour, and the precious metal Tank Louis Cartier embodies the brand’s evolution. At Watches and Wonders 2025, Cartier presents two new versions of the slim dress watch, available in rose or yellow gold.

What’s new is the contemporary choice of semi-matte finishes for the timeless alligator straps, with both watches measuring 38.1 x 27.8mm and featuring a slim profile of under 9mm. Both come with a light-catching silver-white sunray-pattern flinqué dial, blue sword hands and a prominent cabochon-set crown.

Panthère de Cartier

Remaining a staple of many curated wardrobes, the various guises of the Panthère de Cartier make it a versatile timepiece. This year, Cartier ups the sparkle factor with four semi-pavé versions in yellow and rose gold, all of which are in danger of being eclipsed by an artisanal, multi-coloured version. With a 36.5mm rose gold case, the new reference is crafted by the Maison des Métiers d'Art, featuring a dynamic pattern that frames a pavé and enamel dial. The bracelet is adorned with 314 brilliant-cut diamonds and 86 spessartites, unfolding its links with diagonal patterns of sunny yellows and reds.

Panthère de Cartier Bangle

In the two versions of the Panthère de Cartier Bangle, a polished, physical dynamic brings the panther to life, as it appears to run with feline grace, chasing around the wrist to face the small face of a quartz watch. It is a sweepingly modern manifestation of Cartier’s jewellery tradition.

The feline bangle is available in two versions: polished yellow gold or a gem-packed white gold version. The yellow gold version has green tsavorites for the panther’s eyes, while pentagonal black lacquer spots match a gloss black dial surrounded by 23 brilliant-cut diamonds. The white gold panther is immaculately clad with diamonds, spilling over onto the smooth watch end, which it appears to be chasing, totalling 1,103 with a combined weight of 11.9 carats.

Tressage

The sculptural quality of the Tressage series initially appears as if two gem-set bangles are enveloping a minimalist Cartier Tank, yet it emerges as a singular, cohesive design. As we have seen in the Panthère bangle, there is an understanding between Cartier’s watch designers and artisanal jewellers. This expertise in precious metal comes across as particularly strong in the three gem-set versions, as well as in the purity of the yellow gold version, featuring soft tresses that frame a black lacquer dial and a smooth black calfskin strap.

cartier.com

Read more news from Watches and Wonders

Patek Phillippe has unveiled a blockbuster collection at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, with three new movements leading the pack: a self-winding Quadruple Complication, a Calatrava, and a desk clock.

The 15 releases also include practical complications, some simpler designs offering timeless elegance, and new additions to the Ladies' Nautilus collection. Additionally, 78 'Rare Handcrafts' are being showcased.

Read on for a selection of timepieces from Patek’s 2025 collection, all of which espouse the innovation and craftsmanship associated with the brand.

5308 Minute Repeater

The new Quadruple Complication features a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph, and an instantaneous perpetual calendar which displays the day, date and month in 30 milliseconds. This white gold watch comes after a limited-edition version showcased at the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in 2023 and represents the evolution of the Triple Complication Reference 5208.

The 5308 Minute Repeater is powered by a self-winding movement with 799 components. It features a nice-blue dial with blue metallised hour markers and Dauphine hands and a 42mm case with skeletonized lugs and interchangeable crystal case backs. It also comes with a navy alligator strap and a fold-over clasp in white gold.

5370R Split-Seconds Chronograph

The Split-Seconds Chronograph is the first rose gold version of the Grand Complication, featuring a brown enamel dial with a tachymeter scale in beige to create a two-tone appearance. The dial also features rose gold Breguet numerals and leaf-shaped hands with luminescent coating which ensures legibility.

Powered by the CHR 29-535 PS caliber, this watch boasts six patented innovations, and one patent for the split-seconds mechanism. The case features a concave bezel and recessed flanks. It comes with a dark brown alligator leather strap and a new, patented clasp.

6159 Retrograde Perpetual Calendar

This is a modern take on a coveted Grand Complication, balancing mechanical intricacy with a contemporary look. The model features a metallised crystal dial with a black rim, offering a partial view of the components inside, including the self-winding 26-330 S QR caliber. The perpetual calendar displays the day, leap year, month, and moon phases, with the retrograde date hand instantly resetting to the first of the next month.

The dial consists of baton-style hour markers and Dauphine hands, while the 39.5mm case features a classic Patek detail: a guilloché hobnail pattern on the bezel and the back. The black composite strap is secured by a patented triple-blade clasp in white gold.

7340/1R Perpetual Calendar

The new Reference 7340/1R is the first round Twenty-4 (Patek’s series of mechanical ladies watches) with a non-gemset bezel. It is powered by the self-winding, 3.88mm-thick 240 Q caliber, which is made up of 275 components and are visible through the transparent caseback.

Calendar displays are shown by hands in subdials – the day and 24-hour indication at nine o'clock, the date at six o'clock, and the month and leap-year cycle at three o'clock. The dial itself features a silk-like finish. Both the case and bracelet are polished rose gold; the bracelet stands out for its design, with delicately cambered central links framed by slim two-tier outer links.

5328 8-Day Power Reserve

A new Calatrava model brings instantaneous day and date displays at six o'clock, as well as an eight-day power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock (with a ninth ‘reserve’ day indicated in red). The 8-Day Power Reserve also features a new movement – the 31-505 8J PS IRM CI J caliber – which can be viewed through the transparent sapphire case back.

