Watches and Jeweled Wonders
In Geneva, the 2026 edition of the Watches and Wonders fair confirmed the ever-important presence of jewelry watches in the creative strategies of watchmaking houses. From unprecedented technical feats to the most inspired heritage revivals, the boundaries between watchmaking and jewelry know no limits, and that's a good thing. Beware, make way for dreams!
This year, the exhibition showcased a dazzling demonstration of the dialogue between stone, precious metal, and the watchmaker's craft. The houses compete in creativity to make the watch a standalone jewel, or conversely, to slip a movement where it is least expected. Let's begin with one of the most talked-about surprises of the show. At Audemars Piguet, the brand-new concept of the Atelier des Établisseurs has given birth to three extraordinary creations, among which the Établisseurs Peacock is undoubtedly the most striking. This secret watch in white gold resembles, when closed, a finely engraved beetle. With a simple press, the wings and head unfold to reveal a handcrafted miniature peacock, while a dial in translucent engraved enamel appears. As if that were not enough, the complication continues with a trailing hour that is read in a window. A flexible white gold bracelet composed of feather-shaped links, peacock's eyes set with colored stones: the piece brings together jewelers, enamellers, engravers, and watchmakers in a theatrical creation. /public-objects/bbf852fd-6b95-4975-b756-f0e4648b0ce4-8ea0f372-c023-411f-b18b-c42c39151c02-Etablisseurs_Peacock_Closeup3_01.PRINT.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/87e392aa-a916-4ad3-a850-508b311a9aa2-a1fdb8b8-85f0-46b6-a239-b7889a28a292-Etablisseurs_Peacock_Closeup4_01.DIGITAL.webp Image sélectionnée Another dazzling achievement, and not the least, from Hublot, which marks a world first with the Spirit of Big Bang Impact (three limited editions). For the first time in the brand's history, diamonds are set directly into the sapphire, a material whose hardness (9 on the Mohs scale) makes the operation extraordinarily complex. The most spectacular piece? A creation adorned with 145 fancy-cut diamonds that extend the signature fragmented pattern, from the dial to the bezel, in a fully transparent 42mm barrel-shaped case. /public-objects/0a5da1cc-2781-4c1c-8056-79a02c798706-9c8c137c-e2a1-4c00-aa84-2527569d107f-Spirit%20of%20Big%20Bang%20Impact%20Sapphire%20Jewellery.webp Image sélectionnée One can always trust Cartier to dazzle us. The maison has unveiled the Myst, a sculptural jewelry watch that follows in the tradition of creations imagined under the direction of Jeanne Toussaint from the 1930s. Devoid of a clasp, this piece is a trompe-l'œil bracelet whose elements, strung like pearls, evoke protective talismans. Offered in yellow gold with diamonds and black lacquer or in an all-diamond version in gray gold, the Myst plays with volumes, curves, and contrasts with audacity. Thirty hours of setting were required to achieve this unprecedented architecture. /public-objects/5d8219b3-d26d-49f3-a2fb-d61fba3c6090-b9061753-5e0f-4a69-ad74-585a60448209-PUWA11958_WW26_MYST_24x30_RVB2.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/f8e80b3a-4288-48d2-85eb-4560688a5cad-4ee9c0a7-3433-42a7-b673-f354f55d4149-PUWA11960_WW26_MYST_24x30_RVB2.webp Image sélectionnée At Chanel, the Gabrielle Watch pays tribute to the founder of the maison in a piece where Mademoiselle's silhouette, sculpted in white gold, literally emerges from the dial, dressed in her white tweed suit trimmed in black. The tweed pattern is replicated through "tweed setting", a technique that required the expertise of two setters from Chanel's watchmaking manufacture to achieve this woven diamond effect. In total, the piece boasts no fewer than 651 brilliant-cut diamonds. /public-objects/2c0bff7c-1578-4569-a633-30704631c910-307af7d1-50c5-47b4-924e-83d2f471c356-gabrielle-watch-white-rgb2.webp Image sélectionnée Over at Chopard, the L'Heure du Diamant collection is enriched with four new models in 18-carat ethical white gold. Of particular note is the round model adorned with a floral motif bezel set with diamonds, powered by the manually wound Chopard 10.01-C caliber, one of the most compact mechanical movements in the world, and paired with the "bark" bracelet, a craft dating back to the 1960s. The versions with onyx dials, in round and cushion shapes, offer a wonderful contrast between the depth of