The exhibition ‘TIMEless jewellery: diamond watches by the Diamond Museum in Antwerp, Belgium, passes by the manufacture of watches and the reference to precise timetables.
Instead THE ART of the watch is presented by showing 400 years of WATCH ADORNMENT,
thus giving a specific view on the ornamentation of watches with DIAMONDS and other gem stones.
Time itself and the measuring of time, from the passing of seasons to one thousandth of a second in top sports. It has been fascinating people since the beginning of human history.
Initially made for the amusement of the rich and powerful, watches have evolved from time measurement machines into objects of desire.
Richly decorated with DIAMONDS and other gem stones, watches have always been regarded as jewellery and its decoration followed the prevailing vogue both in jewellery design and in fine and other decorative arts. Wearing a watch nowadays feels like a TIMEless jewel that gives us a break in those hectic times.
The Diamond Museum Province of Antwerp presents watches from ca. 1575 until the early 20st century from the Munson-Williams-Proctor Collection (Utica, New York, USA), containing one of the most important watch collections in the world. The exhibition also shows other historical and contemporary (diamond) watches from the Swatch Group Benelux, from the Historical Museum in Amsterdam, from designers like Vilia Wo and Peter Quijo as well private loans.


1/ Campaign image TIMELESS JEWELRY: WATCHES WITH DIAMONDS
TISSOT, montre –watch “Fleur”,
1960, white gold, mother-of-pearl, diamond,
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.
Rare piece from the Tissot Collection, brought into production in 1960, containing 58 diamonds




2/ Watch with insect motif (scarab)
1880-1900, Switserland,
gold, enamel, diamonds, emeralds, steel and rubies
copyright: Diamantmuseum/ Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

Jewelry with insect motifs has been popular throughout history. The first known use of such ornament was during the Egyptian Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000-1785 B.C.) when amuletic scarabs were worn for protection. This practice prevailed until the 18th century when a romantic interest in naturalism made insects acceptable as design sources. Instead of using real (dried) scarabs, they made imitations in gold, silver and horn enhanced with gemstones and enamelling. This watch is thanks to its fine gold and enamel work an attractive piece of jewellery in its own right. It must have been an amusing watch to operate: when the lever at the back end of the insect is pressed, the scarab’s wings – each set with eight diamonds - fly open to reveal a dial set into its body.

This watch with insect motif is one of the master pieces of the exhibition. It belongs to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute’s Collection which illustrates important aspects of watch adornment and how watch ornamentation relates to broader stylistic trends in the decorative arts.

Also from this Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute’s Collection:
3/ Pair-case watch and chatelaine*
1725-1750
gold, old mine diamonds, silver, rubies, agate, enamel
copyright: Diamantmuseum/ Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

*The precursor of the modern handbag is a waist-hung article that has come to be known as the “chatelaine” , a form that has existed in various styles since the Bronze Age.
Consisting of a waist plaque with a tongue-shaped hook that loops over a belt or waistband, a chatelaine was a logical accoutrement from which to suspend a variety of useful articles, and both its utilitarian and decorative features made it an essential fashion accessory. Until 1828, chatelaines were known as equipages (the French word for equipment, or gear). Today, all forms of these articles are called chatelaines whether they were made before or after this date.

Women began to wear watches at the waist looped over the belt by a chain in the 17th Century and chatelaines became the most important day time jewelry during the rococo era (18th C.). By then watches suspended from chatelaines were often enclosed with a second, outer case to protect the movement from dust. Pair-case watches were often made of silver; Gold was usually reserved for fine watches made by renowned watchmakers such as Jacques Debaufre (active between 1712-1750) in this case. Thomas Proctor purchased this watch chatelaine just after 1900 from Tiffany and Company which was then retailing antique jewelry. Its fitted box with the Tiffany imprint also survives.