The textured dial is a breezy blue with a black-gradient rim, white gold numerals and syringe-shaped hands. The caseband also displays Patek’s signature guilloched hobnail pattern, and the strap comes in either navy calfskin or a grained taupe calfskin. The both are fitted with a triple-blade fold-over clasp, allowing the wearer to interchange straps.

5524 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is a take on Patek’s travel watch and as such features a ‘Travel Time system’ whereby pushers on the left side of the case allow the local time to be adjusted forward or backward without affecting the home time, each demarcated by separate hands.

The model, which is powered by the self-winding 26-330 S C FUS caliber, has an ivory lacquered dial with blackened white gold numerals and sword-type hands. It comes with a khaki green strap and a clevis prong buckle which is inspired by aviator harnesses.

4946R Annual Calendar Moon Phases

The new Annual Calendar has a rose gold 38mm case; a chestnut dial embellished with a ‘shantung’ pattern; rose gold numerals; and leaf-shaped hands with a luminescent coating for legibility. The timepiece displays the day and month via subdials, with a date aperture and moon-phase display at six o'clock.

The complications are powered by the 26-330 S QA LU caliber, visible through the case back. The Annual Calendar mechanism was invented and patented by Patek in 1996, and is quite ingenious, requiring only one manual correction per year.

6196P Calatrava

This 38mm manually-wound model boasts a vintage-inspired opaline dial with faceted anthracite hour markers and Dauphine-style hands. The small seconds are placed at six o'clock, where a brilliant-cut diamond also adorns the caseband (this is the case with all Patek platinum models). The case has a beveled bezel, satin-finished flanks and slender lugs.

The 6196P Calatrava is powered by the 30-255 PS caliber which, first introduced in 2021, offers a 65-hour power reserve. The movement's architecture is once again visible through the case back. Finally, a chocolatey alligator strap and platinum buckle completes the picture of elegance.

Follow more news from the Wallpaper* team at Watches & Wonders

In partnership with Richemont

As Watches and Wonders 2025 opens in Geneva (1-7 April), here are headline new watches to look out for from brands of luxury group Richemont: A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin.

‘This year’s releases are characterised by a clean design, a sharp technical nous and a celebration of craftsmanship, paying tribute to historical codes while encapsulating a very modern mood,’ says Wallpaper* watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver.

See the watches below, and for those at the fair, when you’ve exhausted the stands, dip into our Geneva guide to help you enjoy some downtime in the city.

A. Lange & Söhne

With every new watch developed by A. Lange & Söhne, the focus is on harmonising technology and aesthetics, finding the balance between tradition and modernity. ‘During the process, we question everything and take great care to ensure that every aspect of a watch, every design feature and every function, fulfils its intended purpose,’ explains director of product development Anthony de Haas. For 2025, optimal readability is a high priority for the brand; from case shape to arched lugs, distinctive hands and typography, new designs nod back to A. Lange & Söhne’s distinctive geometric and aesthetic codes.

alange-soehne.com

Baume & Mercier

The sport-chic spirit of Baume & Mercier’s Riviera collection is inspired by the French Riviera itself, the timepieces’ distinctive 12-sided case and bezel referencing the sculptural relief of the Côte d’Azur landscape. This new iteration of the Riviera Chronograph, the M0A10827, is engineered for the horological aficionado, its 1950s-style, black-and-white dial representing balance, harmony, and beauty.

baume-et-mercier.com

IWC

For the manufacture of its new Ingenieur, IWC Schaffhausen’s material choice allowed no compromise. Rendered in tough zirconium oxide ceramic, Gérald Genta’s design classic is now updated for its Watches and Wonders 2025 debut with sleeker indices and a more lucid dial architecture.

iwc.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The Reverso Tribute Geographic, powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newly developed in-house Calibre 834 movement, is a fresh interpretation of the classic and quintessential travel time complication. Displaying world time indication on the reverse dial and presented in a steel case, this new timepiece underlines the innovative and catalytic role that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has played in the nine decades since its unique, swivelling case was invented back in 1931.

jaeger-lecoultre.com

Montblanc

Paying homage to Reinhold Messner’s record-breaking 1986 ascent of Mount Vinson, Antarctica (which saw him become the first climber to ascend the seven highest peaks in seven continents without the use of supplementary oxygen), the new Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson Limited Edition is available in a run of 986 pieces. A 43.5mm titanium case, inspired by the Mount Vinson landscape, holds a composite middle case crafted from quartz fibres, aluminised basalt fibres, calcium carbonates and light blue resin – the colours and patterns a nod to Antarctica ice crystals. Both the northern and southern hemispheres are represented, through two three-dimensional globes that turn anti-clockwise, with dots marking the seven peaks of Messner’s challenge, as well as the Mont Blanc summit.

montblanc.com

Panerai

The name Luminor originates from a luminous compound created by Panerai, an innovative material that shaped the creation of the first models in the series in the early 1960s, invented to meet the demanding standards of the Italian Navy. Panerai had long been supplying robust and precise instruments to the Marina Militare, but it was the Luminor that brought together a collection of distinctive features in the 1990s. Every element served a purpose, balancing form and function, maximising reliability, readability and resilience in a way that would come to define Panerai’s timepieces as ‘tool’ watches. These characteristics were consolidated into a design that, with its safety lock system along with the sandwich dial and enhanced luminescence, set the Luminor apart and became synonymous with the maison. Now, for the first time in Panerai’s core collection, Luminor Marina sets a new benchmark with enhanced water resistance up to 500m.

