Country & Town House - Watches & Jewellery 2025

WATCHES & JEWELLERY

Poetic Complications

Contents

WATCHES & JEWELLERY

26 SPARKLE UP e latest jewellery news from Francesca Fearon

38 WRIST ACTION

Joshua Hedren on what’s new on the watch scene

62 IN THE MESH

FOPE is going big and bold, nds Avril Groom

SHOPPING

30 MODERN FLORALS

New takes on nature-inspired gems

32 MATERIAL GAINS

Designers are embracing the unexpected

34 MIXED METALS

Going for golds: all hail the many hues

36 VISUAL FEAST Jewels that tease the tastebuds

40 ROCK STARS

New-season hardstone watches

42 SHAPE SHIFTERS

It’s hip to be square –on your wrist ON THE COVER Model wears

Buccellati Mosaico ring in white and pink gold set with round brilliant-cut diamonds and a tourmaline; Buccellati Mosaico earrings in white and yellow gold, set with brilliant-cut diamonds; Buccellati Opera bracelet in white and yellow gold set with round brilliant-cut and oval-cut diamonds; Buccellati cuff bracelet in white and yellow gold set with diamonds and round brilliantcut diamonds; Buccellati Mosaico bracelet in white and yellow gold set with round brilliant-cut, princess-cut and trapeziumshaped diamonds

Fashion director: Nicole Smallwood

Photographer: David Reiss

Make-up: Phophie Mathias

@ Wise & Talented

Hair: Leslie Thibaud

@ Airport Agency

Nails: Lea Rey

44 TRUE COLOURS is season’s high jewellery comes in a jamboree of hues 52 RELOVED UP Avril Groom and Simon de Burton on the rise of pre-owned watches and jewels

56 DIAMOND GEEZERS

How men can best embrace the bling, by Shane C. Kurup 59 JEWELLERY WITH HEART Rachael Taylor spotlights the special pieces stars are picking for the red carpet

64 HIDDEN GEMS

Jessica Diamond on the independent jewellers to know 68 GOLDEN THREADS

Avril Groom peeks behind the scenes at Buccellati 78 TICKING INTO ETERNITY

Timothy Barber selects watches worth handing down 70 IN SEASON is year’s fresh crop of watches share the rich shades of precious gemstones 80 JEWELLERY BY NUMBERS

Harry Winston wows with this new necklace

TBurton explains how the watch bubble happened and looks with some optimism to a more stable future resale market.

W hen buying new today, the smart way is to take a long-term perspective.

Editor’s LETTER

here’s a fresh breeze blowing through the attitudes of consumers investing in watches or jewellery, and in this issue we take a deep dive into the whys and wherefores.

Blockbusting supergems still sell for unfeasible amounts for investment because they are – as Bonhams’ global director of jewellery Jean Ghika explained to me –‘now a commodity’. But at more accessible levels, and after the sharp, Covid-driven rise and subsequent fall in the watch resale market, young shoppers are buying with heart and seeking out unique pieces in new-to-them ways. ey take pride in negotiating auctions, resale fairs, jewellery remodellers, dealers and restorers in the search for something with a story they can help bring back to life.

We look at the best ways to nd such (literal) gems in an increasingly welcoming and open eld (p52). Meanwhile, on page 54, Simon de

On page 78, Timothy Barber pinpoints the latest watch models destined to become great classics and hold their value down the generations, while Jessica Diamond explores her choice of highly individual jewellery designers whose instantly recognisable styles, creativity and stunning execution draw serious collectors (p64).

Counteracting the cynicism that many now feel about highlypublicised celebrity jewellery choices on the red carpet, Rachael Taylor introduces us to stars with a genuine love for the brands they are spotted in, happily buying as well as promoting them (p59). Shane C. Kurup spotlights the rise in male stars embracing the bling, encouraging men of all ethnicities to explore jewellery-wearing – whether diamonds or something more discreet – with con dence (p56).

Our cover shoot (p44) brings luminous images of glorious high jewellery with the brilliantly coloured stones that are every collector’s nirvana, while our watch shoot displays dials in rich, classic jewel colours (as in Pragnell’s garnet ring above), photographed with wit and originality. We also bring you shopping pages that sparkle and shine along with the very latest launches. And we hope we inspire you to join what ReLuxury’s founder Fabienne Lupo calls the ‘luxury circular economy’ – by seeking auctions and resale fairs or reviving your family’s forgotten watches or unworn jewels to be re-loved for a long future.

� TUDOR

CONTRIBUTORS

JESSICA DIAMOND JOSHUA HENDREN

Your watch or jewellery piece of the year? Easily the Joy high jewellery necklace by Louis Vuitton. It’s shaped like a thick piece of twisted rope embedded with yellow sapphires and tourmalines. The past watch or jewellery piece you would most like to see re-released? Anything by Angela Cummings for Tiffany. Go-to dealer for vintage? Grays Antiques Market is always good for a rummage, particularly cocktail rings that date from the 1940s and 1950s. And the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, which was surprisingly good for vintage Piaget and Audemars Piguet watches. Which watch or jewellery innovator would you most have liked to meet? Elsa Peretti. She was totally groundbreaking. And what a life! I would grill her unashamedly about her time in NYC in the 1970s and all her fabulous friends.

Your watch or jewellery piece of the year? Lisa Eisner’s capsule for The Row. I love the Wyoming black jade and hammered silver. For watches, Piaget’s new Andy Warhol with its black opal dial framed by baguette-cut sapphires. The past watch or jewellery piece you would most like to see re-released? Vintage Patek Philippe Gondolo models with oversized numerals. Such fun! What past piece shows the most dazzling technical prowess? Graff’s 1963 necklace set with 7,790 diamonds and edged with emeralds – it’s an astounding feat of craftsmanship. Which watch or jewellery innovator would you most have liked to meet? Gérald Genta. I’d love to hear his take on the relaunch of his namesake brand and the return of the Oursin, revived with flaming orange fire opals and a carnelian dial.

RACHAEL TAYLOR

Your watch or jewellery piece of the year? Boucheron’s Thistle brooch from the Carte Blanche, Impermanence collection. To capture the wild and spiky beauty, Boucheron 3D-printed the flower in plantbased resin and invented a new setting technique to hand-sew 800 diamonds into it. Go-to dealer for vintage? Emma de Sybel of Baroque Rocks. She has such a sharp eye for unusual, characterful and often humorous gold jewellery you won’t find anywhere else. Which watch or jewellery innovator would you most have liked to meet? Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s legendary creative director from 1933 onwards. I'd quiz her about her obsession with big cats and her enduring Panthère motif. But mostly I'd just love to sip a cocktail with her and listen to the wonderful stories from an unconventional life spent at the heart of high society.

SHANE C. KURUP

Your watch or jewellery piece of the year? Zenith’s G.F.J. anniversary edition, which combines the beauty of lapis lazuli with a brick-textured guilloche that pays tribute to the founder and the building where all the magic happened over the past 160 years. What past piece shows the most dazzling technical prowess? The Richard Mille Bon Bon collection from 2019. Each watch had a pick ‘n’ mix of sweets embellishing its dial in a rainbow of high-grade enamel. It defined what modern watches should be about: fun! Which watch or jewellery innovator would you most have liked to meet? Andrew Grima. I have a weakness for mid-century design, whether furniture, architecture, cars, timepieces or jewellery. Grima’s work embodied a sense of forward momentum and modernity and his pieces still feel relevant and influential.