4/ Pair-case watch with “repoussé” on the outer case
Watch 1702; outer case ca. 1730
Gold, enamel
copyright: Diamantmuseum/ Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

Repoussé work first emerged as a decorative treatment on watchcases, primarily English ones, in the first decade of the eighteenth century and quickly eclipsed engraving as the most popular form of watch ornamentation. In this technique, the artisan hammers thin, pliable sheets of gold or silver against a base of pitch to produce figures in relief above or below the original surface.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, repoussé decoration dominated English watch design. On pair-case watches, repoussé decoration was usually reserved for the outer case. In this case, the outer case is repoussé chased with pastoral scene of a woman playing a lute.

5/ Bréguet, “Small” medallion ‘horloge à tact’ (Bréguet n° 1009-745)
1801
Gold, enamel, diamonds
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.

‘Tact’ watches are one of the many inventions by A.L Bréguet who can be considered the Father of the Actual Watch Maker’s Art. This type of watch allows you to read the time ‘by the senses’ – TACTILE: hence the name of this kind of watch – without looking at the watch. This was very practical in the dark, but it also allowed you to know in a tactful way which time it was/is. This watch-type has been commercialised since 1799 and was always richly decorated with enamel, gold and diamonds ( in this case as well). The “small” medallion ‘horloge-à-tact’ was sold to the Ambassador of Naples in the month ‘Fructidor’ of the year 10 (August-September 1802).

6/ OMEGA, Joiallerie Dame à Secret (nr. 3777)
1932
Platina, Saphir, Diamonds
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.

OMEGA certainly means technical performances, records of precision, Olympic chronic measurement (chronométrage) and the Moon watch. But Omega has never neglected the esthetical part: the label has even been a trendsetter in the “Haute Couture” Watch-Jewellery Making Business. This is proofed by the tremendous Gold Medallions and other prestigious Jewellery Prices which it has won over the years during occasions like the International Exhibition for Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925 or the International Diamonds Awards (6 Oscars between 1957 and 1964); La Rose d’ Or (Golden Rose) of Baden-Baden (Germany-7 Roses between 1970 and 1978) etc….

MORE OMEGA at the exhibition …
7/ OMEGA, Joiallerie Dame Omega à Secret (nr. 3719) – IS MISSING FOR THE MOMENT
1959
gold, silver, rubis, brilliant-cut diamonds
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.
(American Production, Creation by Norman Morris, General Agent Omega N.Y, USA)

8/ OMEGA Automatic, “Mille et Une Nuits” Joaillerie Homme (nr. 3308)
1978
gold, diamonds
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.

9/RADO, V10K,
Contemporary
Hightech ceramics and nano-crystal diamond’germs’
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.

Since its first existence in 1957 RADO has been specialising in the creation & development of durable watches, containing timeless design and unique / distinctive by its use of materials.
RADO watches consist of a timeless expression and are made by space-craft materials such as scratch-proof high-tech ceramics, sapphire-crystal and the hardest material in the world: high-tech diamond!

10/ SWATCH, Lustrous Bliss, SFZ 106
1990
Leather, plastic, diamonds
copyright: Diamantmuseum/Swatch Group Belgium N.V.

With this Lustrous Bliss, Swatch reflected the legendary Hollywood Dream and scored a huge success in 1990! Moreover, this master piece is the only SKIN in the world with diamonds: a truly collector’s item! (only 4000 numbered examples have been on sale world wide)

11/ Vilia Wu, Mermaid Fairy Tale Watches (nrs 200506 and 200510)
2005
white gold, diamonds
Copyright: Diamantmuseum/Fairytale Handcrafted Jewellery, Kopenhagen)

12/ Peter Quijo, Qui Moments Pavé White and Pavé Dégradé
2005
diamonds
Copyright: Diamantmuseum/Peter Quijo

Peter Quijo, originally from Bruges-Belgium found his inspiration for this Watch Jewellery Collection – Qui Moments – in the diamond cut called “Qui Shape Compass”: a diamond with 89 facets inspired by a paving stone or a cobble (stone) also referred to as a “child’s head” and so typical for Bruges …


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