panerai.com

Piaget

1969 was the year that Piaget redrew the boundaries between watchmaking and jewellery; in the hands of Jean-Claude Gueit, who led the company’s design team, the wristwatch was transformed from a simple timepiece into an avant-garde design object. Almost 60 years later, new models from Piaget’s ateliers combine the maison’s heritage with the present; the marque’s distinctive trapezoidal shape showcases a graceful balance between geometry and delicacy, refinement and allure.

piaget.com

Vacheron Constantin

Complications continue to push the boundaries of previously accepted limits, amply demonstrated by Vacheron Constantin’s beautifully rendered and technically impressive Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar. There’s a moon phase with a starry sky in ‘950 platinum’ (with 95 per cent platinum in the alloy) and two three-dimensional moons. The tachymeter scale painted on the dial makes it possible to determine an average speed thanks to the central hand of the chronograph. The perpetual calendar requires no adjustment until the year 2100.

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Watches and Wonders 2025 has kicked off, and Wallpaper* is on the ground in the watchmaking capital of Geneva to bring you all the latest announcements from the world of horology.

On day one, all eyes are on Rolex: the brand has released five new models, plus sophisticated revisions of three existing models. Followers of Rolex watches will be most excited by news of the new Land-Dweller, detailed below.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Rolex watches revealed at Watches and Wonders.

The Land-Dweller

Introducing the Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller, a watch characterised by bold aesthetics and industry-leading technology. Notable features include the ‘Flat Jubilee’ metal bracelet, with its flat links and polished centre links (which are raised above the outer links) and technical satin finish. The attachment system ensures a fluid integration with the Oyster case, which has been developed with modifications to the waterproofness system and a restyled fluted bezel.

The Land-Dweller boasts a new movement that beats at a frequency of 5 Hz, calibre 7135. This self-winding mechanical movement is thinner than most Rolex movements, featuring a revolutionary escapement called the Dynapulse. Calibre 7135, which has a power reserve of approximately 66 hours and features Rolex Côtes de Genève decoration and a yellow gold oscillating weight, allows the Land-Dweller to measure time to one-tenth of a second.

The watch comes in three versions: one 36mm model and two 40mm models. The former is made of 18ct Everose gold with a white dial set with ten baguette-cut diamond hour markers and a bezel with 44 trapeze-cut diamonds. The first of the larger models is cast in white Rolesor with a fluted bezel and a honeycomb motif dial. The second is presented in 950 platinum with a fluted bezel and a blue dial, also featuring the honeycomb motif – a painstaking detail created with traditional craftsmanship.

Further details include the six and nine numerals being open at their centre, which takes cues from previous Explorer and Air-King models. The Land-Dweller’s index hour markers are luminescent and the hands are rectilinear, and the seconds hand has a counterweight shaped like honeycomb cells.

The GMT-Master II

Rolex has unveiled an iteration of the iconic Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II, bringing in a never-before-seen dial crafted from high-tech ceramic in vivid green Cerachrom. This eye-catching feature is presented on an 18ct white gold version of the model, distinguishable for its left-side winding crown and a date aperture positioned at 9 o’clock.

The GMT-Master II was originally conceived as a navigational tool for those crossing time zones; it’s a true traveller’s watch. This model has the ability to display two time zones simultaneously, with the date function synchronised with the local time. The design includes a rotatable bezel and a 24-hour graduated insert, which is presented in a two-toned colour scheme signifying day and night.

The watch is powered by the calibre 3285, a self-winding mechanical movement originally introduced in 2018 which offers exceptional precision and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The GMT-Master II is fitted with an Oyster bracelet in 18ct white gold, secured with an Oysterlock clasp and equipped with an extension link for adjustments.

The 40mm Oyster case is robust, created from a solid block of 18ct white gold and guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m.

The Oyster Perpetual

Rolex has expanded its much-loved Oyster Perpetual range with watches in an array of muted pastel shades: a soft lavender, a warm beige and a fresh green, each with a matt finish.

These new dial colours correlate with different model sizes: the Oyster Perpetual 28 has the lavender dial, while the larger Oyster Perpetual 36 is cast in sandy beige. The largest of the releases, the Oyster Perpetual 41, features the pistachio dial. This model has also been the subject of a subtle redesign: the Oyster case has been refined and the Oysterclasp is slimmer.

These new faces are turning heads, but behind them lie the technological intricacies that Rolex is known for. The Oyster Perpetual 28 is powered by calibre 2232, while the Oyster Perpetual 36 and 41 are driven by calibre 3230. Both movements provide hours, minutes, and seconds with precision, reliability and enhanced resistance. The power reserve for calibre 2232 is approximately 55 hours, while calibre 3230 is around 70 hours.

Oyster Perpetual watches are descendants of Rolex’s original 1926 Oyster, the world's first waterproof watch. They represent chronometer wristwatches in their purest form, with their chronometric precision, waterproof Oyster cases and self-winding function.

As with the GMT-Master II, the Oyster Perpetual’s hermetically-sealed Oyster case – available in 28mm, 36mm, and 41mm diameters – is guaranteed waterproof to 100m, and all models are secured with an Oysterlock clasp and an extension link.

The 1908

Designed for the Perpetual 1908 watch, Rolex’s new seven-piece link Settimo bracelet is crafted from 18ct yellow gold. Inspired by vintage jewelry bracelets, it feels super-light on the wrist and has a fully polished appearance, while a concealed Crownclasp makes for a seamless finish.

