The Haute Horology universe caters to two types of buyers. The first one, comprises of watch collectors & buyers who will blissfully invest, thousands of dollars on a single watch piece because of its unique mechanical ingenuity or expert craftsmanship. The other type is of formidable buyers, who want all of the above AND the collective attention of the entire haute horology world.
You will be surprised how, many watch-makers are trying to woo this niche clientele, despite huge risks and unimaginable finances, involved. Baselworld, world’s biggest swiss-watch fair is where one can be dazzled by outrageous haute horology bejewelled watches. Here’s a list of the most amazing diamond loaded watches I saw at Baselworld 2015. (In no particular order)
2015 Diamond Watches: Hublot Big Bang Unico Haute Joaillerie
Hublot has made stellar, diamond studded watches, before. What’s unique about this one? The ‘Big Bang Unico Haute Joaillerie’ is made to celebrate 10 years of the Big Bang watch collection. The Big Bang series has played a major role in Hublot’s dynamic success. Which is why Hublot decided to celebrate the lucrative decade of Big Bang, with flamboyance. As the name suggests, ‘Big Bang’ series is about amalgamation of two unlikely elements, like mixing gold with carbon or mixing steel with ceramic, to form one unique base material, for a watch.
Hublot’s diamond watch big bang, reiterates the principle behind Big Bang watches i.e. bringing unlikely elements, together. Hublot has clubbed the masculine aesthetics of Big Bang Unico watch with hundreds of diamonds! We are talking about 653 baguette diamonds! So is Hublot trying to attract women buyers with this diamond avalanche on a watch? Not really!
The Big Bang Unico Haute Joaillerie is aimed at the discerning buyer. Perhaps, a nouveau rich, with the aspiration for insatiable distinctiveness. There is plenty to flaunt in the Big Bang Unico Haute Joaillerie watch. The seamless carpet of diamonds was achieved with great difficulty. Three of the most complex setting techniques have been used: invisible setting, Clou de Paris setting and rail setting. Most importantly, the Hublot celebration watch is an exclusive collection. Only 10 pieces of Hublot Big Bang Unico Haute Jewellery will be created.
The one in the pictures is the ruby version. The rubies set ablaze, silhouettes of the inner dial, breaking the dominance of white diamonds. This jewellery watch has 653 baguette diamonds and baguette rubies, together weighing 40.93 cts. Each of the 10 watches in the Hublot Big Bang Unico ‘10 Year’ Haute Joaillerie collection, is priced at 1 Million USD or Indian Rupee 63,34,5000 (approx.)
Baselworld 2015 Diamond Watches: Graff Diamonds ‘Fascination’ Watch
Last year, Graff Diamonds’ showstopper was ‘Hallucination’ watch. This year the showstopper is ‘Fascination’. Hallucination, for me, remains to be the most outrageous jewellery watch, Ever! The multi gem stone watch you see below is the multi million dollar watch for women, called ‘Hallucination’. Believe me now?
However, the newer ‘Fasciantion’, dare I say did not fail to fascinate! Graff’s Fascination watch has an overpowering number of diamonds and a knockout price tag. Loaded with 153 carats of diamonds, plus a central 38 carat single flawless pear shaped diamond, the Fascination diamond watch is priced at uhmm.. 40 Million USD!!
To satiate the expectations of a judicious buyer, Graff has added a ‘transformational’ element to its diamond watch. The 38 carat worth of diamond can be detached very easily from the hidden dial. It may be used as a centrepiece on a ring or any other jewellery!
Graff’s multi million dollar diamond watch, Fascination may well be defined as more of a jewellery marvel than a horological achievement. Nevertheless, fascinating!
2015 Diamond Watches: Jacob & Company Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette
Spellbinding & unreal. Even the most selective buyer will be awestruck, at the mere sight of this watch! Jacob and Co has encompassed the magical astronomical wonder of stars, planets and moon, in an ingenious wristwatch. A carpet of baguette diamonds forms the starry, night sky and a background to the incredible, mechanical-celestia world. What you see rotating and revolving on the dial are; the moon represented by a 288 facet spherical diamond, a hand painted titanium earth, a 60 second tourbillon and a skeleton sub-dial with minutes and hours. The entire system is protected by a domed sapphire-crystal-glass.
Once you have taken a break from admiring the celestial dance on this 2015 diamond watch, you will realise that this watch tells time, too. The time dial is supported by a differential gear system, ensuring a clear legibility of time for the wearer, at all times! It is astounding how makers of Astronomia have brought the highest degree of perfection to this wonder.
Jacob and Co., a New York based watchmaker, has a passion for out-of-world creations. If the watch fails to make jaws drop, then all the hard work is wasted! The Jacob and Co Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette is made for the lesser mortals of the world, who won’t think twice before shelling out nearly one million and five thousand USD, on one wristwatch. The dome shaped planetary watch will cost nearly 63661725 Indian Rupees.
2015 Diamond Watches: Faberge Lady Compliquee Peacock Watch
There are watches that don’t need hands to tell time. Instead, their dial composition uses poetry or a fairytale, to indicate passing time. One such watch is the ‘Lady Compliquee Peacock watch from ‘Faberge’. The protagonist of the dial is a beautiful Peacock crafted in white gold. Every hour, the peacock gradually spreads its feathers to indicate passing minutes. When an hour is completed, the hour disc automatically moves ahead and the peacock reverses its feathers to begin counting minutes again! While the peacock rests its feathers, a supreme illumination of peacock-coloured precious stones, sprayed on the dial, entertain the wearer. Bringing such a poetic complication to life is not easy which is why the task of bringing the dancing peacock on mechanical watch was commissioned to Mr Wiederrecht. Jean-Marc Wiederrecht of Agenhor is an outstanding, independent watchmaker who has also worked on several Van Cleef and Arpels watches.
2015 Diamond Watches: Chanel Les Eternelles De Chanel Watches
I love the aura of mystique that is, in hidden-dial watches. Chanel one of my favorite luxury, fashion brands, introduced scintillating hidden-dial, high jewellery watches, at Baselworld 2015. These beauties come in three variations; Camelia, Comet and Plume. Shaped like capsules, the watch-bracelets are covered in, what seems like a never ending flow of diamonds. Each watch has 2319 brilliant cut diamonds weighing 41.53 carats! Between the encrusted background, are theme-design-patterns so intricately & flawlessly inserted, that you might want to run your fingers over them, repeatedly, just to reassure that this beautiful jewellery-art is for real!
Chanel has used a Camellia Flower, a Star and a Majestic Feather to hide the quartz powered watch dials. My favourite of the lot is the high jewellery plume secret watch with 4 pear cut pink sapphires on the bracelet. When the cover feather is pressed gently, it moves aside to reveal a dial of 34 baguette-cut pink sapphires.
Before you set your heart to buy one of these beauties, remember, a limitless bankroll is not enough to merit their ownership. Taste for authentic haute horology and the ability to carry-off outrageous glamour, are prerequisite.
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