Sparkle Up

Francesca Fearon spotlights the latest jewellery news

MODERN STATEMENTS

Two contrasting avant-garde collections have launched from in uential designers Gaia Repossi and Hannah Martin: Repossi’s tribal-looking Blast high jewellery wraps swirls of gold thread and diamonds dramatically around the body (pictured right), while Martin’s Perfect Drug [02] ramps up utilitarian, gritty sensuous design with chunky rings and chainmail necklaces. repossi.com; hannahmartinlondon.com

JWA STRIKES GOLD

PASTORAL BEAUTY

A love of flora perpetually blooms at Van Cleef & Arpels. The Flowerlace collection is updated in yellow gold with petals clustering around diamond pistils. Patronage of The King’s Foundation Gardens and Estates demonstrates nature’s central theme to the maison’s creativity and philanthropy. vancleefarpels.com

Dior’s new creative director JW Anderson is transforming his eponymous brand into a curated space for fashion, lifestyle and jewellery. His love of artisanship helped in his success at Loewe, leading to its Craft Prize. A long-held dream of working with gold is realised in graduated gold chains made with Lucie Gledhill Jewellery (luciegledhill. com), each link shaped and soldered by hand into bracelets, necklace and earrings. jwanderson.com

THE KNOWLEDGE

Essential reading for any jewellery buff, Phaidon’s The Jewelry Book takes a deep dive into the last two centuries of jewellery. An international encyclopaedia of designers, creative houses, icons, artists and collectors, it features those who have produced and inspired some of the most memorable designs and is packed with treasures. £59.95, phaidon.com

HORSEBIT SENSE

Gucci is upgrading its signature Horsebit motif, used on loafers from the 1950s and cantering into gold-plate bracelets in the 1970s. The elegant equestrian-inspired fine jewellery introduced in 2004 now boasts strikingly modern abstract lines in white gold and diamond pavé or yellow gold. gucci.com

UNEXPECTED TREASURE

e DiscoveRing collection by London jeweller Ruth Tomlinson incorporates unusual British gemstones, the latest being Cornish turquoise from the china clay pits in St Austell. Each unique, raw turquoise stone is set in a tangle of gold seaweed and barnacles (pictured above, made to order).

WOODLAND WONDERS

e new collection by Hampshire-born artist Natasha Wightman for her jewellery brand NVW brings Britain’s vanishing ancient woodlands into the limelight. Building on Wightman’s tradition of working with natural English materials, the one-of-a-kind pieces are carved from sub-fossilised bog oak preserved in the earth for up to 7,000 years, which is combined with emeralds, diamonds and sapphires in earrings, brooches and cu bracelets. e Lost Forests series also encompasses sculpture, lm and a documentary, and will be exhibited at Christie’s 9-23 October. nvwjewel.com

Norwegian ethical jeweller Mona Jensen, meanwhile, loves the mysterious beauty of Norway’s national stone, larvikite, for the polished beads of her latest Tom Wood collection, Cove (pictured left). ruthtomlinson.com tomwood.com

ARCADE REBEL

Only Stephen Webster could think of opening a licensed speakeasy in the basement of his new agship in the historic Burlington Arcade. He has form – during Covid, he published a book on cocktails. e shop features artworks by friends like Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, and has kaleidoscopes in the window that send your eyes whirling into the heart of a faceted stone like a magnifying glass. stephenwebster.com

BUCHERER’S NEW ERA

Now under Rolex ownership, the Swiss jeweller Bucherer is doubling down on its fine and high jewellery offering with pastelcoloured gems in their Peekaboo collection, available by appointment in their Covent Garden flagship until 27 October. Enchanting three-strand necklaces and drop earrings in tourmalines, morganites and beryls highlight a growing trend for antique cuts in jewellery. bucherer.com

STAR TURN

Matilde Mourinho should give herself a deserved pat on the back in December when she celebrates ve years of her thriving, determinedly ethical brand made from traceable recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. A deft sense of what women want brings delicate diamonds and contemporary, abstract shapes, e ortlessly lling the day-to-evening slot. e anniversary collection is still under wraps but her Astra and Daily Studs pieces keep many happy in the meantime. matildejewellery.com

GILDED AGE GLORIES

Nothing approaches historic provenance for creating a saleroom frisson and few names approach Vanderbilt for evoking the glory and greed of America’s Gilded Age. On 10 November in Geneva, Phillips will auction jewels from the family of Gladys Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi, who married a Hungarian aristocrat and especially favoured Cartier and Tiffany. From The Vanderbilt Sapphire, a 24.68ct Kashmir sapphire in an ornate Belle Époque brooch by Tiffany (below), to a diamond comb, emerald bow brooch and gold Cartier compact, this will be one of 2025’s most glittering sales. phillips.com

BEAUTY QUEEN

History, whether it be Renaissance or ancient Egyptian, is one of the recurring themes in Elizabeth Gage’s work. See a bold castellated ring set with richly coloured jewels that a Tudor queen might have treasured, and you know it’s one of Gage’s. Her latest collection – called New York – riffs on these regal looking jewels and will be unveiled online from 6 November. elizabeth-gage.com

THE BIG 4-0

For Kiki McDonough, it began in 1985 with a pair of earrings bought by the Duchess of York. Princess Diana saw them, liked them and bought some too. e current Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla continue the royal patronage of the designer driven by her love of colour and, she admits, ‘making pretty jewellery’. Also celebrating 40 years is Dinny Hall whose jewels appeared on 1990s catwalks and in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Her sculptural gold designs (Folded Heart earrings, pictured above) have found their way into Bridget Jones’s Diary and still notch up awards. kikimcdonough.com; dinnyhall.com

MODERN FLORALS

Blooms refreshed with abstract motifs and cutting-edge craft

1 Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie Orchid Minuet earrings, titanium hand-painted with nano-electroplating technique and 18ct gold accents, £POA, annahu.com. 2 Blackacre Hyacinth climber earrings, 18ct white gold and diamonds, £8,925, blackacreldn.com. 3 Chaumet Jewels by Nature Carnation high jewellery transformable necklace, white gold, oval-cut 36.44ct Ceylon sapphire detachable pendant, diamonds and sapphires, POA, chaumet.com 4 Adler Shinsei earrings, 18ct pink gold and diamonds, POA, adler.ch. 5 Anuka Freesia drop earrings, recycled silver, freshwater Keshi pearls and round white pearls, £775, anuka-jewellery.com. 6 Tasaki Chants hoop earrings, 18ct SAKURAGOLD™ and Akoya pearls, £5,460, tasaki.co.uk. 7 Kayo Saito Blossom ring, 18ct yellow gold, £5,520, kayosaito.com. 8 Anoona Flower pinky ring, 18ct yellow gold, lapis lazuli, pink sapphire and emeralds, £7,100, anoonajewels.com. 9 YSSO Anemone earrings, 18ct and 24ct gold-plated bronze, £420, theysso.com. 10 De Beers Enchanted Lotus Bloom open bangle, 18ct white gold and diamonds, £4,700, debeers.co.uk. BY KATE YOUDE

MATERIAL GA INS

Unexpectedflairfrompapier-mâché

to sweet potato resin

1 Anabela Chan Sapphire Potato Petunia ring, 18ct yellow gold vermeil, lab-grown padparadscha sapphire, rose pink sapphires and purple sweet potato Fruit Gems™, £1,190, anabelachan.com. 2 Sheng Zhang Jet Engine to Jewellery pendant with seal segments of Rolls-Royce jet engine, 18ct yellow gold, and sterling silver, £585, shengzhang.co.uk. 3 Silvia Furmanovich Kashmir collection earrings, 18ct yellow gold, papier-mâché, diamonds, pink tourmaline and citrine, POA, silviafurmanovich.com. 4 Xinyi Chen Slanguage pendant necklace, sterling silver and e-waste, £350, eechan.co.uk. 5 Fatma Mostafa Landscape earrings, 21ct gold-plated copper, and cotton embroidery, £820, louisaguinnessgallery.com. 6 Lily Gabriella Fine Jewellery Rubellite Marble cocktail ring, 18ct rose gold, Italian green marble and cabochon rubellite, £10,200, lilygabriella.com. 7 Oushaba Orbit bracelet, recycled phone circuit board and charger cables, 18ct yellow gold recycled from industrial waste, rubies and oxidised silver, £10,200, oushaba.com. 8 Evgeniia Balashova Jewellery Floating Leaves cluster earrings in 3D-printed nylon, gold-plated sterling silver and gold leaf, £310, evebalashova.com. 9 Hemmerle Earrings, 18ct white gold, fossilised palm wood cabochons and bronze, POA, hemmerle.com. 10 Bvlgari B.zero1 bangle bracelet, 18ct rose gold and white ceramic, £6,450, bulgari.com. BY KATE YOUDE

MIXEDMETALS

There isnoneedto choose between the hues

1 Sia Taylor Sunrise earrings, 18ct, 22ct and 24ct yellow gold, 18ct rose gold, 18ct white gold and platinum, £6,655, siataylor.com. 2 Pomellato Collezione 1967 link necktie, 18ct rose and white gold, jet and diamonds, POA, pomellato.com. 3 Megan Brown Black gold woven bombé ring, 18ct yellow gold, platinum and black palladium, £6,700, meganbrownjewellery.com. 4 Caitlin Murphy Alpha brooch, 18ct yellow, green and red gold, and blue niobium, £5,000, caitlinmurphy.org. 5 Hannah Martin Liquid Harness two-tone chain, 18ct yellow gold and sterling silver, £10,500, hannahmartinlondon.com. 6 Boodles Jazz tri-colour diamond ring, 18ct SMO white, rose and yellow gold, and diamonds, £6,000, boodles.com. 7 Amanda Li Hope Reversible Pastille threader earrings, 18ct red and yellow gold, and diamonds, £1,650, amandalihope.com. 8 Otiumberg Knocker ring, 9ct yellow gold and recycled sterling silver, £185, otiumberg.com 9 886 by e Royal Mint Shooting Star band ring, 9ct yellow gold and silver, £225, 886.royalmint.com. 10 Boucheron Quatre Classique Tube bracelet, 18ct yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, brown PVD and diamonds, £43,500, boucheron.com. 11 Hirsh London Portobello bicolour sapphire ring, 18ct yellow gold, 18ct rose gold, platinum and a bicolour sapphire, POA, hirshlondon.com. BY KATE YOUDE

LUXURY

HAS A NEW HOME IN MANCHESTER

Our new Mappin & Webb jewellery showroom brings the world’s most prestigious jewellery brands together. A place to discover, celebrate and indulge in fine jewellery.