The Perpetual 1908 is part of the 2023 Perpetual collection, which aimed to put a modern spin on traditional horological style. The new model features a bold white dial, Breguet-style hour hands and a minute hand shaped like a two-edged sword, as well as Arabic numerals at the three, nine, and 12 o'clock positions. The 39 mm case has a transparent back, allowing the intricate movement to be viewed, and is waterproof to 50m.

The watch is powered by the calibre 7140, a self-winding, high-precision and resistant mechanical movement that offers hours, minutes and small seconds functions and boasts a power reserve of around 66 hours. It’s decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève and features a cut-out yellow gold oscillating weight.

The Datejust

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 immediately packs a punch with its vibrant red ombré dial, which graduates to a dark edge, creating a ‘chiaroscuro’ appearance. Ombré dials were only reintroduced by Rolex in 2019, so this ‘fire’ effect is a first for the Datejust 31; here, it is enhanced with ten diamond-set hour markers.

Presented in 18ct yellow gold and featuring a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds, this luxurious-feeling watch comes with a President bracelet, a three-piece link bracelet and a concealed Crownclasp.

The Datejust is powered by calibre 2236, a movement first released by Rolex in 2014 and that has been used in the Datejust 31 since 2018. This self-winding mechanical movement boasts precision and reliability, offering a 55-hour power reserve and displaying the date, hours, minutes and seconds.

The 31mm Oyster case is waterproof to 100m and features a sealed case back, a Twinlock winding crown, and a scratchproof sapphire crystal with a Cyclops lens for the date.

New dials: Cosmograph Daytona, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller

Three of Rolex’s iconic models – the Cosmograph Daytona, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller – are presented with new dial configurations. The Cosmograph Daytona now boasts a turquoise blue lacquer dial with black counters; the GMT-Master II is presented with a distinctive tiger iron dial – a natural stone with a blend of tiger's eye, red jasper and hematite; and the Sky-Dweller in 18 ct yellow gold features a green sunray-finish dial.

Each watch features sophisticated ceramic components, with the bezels offering both scratch resistance and colour intensity. The Cosmograph Daytona has a black Cerachrom bezel; the GMT-Master II boasts a two-tone brown and black Cerachrom insert; and the Sky-Dweller’s fluted bezel – a hallmark of classic Rolexes – is made from 18ct yellow gold.

Each features an Oyster case made from solid blocks of 18ct gold that are waterproof to 100m. All three are powered by self-winding mechanical movements with power reserves ranging from 70 to 72 hours – calibre 4131 in the case of the Daytona; calibre 3285 for the GMT-Master II; and calibre 9002 for the Sky-Dweller. In terms of bracelet options (each with a unique clasp and extension systems), it’s Oysterflex for the Daytona, Oyster for the GMT-Master II, and Jubilee for the Sky-Dweller

Follow along with more news from the Wallpaper* team at Watches & Wonders

It’s a significant year for Tag Heuer, who this year became the title partner of the Grand Prix de Monaco, the first in its almost century-long history. The brand nods to its new racing associations, as well as a considered design history, in this year’s new releases.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

Nine new watches in the TAG Heuer Formula 1 family embody bold, brilliant design. Sizing in at a wearable 38mm, the racing-inspired designs offer a spin on 1980s-style, in a nod to the decade which saw the debut of both the Formula 1 collection and of the newly-named TAG Heuer itself.

Three of these new watches – in a classic black and white dial or blue, with a steel or bold red bracelet – will join the core collection. Six extra models, in black and red, black and yellow, blue and black, white and green, white and red, and green and red, are also available on rubber racing straps or sleek steel bracelets.

TAG Heuer Carrera Day-Date

Long acknowledged as an elegant cornerstone of Tag Heuer’s watch portfolio, the six new TAG Heuer Carrera Day-Date releases embody the clean lines and uncluttered aesthetic the collection is loved for. The focus here is on unexpected detailing, with the wearer richly rewarded upon a second look, from the sunray-brushed finish on the blue model, to a deep red opaline and warm, brushed rose gold.

TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph

Formula 1 details run throughout the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph collection. Key here is an emphasis on strong, light materials, seen in the case itself which is composed of half ceramic and half sapphire. Details such as the looping white ceramic arches are directly inspired by the use of ceramic in F1 cars, while playful texts - ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Away We Go’ are inscribed on the sub-dials - make for a sporty tribute.

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Hermès Horloger has set the scene at this year’s Watches and Wonders with a collaboration with artist Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit, who has created an immersive backdrop for the watch releases.

This year’s new watches include a deep blue Arceau Petite lune watch, which sees diamonds sink into a gem-set steel case, three new versions of the Arceau L’heure de la lune watch first unveiled in 2019 and an artistic interpretation of a horse sweeping across the dial of the Slim d’Hermès Cheval brossé watch.

Desbenoit draws on these references for an artistic exploration of time for her scenography, which encourages visitors to pause, and take in their surroundings more mindfully. ‘I have always been fascinated by mechanisms—whether engines, electrical circuits, railway systems, or aviation,’ she says, on what inspired her design here. ‘Their repetitive motion, rhythms, and aesthetics captivate me; they are meditative and hypnotic objects. The watch mechanism shares this same beauty and precision, but it also carries a universal language: that of time. In the world of Hermès, time is not a simple linear measure; it frees itself from usual constraints and opens up to fantasy. Every moment becomes an invitation to recreation, to escape, where the suspended moment becomes a precious parenthesis.’

