Are Stone Dials the Watch World’s Next Big Wave?
The luxury watch ecosystem goes through similar trend phases as high fashion. This ebb and flow, at times, brings with it new ideas, and at others, it conquers decades-old hits, reinterpreting them to suit a modern audience. Over the past few years, one such trend has been rising steadily. At Watches and Wonders in Geneva this past April, it was clear that watch dials made of stone are no longer relegated to catalogue back pages. It’s time for stone to take its place back on centre stage.
The original heyday of stone watch dials dates back to the ’60s, surprisingly. You would think a natural material like this would have been used as a watch dial much sooner, however it’s not as simple as it sounds. Broadly speaking, stone is a hard material while still being extremely brittle. Thus, creating a thin slice of jade, lapis lazuli, or opal is a painstaking process, requiring delicacy and care from start to finish. From there, there’s also the matter of shock resistance — no one wants to bump their watch on a door frame and see a crack running through the dial of their prized possession. Part of a stone dial’s appeal is its inherent rarity — the challenges of the production process keep them from ever being a feasible choice for the mass market.
Those early years saw Piaget and Chopard leading the charge, followed by Rolex shortly thereafter. By the late ’70s and early ’80s, watches with stone dials had risen to significant fame, gracing the wrists of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Andy Warhol, and other notables of the time. Given this bit of history, it’s of little surprise that those three brands still have stones in their catalogues today — the famed Piaget Andy Warhol arrived with opal and tiger’s eye references this year, whereas Rolex is now offering a tiger iron dial in its Everose gold GMT-Master II.
That’s not to say that this is a category fit only for the large legacy houses. Ample smaller artisan watchmakers are making excellent use of the material as well. This year marked the rebirth of the Supernova — an edgy, industrial-inspired design by Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva that was first released in 2006. Offered as an on-order timepiece, the first stone dial references have appeared in malachite and lapis lazuli, though given the custom nature of these creations, other stone types can certainly make an appearance upon request.
H. Moser & Cie. has also jumped on the opportunity to work with stone in a big way this year with the launch of its new Endeavour Pop collection — a set of 16 references that uses a slew of stones, including lemon chrysoprase, lapis lazuli, orange coral, turquoise, and Burmese jade, among others. Unlike most other offerings, Moser sets itself apart by using two different stone types in each watch dial to provide additional contrast.
Despite the costs and challenges of production, the desire for a watch with a stone dial can still be satisfied for less than five figures, if you know where to look. Possibly one of the best-kept secrets of the watch industry is Sartory Billard — a bespoke watchmaker that primarily handcrafts one-of-one watches in a variety of materials, including stone. With workshops and trusted suppliers in France, Switzerland, and Germany, Armand Billard set out from day one to offer a refined and personal customization experience using high-quality components and unique finishes. A proper, unique piece with a stone dial and a Swiss mechanical movement can be had for less than 4,000 euros, which is a steal even with today’s exchange rate.
Taking all of the tangible metrics out of the equation — the rarity, the history, and beyond — it’s truly the intangible elements that fuel the appeal of stone in watchmaking. There’s a natural element to it, a softness of form; perhaps it’s the dichotomy of the rawness of the material and the mechanical precision of watchmaking. It might not resonate the same way on paper, but the charm may well sway you once one of these pieces is in your hands (and on your wrist).
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