the black stone and the brilliance of the diamonds. /public-objects/f958747d-f81d-4205-abb6-fbcebc966dc3-54fce907-1d0f-4779-9c3f-bfda343ab3db-%4010A065-1100_L'Heure%20du%20Diamant%20(1).webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/6c673559-379d-43ca-9f13-bc1ff7042ba0-47a5472c-b20f-4fe3-8db6-678a1e222896-13A386-1109_L'Heure%20du%20Diamant%20(1).webp Image sélectionnée Over at Van Cleef & Arpels, it's impossible not to mention the Ludo Secret watch, a reinterpretation of a historic 1949 model. The bracelet, made of "brick" links in mirror-polished yellow gold, assembled and adjusted by hand, gives the impression of delicate weaving. Two crescent-shaped motifs, set with sapphires of a bold and deep blue, conceal a guilloché white mother-of-pearl dial that is revealed with a simple press. A baguette-cut sapphire marks the 12 o'clock position, a detail of elegance that is quintessentially Van Cleef. /public-objects/007b3598-45fe-4b15-becc-666c9fea9080-282b04e5-0ecc-428e-b20b-09bd7ad4cc1f-MONTAGE.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/aea9f102-2559-4e03-b049-d4d29d49d45c-1dfe209b-1f93-40be-99e1-33c55a4178af-Sans%20titre-1.webp Image sélectionnée At Piaget, it is once again the ornamental stones that have captivated us. They have chosen to embrace movement, in the literal sense, with their Swinging Pebbles, a trio of pendant-watches in ornamental stones (tiger's eye, verdite, pietersite) suspended from twisted gold chains. Each watch-pendant is cut from the same slice of stone, hollowed out to house a Manufacture movement, then closed again to form a polished pebble case. The maison also presented a high jewelry Sixtie cuff that reinvents the iconic 1970s cuff watch by showcasing opal, one of Yves Piaget's favorite stones, in a case engraved with the famous Palace Decor. /public-objects/dc9194e9-35ee-4d64-abae-a7e4ddd7d2a8-eb6b674a-5a33-4dea-a821-d93188fe3cde-G0A51350_FACE_RGB.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/45557f0b-bc43-469b-86bc-eab7608d242f-76a47493-c018-4a05-be32-4553f88067b5-PIAGGET%20MONTAGE.webp Image sélectionnée It was unexpected, but Baume & Mercier entered the jewelry conversation with the Joia, whose reference M0A10850 features a bezel set with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds, a silver dial with cross satin finishes, and a crushed mesh steel bracelet. The 28mm hornless case showcases round and soft curves, inspired by a historic timepiece from the 1980s. Truly, an accessible little gem. /public-objects/72947d52-0c60-476c-a9e0-82ed0169111c-f81f6199-c10e-46e7-85bb-d9ce4f5bd015-1920_10850_joia_2026_ht.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/df57ed6d-510d-4654-8290-5e0e08b2f7a0-2114b6dc-d4a1-4805-a8f5-4625b99ee538-1920_10850_joia_2026_soldat.webp Image sélectionnée Frédérique Constant, on the other hand, brings a touch of color with the two new Classics Cuff designs. The gold version with a turquoise mineral dial plays the card of solar contrast, while the steel version with a sun-kissed mint green dial offers a fresher variation, decidedly spring-like. With their Clou de Paris pattern echoed on the bracelet, these watches with a rock and glam temperament confirm the energy of this collection. /public-objects/b4ff3576-758c-42b8-88bd-5bd33a57952a-67e7e0d0-d48c-4b95-82f3-fc6780e4d7a7-PS_FC-200GR1MC6B2.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/3930a489-cddf-4d7d-ac77-187a394220ed-10863397-9196-49f2-b5d6-5049771f11a5-PS_FC-200TU1MC5B2.webp Image sélectionnée And then there was a very big surprise from Rolex, a house that is rarely associated with the jewelry realm. The Crown House unveiled an Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 in Jubilee Gold, a completely new 18-carat gold alloy whose hue oscillates between tender yellow, warm gray, and soft pink. The dial, cut from light green aventurine, is enhanced by 10 baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers. This serves as a reminder that the "Presidents' Watch", worn on its namesake bracelet, also knows how to play the card of mineral preciousness, with that discreetness made in Rolex that makes all the difference. /public-objects/234481d2-0de2-41e5-9a30-43338fa1ba02-32e3d95f-f089-4bc2-aff2-60b84751fdbf-m228235jg-0003.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/f0065ec6-649f-49a1-b2c4-4fc6aeb5d159-7a8728df-108f-462d-996a-deba9a09901a-newsroom-exceptional-watches-m228235jg-0001_2601stj_0003.webp Image sélectionnée