VISUAL FEAST

Playfuldesigns to whet the appetite

1 Cora Sheibani Skin Deep Sorbet ring, 18ct rose gold, peach and light copper Edison pearls, £7,100, corasheibani.com. 2 L’Atelier Nawbar Lobster necklace, 18ct gold, coral and diamond, £1,540, lateliernawbar.com. 3 Cece For the Love of Fruit necklace, 18ct yellow gold, champlevé enamel and diamonds, £43,900, cecejewellery.com. 4 Alison Lou Croissant stud, 14ct yellow gold, £315, alisonlou.com. 5 Qiang Li Captain Dim Sum brooch, goldplated silver, jade, amethyst and pink quartz, £720, qiangli.portfoliobox.net. 6 Asprey Woodland blackberry charm, enamelled 18ct yellow gold and diamonds, £3,750, asprey.com. 7 Jessica McCormack Fruit Salad ruby cherries and diamond gypset hoop earrings, 18ct blackened white and yellow gold, 4.78ct round brilliant-cut rubies and diamonds, £15,000, jessicamccormack.com. 8 Annoushka Peanut charm, 18ct yellow gold, brown diamond and freshwater white pearl, £3,800, annoushka.com. 9 Francesca Villa Noble Radish ring, 18ct gold, diamonds and enamel, £9,000, francescavilla.it. 10 Eloise Comporta Rice bangle, 18ct yellow gold and 3.92ct lab-grown diamonds, £8,040, eloisecomporta.com. BY KATE YOUDE

Wrist Action

Joshua Hendren clocks what’s ticking on the watch scene

FABULOUS FORTIES

Big brands go head-to-head with new launches in the push for female collectors. Breitling’s is the Lady Premier which, when introduced by Willy Breitling in the 1940s, was one of the rst women’s chronographs. His wife Beatrice was his muse, and that period style shows. Expect elliptical cases, bezels with lab-grown diamonds and dials combining three nishes on 32mm quartz versions in mother-of-pearl or ink blue and 36mm automatics in steel or gold with ombré straps (pictured right). Omega pitches for the same audience with its new Aqua Terra 30mm, from steel with sunray dial to full gold with diamond bezel and mother-of-pearl, launched in London with model Ashley Graham as ambassador and powered by the brand’s smallest Master Chronometer calibre. breitling.com; omegawatches.com

SAILS TO SUCCESS

Richard Mille sailed straight into the spotlight at the 2025 Admiral’s Cup, as the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) clinched overall victory on its rst appearance in the regatta’s return after a 22-year hiatus. e team elded two boats under Richard Mille colours: Jolt 3, helmed by the brand’s then-EMEA CEO Peter Harrison, and Jolt 6, skippered YCM vice president and Richard Mille partner Pierre Casiraghi. eir combined performance secured a commanding win, with Casiraghi wearing the ultra-light RM 67-02 Automatic Extra Flat, a watch designed for sport but equally at home o shore. richardmille.com

TWISTING THE EVIDENCE

Braiding and twisting shape some of this year’s most decorative watches. Cartier expanded its Tressage collection – first introduced in 2023 as part of a jewellery line – with new timepieces wrapped in sculptural gadroons of gold and gems. At first glance, they appear like two gem-set bangles clasping a Cartier Tank, before revealing themselves as a single, cohesive design. Chanel, meanwhile, revisited its first-ever watch, the Première, with the Première Galon, dressing its octagonal case in twisted gold or diamond-set bangles that echo the braided trims of Chanel couture. cartier.com; chanel.com

BREAKING BOUNDS

Few watches are as instantly recognisable as Ulysse Nardin’s Freak. First launched in 2001, it rewrote watchmaking with no dial, crown or hands and became the first to use silicon. The new Freak X Crystalium features a rotating hour disc made from a rutheniumbased material crystallised through vapour deposition into shimmering, fractal-like patterns. The same process is behind TAG Heuer’s new carbon hairspring, debuting in the Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring and Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring – proof of how versatile such high-tech methods can be. ulysse-nardin.com; tagheuer.com

SPLIT VISION

Split Watches is a new brand with a clear mission: to spark conversations about mental health. Founder Ed Margulies, a third-generation watchmaker, trained at Vacheron Constantin and Longines before working across manufacturing, retail and distribution, helping to expand brands like Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Richard Mille in the UK. After stepping back from the industry to confront personal challenges, he returned with a renewed vision in Split. The debut models feature lightweight Ceramod+ cases, a durable ceramic-polymer blend, FKM rubber straps and automatic chronograph movements. For every watch sold, the brand donates an hour of therapy to the Anna Freud charity. splitwatches.com

JAEGER-LECOULTRE’S HOME-FROM-HOME

In the heart of the Vallée de Joux, an hour from Geneva, a 19th-century farmhouse has been lovingly restored as Le Chalet, a retreat for guests of Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre. Once used for summer grazing and cheesemaking, it now celebrates the valley’s heritage with original, hand-cut tavaillon shingles and a majestic restored chimney at its centre. Just minutes from the brand’s manufacture in Le Sentier, Le Chalet immerses visitors in the culture and landscape that has inspired JaegerLeCoultre’s watchmaking for nearly two centuries. jaeger-lecoultre.com

ORIS X BAMFORD’S LOVECHILD

George Bamford has given Oris’ ProPilot Altimeter – the only automatic watch with a built-in mechanical altimeter measuring up to 19,700ft – a bold new look. This 47mm edition is powered by an updated movement for slimmer proportions, while its carbon fibre case, created in partnership with Swiss materials specialist 9T Labs, is marked with organic striations, almost like tree rings, meaning each watch looks slightly different. Bamford’s touch is clearest on the dial, which recalls 1980s sneakers with a space odyssey feel. Limited to 250 pieces, Mission Control retains the tech of a pilot’s tool watch, wrapped in Bamford’s playful design. oris.ch

RIPPLE EFFECT

A single drop of water was the starting point for Graff’s new jewellery watches, their designs echoing ripples across a still surface. Thirty baguette-cut rubies, sapphires, emeralds or diamonds arc gracefully around each bezel, while the dial radiates with snow-set diamonds. The undulating curves made the snow-setting especially complex, challenging artisans to place each stone with precision to ensure the ripple effect remains fluid. graff.com

ROCK STARS

These hardstone stunners are natural beauties

1 Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon, white gold, ruby root dial, £POA, audemarspiguet.com.

2 Frederique Constant Classics Manchette quartz, steel, green malachite dial, £1,595, frederiqueconstant.co.uk.

3 Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra- in, steel, lapis lazuli dial, €23,100, geraldcharles.com. 4 Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 automatic, platinum, lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl guilloché dial, £44,900, zenith-watches.com. 5 Piaget Andy Warhol, 18ct white gold, tiger’s eye dial, £49,600, piaget.com. 6 Rolex GMT-Master II, 18ct Everose gold, Cerachrom bezel, tiger iron dial, £43,300, rolex.com. 7 Omega Speedmaster Moonphase, steel, meteorite dial, £16,100, omegawatches.com.

8 H Moser & Cie Endeavour Small Seconds Concept Pop, steel, burmese jade and pink opal dial, CHF30,500, h-moser.com.

9 Bulgari Octo Finissimo, titanium, blue marble dial, £POA, bulgari.com. BY AMY WAKEHAM

SHAPE SHIFTERS

It’s hip to be square

1 Harry Winston Emerald, 18ct rose gold, diamonds, lacquer dial, quartz, £23,900, harrywinston.com. 2 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Special Flowers, 18ct pink gold, diamonds, enamel, mother-of-pearl dial, hand-winding, £POA, jaeger-lecoultre.com.

