It’s hard not to love natural diamonds. Their magnificent journey to the surface of the earth is as unlikely as it is geologically rich, and we add them to our own stories through jewelry pieces that hold unwavering emotional depth and personal significance. Beyond our showstopping diamond jewelry collections, we are also increasingly obsessed with diamond watches; the beautiful meeting point between luxury watchmaking and natural diamonds.
Here, we ask an award-winning watch and jewelry expert Tanya Dukes to pick the finest natural diamond watches from this year’s Watches and Wonders showcase in Geneva, a major platform for the finest watchmakers to reveal their latest wares. This year, diamond watches shone bright, proving that this centuries-old tradition of embellishing the once-humble timepiece is enjoying the kind of resurgence we can all get on board with.
When did diamond watches become popular?
It was in the 16th century that the pocket watch, a popular gentleman’s accessory, was enhanced with natural diamonds. Especially seen among European nobilities, the addition of diamonds cemented the watch as more than just a timekeeping tool; elevating it to a symbol of culture, status, individuality and legacy.
Timepieces became more ornate and luxurious throughout the 17th century and by the 1920s, diamond watch design became an intrinsic tale in diamond history, influenced by the Art Deco-movement, designers would experiment with diamond settings more than ever before.
Why are diamonds on watches still as desirable as ever?
More than a simple embellishment or tool, the watch is representative of the importance of time in our world. The artisanal craftsmanship that remains at the heart of watchmaking today mirrors the beauty, history and emotional significance of diamonds and their journey from deep beneath the earth’s surface where they were formed millions to billions of years ago.
The sentiment of both worlds; rooted in history, emotional value, cultural and symbolic significance remains bold enough to dazzle generation after generation. A diamond is forever, after all.
How are today’s watch designers embracing natural diamonds?
The finest diamond watches converge once a year in Geneva, Switzerland, for the annual Watches and Wonders show, the largest watch show on the planet. The city has long been the epicenter of the horology industry.
It’s the place to get a first look at the trends, styles and brands that will be on the radar of the horologically inclined from boutique owners to hardcore collectors for the year to come. The talk there isn’t only about mainsprings and minute repeaters, but about design that often merges exquisite embellishment with technical sophistication, and pieces featuring natural diamonds (and lots of them) are often the most arresting creations at the fair.
What are the standout watches from Watches and Wonders 2026?
1. The Piaget Polo Signature Date
The name of Piaget’s Polo collection hints at its demeanor; one part posh, one part sporty. It was introduced in 1979, inspired by the equestrian pastime and the glossy jet-set lifestyle that goes along with it. High-flying pop culture icons such as Andy Warhol and Miles Davis adopted it accordingly. Now the collection is in the midst of a renaissance.
The Piaget Polo Signature Date with a 36mm steel case and 36 brilliant-cut diamonds encircling its bezel is as crowd-pleasing as they come, polished but unstuffy, and in a moderate size that belongs in every watch collection. And since diamonds are the hardest known natural material on earth, the watch could likely take a turn on the polo pitch without looking worse for wear.
2. Chopard’s L’Heure de Diamant
Chopard gives diamond watches the respect they deserve. The Swiss maison devotes an entire collection to them: L’Heure de Diamant, which draws on its expertise as both a revered high-jewelry maker and a prestigious watch manufacturer. One model stands out among the lineup of lavish new offerings: a watch with a cushion-shaped case, framed with pear-shaped diamonds, and an 18-karat white-gold fluted bracelet.
It’s a throwback to a 1960s design by the Scheufele family (the current owners of Chopard); the bold proportions of the watch offer an alternative to the petite cocktail watches that have dominated the red-carpet lately.
3. Bulgari’s Serpenti Collection
The Serpenti collection from Bulgari, centered on a stylized snake motif that often spirals seductively around the wrist, just might be the most iconic watch offering from the famed Rome-based brand.
Leading ladies, from Elizabeth Taylor to Zendaya, have given it their stamp of approval and the latest interpretation adds studs with diamond accents to slinky signature Tubogas bracelets for a punk-meets-pretty attitude. Extra glitz comes from the 38 brilliant-cut diamonds that encircle colorful hardstone dials; carnelian, lapis, malachite.
They’re the rare accessories that look equally at home when worn sipping cocktails at a St Tropez beach club as they do when leading a pitch in a Wall Street-boardroom.
4. The Hermès Arceau Samarcande
Before Hermès gained renown as the home base of Birkins and silk scarves that are works of art, it was a 19th-century maker of saddles and harnesses, outfitting the horses and carriages of the Parisian elite.
