THM Suggests: Top 5 High Jewelry Pendant Watches To Elevate Your Ensemble

 

People are moving away from the conventional wristwatch in favor of more fashionable timepieces that do double duty by keeping you on time while also complementing your ensemble. Wearing a watch as a pendant around your neck is another great way to draw attention to your ensemble while adding a functional element.

Watches And Wonders 2023, also saw several new trends and the one that stood out for us was luxury pendant watches! Brands like Chanel, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Van Cleef & Arpels all released pendant watches in the style of the Art Deco period that could also be worn as necklaces. Here are our top 5 picks for luxury pendant watches of the year!

1. Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso Secret Necklace

The Reverso Secret Necklace, unveiled this year by the Maison, is a magnificent piece of High Jewellery that exemplifies their dedication to feminine expressions of fine watchmaking. The Manufacturer has taken the 20th-century design classic Reverso and reimagined it as a long necklace with grace and exquisite femininity for this season.

The richly gem-set Reverso is suspended from a supple chain of intricate diamond-set links and polished onyx beads, a modern take on the original black textile bracelet seen on Reverso models of the 1930s. This chic new way to wear a watch is adorned with two pendants of polished onyx charms.

However, herein lies the key. The dial of the Reverso Secret Necklace is concealed beneath a gem-set cover until you want to check the time. The swiveling case of the Reverso is an innovative take on this concept, as it hides the time when the watch is turned over.

The Reverso Secret Necklace, which takes its design cues from Art Deco, is a stunning necklace—until you flip it over, that is. The time is displayed on the dial in what looks like an inverted position so that it can be easily read when the wearer lifts the watch to their face.

2. Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée Secret Pendant Watch

There is a wide variety of Sautoir watches available at Van Cleef & Arpels, from elaborate high jewelry pieces to more casual fine jewelry pieces like these new Perlée designs. They look great on their own or layered with other necklaces like the Alhambra in 10 or 20 motifs when worn on a sleek long chain.

The Perlée Secret Pendant Watch now comes with decorative stone dial covers to complement its already available yellow gold case set with your choice of emeralds, rubies, or blue sapphires. The Maison claims that you won't find these particular kinds of stone in any of their other collections or product lines.

3. Piaget High Jewellery Sautoir Watch

With the release of two new high-jewelry sautoir watches this year, Piaget has reclaimed its position as the market leader in this category. The original Swinging Sautoir, which was inspired by a design from 1969, was made of gold and featured a gold dial engraved with Piaget's signature Palace décor, as well as handcrafted gold chains, braided gold links, gold tassels studded with closed-set round diamonds, and a swinging mechanism.

Hand-twisted gold begins with a single strand of wire, which is coiled around a mandrel and then individually twisted and shaped into smooth, uniform links. Each chain is completely unique, and the entire process takes at least 130 hours. The dial is Piaget's signature oval shape, a design element introduced in the 1960s, and is paired with an oval cabochon Zambian emerald that weighs 25.38 carats.

4. Chanel Mademoiselle Privé Lion

Chanel is known for its innovative approach to timekeeping, which includes concealing tiny dials in jewelry such as rings, brooches, and necklaces. The lion, which is associated with Mademoiselle Chanel's star sign of Leo, is the inspiration for this year's Lion Sautoir. Here, the classical codes of the Maison are espoused by a delicate gold, diamond, and facetted onyx chain that draws attention to a medallion of black onyx featuring a gold sculpted lion head paved in diamonds.

Turning the medallion reveals another dial made of polished black onyx and set with a diamond circlet. Braided yellow gold forms a border around a circle of softly facetted onyx and a single brilliant diamond at the back.

5. Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Secret Pendant Watch

The Alhambra® motif, designed by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1968, has endured as a universal sign of good fortune. This watch line pays homage to a wide variety of precious materials, colors, and cuts that pair well with Alhambra's jewelry designs.

Mother-of-pearl is a treasured material at the Maison, and it is formed naturally in some shells. It shines brightly, lending a sense of femininity, softness, and protection to jewelry designs. Mother-of-pearl is a signature design element for Van Cleef & Arpels, most notably seen in the Alhambra®, Deux Papillons, and Rose de NoelTM jewelry collections.

Diamond is derived from the Greek word adamas, which means "indomitable," which is an apt descriptor for this extraordinary mineral. Solitaires, as well as pieces from the Snowflake and Cheval collections, are just a few examples of the stunning jewelry that can be made using this extraordinary stone and the High Jewelry expertise of Van Cleef & Arpels. Timepieces from the Maison's Cadenas® collection aren't the only ones adorned with diamonds, though.

Sautoir watches are highly distinctive and innovative, and they strongly evoke jewelry and watches from the 1960s. They perfectly captured the spirit of the decade, when women were beginning to achieve equality and take charge of their own lives. It was also a very modern time. Instead of the traditional idea of luxury, in which all jewelry must match and be extremely ornate, sautoir watches combine practicality and elegance. Are you ready to wear these and rock the 60s style with these luxury pendant watches?