12 of the best jewellery watches from $400 to $400,000

Buffy Acacia

It’s no secret that all watches are functionally jewellery, no matter how much testosterone fuels some collectors’ fantasies of utility. That said, there are plenty of fundamental differences between the jewellery and wristwatch industries. For the embrace of decorative techniques, faceted gemstones, and aesthetic dedication, most wristwatches just aren’t going to cut it for a lover of traditional jewellery. Whether you like stacking bracelets, pairing rings, or are simply looking to add some dazzle to your wrist, here are some of the best jewellery watches.

Citizen Silhouette Crystal EM1020-57L

You don’t need to spend thousands to get a decent amount of sparkle on your wrist, nor do you need to resort to tacky, iced-out impostors from no-name brands. The Citizen Silhouette Crystal offers incredible bling for buck, with a crystal-set bezel, bracelet links, and dial. It even uses baguette shapes for the hour markers on the bezel and quarters, giving it a high-end feel without going overboard. The navy blue dial keeps things versatile, and the Eco-Drive movement provides quartz reliability and solar charging. Price: US$395

Hamilton American Classic Lady Hamilton Vintage Quartz

Recreating a typical example of a mid-century cocktail watch, the Lady Hamilton captures all of a vintage watch’s best aspects while improving its quality. For one, the crystal is sapphire instead of glass, and it benefits greatly from modern steel production and manufacturing. Filigree details adorn the case, and the mother-of-pearl dial is complimented with Art Deco style numerals. The chain rope bracelet is something that’s very rarely seen in modern watchmaking, and it has a delightfully delicate effect on the wrist. Price: US$575

Chopard Happy Sport 25mm

While Chopard has a long and legendary history of high jewellery and watchmaking, even serving Tsar Nicholas II as a client, it’s the humble Happy Sport range that best sums up the brand’s joie de vivre in the 21st century. On this, the most affordable reference of the Happy Sport catalogue, a 25mm watch case hosts five sparkling diamonds on the dial. Suspended between two sapphire crystals, those bezel-set diamonds can glide above the dial with the movement of your wrist, creating a dynamic intrigue as well as a luxury fidget toy. The double-coil leather strap adds some extra accessorising flair, while the quartz movement ensures timekeeping is reliable and effortless. Price: US$4,650

Panthère de Cartier

Watchmaking and jewellery have been entwined at Cartier since the 1900s, but currently speaking, iconic models such as the Tank and the Santos have become far more important as watches than as pieces of jewellery. To my eye, it’s the Panthère de Cartier that retains the Parisian brand’s decorated soul as something that is an accessory first, and a timepiece second. There are many higher-end Cartier watches loaded with diamonds and stylised bracelets, but in its two-tone reference with 18k gold and steel components, the Panthère de Cartier is a simple and effective representation of the brand’s design philosophy at its core. Price: US$9,450

Omega Constellation 29mm

Using a beautiful slice of natural green aventurine for its dial, this reference from the Omega Constellation 29mm collection is one of the best choices for a generous helping of colour. Diamond hour markers add in some extra sparkle to the dial’s aventurescence, while the Roman numerals on the Sedna gold bezel and the steel case ensure it’s versatile enough to be worn on a daily basis with its green leather strap. Plus, the calibre 8700 is METAS-certified for chronometer accuracy with its Co-Axial escapement, and provides an attractive view from the sapphire display caseback. Price: US$11,900

Vacheron Constantin Heures Créatives Heure Romantique

Based on a rare model originally developed in 1916, Vacheron Constantin has revived the Heures Créatives collection in all of its antique glory. The style of the case even predates Art Deco styles and heads into Victorian territory, from the floral motifs hugging the lugs to the beading around the perimeters of the diamond-set case. The elongated Roman numerals are hand-painted on the mother of pearl dial, embracing every element of handcraft possible for a true, traditional jewellery experience. Price: US$63,000

Piaget Limelight Gala Precious

Piaget is a brand capable of extreme self control, whether that’s to do with maintaining heightened standards of thinness or just stylistic simplicity. So, when Piaget lets loose, it’s truly something to behold. The Limelight Gala Precious is by no means its most daring high-jewellery watch, but in absence of those crazier examples being available, it’s a wonderful display of the bark-like Decor Palace finishing that Piaget has been using for decades. The way the dial almost seamlessly transitions into the bracelet with the diamond-set asymmetrical bezel as punctuation is captivating. Price: US$75,000

Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5160/500R

Jewellery is just as much about working with metals as it is with gemstones, and the 5160/500R is a phenomenal example of watch case engraving. Patek Philippe is already known as one of the greatest watchmakers of all time, but beyond elaborate gem settings, its creative decorations can be underrated. The 5160/500R uses volutes and foliage patterns inspired by a pocket watch within Patek’s own museum, and it’s a wonderful insight into how elegance and masculinity don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Price: US$202,090

Bulgari Serpenti Secret

Far from being just an incredible work of jewellery, the Bulgari Serpenti Secret is preceded by its reputation. Between the history of the tubogas bracelet and being central to Elizabeth Taylor’s romantic scandals on-set of 1963’s Cleopatra, Bulgari’s ultimate ode to seductive temptation resides in this reptilian wristwatch. Of course there are more easily attainable references with open dials, fewer bracelet coils and affordable metals, but the depiction of the serpent’s head as a cover for the watch itself is too iconic to ignore. For the sake of choosing just one reference in this list, my favourite is the ref. 103560 with scales that alternate between round diamonds and vivid green lacquer, and pear-cut emeralds for eyes. Price: US$228,000

Breguet Reine de Naples 8939BB/6D/J49 DD0D

Breguet’s Reine de Naples collection is a reimagining of Breguet’s first wristwatch, made for the Queen of Naples, Caroline Murat. Although they’re all thoroughly modern watches, this particular reference is truly a display of old world decadence like no other. The egg-shaped case and dial are flooded with gorgeous baguette diamonds, with one pear-cut diamond as a centrepiece on the dial, below a genuine guilloché subdial. The bracelet being made from strings of pearls is what sells this reference as a piece of baroque art. Price: US$281,100

Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow

From the combined minds of one of the world’s most subversive pop artists and one of the most divisive watch manufacturers is the MP-15. The calibre includes Hublot’s first central flying tourbillon as a manufacture, and the hybrid sapphire and gem-set titanium case is an undeniably impressive work of craftsmanship. Takashi Murakami’s symbolic smiling flower is definitely an attention grabber, and the clear rubber strap leans into the same playful energy as countless translucent products from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Price: US$374,000

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux

As another brand that has prizes both the technical and artistic sides of watchmaking, the Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux is a culmination of expertise in gem-setting, complications, miniature sculpture, and grisaille enamel. All of the metal you see is rhodium plated 18k white gold, and all of the jewels are of course brilliant-cut diamonds for a total of 12.41cts across 388 stones. The ValFleurier Q020 movement uses a retrograde module to gradually move a pair of lovers towards each other on a moonlit bridge in Paris. Price: US$381,000

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101

While it isn’t a single watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 has been the world’s smallest mechanical watch calibre since its release in 1929. It has been used in countless references across high-end Swiss watchmaking, especially in models from the Holy Trinity of Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet. Not only has it found its way into the tiny, hidden displays of cuff watches and other bracelets, but it’s also been used in ring and pendant watches as needed. You can still buy several models from JLC today that are powered by the 101, but it’s the vintage models that excite collectors most.