Desbenoit has interpreted the images synonymous with the watches, such as the horse itself, which comes to represent a break in the ordinary in her design. ‘The space itself becomes a clock at the scale of the body,’ she adds. ‘Every stop in the movement reveals a watch from the Hermès collection, suspending the moment. The spectator is immersed in a continuous loop, a steady pulse where time imprints itself into the architecture. The watches are not merely displayed objects; they serve as anchors, structuring the perception of time. Sound also plays a crucial role: a composition created with musician Julien Perez punctuates these pauses, transforming the ticking of a watch into a meditative breath, far from its usual urgency. The longer the spectator lingers in the space, the more details emerge, prolonging this sensation of suspended time.’

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Vacheron Constantin is pushing the technical limits at this year’s Watches and Wonders, by unveiling its most complex wristwatch. The Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication watch weighs in with an impressive 41 complications, including five with astronomical functions, requiring a total of 13 patents.

This new watch in the Grand Complications series speaks to Vacheron Constnatin’s history of mastering technical complexities, which can be traced back to the end of the eighteenth century, when the brand introduced the first watch with a date display.

Since then, Vacheron Constantin has explored an eclectic array of complications, paying particular attention to astronomically-themed mechanisms. In this new watch, five rare complications are presented in a previously unseen combination, informing wearers of the position, the height, the culmination and declination of the sun, as well as the temporal identification of celestial objects.

As well as tracking this information on the dial, three readings offer varying conceptual ways of telling the time. Civil time, shown on the front dial with hour and minute hands, tracks the 24 hour day. Sidereal time, displayed on the reverse of the watch, takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds to complete, the time it takes for Earth to complete a full 360° rotation when focusing on a fixed star as a reference point. It takes four minutes less than a normal day as the Earth rotates on its axis while also revolving around the sun, giving a speedier return to its point of origin. The final reading, solar time, tracks the approximately fifteen minute difference between the solar and civil day.

The watch is the result of eight years of development. ‘It is the most complicated wristwatch in the history of horology,’ says Christian Selmoni, director of Style and Patrimony. ‘Because it combines an unrivalled 41 functions with a tourbillon regulator, the mechanism had to be arranged in the most logical and compact way possible. The first solution was to bring together all the primary complications, timekeeping, calendar, chronograph and chiming, on a single base plate and to concentrate the astronomical functions on an additional module.'

vacheron-constantin.com

It’s maybe apt that the first watch from new brand Pragma is called the ‘P1 - Perseverance’. The Geneva-based company’s co-founder, Christopher Wegener, says he has waited 21 years to make it happen, after training in watchmaking with Rolex, before taking up positions with the likes of FP Journe and Laurent Ferrier. The opportunity came from a chance meeting with Kai Lui, a Taiwanese product designer who’s ex of Hermès but with no experience in watches. ‘I think that has actually made a real difference, in terms of attempting things that traditional matchmaking likely wouldn’t attempt,’ says Wegener.

That’s not simply in terms of the P1’s industrial design: it comes in four versions, three steel and one gold and is inspired by Liu’s regard for Swiss architects such as Mario Botta and Peter Zumthor, for whom precision geometry – with a touch of brutalism – are calling cards; distinctive are the two-part indices and the sub-dials, with the date and seconds displayed not using hands but revealed through cut-outs in revolving discs. ‘The design has to be strong enough to speak for itself, to do the job of any logo on the dial,’ says Liu – not least because there is no branding at all on the P1.

But beyond design, Pragma’s real point of difference is more to do with its 100 per cent Swiss-made watch's use of materials: specifically, they are 82.7 per cent recycled, which, even for a low-volume production, partly explains the P1’s higher-end price (at around £22,000 for a steel version). As Liu points out, ‘people still tend to think recycled materials are cheaper, but actually the processes required make them more expensive’. He cites, by way of example, that the steel used for the P1’s case – developed in collaboration with Voutilainen & Cattin – is from Panatere’s La Chaux-de-Fonds solar-powered furnace.

‘When, at the start of this project, I spoke with people in the industry – at huge brands – I was often told that nobody [among high-end watch consumers] cares about sustainability, but if you can provide the same quality [as comparable products] and be sustainable then obviously that’s great,’ says Wegener. ‘Besides, I think there’s an obligation to change the way we build things now. And [contrary to what I was told] I think a younger generation of watch collector especially does care now. Of course, the design has to be right. But sustainability is the cherry on the cake.’

There are still limits, he suggests: replacing, for example, the movement’s synthetic rubies or the sapphire glass with something sustainable and of comparable functionality remains out of reach – but Pragma nonetheless hopes to push up the recycled content to between 90 and 95 per cent by 2026.

The brand’s sustainability – about which it is, unlike some of those behind competing claims to sustainability, fully transparent, potentially making the P1 the most sustainable fully-Swiss watch yet – is not its only point of difference. Financing the development and launch of such a watch is a challenge, Wegener concedes: so buy one of the edition of 12 gold pieces (price is on application, but five remain available at the time of writing) and you also get to own 1 per cent of the company.

‘We really want collectors to be passionate about our watches, to want to get behind what we do, which this opportunity presents – and you also get a gold watch, of course,’ says Wegener. ‘The response has been very positive. Some actually want the equity more than they want the watch. And I’m also OK with that.’

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After a post-pandemic high, last year was a quieter one for the watch industry, with drops in exports and sales signalling an end to the record-breaking highs of the last few years. What to expect, then, from this year’s Watches and Wonders? With 60 brands preparing to unveil their watch releases, many assume the biggest event in the horological calendar will be a quieter one this year, with less of an emphasis on brand new collections, and more of a focus on reworked classics.

