Top 5 Ladies: Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend especially when they are backed by complex mechanics! The watch industry is getting serious about watches for women and is developing unique complications instead of adapting those made for men. These five timepieces, introduced at Baselworld 2014, are beautifully engineered. Behind their stunning looks hides some of the most elaborate craftsmanship from high-end watchmakers, including tourbillons and moonphase indicators.

Patek Philippe’s new manually wound moonphase has it all: the sparkle of exquisite diamonds and the complications of a high-end watch. Housed in a 33mm 18K yellow gold case, the Ref. 7121/1J-001 houses the Caliber 215 PS LU, a hand-wound movement made specifically for ladies’ watches. The bezel is adorned with 66 Top Wesselton diamonds, and lights up the crisp silvery-white dial. The moonphase, indicated at 6 o’clock on the dial, displays the Moon and stars in gold, and acts as a small seconds counter. All these elements come together in an elegant design suitable for any occasion.

Bulgari’s new Berries collection shows the brand’s determination to continue developing haute complications for ladies’ watches. This jewelry-inspired watch features a marquetry mother of pearl dial and a bezel bedecked with 63 dazzling diamonds. A colorful gemstone-set swirl attracts the gaze to the tourbillon aperture at 6 o’clock. There are two ‘6’ numerals on the dial, on either side of the tourbillon opening, which accompany the retrograde motion of the hours hand that instantly jumps at exactly 6 o’clock from the right side to the left in one swift counter-clockwise motion. The in-house BVL 313 self-winding movement, with 64-hour power reserve, is visible through the sapphire caseback. Only 25 pieces will be produced.

Dior once again paid tribute to the culture of craftsmanship of its Avenue Montaigne ateliers by revisiting the Grand Bal collection. But instead of decorating the collection’s iconic rotor with feathers or mother of pearl, the maison decided to stitch the rotor with a delicate weave of silk threads, the traditional material of the brand’s finest haute couture creations. This 38mm rose gold watch is powered by Dior’s Calibre Inversé 11, an automatic movement that is wound by the diamond-set rotor on the dial. The VIII Grand Bal “Fil de Soie” is available in green or pink silk, and only 88 of each version will be produced.

Chanel left us starstruck with this high jewelry version of the J12 Flying Tourbillon. The brand had released flying tourbillon watches in the past, but for the first time, it combined high watchmaking with high jewelry. The 38mm 18K white gold case is set with hundreds of brilliant-cut diamonds. The carriage of the tourbillon is fixed with a star-shaped bridge, and also adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds. The movement, designed exclusively for Chanel by complications specialist Renaud & Papi, is a hand-wound wound caliber with a 40-hour power reserve. The watch is limited to five exceptional pieces.

The Butterfly is the most iconic watch in Graff’s ladies collection, as it epitomizes the combination of haute horology with high-end jewelry. Inspired by the delicateness and symmetry of the butterfly, this watch features an arrangement of butterflies around the dial, each comprised of four dazzling pear-shaped diamonds. The butterflies appear to hover above a second layer of gemstones. The Butterfly comes in a fully-set jeweled bracelet option, but several leather straps are also available to match the colors of the butterflies. According to Graff Luxury Watches CEO Michel Pitteloud, the Butterfly is the brand’s most popular ladies watch, and despite not being a limited edition timepiece, there’s a very long waiting list for it.