3 Patek Philippe Cubitus, rose gold, embossed dial, £65,600, patek.com. 4 Hamilton Ventura S Quartz, stainless steel, £865, hamiltonwatch.com. 5 Dior Gem Dior, steel, mother-of-pearl dial, quartz, £3,900, dior.com. 6 Ti any & Co HardWear, stainless steel, diamonds, Ti any Blue dial, sterling silver bracelet, quartz, £6,425, ti any.co.uk. 7 Rado Anatom, ceramic, stainless steel, £3,150, rado.com. 8 Herbelin Octogône, yellow gold PVD, mother-of-pearl dial, quartz, £620, herbelin.co.uk.

9 Cartier Baignoire de Cartier, 18ct yellow gold, diamonds, quartz, £20,700, cartier.com. BY AMY WAKEHAM

Leica ZM 12

Every Second is a First

A new interpretation of modern minimalism: The Leica ZM 12 collection stands as a testament to their craftsmanship and embodies the perfect synthesis of form and function. It introduces a thoughtful evolution of the iconic dual-layered dial in a small 39 mm case. Timeless in its simplicity, the new collection features four models, each with its own distinct style and character: ZM 12 Steel Blue Orange, ZM 12 Steel Silver Grey, ZM 12 Steel Olive Black, and ZM 12 Titanium Chocolate Black.

Discover the Leica Watch collection: www.leica-camera.com/leica-watch

True Colours

BUCHERER

High jewellery popping in rainbow hues

Médaillons

Heritage

TEAM

@ Premium Models

Fashion assistant: Lacie Gittins

Make-up: Phophie Mathias

@ Wise & Talented

Hair: Leslie Thibaud

@ Airport Agency

Nails: Lea Rey

Video: Remy Archer

@ Adrenalin Photographic

Casting director: Elizabeth Miles

RE LOVED UP

Savvy consumers are giving pre-owned jewellery and watches a second life

Great Restorations

Avril Groom examines how the jewellery industry is reinventing itself in the age of circularity

The siren call of new things has been fading for younger generations for some time. Geopolitical and economic uncertainty, environmental and moral concerns, brand fatigue, and a yearning for the unique and historical have conspired to make Millennials and Gen Z think di erently about precious possessions. And it’s nothing new – at least, not in your jewellery box.

ere are now countless ways to obtain beautiful, top-quality jewellery that’s had a previous life and is ready for another. Many enthusiasts are putting the idea of buying new on hold. ‘ ere is no stigma about second-hand jewellery, now known as pre-loved, among younger customers, and demand is moving upwards age-wise,’ says Bobby

Leigh-Pemberton, partner at antique jewellery dealers Humphrey Butler. ‘ e romance of old-cut stones and beautifully crafted settings, imagining a background if there is no provenance – and even better if there is – makes a comparatively a ordable antique piece very desirable. Everyone wants the story that makes a piece truly individual.’ e lure of pre-loved now extends across every market level. For decades, the grandest jewellers – such as Cartier and Chaumet – have bought back their designs from auctions and private clients, carefully restoring and cleaning them for resale. is has always happened, often for wealthy collectors hunting down a particular piece; now, however, it may be speculative, with designs revealed at trunk shows across the globe alongside new collections.

For those keen to access the wider market, auctions are the obvious route. Once intimidating to the inexperienced, they are now more democratic. ‘ ere used to be an assumption that people bidding at auction were a knowledgeable in-crowd, but online auctions have changed that,’ says Jean Ghika, global director of jewellery at Bonhams. ‘ ey attract many younger people who feel con dent online and are viewing jewellery di erently – not about the money they might make, but about how much they love this unique piece and the romance of its history.’

She adds that the market for large, rare stones will continue, but more moderate levels are realistic. ‘Not necessarily as an investment, but if you buy something you are drawn to at the best quality within your budget and years later your tastes change, you can still recoup.’ She also notes that ‘live auctions are now online, so you can join and see the whole process without committing yourself, then go to a viewing where you can learn more. In the current market, we are averaging 88 to 93 percent sell-through, and online sales are not second best; top prices are about £250,000’.

For that, you could get a pretty decent tiara –the kind that crops up at the increasing number of top-end pre-owned luxury fairs. In 2022, Fabienne Lupo, former chair of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, co-founded ReLuxury as a small but well-formed biennial fair in Geneva. With backing from international auctioneer Barnes, it moved to the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris last November and returns next year. On the rst public afternoon, the queue rivalled that of the Louvre Museum next door, with 10,000 enthusiasts visiting over the weekend. e aim was to explore the circularity of pre-owned luxury across couture, handbags, jewellery and watches, alongside craftspeople including restorers and remodellers and a programme of discussions. As Lupo puts it: ‘Luxury resale is a prime form of recycling. Good craftsmanship is built to last, and even when neglected can be restored to have a second life.’ is has put renewed focus on the centuries-old practice of jewellery remodelling. Paris-based designer Elie Top (showing at PAD London this month)

has developed a remarkable style rooted in medieval symbolism and re ned industrial mechanics, landing somewhere between Game of rones and steampunk. He also takes on serious remodelling projects, most notably restoring a broken chalcedony cu by vaunted mid-century designer Suzanne Belperron, and more recently transforming a Belle Époque diamond brooch into a spectacular pendant for a client who ‘loves to make statements with jewellery’.

‘I had to discover my identity as a jeweller – my love of narrative and ornamentation plus technical modernity – before I could bring my style to other people’s work while respecting their concepts,’ Top says. ‘It has to be for today, for an independent woman to love wearing.’ He prefers to work personally with clients. ‘I need to understand their personality and lifestyle. Sometimes the idea comes very quickly, sometimes it can take months. Altering someone’s very precious piece is a challenge, but I’m never daunted – always excited.’

On a quiet Chelsea street, Robinson Pelham, long-time jewellers to the Princess of Wales’ family, discreetly remodel pieces, often heirloom stones in outdated settings. Vanessa Chilton, one of the founding triumvirate, agrees that personal engagement is crucial. ‘When radically changing a family piece or reusing a long-owned stone, we have to know the owner will cherish the new version, whether it is emeralds and diamonds from a broken earring and ring, or a signet ring incorporating an engraved family symbol to give it meaning.’

e word that unites everyone is ‘trust’. ‘We are a small industry,’ says Leigh-Pemberton. ‘Many dealers like us have considerable auction house experience. We might say so-and-so’s charges are higher, or they might say their international reach gives more scope, but we respect each other.’ Always trust word-of-mouth recommendations, which applies equally to sellers. In a thriving market, he says, ‘the biggest competition is to nd the best pieces, so showing at fairs like ReLuxury introduces us to potential sellers as well as buyers’.

A nd whatever your angle, bear in mind Lupo’s principles for elevating nothing new: ‘repair, renovate, re-use, recycle, reinvent, rehabilitate’. And then re-love.

Second

Time’s a Charm

After soaring values and a sudden crash, the pre-owned market is finding its feet, says Simon de Burton

Soon after the last lots had been hammered down at Sotheby’s agship New York watch sale in June, the revered auction house issued a press release crowing about the top-selling piece: a Patek Philippe Reference 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph that was bought for the heady sum of $4.3m.

e Reference 2499, produced in four series between 1951 and 1985, is a model beloved of every true Patek connoisseur and the best examples frequently command seven- gure sums. is one, however, was among the most specialthanks to having a double-signed dial bearing the name of the retailer that originally sold it in 1958. So no wonder, one might think, it soared to more than four million bucks.

What the Sotheby’s press release didn’t reveal was that it had sold the very same watch at its 2022 Hong Kong sale for a staggering US$7.6m –marking a drop in value (perceived or otherwise) of more than 40 percent in three years. e reduction is the most extreme example we have found of a decline in pre-owned watch values that began towards the end of 2023 and, by and large, shows little sign of reversing. It’s not only a ecting the ultra high-end, but more esoteric pieces, too. At the same Sotheby’s sale, a diamond-set Patek pocket watch originally owned by ma a boss Al Capone was bought by UK jeweller Berry’s for $95,250 – more than $130,000 less than the vendor paid for it four years ago.

