Top High Jewelry Watches of The Year: Six Ladies Watches You Need To Know

These High Jewelry Watches for Ladies are in the running for one of the 20 awards, including the prestigious “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix best-in-show award which will be presented on 10 November in Geneva at the 22nd GPHG awards ceremony.

At the start of September, the international Academy of the GPHG (The Foundation of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève)– comprising more than 650 significant players from the main sectors of the watchmaking industry – nominated the 84 watches and 6 clocks (divided into 15 categories) in the running to win one of the 20 prizes that will be awarded to the year’s finest watchmaking creations, including the prestigious Aiguille d’Or “Grand Prix” best-in-show award.

The winners will be announced on 10 November during the 2022 awards ceremony, which will take place at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva. This unifying and strategic event dedicated to the promotion of contemporary watchmaking creations will be broadcast live on Gphg.org, Euronews.com, by our media partners around the world, as well as in deferred transmission mode by the Léman Bleu and Hantang Culture channels.

After the ceremony, the winning watches of the 2022 edition will travel to Zurich at the end of November for a private presentation in collaboration with FGP Swiss & Alps, main partner of the GPHG for the past three years. They will finally be exhibited for the first time in New York, from 1 to 4 December, in partnership with Watches of Switzerland.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS PERLÉE WATCH, 23 MM (PRICE INCL. VAT 26’900 CHF – 26731 United States Dollar)

Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée watch, 23 mm, yellow gold, guilloché white mother-of-pearl, Swiss quartz movement.

This timeless piece showcases the emblematic gold bead motif, faithful to the tradition of Van Cleef & Arpels. This watch combines gentle curves and subtle details, watchmaking savoir-faire and jewelry inspiration. With its fluid lines and playful spirit, it offers a contemporary take on jewels that tell time. Elegant and feminine, the watch has a round shape fringed with a very modern-looking double row of golden beads, displaying an edge in mirror-polished yellow gold. Beneath a convex glass, a radiating guilloché dial catches the light to create intense reflections.

In the spirit of a jewel watch, it is equipped with a precious bracelet made up entirely of articulated gold bead links and matching the watch’s beaded contour. Extremely flexible, it hugs the wrist like a second skin, ensuring optimal comfort when worn. Using a simple procedure, the bracelet can be changed to match their wearer’s mood.

The time is set using a push-button on the back of the case, which is completely invisible when the watch is worn.

CHOPARD ALPINE EAGLE 33 ladies watch (PRICE INCL. VAT 45’500 CHF – ~45214 USD)

Inspired by a historical Chopard model reinterpreted by three generations of men from the Scheufele family, the Alpine Eagle collection has been constantly enriched since its launch by new innovations and welcomes in 2022 a new 33mm diameter. The self-winding 09.01-C movement stems from developments by Chopard Manufacture and is COSC certified, a rare feature for such a small diameter. The Alpine Eagle 33 model is faithful to its aesthetic: a round case with stylised sides, a crown engraved with the compass rose, a bezel with eight functional screws set at a tangent, a stamped dial featuring deep colours, and finally a metal bracelet that is particularly comfortable on the wrist.

SUSTAINABILITY at Chopard
In 2013, Chopard embarked on a Journey to Sustainable Luxury, a long-term commitment which aims to protect and preserve the Earth from which the luxury house sources its raw materials as well as the people involved in the supply chain.

100% of the refined gold used for this watch comes from sources that are verified as having met international best practice environmental and social standards. Chopard also has an in-house foundry which is not only able to guarantee the origin of the gold used in the production but is above all able to directly resmelt gold scraps and production waste in order to recycle unused material.

The diamonds used for this timepiece follow the principles for transparency stipulated by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the Responsible Jewellery Council system of warranties.

KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN HARLEY QUINN Ladies Watch (PRICE INCL. VAT 19,825 USD)

Thirty years ago, in 1992, Batman: The Animated Series creators Bruce Timm and Paul Dini came up with a new DC Comics universe character: the wily and fearless jester Harley Quinn. In 2017, Konstantin Chaykin created his first Wristmon named the Joker, and five years later his character is reunited with his “girlfriend:” the watchmaker introduces the Wristmon Harley Quinn, who in his imagination has become “an accompaniment and reflection of the Joker.”