The French brand hasn’t abandoned its origins, as seen in the design of the new Arceau Samarcande. Its dial features a cut-out in the shape of a majestic steed, trimmed in diamonds. All the better to see the masterful inner workings of a self-winding movement that sounds the time with chimes. The 38mm 18-karat gold case includes a bezel fully set with diamonds; a precious presentation for an extraordinary machine.
5. IWC’s 35mm Ingenieur Automatic
IWC understands that major milestones deserve natural diamonds. To mark the 50th anniversary of its Ingenieur model, a sport watch created by design legend Gerald Genta, the Swiss manufacture added 45 white diamonds to the 18-karat gold bezel of a steel 35mm Ingenieur Automatic, the first in the current collection to feature diamonds. The harmonious marriage of gleaming diamonds and the strong proportions of the sports watch proves the two belong together.
6. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso One Hibiscus Rosa
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s famous Reverso watch is a feat of engineering born out of a practical purpose: to protect the watch’s dial and crystal. It’s also consistently one of the most elaborately adorned watches.
This year, the maison released La Vallée des Merveilles, a capsule of three bejeweled designs, each available in a limited edition of only 20 pieces. The Reverso One Hibiscus Rosa takes inspiration from the Hawaiian landscape. It’s a masterwork of seamless diamond setting with more than 489 natural diamonds of nine different sizes placed along the 18-karat pink gold watch bracelet and case, where a scene of an Akialoa bird hovering above a hibiscus is depicted in Grand Feu champlevé enamel
7. Van Cleef & Arpels Extraordinary Dials
Van Cleef & Arpels uncovers themes of magic, wonder and myth to infuse the world of watchmaking with a poetic sensibility. Two new pieces from the Extraordinary Dials collection depict scenes from the story of Vega and Altair, which are among the brightest stars in the sky.
According to legend, they were once two lovers who were forced to reside on opposite sides of the night sky. The dials of the watches feature natural diamonds to highlight the figures of the couple and the heavenly bodies that surround them, set against a background of glistening enamel.
In a show of technical expertise, the watches display a new technique patented by Van Cleef & Arpels, setting diamonds directly within enamel without additional metal supports.
8. Baume et Mercier Riviera Coastline
Looks can be deceiving when it comes to the new Riviera Coastline 10868. The craggy, seemingly abstract diamond-set shape along the left side of the dial is an artful bird’s-eye view perspective of the Mediterranean shore from Monaco to St Tropez. It’s paired with a shimmering green gradient mother-of-pearl dial that faithfully captures the color of the sea in summer, for a wearable, all-season reminder of sand and sun. And with the continuing trend for smaller watches for everyone, the 33mm case size is a fit for any gender.
9. Chanel: diamonds first, time second
We consider contributions Coco Chanel made to fashion generations ago, the Little Black Dress, the quilted handbag, still essential today. And the key elements of her own appearance, complete with trim chapeau, lean tweed suit and two-tone slingbacks, were just as indelible.
Accordingly, the fashion house she founded makes her image a key element in its watch designs. A standout is a diamond-and-onyx sautoir necklace featuring a figure of the Mademoiselle herself. Chanel in 18-karat white gold, natural diamonds and lacquer seated atop a tassel. With a swivel, she moves aside to reveal the time, while every inch of the design shows off the skills of Chanel’s skilled artisans.
10. Cartier’s Baignoire
Since 2023, when it was reintroduced with a few stylistic updates, Cartier’s Baignoire style, with its elongated, curved oval case, has won over watch aficionados and novices alike.
This year brought another showstopping version, a high-jewelry rendition of the Baignoire featuring 100 brilliant-cut natural diamonds on its dial and 171 reverse-set diamonds throughout its bracelet and case, echoing the studded texture of the gold surface. The effect gives a rock-and-roll edge to a ladylike silhouette.
Diamond watches: a time-honored tradition
As the doors closed on Watches & Wonders for another year, one thing was abundantly clear: diamonds on watches are not just having a moment, they are enjoying a renaissance. The pieces showcased this year proved that the relationship between horology and high jewelry has never been more intimate, more considered or more striking.
Whether worn as an expression of individuality and uniqueness, as an homage to craftsmanship, or a quiet nod to something deeply personal, diamond watches of this level of beauty, remind us why we fell in love with both natural diamonds and watchmaking in the first place.
Some things, it turns out, are simply made to shine together.