So what went wrong with the pre-owned market and why did it nosedive? Is it simply undergoing a back-to-reality correction that isn’t so bad? As so often, the reduction in pre-owned watch values can be traced back to a market bubble, which this time began to expand during Covid when many people found themselves with spare (often ‘free’) cash and time on their hands to trawl the internet. Some discovered the world of watches, whereas existing horophiles, professional traders and amateur dealers saw an opportunity to buy online while ‘normal’ shopping was out of the question. Demand saw e-tail sales and prices soar, not just for pre-owned watches but for new ones, too – for a while.

he says. He describes the rapid rise and fall as ‘really bad’, explaining that Subdial was regularly approached by dealers happy to pay ‘tomorrow’s prices’ to secure stock they were con dent of quickly ipping. ‘ at dealer-driven market put o end users for over two years, because they didn’t know where values were going and were afraid to buy a watch that they might end up losing a lot of money on.’

Subdial now works with Bloomberg Business News to publish a regular market index which, says Crane, showed an overall two percent dip in prices during the 12 months to July 2025 – but a at graph since. ‘ at stability is giving people con dence to buy again,’ he says. ‘It’s nice that watches which were once commanding six gures, though still expensive, are now within reach of people who want them. We are seeing more con dence, and more transactions every week.’

Once normality resumed, however, things began to deteriorate. e watch market was saturated with inventory both new and pre-owned, markets went wobbly as the world became more unstable, and cheap money became a thing of the past as interest rates steadily rose. Suddenly, watches were no longer the cast-iron investment that many believed in, the fabled waiting lists for hot new models began to shorten and, with the world opening up again and food and energy prices rising, buying a luxury watch slipped down our busy-again agendas.

According to WatchCharts, a website that tracks the market for every important brand each month, secondary market values for Patek Philippe and Rolex began to improve slightly in the second half of this year. But other leading names, including IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet and Panerai are still on the slide, with Audemars Piguet’s market index dropping by 4.9 percent in a year and Vacheron Constantin’s by 11.3 percent.

One man in the thick of things throughout the market’s rise, dramatic crash and faltering resurgence is Ross Crane, co-founder and CEO of Subdial, a data- and tech-driven pre-owned watch trading platform. ‘Having launched the business in 2018, we’ve been through the full cycle, from “normal”, trying to scale up during crazy Covid, watching prices plateau over weeks from March 2022, then quickly go downhill,’

As well as more stability, says Crane, brands increasing their retail prices on the pretext of rising gold prices, Trump’s tari s and other market dynamics has made top quality pre-owned pieces even more sought after. ‘People are picking up watches they have long wanted because pre-owned pieces seem to be good value in comparison with new.’ He cites haute horlogerie models by brands such as IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre as being especially tempting, with some now below £10,000 apiece and most below £20,000 – a considerable saving compared with new. At the time of writing, leading Patek Philippe retailer Pragnell – with showrooms in Mayfair, Stratford-upon-Avon and Leicester – had begun discounting its pre-owned stock list by up to 60 percent. As well as o ering worthwhile savings, the discounts serve to highlight a frequently vast gulf between the retail cost and pre-owned value. Examples on o er include a gold Blancpain Villeret for £24,610 (£69,400 new), a gem-set Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra in for £10,150 (£25,500 new) and a Cartier Ballon Bleu at £4,450 (£7,150 new) Calmer waters are washing over sale rooms too, with specialists working hard to manage vendors’ expectations in order to consign watches with more realistic estimates and lower reserves. Charles Tearle, an auction house veteran with 30 years’ experience who now runs the watch department for Lyon & Turnbull, welcomes the correction. ‘Covid caused a ridiculous bubble that saw a £13,000 Rolex Daytona soar to £27,000 at the peak,’ he says. ‘Pre-owned, those watches are still above current retail, but they have come down dramatically, roughly to 2019 prices,’ he says. ‘ ose two years created false belief among non-enthusiasts that they could buy a watch and make an instant pro t. Now we’re seeing the return of genuine buyers, which can only be good for the market.’ As well as a correction on mainstream brands, Tearle says those from high-end independents such as F.P. Journe are also becoming more accessible and thus attracting new enthusiasts. ‘It’s really a buyer’s market now,’ he says, ‘with a welcome return to mid-century aesthetics, where smaller, elegant watches from Cartier, Patek Philippe and Omega are on trend again. ey were overlooked during the rush for big sports watches from Rolex, Audemars Piguet and so on, but now they are in demand while still being a ordable.’ n

Diamond

Geezers

Stars from a spectrum of cultures are using their red carpet moments to embrace the bling. It’s time modern menfolk went bold with bijouterie, says Shane C. Kurup

n our enlightened times, where conventions on gender and masculinity are shifting, there’s increasing licence for men to express their style personas and identity in ways that would have raised eyebrows in more strait-laced days. is year’s Met Gala is a case in point: it was a very public display of political correctness that would have been unimaginable for its inaugural run in 1948. Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion was a tribute to Black Dandyism, the early 20th-century cultural movement where Black individuals expressed themselves through personal style, in a form of civil rebellion against social marginalisation. And it opened the door wide for a red-carpet showcase of men in more bejewelled nery than you could shake a sceptre at.

Lewis Hamilton and fashion photographer Tyler Mitchell rocked up with articulated gold, pearl and feather brooches by British-Jamaican designer Grace Wales Bonner, while rap royalty A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny and Pharrell were decked out in brooches, chokers and rings by Cartier, Bvlgari and Ti any & Co. Actor Damson Idris chose the occasion to debut his own ne jewellery brand, DIDRIS, and arrived with an emerald, tourmaline, tsavorite and diamond brooch chain pinned to his ruby-red Hil ger three-piece.

And it wasn’t just Black culture on parade. Men from other backgrounds interpreted the brief their own way. Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh came in a bejewelled turban, with a multi-layered necklace of diamonds and semi-precious stones by Delhi rm Golecha’s Jewels. It was a homage to larger-than-life Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala from 1900–1938, who had an insatiable appetite for wine, women, song, Rolls-Royce motors and, of course, jewels. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan also ew the green, white and orange ag, stepping onto the crimson carpet brandishing a sapphire and diamond-set Bengal Tiger head cane by Sabyasachi.

pearl, emerald or sapphire dangling from a man’s earlobe won’t make locals bat an eyelid. Cultural belief is at play here: in Hindu theology, it is believed that piercing the ears balances the body’s energy and wards o evil spirits.I had mine pierced recently at (almost) 40 My Indian male cousins all had their ears pierced years ago and I felt left out. I can’t unequivocally say it’s improved my luck in life, but my ear bling certainly garners compliments

Despite jewellery being largely seen as ‘feminine’ in Western culture, men of centuries past blinged up more than the gals. Henry VIII and Sir Walter Raleigh favoured pearl-encrusted doublets, drop earrings and a ruby or three. Victorian-age values made men of in uence tone it down, but now the likes of Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet and Shawn Mendes pile on the bling, while Jared Leto and Johnny Depp have sported jewellery for years.

Does this increased visibility of men being bold with jewels – across a wide spectrum of ethnicities – make it more acceptable for mere mortals? While going full red carpet on the street might risk you getting jumped, you can nod to this new form of glossy self-expression in a more everyday fashion.

Indian men have never shied away from self-embellishment. I’m half Indian and anyone who has attended an Indian wedding (or any formal knees-up) will know there’s an inordinate amount of glitter and gold on display. And if you’ve travelled in India – particularly in states like Rajasthan – the sight of a gold hoop,

And fashion being a cyclical beast makes the rediscovery of forgotten pieces gathering dust in the attic an easy way to lean into the look without breaking the bank or putting pressure on the planet. e Cartier oral brooch worn by Pharrell to the Met Gala is from 1962 – a ne example of mid-century jewellery’s revival. While you might not have a diamond brooch from a leading Paris jeweller languishing in a drawer, rummaging can pay dividends. My great-grandfather was a jeweller, so there’s vintage bijouterie knocking around the family casa, and I’ve pilfered a few of my mother’s old brooches and chains from the 60s and 70s.

It might seem bad fiscal management to lavish money on jewellery in an economic downturn, but there’s surely sense in investing in gold and gemstones when interest rates are down. ere’s also the advantage of reselling, remaking and recycling precious materials – a prevalent practice across the globe for centuries. I repurposed a nacre necklace after we reached ‘peak pearl’ in men’s style a few years ago by wrapping it around my wrist several times as a bracelet.