Amongst the doom of falling sales and, consequently, prices, there are signs the market could go in interesting new directions. Advancements in women’s watches are responding to a new generation of female consumers who expect larger dimensions and mechanical movements in their watches, while plays on colour and material elsewhere show that innovation and a pushing of the technical boundaries is still key for many.

The focus is firmly on a younger audience this year at the salon itself. Last year, a quarter of attendees were under 35, something the salon has built on this year with a programme dedicated to a horological education. The LAB space, a hub of new technologies, will also include members from schools, start-ups and apprentices. In Geneva itself, there will be an emphasis on watchmaking training courses, workshops and activities for children. ‘The Lab will bring new initiatives and I’m very much looking forward to discovering the student projects,’ says CEO Matthieu Humair, Watches and Wonders Geneva. ‘I’m also looking forward to the Longitude 0 exhibition, with its aesthetic staging, that will take visitors for a journey along the famous Greenwich meridian.’

Visitor experience, too, will be tweaked, with both the press and now the public able to register for product presentations and tours in advance. ‘Watches and Wonders Geneva allows the visitors to experience the world of watchmaking in many different ways, whatever your level of knowledge,’ Humair adds. ‘This year, we have designed an exciting and tailor-made program to make each visit unique while offering the same level of services that made the success of the Salon. Watches and Wonders Geneva is an immersive watchmaking experience.’

Watches and Wonders runs from 1 - 7 April 2025 at Palexpo Geneva, and is open to the public from 5 - 7 April

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With the launch of last year’s fine jewellery collection, Bottega Veneta acknowledged a rich history. Created in Vicenza, Italy, the jewellery is inspired by the region’s rich jewellery history, dating back to the 14th century when local artisans formed the first Constitution of the Guild of Goldsmiths of Vicenza.

These traditional elements are intertwined throughout the jewellery’s second drop, a collection in two parts. The first, Enlaced, draws on Bottega Veneta’s distinctive design details, such as the intricate trompe l’oeil effect reminiscent of Bottega Veneta’s foulard intreccio technique, embossed on to a bracelet, rings, earrings, and necklaces.

In the second part, Alchemy, bold colours juxtaposed against classic ribbons of white and yellow gold make a vibrant combination. In standout pieces, such as in the necklace encompassing 380 diamonds, 19 black onyx and 19 green agate stones, there is an easy fluidity which belies the preciousness of the materials.

These new jewels join 2024’s collections, comprised of 15 pieces and divided into three parts, Drop, Primavera and Catena. Encompassing a love of organic forms, the curving silhouettes and considered techniques have been carried through to this year’s pieces.

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Van Cleef & Arpels’ association with the world of dance can be traced right back to the early days, when ballet fan Louis Arpels was a regular visitor to the Paris Opera during the 1920s. It was a passion soon translated into jewellery, with the first ballet clips appearing in the 1940s. With a distinctive rose-cut diamond face, jewelled ballet dancers were wreathed in tulles of colourful precious stones.

In 2022, Van Cleef & Arpels nodded to the maison’s links with choreography first established in the partnership with George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet, in the 1960s, with the first edition of the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival in London. Now it returns, bigger and better than ever, with a line-up of exciting events across Sadler’s Wells, Royal Ballet and Opera, Tate Modern and Southbank Centre.

‘When I joined the maison, we really started Dance Reflections from zero,’ says Serge Laurent, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director of Dance and Culture Programs. ‘It was really an adventure, because there was no name, no logo, no team. We decided the idea was first to create a festival in London, and we really wanted to support dance companies and to support institutions to present the works. Now, within three and a half years, we have 60 different partners in 16 different countries. It's really an ambitious project.’

Traditional and contemporary cultures combine in this year’s ambitious programme, composed of performances, dance workshops and artist forums. Excitingly eclectic events, from François Gremaud revisit of the classic Giselle (1841), to Shu Lea Cheang and Dondon Hounwn’s staging of Hagay Dreaming at the Tate Modern and Noé Soulier’s interpretation of dance through video, sit alongside major pieces from George Balanchine’s repertoire - Serenade (1935), Prodigal Son (1929) and Symphony in C (1947).

‘As a curator, it's very exciting to explore this vision of dance,’ Laurent adds. ‘We propose to the audience that the selection of works is like a journey. We select many different performers but they all have a common point. They all found their own voice. In each era, you have some artists who are inventing something, which I respect very much. Pushing the limits is sometimes shocking. As a curator, I try to identify even very young artists, who are contributing to that evolution. It's very important for me.’

Dance Reflections takes place across London until April 8

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Rolex has found a vast new home on London’s Old Bond Street, with Watches of Switzerland Group’s flagship Rolex boutique, one of the largest in Europe, spanning four floors and totalling 1,1100 square metres.

All of the Rolex collection is here, from the GMT Master II and Cosmograph Daytona to the Submariner. Visitors will also be able to discover and purchase historical pieces, with a dedicated floor showcasing key watches from the last 120 years, while elsewhere, artisans work on maintaining clients’ watches in a Rolex Authorised Service Centre.

Throughout, there is space to pause, sit, perhaps sip on the signature "1905" cocktail created exclusively for the store. Hospitality is the focus in the comfortable, elegantly defined space, with a highly trained team keen to address every desire. It’s a warmth which plays out against classic Rolex touches, with an elegantly considered design interweaving a distinctive green through a signature green marble wall greeting guests at the reception. In the main atrium, visible from every floor, there hangs an art installation of gold bezels and green glass.

