Watches moved beyond the status of a practical timekeeping tool relatively recently (since the dawn of the mobile phone), however the overlap between high jewellery and watchmaking for women has existed for well over a century. Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, and others have all famously created high jewellery pocket and pendant watches for ages, including a couple of Patek pieces owned by Queen Victoria that have toured the globe as part of their museum collection. It’s still a small segment of the industry, but even now the watchmaking world’s best and brightest devote at least some attention to these statement pieces. 

We’ve taken a look at some of our favourite brands in the space who walk the correct line—that delicate balance of fine jewellery setting and craftsmanship without sacrificing horological performance. Regardless of the specific selection, it’s quite difficult to go wrong with any of these. Not all high jewellery watches are created equal by any stretch, but the resounding connection between all of these pieces is being able to trust your maker. When buying a statement piece, you want something that looks fantastic but also need to trust that it’s built to the right exacting standard and will last longer than the year’s next big fashion trend.

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