While I wouldn’t freely pepper myself with shiny trinkets, I’ve de nitely become more experimental with jewellery. If our brave new world of men’s cultural expression is anything to go by, we might need to rethink whether diamonds are just a girl’s best friend. n

Jewellerywith Heart

Stars are swerving status symbols and seeking pieces for their message and meaning, says Rachael Taylor

here is a moment of anticipation at any major red-carpet event: what will the stars wear? For jewellery lovers, the thrill is in storied stones and designs so audaciously luxurious that they become a notch of note on fashion’s timeline, such as the 2019 Oscars that made Lady Gaga only the third person to wear the Ti any Diamond (a breathtaking 128.54 carat yellow stone) since its unearthing in 1877. Although that particular necklace (paired with a black Alexander McQueen dress and chic chignon as a nod to the diamond’s previous wearer, Audrey Hepburn) was certainly one for the history books, it was, like much high-pro le event jewellery, most likely a commercial partnership.

While nobody would turn down the chance to wear such a rarely paraded and enormously valuable rock (estimated to be worth $30m), it is also true that Lady Gaga has been a Ti any & Co brand ambassador, and at the time it was reported by e New York Times that this could be the biggest red carpet jewellery deal ever signed.

Such link-ups between stars, stylists and jewellers in which money changes hands to guarantee placements have become commonplace. e result is a small pool of repeating names: top jewellery maisons with deep pockets. Yet, sometimes, stars rebel and choose jewels for the feels rather than the duciary bene ts.

Notting Hill jeweller Sophie Lis has an enviable constellation of starry fans, who have found her through word of mouth rather than paid endorsements. e Delevingne sisters, Princess Eugenie, Millie Bobby Brown and Sienna Miller are among her customers, with the Fallen Star hoop earrings in gold vermeil and diamonds (at a relatively a ordable £460) the most popular choice: part talisman, part lucky charm.

‘These celebrities do not need status symbols or to show wealth, it is more to reveal who they truly are as a person behind the celebrity mask’ SOPHIE LIS

‘For the elite who have access to everything, it is the meaning that’s important,’ says Lis. ‘ ese celebrities do not need status symbols or to show wealth, it is more to reveal who they truly are as a person behind the celebrity mask. ey choose jewellery to tell a story to the public but also for a strong sense of self, and grounding in times of need.’ Lis has found herself being approached by so many celebrities because she moves in the same social circles. It is less stars seeking out a trending jeweller than friends recommending friends. is is also how jeweller Benjamin Hawkins found one of his most high-pro le clients, the playwright Jeremy O. Harris.

During Covid, Harris and his partner Arvand Khosravi lived opposite Hawkins in London, and they struck up a friendship that Hawkins describes warmly as being like ‘family’. In 2022, Khosravi commissioned Hawkins to make a ring for Harris set with an Edwardian diamond, onyx and sapphires, and engraved on the reverse with a note on happiness provided by playwright Adrienne Kennedy. At the time, Harris said: ‘ is ring has the DNA of some of the most important [people] to my soul on it and I get to carry it forever.’ He and Hawkins also collaborated to create a ring for the 2025 Met Gala. ‘ e idea was to make the rst Black Fabergé[style] egg,’ says Hawkins. It was decorated with a miniature portrait of Harris in 19th-century dress, created by awardwinning enamel artist Penny Davis, and on the reverse was a 2.2ct peach-brown pear-shaped diamond and an engraving in homage to Frederick Douglass, the 19th-century abolitionist.

Hawkins describes the experience as ‘magic’, recognising the rarity of the opportunity. ‘Brands pay so much to be [on the red carpet], so for the person to insist on having a friend make [their jewellery], it’s quite a rare thing.’

Sometimes a star’s personal jewellery preference can seep into red-carpet looks; television presenter Amanda Holden is a collector of Italian jewellery brand FOPE and also wears its jewellery during lming. Sometimes the jewels they seek out in their downtime are wildly di erent. Julia Roberts, a brand ambassador for Swiss jeweller Chopard, borrowed two Anabela Chan brooches when in London this summer and liked them so much, she bought them. Chan’s joyously colourful jewels stand out with alternative materials including recycled drinks cans, lab-grown coloured gemstones, and food waste (used to create bio-resin in her Fruit Gems™ collection). Her red-carpet roll call is impressive: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Rihanna are all regulars. ‘I think the creativity, the aesthetics, and our ethos resonate,’ says Chan. ‘For the last decade, we’ve never had a single paid partnership, but we’ve been present at every major red-carpet event from the Oscars to the Grammys.’

Nearly two decades ago she struck up a friendship with Vivienne Westwood rooted in shared beliefs that led to the actress fronting the designer’s campaigns. Today, she partners with Pandora as the face of its lab-grown diamond collection. ‘My agent explained that Pandora has lab-grown diamonds which have less of an impact on the world and the environment and are accessible to everybody,’ says Anderson. ‘I think a lot of people in my industry like to align themselves with high-end brands but for me it is more about accessibility.’

Last summer, as she whipped up the public imagination with her magnetic o -screen chemistry with fellow e Naked Gun actor Liam Neeson at the lm’s New York premiere, she wore a custom Pandora lab-grown diamond brooch that was originally sported on the red carpet by her son Brandon omas Lee.

Whether lab-grown diamonds are better for people and planet is a lively and nuanced debate, but it is refreshing to see stars using their platforms to bring awareness. Another actress to do so recently was Michaela Coel, who sought the help of jeweller Emefa Cole. For last year’s Met Gala Coel wished to be ‘dripping’ in not just any gold, but gold that connected to the Ghanian heritage she shares with Cole. ‘Gold is very much part of our culture [in Ghana],’ says the London-based jeweller. ‘It’s just a known thing as a child that you are walking on gold everywhere.’

Cole answered the brief by working with Single Mine Origin, a company providing traceable gold that invests back into the mining communities it sources from. She chose gold from the Ity mine in Ivory Coast. ‘Prior to the Berlin Conference [in 1884], these lands were not separated by harsh borders and so I always view them as the same land, because I don’t respect the division of Africa by the European leaders of that time,’ says Cole. ‘ e Ity mine was a perfect way for me to celebrate our heritage, our culture, our natural resources.’

Jewellery can also be a way to make statements that go beyond style. Pamela Anderson has reinvented herself in recent years as a fearless style maven, but what has followed her from full vamp to make-up-free red-carpet appearances is her environmental activism.

Wearing the resulting softly sculptural earrings, rings and headpiece, plus a shimmering, embellished Schiaparelli dress, Coel looked nothing short of resplendent – a shining endorsement for choosing jewellery with purpose and heart. n

In The Mesh

Secret skills with tiny gold springs has seen FOPE segue from Vicenza to the red carpet, says Avril Groom

Fans of Italian gold jewellery brand FOPE’s ultracomfortable expanding mesh pieces know they are made by a secret process involving tiny gold springs. Exactly how is revealed only to a very few. FOPE’s high-tech factory, near Venice in the historic jewellery city of Vicenza (home of architect Palladio and the world’s rst indoor theatre, still in use), is airy and impressive, with an intricate golden chandelier in its reception area – a symbol of its success. Machinery and handworking operate in tandem. At a machine, a craftswoman delicately adjusts the tiniest springs for mesh rings so comfortable they are scarcely noticeable when worn. I have one – to accommodate a swollen knuckle – and it’s so unobtrusive I sometimes forget to take it o .

e lift bringing custom-made gold alloys up from the strongroom is proudly revealed, along with craftspeople polishing every component or deftly xing every closure with tweezers. But mention the room where the synergy between springs and mesh happens, with specially designed machinery and tools, and you are met with a polite change of subject. e Vicenza industry is close-knit and technical secrets well-guarded. Other jewellers make expanding, highly exible jewellery – Mattia Cielo, Picchiotti and Pragnell come to mind –but FOPE’s signature mesh is unique. is secret has been kept for nearly a century. Goldsmith Umberto Cazzola opened a workshop in 1929 and, with his son, invented exible gold watchstraps, obviating the need for clasps and building a successful business in the process. e 1970s quartz crisis forced a change; the third generation (another Umberto) introduced jewellery, persuaded by his wife Marilisa (the brand’s CMO) and his sister Ines. In the early 1980s, they created the expandable Novecento mesh, the basis of their subsequent collections.

