Top 5 jewellery watches on Instagram
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Cécile Fischer
Editor, RE-UP
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Innovative techniques, beautiful colours and lavish diamonds fuel the trend for jewellery watches. We take a look at the gem-studded timepieces that shine brightest on social media.
After Baselworld 2019 put the spotlight on jewellery watches, and with the most recent launch of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous Red, rising interest in gem-set watches has been echoed on Instagram, where social media natives have taken to the app to flaunt their attention-grabbing watches. Featuring brighter colours, new shapes and more diamonds, extravagant designs and never-before-seen techniques, today’s jewellery watches have an Instagrammable-quality worth posting. So which are the social media favourites?
Methodology
We calculated percentages from a sample size of 1,000 images under the Instagram hashtag #jewellerywatch without distinguishing between new/older models or variations in dial colour, material or type of strap. So here they are, the top 5 jewellery watches on Instagram.
Backes & Strauss Piccadilly Blue Velvet
Percentage of total: 12%
History: Backes & Strauss was founded in 1789 as a goldsmith, then a diamond trader and jeweller. By 1819, jewellery manufacturing had become the brand’s core business. The inspiration for the collection comes from the colours of the suites at Carlton House, the Prince Regent’s London residence for four decades from 1783. The collection builds upon Backes & Strauss’s long-standing mastery of diamond cutting, with elaborate designs reminiscent of the brand’s Victorian-age jewellery that have been brought up-to-date with modern styles.
Why: For the fascination with British royal heritage and history.
Panthère de Cartier
Percentage of total: 11%
History: The Panthère de Cartier is one of the brand’s most distinctive designs, to the point of becoming a symbol of the watch and jewellery firm. Introduced in 1983, it went on to become a hallmark of the era and has stood the test of time. The name for the original Panthère collection was inspired by Jeanne Toussaint, a Parisian style icon and legendary Cartier creative director who was nicknamed “La Panthère”.
Why: The 1980s Panthère was worn by affluent women and men. The new Panthère is for women who want a classic watch. With its stylish yet utilitarian look, it combines the most iconic features of a Cartier design.
Backes & Strauss Berkeley 33
Percentage of total: 11%
History: The square-shaped Berkeley collection launched in 2011, inspired by Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London. The square’s gardens were planted in 1789, the year Backes & Strauss went into business. Coming from one of the oldest diamond companies in the world, the Berkeley collection elegantly displays the brand’s prowess in diamond-cutting with 215 ideal-cut diamonds set into the case, and the signature “Jewel in the Crown” 0.9-carat diamond.
Why: The Berkeley collection is a celebration of heritage, injecting the brand’s well-established expertise into a bold and modern design.
Piaget Limelight Gala
Percentage of total: 6%
History: First unveiled in the 1970s, the Limelight Gala collection was relaunched in 2017, bringing modern updates to these timeless classics. The watch is rounded to fit the wrist, displaying the thoughtful craftsmanship of Piaget. The elongated, asymmetrical lugs defy the spiral of time as they wrap around the curved case with progressively cut diamonds offering an updated take on the 1970s design.
Why: Subtle touches and bold glamour make this a jewellery watch for the modern woman that can be worn everyday as well as on glitzy evenings.
Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère
Percentage of total: 6%
History: The panther first featured on a Cartier creation in 1935, and has become a mainstay and much-loved element of the brand. Released in 2018, this new iteration offers a modern take on the hourglass. The dial of the watch contains 900 individual gold balls which, when the watch is tilted towards the wearer, cascade down the dial to reveal a panther, before trickling to the bottom like sand through an hourglass.
Why: This dazzling and contemporary take on the classic Cartier icon is also a reinvention of the hourglass. The 18k gold case is set with 45 brilliant-cut diamonds, but it is the technology – five years in development – used to reveal the panther that stands out in this piece.