For Brian Duffy, CEO of The Watches of Switzerland Group, the store is the culmination of a long and fruitful partnership with Rolex. ‘The Watches of Switzerland Group have been retailing Rolex uninterrupted since 1919, when we first retailed Rolex in Newcastle,’ he says. ‘We also opened the first ever Rolex boutique in Bond Street in 1978, and we've managed the boutique on Rolex ever since. We’ve been looking for years for a location on Bond Street to expand and elevate the presence of the world's best brand on the world's best luxury street. We were delighted to secure this amazing location around two years ago, and then begins the uniquely meticulous, creative design by the Rolex architects, very talented people.’

The design is instantly evocative for Nick Johhnson of Johnson Pinney Architects. ‘If we were to remove any of the signage, I think you would all know and visually recognize this as a Rolex store. The reason for that is that we've worked with them on the palette, which you'll recognise, but actually it's the execution and the use of the materials here, which has been done in a way that you will not see anywhere else, which is one of the things that makes it very special for us and very unique. The quality of the materials is absolutely exceptional. I've counted no less than seven different types of marble just on the floor’s entrance alone. It has been an absolute commitment. There are so many fantastic, unique designs and features of this space.’

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The Oscars’ red carpet may be an opportunity for celebrities to deliberately push style boundaries – if only for the publicity that follows – but the recent awards ceremony confirmed what looks to be a paradigm shift in the watch industry. While Timothee Chalamet wore a Cartier Mini Baignoire – a yellow gold bracelet studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires – and Jeff Goldblum a Vacheron Constantin Egerie Moon, in lilac, with diamond bezel, Michelle Yeoh flashed an outsized Richard Mille RM 07-01. At the Golden Globes, meanwhile, Colman Domingo was sporting a dainty Omega Constellation Moonshine.

In other words, the characteristics that have typically distinguished watches as designated either for men or for women – size, colour, gem-setting, sportiness – continue to break down. As Sylvain Dolla, the CEO of Tissot, puts it, watch design is increasingly ‘about reflecting a modern approach where younger buyers embrace Swiss luxury without the constraints of gender roles. It’s about creating watches that break traditional boundaries and offer universal appeal. In today’s market, women are not always drawn to diamond accents, for example, and men might choose a pink dial.’

While many brands continue to market their products under the banners ‘men’s watches’ or ‘women’s watches’, particularly online and usually, it argues, because it’s a convenience to the majority of customers who still want what they perceive to be a largely ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ watch, others are breaking free of this tradition: Zenith’s webstore, for example, already pitches its watches by collection and sizes, while Hublot signed footballer Kylian Mbappe to front the campaign for its Big Bang Millennial Pink back in 2020. Yet this is not just a matter of marketing, but increasingly of design too. Brands are releasing more of what are loosely called ‘unisex’ watches.

This, in essence, means hitting a sweet spot in size that’s neither too small nor too large to dissuade the broad public – Zenith recently proposed that some 80 per cent of its collections will soon be around the 39mm mark. Other brands will take the more expensive route of producing key models in multiple sizes. Audemars Piguet, for instance, may still have a ‘For Her’ section on its webstore, but now makes its classic Royal Oak in sizes from 34 to 41mm.

‘But scaling down a bigger watch to a small mid-size isn’t so easy [without spoiling the look]. It needs careful pre-planning,’ warns Stephane Waser, CEO of Maurice Lacroix. ‘The fact is that very few brands are very good at designing both big and small watches because they demand a different design language.’ Furthermore, while rescaling a watch might be feasible aesthetically speaking, mechanically it may be much less so.

That’s going to be a particular challenge: if smaller watches, historically aimed at women, have been feasible through the use of quartz movements, the industry is now having to embrace the idea that, increasingly – and in no small part due to social media – women are interested in mechanical (and larger, often sportier) watches too. As Nomos Glashutte – a forerunner in the design of unisex styles – put it last year, on the launch of its Club Sport Neomatik 34: ‘Finally, an automatic watch for smaller wrists – a robust timepiece with feminine appeal.’

Indeed, it’s not just about scale. The broader concern is that there remains a diversity of styles available for anyone to choose as they see fit. The likelihood is that most men – outside of Hollywood, at least – will continue to lean towards the stereotypically ‘masculine’, and women towards the ‘feminine’ until what’s considered avant-garde now maybe goes mainstream.

If there’s anyone who can bring a chic refresh to corporate dressing, it is jeweller Jessica McCormack. The master of day diamonds, McCormack puts a modern spin on antique-inspired designs, bringing a cool wearability to traditional forms.

In new collection, Rush Hour, McCormack subverts office dressing – unadorned silhouettes, unfussy accessories – with an ode to modern minimalism. Clean, undulating curves of yellow and white gold snake around the neck or the fingers, while diamonds teeter on torques or stud a twisted torsion of rings. ‘In making this collection I knew that if I wanted the pieces to be bold and powerful there would have to be a simplicity to the silhouettes,’ McCormack says. ‘Finding this balance was important because I wanted the pieces to work in the context of a corporate lifestyle. In this way, the pieces are refined and wearable - most of them are technically designed to fit and sit well on the body - while also being striking and interesting.’

Paired with power suits or t-shirts, McCormack is keen for pieces to be wearable, eschewing the sense of occasion fine jewellery usually demands. In her hands, precious stones and metals are accessible and cool. ‘My aim with the Rush Hour Collection is to redefine the boundaries of corporate dressing. There are standard office jewellery dress codes for women, which frankly are quite dull, so I wanted to play with the idea of corporate dressing and transform it into something exciting, yet sophisticated. I want my clients to feel empowered when wearing their jewellery, and where is that more needed than in the workplace. With Rush Hour, I have designed pieces to make a statement as serve as a source of inspiration for their wearer.’

