The dial of some watches sometimes resembles a work of art. A painted or enameled picture or a delicate sculpture. As such, more and more watchmaking houses are using semi-precious stones such as jade or aventurine.
Here are some of the most beautiful watches of the moment with a stone dial… for all budgets!
D1 Milano Ultra Thin Aventurine
With its blue dial and octagonal case, the Ultra Thin from D1 Milano is considered one of the best “cheap” alternatives to the legendary Nautilus by Patek Philippe.
But with its aventurine dial, this watch displays a completely different face, giving the impression of contemplating a starry night. The contrast between this “sparkly black” and the 40mm case’s steel along with the strap adds extra character to this D1 Milano model powered by a Miyota GL24 movement and available for less than 400€.
Schaumburg MooN Aventurine
A variety of quartz composed of silicon dioxide, aventurine has the advantage of being available in different colors. From blue, red or, most often, green, with glittery reflections. This is precisely the case of this moon phase watch created by Schaumburg.
The Earth’s satellite appears majestically here, represented photorealistically through a 13.4mm diameter opening. It should be noted that on this watch, it is not the moon that moves, but a simulation of the Earth’s shadow. For the rest, this 43mm MooN is powered by an SW-11 movement, in the direction of the watch hands or in the opposite direction depending on whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere.
Louis Erard Petite Seconde Lapis-Lazuli
Supported by two flagship models, la Petite Seconde and le Régulateur, the Excellence collection from Louis Erard often allows us to discover watches worthy of authentic works of art.
Never missing an opportunity to venture off the beaten path, the Swiss brand is also interested in geology, inviting aventurine, malachite or lapis lazuli onto the dial of its watches. We particularly love the deep blue of this Petite Seconde, with its natural stone dial revealing (as its name suggests) a small second counter at 6 o’clock.
Powered by a Sellita SW261-1 movement which gives it 38 hours of power reserve, this Louis Erard watch is also dressed with an elegant grained leather strap… blue of course!
Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine
Often inspired by the marine universe, the house of Ulysse Nardin reinvents its traditional chronometer with aventurine and takes the opportunity to trace the history of this semi-precious stone. The legend tells us indeed that it was in Venice, in the 18th century, that a glassmaker would have accidentally dropped copper filings into a vat of molten glass, thus giving birth to “aventurine glass” (avventurina meaning by chance in Italian).
It is the copper flakes that give this unique aspect to the aventurine, and which are found on this 42 mm Marine Torpilleur Moonphase. The dial here seems to be studded with stars, enhancing the moon phase indicator located at 6 o’clock.
Arnold & Son Time Pyramid 42.5 Platinum
With its Time Pyramid, Arnold & Son has reinvented the codes of clockmaking, with a largely openwork dial highlighting a sublime pyramid-shaped skeleton movement.
Now available in red gold and platinum, the new 42.5mm case offers an even more fascinating spectacle thanks to its special back. No transparent or smoked glass, but a blue aventurine glass disc conceived as a backdrop that would delicately let the light through.
As beautiful on the front as on the back, this Time Pyramid from Arnod & Son also shines through the excellence of its A&S1615 caliber, with a 90h power reserve.
H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Tourbillon Wyoming Jade
A model in red gold limited to 100 copies, a natural dial in Wyoming jade, a price exceeding 100,000 euros: this limited edition of the Streamliner by H. Moser & Cie is an exceptional jewel.
Untreated, the 100% natural jade that adorns the dial of this watch comes from a pure and preserved source in Wyoming, in the United States. It gives “a raw beauty” to this timepiece, each piece being unique. At 6 o’clock, an opening on the stone allows you to admire the flying tourbillon powered by the HMC 804 caliber.
To enhance this dial, H. Moser & Cie has chosen a 5N red gold design for the case and bracelet, offering a magnificent contrast with the green of the jade.
Rolex Day-Date 36
The year 2023 allowed Rolex to indulge in some eccentricities, just like the watches unveiled at Watches & Wonders. A few months later, the brand with the crown chose to revisit its Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, with three new variants featuring an ornamental stone dial.
The green aventurine, orange carnelian, and turquoise (which obviously remind us of Tiffany blue) are thus combined with Everose gold, yellow gold, and 18 ct grey gold cases. The dials with shimmering colours retain the natural veins of the stones, while the indexes and Roman numerals are set with diamonds.
The peculiarity of these watches fitted with a natural stone dial is usually to be produced in limited edition. Aventurine, jade, jasper, malachite… in recent years, brands as diverse as Raketa, Frédérique Constant, Jaeger-LeCoultre or Piaget have also integrated them into their models, for always fascinating and colorful results.