With the fourth generation, FOPE is now bigger and bolder, expanding into new markets across the globe (its FT valuation is over €237m) with new designs – from the nesse of the Aria range, too delicate to ex, to the large curves of the Eka collection, sometimes with diamond or coloured gem pavé, as worn by Jennifer Lopez. e newest bounty includes scatterings of coloured gemstones in mouth-watering colour schemes, and inspiration from the brand archives – 1980s-style lariat necklaces and tonneau-shaped polished gold and diamond roundels, and the Art Deco in uence of diamond-edged hardstone roundels in green (chrysoprase), black (onyx) and white (cacholong): a fast-growing and imaginative vision, all founded on those tiny secret springs.

fope.com n

GEMS Hidden

An exclusive cohort of independent jewellers is reshaping the world of high jewellery, says Jessica Diamond

Walk down Bond Street or around the curve of Place Vendôme and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the o ering was comprehensive. But while big brands such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels dominate the luxury jewellery market, there is an alternative choice: welcome to a niche band of jewellers who operate outside this sphere. ese are not household names or splashy brands, but rather a cohort of jewellers for whom design, materials and execution are delivered at the highest level, with their pieces sold to a lucky, in-the-know few.

e roll call is a tight edit: Lauren Adriana, Ming Jewellery, Ta n, Santi, Hemmerle, Glenn Spiro. Overriding them all is a brave, unapologetic but recognisable style: punchy colours, large gemstones, unusual materials and graphic compositions – and a loyal and knowing clientele who snap up their one-o creations.

Take Ming Lampson, founder and creative director of Ming Jewellery, who this year celebrates 25 years in the industry – it takes chutzpah to design a ring inspired by an elevated section of the A40, otherwise known as the Westway, but such is her con dence in her own aesthetic and its ability to resonate with her clients. e ring features an elongated, saturated Nigerian aquamarine and is part of 25 one-o pieces inspired by West London and Notting Hill where her brand is based. e shape of a skateboard (a yellow Sri Lankan sapphire) inspires another ring, while a channel-set diamond

and emerald chain handmade in her workshop is inspired by the neighbourhood’s street style. ‘Design, materials and engineering…’ she says when we meet in her atelier, ‘…when all of this comes together, that’s what I’m proudest of.’ With only 70 pieces made by her craftsmen every year, she has barely enough jewels to satisfy demand. ‘Once my clients understand what I’m about they’re very committed. ey pop in every year but I tell them to come back every couple of years. I want it to remain very special.’

Lauren Adriana’s ethos is not dissimilar, with an uncompromising approach to her own work. ‘I love it when form and materials speak for themselves with a kind of deceptive simplicity,’ she says of the 30 abstract, modernist pieces that she designs every year. Again, gemstones and colour are to the fore with ombré-set stones, coloured titanium, unusual hues and unexpected palettes. As with all these jewellers, those who buy are more than customers; their loyalty, willingness to wait for pieces, propensity to commission bespoke gems and spending clout make them collectors. ‘ e community of serious jewellery collectors is small and highly discreet,’ she says of her clients, ‘and they collect in depth from only a handful of us.’ Jewels like these are akin to works of art, albeit in miniature. So it makes sense that their designers favour selling environments that attract serious art collectors, like PAD London (14-19 October) and TEFAF (in Maastricht in March and New York in May next year). Munich brand Hemmerle are regular

in artistic references and motifs from this period, while using modern materials and the nest craftsmanship.’ e result is a jewellery style that resonates with Indian and Islamic references such as paisley, lotus and chevron patterns – while presenting them through a thoroughly modern lens. Rare Mughal stones sit at the core of Santi’s o ering. ‘We only work with the rarest,’ he says, ‘which often take us years to procure.’

exhibitors at the latter – during the by-invitation Collectors Preview day their stand is regularly lled with clients eager to get a rst look at their latest pieces. Known to use unusual metals like bronze, iron, and aluminium, they also incorporate ancient artefacts like Egyptian faience, antique beads or 19th-century cameos. Materials are set in unexpected ways, for example reverse-set, or precious beads ‘knitted’ to form bangles. Glenn Spiro’s pieces are similarly unexpected – this year’s Materials of the Old World collection combines 17th-century Baoulé gold artefacts collected by Glenn and his son Joe with ancient amber beads and antique turquoise.

PAD London exhibits a highly curated selection of jewellers including Spiro, Ta n, Boghossian and new for this year, Fernando Jorge. Patrick Perrin, CEO of the fair, explains how these jewellers have made the cut: ‘Unlike some who simply reinterpret existing designs, the jewellers exhibiting at PAD stand out for the quality of their designs and the spirit of their pieces, making them true artists and creators.’ Jorge is leading the charge of the next generation of private jewellers with his sensual, playful pieces combining Brazilian Red Louro wood and even Brazilian river pebbles studded with diamonds.

O ering a point of di erence that separates you from the mainstream is something that Krishna Choudhary of Santi Jewels understands. ‘My work is a celebration of the Indian Renaissance period brought to life in contemporary designs. I try and honour the rare Mughal stones we have in our collection, weaving

James de Givenchy, founder of Ta n, has reached cult-like status with his pieces. Focusing on the use of coloured ceramic and mixing it with big gemstones in colour clash combinations has set him apart from his contemporaries. ‘When I discovered ceramic as a jewellery material it was an epiphany,’ he says from his by-appointment space in New York. ‘I realised I could do any colour I wanted. I like to keep it very clean, very strong, very simple,’ he says of his work. His clients are evangelical, waiting patiently until he feels the end result is perfect. ‘One ring took six months, but I wasn’t happy so we started again.’ Seeing his clients wearing his pieces gives him the most pleasure. ‘ ere is nothing more fun than going to a party and seeing your friend or client wearing a piece you made 10 years ago.’ With precious materials transformed into museum-worthy jewels, for those lucky enough to own one, it’s an investment that’s hard to resist. n

James de Givenchy, founder of Taffin, has reached cult-like status with his pieces.

Focusing on the use of coloured ceramic and mixing it with big gemstones in colour clash combinations has set him apart

Free Fine Art Valuations in London

Wednesday 8th October and 5th November, 10am – 3pm

The London O ce, 40 St James’s Place SW1

Our valuers also provide complimentary valuations every Tuesday from our salerooms at Clifton House on Clifton Road in Cambridge. A Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, Sold for £338,000 including buyer’s premium

For advice worth taking, it pays to choose Che ns. T 01223 213343 E london.valuations@che ns.co.uk

Golden THREADS

The Italian house of Buccellati is welcoming a new era of expansion, finds AVRIL GROOM

hen I last visited Buccellati’s Milan workshop some 20 years ago, it was in a well-appointed but anonymous apartment in a quiet, almost suburban corner of the city. It could have been a spacious home, though traditional jeweller’s benches and the entry hall displaying some of the family’s famous, ornately crafted silver objects – not to mention the uncommonly sturdy, multi-locked door – rather gave the game away.

Today, the same air of quiet concentration lls a large, historic building opposite some casually preserved Roman ruins (that’s Italian cities for you) in an unassuming area near the centre. Life has changed for what many regard as the nest practitioner of luxury Italian gold jewellery and silversmithing, with an unmistakable style based on nely hand-textured gold and silver and even ner metal ‘lace’ that mimics the delicacy of silk tulle, described as ‘not all gold but all air’. Six years ago, this proud family company became part of Richemont, the world’s third-biggest luxury goods group and a major player in high-end watches and jewellery. e group – which also includes Cartier, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Van Cleef & Arpels – applies a light hand, retaining each house’s strong identity and craft heritage.

For this fourth-generation rm, the resulting changes are positive. Fittingly, the Richemont deal came exactly a century after the house was founded by Mario Buccellati, grandfather of Maria Cristina, the global communications director. ‘Family members who were involved still are, and some of the fourth generation are joining us,’ she explains. ‘We are continuing with our high-level crafts but now we have investment to expand in established and new areas. We also have con dence to explore new creative directions, like the bejewelled evening bags we recently launched, each one unique. As often, we were inspired by items in our archive from the 1930s, but we had not created anything like them for many years.’

Mario Buccellati started as a 14-year-old apprentice in a Milan goldsmith’s atelier, rising to become its master and eventually, because the owner had no successor, taking it over in his own name. ‘He loved working with gold and silver but equally he loved textiles, especially silk, velvet, linen, lace and brocade. His hallmark became recreating their textures in Italian gold engraving,’ explains Maria Cristina. Inspiration came from the ornate and delicate work of Renaissance jewellery, set with awless coloured gemstones and diamonds, mixing gold with tiny engraved elements of silver, which must be faultlessly soldered together in creations for which the word ‘exquisite’ might have been coined.