Like the Joker, his “girlfriend” has an anthropomorphic watch “face.” But since this is the first female character in his Wristmon collection, Konstantin Chaykin reduced the diameter of the Harley Quinn’s steel case to 40 millimeters compared to the Joker’s 42 millimeters. Naturally, this does not make the new Wristmon a “lady’s watch,” but its rebellious and bellicose disposition is sure to appeal to female connoisseurs of fine watchmaking.

The character’s recognizable features are mirrored in the “mysterious” disc-shaped rotor of the custom-designed movement. The rotor is embossed with a heart-and-diamond pattern and engraved with the official Harley Quinn logo. Unlike the Joker, the Harley Quinn’s rotor is not hidden under the case back: it has a sapphire crystal exhibition case back allowing a peek at the “mystery” design.

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER TONDA PF AUTOMATIC (PRICE INCL. VAT 49’500 CHF)

Slightly reduced in size, the new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36mm timepiece for ladies retains the attributes of the watch model that has become a signature of the luxury watchmaking brand: the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor. Equipped with a new, in-house automatic movement of subtly smaller dimensions, the Tonda PF Automatic 36mm introduces itself in a format suitable for a thinner wrist. The watch obviously upholds all the stylistic codes specific to Parmigiani Fleurier: fluid and harmonious integration of the 18-carat rose gold case and bracelet, knurled bezel, finely guilloché minimalist dial with invisible set baguette-cut diamond indexes. It is a timepiece of austere sobriety and discreet elegance.

SUSTAINABILITY
Ethical gold case; RJC certified gold bracelet and buckle.

CHAUMET DÉFERLANTE SECRET TIMEPIECE (PRICE INCL. VAT 131’860 CHF)

A feat of jewellery and watchmaking craftsmanship, Chaumet transforms a secret timepiece into a spectacular splash of light. Capturing crashing waves in full motion, the Déferlante de Chaumet collection bears the magnetism of uncontrolled elements. Captured in motion, faithful to Chaumet’s distinct style when addressing Nature, breaking waves become a symbol of eternal strength as much as a source of benevolent life. A carefully balanced mix of tensions, Déferlante de Chaumet distils the effect of gushing water in its combination of diamonds cuts, virtuoso settings and bold angles.

A celebration of the Maison’s jewellery virtuoso, the Déferlante de Chaumet secret timepiece comes to life thanks to the ‘fil-couteau’ (‘knife edge’) setting, allowing for the diamonds to appear as in levitation. Without any circling around its secret cover, the alternation of diamonds cuts and their setting draw a living portrait of a wave. Its light, delicate secret cover reveals a white gold dial entirely engraved by hand, a nod to Chaumet’s goldsmith tradition. Set with a square diamond on the index, this exceptional dial – resembling marine currents – gives each Déferlante timepiece its resolutely unique character. Numbered and limited edition of three pieces.

Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Eclipse watch (PRICE INCL. VAT 77’900 CHF)

Arnold & Son is offering its first watch designed, created, embellished, and powered for women. A new case houses a calibre designed for this moon-phase complication. It extends into a blue alligator-leather strap with a satin finish and fuchsia lining.

The 38 mm diameter case is 10.44 mm thick and crafted from white gold. Its bezel, four horns and crown host a total of 90 brilliant-cut diamonds.

The dial of the Perpetual Moon 38 Eclipse I is composed of a fine layer of blue aventurine crystal, featuring lace-like cut-outs through which the large moon disc can be glimpsed. The starry sky is made of mother-of-pearl in a graduation of shades from blue to white. The two lunar discs are depicted by ruthenium crystals. Between them, the constellations have been painted by hand. At 8 o’clock, the main motif of the Perpetual Moon 38 Eclipse I scintillates with precious stones. The cut-outs adorning the lace-like aventurine backdrop have been encrusted with white and blue mother-of-pearl fragments, diamonds, and blue and pink sapphires, all cut to form a large star complete with glistening halo.

Arnold & Son has created an entirely new calibre, which is also the smallest in its watch collection. At 30 mm, the A&S1612 watch calibre was designed to fit the new 38 mm diameter case that is just 10.44 mm thick. This manually wound movement with an autonomy of 90 hours thus perpetuates the range of Arnold & Son calibres with impressive power reserves. Drawing on its ingenious large-moon principle, Arnold & Son has naturally incorporated a majestic lunar disc into its Perpetual Moon 38 Eclipse I timepiece for Ladies.