McCormack draws on her distinctive jewellery pieces, such as the Gypset earrings and torque which are both rethought here. ‘It has been a really fun process. Creating pieces that pay an acute attention to the various forms of the body has been very interesting as well, it was one of the most challenging aspects of the design process, but ultimately the most rewarding – because the end result is so great.’

jessicamccormack.com

In the exhibition Jewelry Objects, Sophie Buhai unveils a dreamy bespoke collection of design pieces at Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval, a Parisian space flanking the Seine that neighbours the Dries Van Noten store and the Beaux Arts de Paris. The newly reopened gallery recently underwent a renovation masterminded by French architect/designer Sylvain Dubuisson.

Los Angeles-based Buhai—known for making shapely earrings and stone necklaces—launched her namesake jewellery brand in 2015. Her collections have been featured in the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, as well as at retailers like Dover Street Market and 10 Corso Como. Everything is made in Los Angeles. 'We do our production, our design, our fulfillment, everything happens there', she says. 'It feels old world.' She works daily in her studio alongside her husband (who has a business role) and a small team.

Jewelry Objects (on view until 30 June) spans 20 unique or limited-edition pieces, each bearing her delicate signature (literally, with a subtle, delicate flourish). 'These pieces are contemporary, but they're influenced by different moments in design history,' Buhai says. Within the gallery, Buhai’s creations dialogue with pieces selected by Blum: nesting tables in red lacquer by Katsu Hamanaka and a parchment and lacquer pedestal table by Marcel Coard. 'The gallery is really known for Art Deco, from the 20s up until probably mid-century', Buhai says. 'Jean Michel Frank, Pierre Chareau, Rose Adler, Eileen Gray, Jean Dunane - these designers I've studied and are my inspirations.'

Buhai notes she started coming to Paris regularly 10 years ago, multiple times a year, to show her collections, 'and that was really an education for me… because you’re exposed to a level of beauty that is really only in Paris in this particular way' given that the decorative there are celebrated and taken seriously.

Some of Buhai’s pieces required collaborating with up to four different craftspeople. 'When you don't have to worry about a particular price range or how time-consuming a technique can be on a piece because you're only making one or three of them, what you can do is very uncompromised.' There were silversmiths and lapidaries Buhai had had a long relationship with from working on her main collection. But she scouted an artisan based in North Carolina who trained in traditional urushi lacquer methods in Japan, a technique that yields a beautiful finish: 'it's like 40 coats from the lacquer tree. It's very labor intensive and time-consuming”—but! 'There’s a depth that comes from all the layers.' The most complex piece to execute was a silk-tasseled minaudière with a magnetic closure in black urushi lacquer (it resembles a small creature or 'a third eye').

Moreover, there’s a sterling silver cigarette holder wound with silver thorns and a pendulous drop of blood in garnet ('very goth'). There’s a tiny hand mirror on the flip side of Black Onyx hand-carved wooden shell with a freshwater pearl and an 18 karat gold vessel ('sort of surrealist'). There are 'lighters that fit just like an American BiC' adorned with 'really good lapis—beautiful, vibrant blue'. The jade and sterling silver cigarette holder fits 'Capris or Vogues, or you can put your joints in there'.

'I love the idea of taking these mundane, everyday objects and making them like a fantasy', Buhai says of rethinking items such as a comb or a magnifying glass. However, her pieces lean more vice than virtue: 'We were joking that these are naughty objects: there's the lighters, the cigarette holder, the flask, the knife… there’s a little darkness,' she says. 'There are pill boxes—in chalcedony, Carnelian, lemon quartz—and so they're beautiful on a table, but you could put them in your evening bag, or on your vanity.'

The ornamental nature of the pieces relative to their functionality is always a thin balance: No one would want to put Buhai’s elegant sterling silver toothpick (contained in case with a jade top and 18 karat gold) between their teeth, presumably? “I wouldn't say it's something you use every day, but if you're going to an elegant dinner and you need a toothpick, it's a conversational piece to pull out.' For her Carnelian and onyx flask: 'This you could put in your handbag for a fun night out, or you put it on your bar, and it just looks really beautiful.'

A silver cup, one of two, prominently features rainbow moonstone. 'It's used a lot in New Age jewellery, but I was interested in how you could really elevate it and make it quite refined”, she says. Given the mainstreaming of astrology and spirituality, it seems very culturally resonant. 'It's sort of hand in hand with wellness', Buhai acknowledges. 'All of these stones that I'm using—rock crystal, carnelian, lapis, jade—are all stones that have been used in ancient amulets and talismans, in antiquity and Middle Ages, Renaissance, Ancient Egypt, up to Art Deco, the 70s… and then they kind of fell out of fashion. But I think it's something innate in us that's attracted to these stones, that feels protected or powerful when we bring them near us.'

As for her own jewellery habits? 'This is quartz,' she says extending a ringed hand. 'It feels like you're wearing a crystal ball around your finger… This is my lucky piece.' Suspended around her neck is a simple onyx pendant: 'I love taking a raw stone and carving it into a sculptural shape and wearing it.' She notes: 'Sometimes I don't wear anything if I'm in the studio and I just want to be comfortable. But it definitely depends on your mood and what you're you want to express that day.'

Jewelry Objects is at Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval until 30 June

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