Jeweled watch cases are not appealing to me and I suspect other PuristS who visit this site are not dazzled by them either. I received these images from Jaquet Droz at about the same time that Dr. Cheong made some interesting personal observations on the Genta forum (you should really read these comments):

click here 
 

While it is true that the illusion and confusion between jewelry and haute horology may exist I thought these pictures highlight some of the workmanship involved with the creation of the jeweled cases.

I am not asking anyone to equate watch finishing with gemsetting but only to recognize that both skills take years of dedicated learning and practice to accomplish the perfect result.  Coming from a family of jewelers, this statement is based on years of observing family members at the workbench. 

Customers of luxury goods demand nothing less than perfection.  Anyone willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a watch with “bling” will be very upset to find a missing jewel.  How upset?  Imagine the chronograph hand not lining up perfectly with the zero index, multiply that disappointment by a hundred fold…you get the idea.  The diamond itself may be less than a tenth of a carat, of poor clarity, and would only cost at most a hundred dollars to replace but in the end this event has more dramatic consequences.  The owner will lose peace of mind over the entire watch, afraid of poor craftsmanship and loss of more jewels in the future.  The desire and thrill of wearing the watch will be gone. 

Take a close look at these Grande Seconde Medium Sertie cases.  Each case is set with 244 diamonds and the applied 18K white gold hand finished rehaut ring is set with 88 diamonds (you’ve got to love J*D’s attention to these little numbering details).  To prove the gemsetter’s skills, another 18 diamonds are set into the watch buckle which is the component most at risk for damage.  Forget my personal observations and just look at how small these diamonds are.  To set the diamonds with perfect alignment and to secured them must take skill! 

While a diamond encrusted watch may not accurately represent the best of haute horology, it should not be dismissed outright as a model without inherent value, created to satisfy the “unknowing customer”.  Jaquet Droz created the Sertie series to highlight this artisan skill of gemsetting which was integral to the survival of the watchmaking industry in the 1700s and it is just as important today for a specific group of clientele. Although it is not a piece that I would buy or wear, I appreciate the design and skill that went into producing these pieces.

Wrist shots anyone?

Cheers, Mike