Despite his passion for the past, Mario could also be a modern visionary. In the 1930s, he designed the Hawaii collection, formed of twisted gold thread circles arranged in complex garlands and chains. ey still look current and remain top sellers.

By the time Maria Cristina’s father Gianmaria took over, Buccellati was a byword for elegance and precision handcraft – not just in Italy, but also in cities like New York and Paris. ‘When I was 16 I asked him for a bracelet, but he said I was too young,’ she recalls. ‘When I was 18 he designed me a narrow gold one in the silky rigato engraving with little silver star motifs, each with a tiny diamond. It was named Macri, my nickname, and it has become one of our most popular styles.’ She claims she is ‘not gifted creatively, but I felt that as a woman I could explain to my father what women would like from jewellery. I could be useful’.

She has found her métier in promoting the brand worldwide, while her brother Andrea heads up the creative side. e current HQ of Buccellati was designed in 1919 by noted Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi in modern style, and it is still spacious, quiet and focused. Small wonder, as the traditional processes of high jewellery and silverwaremaking require formidable concentration, often through a loupe or microscope. Artisans take regular breaks and a sense of camaraderie pervades, whether chatting over co ee or at benches where apprentices work adjacent to masters. Buccellati partners with a local goldsmiths’ school on a thriving MA course and, says Maria Cristina, ‘despite stories about today’s youngsters not being interested in traditional crafts with prolonged training, our applicants feel it’s an achievement to get on a course or apprenticeship because they know they will have the best training’. e brand has access to almost 200 artisans, in-house and at outlying workshops, and there are plans to increase that number considerably over the next three years to meet growing appetite for bespoke items. ‘We will never give up our design DNA or our artisan standards, but our designs have become bolder in response to modern demand, seen in our big new hoop or drop earrings.’ Maria Cristina could equally have cited the lush curves of large, convex Macri cu s or the opulence of the Baroque-looking Opera watch – all best viewed at the Milan agship in a 19th-century palazzo with restored frescoes, mosaics and a private piano nobile with spellbinding examples of unique jewellery, silver objets, and restored vintage pieces.

e house is entering a new era of expansion with a higher pro le, and Maria Cristina has no regrets about ceding independence. ‘Richemont wants to preserve brands and sees passionate family members as the soul of the company who safeguard its heritage, style and craft. ey give us great regard as a family.’ buccellati.com n

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 7010G-013 in white gold with azure-blue lacquered dial and azure-blue composite strap with fabric pattern

In Season

A fresh crop of watches borrows the rich shades of precious gemstones, proving that fine timekeeping is as much about colour and character as precision

STYLE DIRECTOR URSULA LAKE PHOTOGRAPHER MATTHEW SHAVE

INTO Ticking Eternity

of the ‘Qualité Fleurier’, a certi cation of excellence to which Chopard subscribes, but rejoice instead in the enthralling beauty of its brown-and-gold dial, prominent triangular lugs and the stunning view of its Calibre 96 micro-rotor movement, among Chopard’s nest achievements in watchmaking. Only 20 are being made, but gosh it’s worth hunting down.

Timothy Barber singles out ultra-special watches worth handing down

an a ne wristwatch still be thought of as a potential heirloom? Not easily – as I began to write this, an email arrived from a US watch dealer letting me know that, according to its research, Rolex resale prices have ballooned by an average 555 percent since 2010. is, declared the dealer’s triumphant missive, was clear con rmation of Rolex’s transition from ‘luxury brand to alternative investment asset’. Well, given that the same research showed a 31 percent plunge since 2022, it’s an asset you might be better o shorting.

Still, the idea that a ne wristwatch can – and should – stand for more than asset price uctuations, or the dubious achievement of reaching the front of a ‘waitlist’ (another unwelcome xture of today’s watch market), is coming back. As the recent ood of watches trumpeting versatility, go-anywhere sportiness and faddish designs gradually dries up, room has been made for a new generation of discreet, tasteful tickers that have something timeless (if you will) and intrinsically beautiful about them. Pieces that would have currency and style in any era or any generation.

Patek Philippe’s Calatrava has made something of a return to its roots. It has long been held up as the ne plus ultra of round, time-only watches, though as bracelet-bound sports-luxe styles and high complications dazzled the Patek market and ignited waitlists in recent years, the Calatrava receded from prominence. e few Calatravas ltering through have leaned toward the funkier designs: textured dials, fancy cases and other baroque enhancements. Which makes the new platinum-cased Ref 6196P all the more welcome. Its restrained design doesn’t stand in the way of some aesthetic spice to titillate watch know-it-alls, with its vintage-in uenced salmon pink dial (always hot among collectors) o set by unusual charcoal-toned hour markers and hands. But the style is unmistakably oldschool, and a reminder that Patek is at its best when at its most discreet.

at’s true also of Laurent Ferrier, the indie haute horlogerie specialist, which has made moves into sports watches but truly excels when dealing with quiet understatement. e Classic Auto Horizon is as relaxed and breezy as it gets with a Laurent Ferrier dress watch, with a glassy blue dial, crosshair detailing and stainless steel case, but it carries an immutable sense of re nement and class, not least in its exquisitely ne automatic movement.

Chopard has thrown everything at establishing its own sportsluxe bracelet watch, the Alpine Eagle, as a credible alternative to examples like Patek Philippe’s Nautilus. But among many watch a cionados it’s the brand’s upper-tier classical collection, titled L.U.C. (after founder Louis Ulysse Chopard), that is truly lustworthy. A new three-hander in yellow gold stopped me dead. It has ostensibly been made to mark the 20th anniversary

1 Parmigiani Toric perpetual calendar in platinum

CHF92,000

2 A. Lange & Söhne 1815 in white gold

£POA

3 Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P-001 in platinum

£40,370

4 Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon in stainless steel

£49,500

5 Chopard

L.U.C Qualité Fleurier 20th Anniversary Edition in 18ct yellow gold

£27,700

6 Andersen Genève Communication 45 in 3N yellow gold

CHF49,800

Lugs – the arms that connect a watch strap to the case –are an underappreciated element of wristwatch design when it comes to elegant heirloom watches. at’s because lugs designed for added interest and style – as with the Chopard piece and many mid-century classics from the top makers – are nicket y things to fabricate and attach, particularly if you rely on CNC machines to make your cases Andersen Genève, a 45-year-old boutique brand that still makes fewer than 50 watches a year, is the horological equivalent of the Slow Food movement It takes the art of lugs and case-making very seriously, so much so that last year it bought a tiny case-making studio, populated by vintage machinery and an 82-year-old artisan veteran, to keep hand-making its immaculate cases. ere’s much to love about the Communication 45 world-timer, inspired by the supremely elegant world-timers invented in the 1930s, and with a dial of cognac-toned gold inlaid with a yellow-gold world map. e graceful case and sculpted teardrop lugs that look straight o a 1950s watch – individually made, polished and soldered to the case – are absolutely breathtaking.

A world-timer is one thing, but can a modern heirloom watch carry o the big complications? When it plays it as coolly as Parmigiani’s Toric perpetual calendar, you’d have to say it can. King Charles is a Toric owner (a gold chronograph), which he wears with formal attire. e new perpetual is Parmigiani at its very nest: a kind of baroque maximalism pared back to pure elegance, a movement that is a work of art, and a two-subdial design that is fabulously poised. A keeper, primed for generations.

A. Lange & Söhne, Germany’s pre-eminent watchmaker, sprang a surprise this year with its most conservative model, the three-hand 1815, around since 1995. is black-dialled beauty has been sized at 38.5mm or 40mm in diameter, but now comes in a delicate 34mm version. Given that this is not being marketed as a women’s watch, that is almost weedy by today’s standards. But it’s perfectly in keeping with vintage dress watches, which to this day exude wonderful, quiet elegance when you pop them on, for either gender. I wouldn’t call it retro, but there’s an agelessness in its style and now its sizing. It’s the perfect modern heirloom piece, and you shouldn’t need to ponder the resale price one bit. n

emerald cuts, including cushion, triangle and octagon

diamond cuts: including marquise, pear-shaped and custom-cut baguettes

complementary shapes, geometric emeralds and cluster diamonds

JEWELLERY BY NUMBERS

This fan necklace from the new Talk to Me, Harry Winston collection dazzles with gemsmanship and exquisite craft, twin pillars of the brand’s expertise

piece suite, with matching earrings and ring

emeralds weighing 31 carats in total

gemstones, diamonds and emeralds

diamonds weighing 49.18 carats in total

AGEING BEAUTIFULLY IS A JOURNEY, NOT A FIGHT.