When the watch becomes a minor matter
When the watch becomes a minor matter
While classic watch models are currently losing a little of their lustre, a silent star of the industry is flourishing: watch jewellery.
Already in February This has already been celebrated once before at INHORGENTA Munich - with the INHORGENTA Award for Fossil's Ring Watch in the "Fashion Jewellery of the Year" category. A decision that initially came as a surprise, but then made all the more sense: After all, jewellery that also keeps track of time is in the process of evolving from a niche product to a must-have.
left: PIAGET SWINGING SAUTOIR
People were already showing their style in the 16th century - on their fingers. Ring watches, tiny masterpieces with an integrated time display, were considered both a technical sensation and a status symbol at the time. From courtly toys to Art Deco accessories, they have always combined fashion and mechanics. Today, they are celebrating their comeback - as a stylish answer to the question: does a watch always have to be on your wrist?
Whether ring, bracelet or necklace - the main thing is that a movement is ticking somewhere, concealed in a design that looks more like a catwalk than a dial. The combination of fashionable sophistication and discreet functionality is in tune with the times: luxury that whispers rather than flaunts.
In February, Fossil received the INHORGENTA Award in the "Fashion Jewelry of the Year" category - an award presented annually at INHORGENTA Munich that honours exceptional design and innovation in the world of jewellery and watches.
Even though the jury's decision was a talking point, it is a clear sign of a growing trend: jewellery with an integrated time display - a stylish symbiosis of function and aesthetics. Once again, INHORGENTA proves to be an important platform for trends and innovations.
Here we show other ticking pieces of jewellery from: Piaget, Hermes, Cartier, Berney, Aerowatch
Piaget - Timepieces as a statement of style
With the new edition of their legendary 21st Century-With the Piaget 2025 collection, Piaget is bringing back a creative spirit of optimism. As early as the 1960s, the Maison dared to break with tradition - and created jewellery watches that were more of a statement than a timepiece. Swinging sautoirs and ornate cuff watches with precious stones, asymmetrical shapes and opulent sensuality characterised a new aesthetic at the time. Today, Piaget continues this tradition with luminous opal dials, daring case shapes and colourful gemstones - watches that celebrate individuality and redefine the boundaries between jewellery and time
Hermes - Maillon Libre
With the Maillon Libre, Hermès throws all conventions overboard - and lands elegantly somewhere between a piece of jewellery and a timepiece. Instead of being worn classically on the wrist, this watch can be worn like a modern piece of jewellery on a lapel, necklace or cuff. The iconic anchor chain link look, inspired by the Chaîne d'ancre, is artfully staged - set with gemstones, sculpturally shaped and barely recognisable as a watch.
Time fades into the background - and that is precisely what makes it so appealing. Whether with sparkling diamonds, sapphires or a luminous terracotta tourmaline - the Maillon Libre is more sculpture than watch, more piece of jewellery than chronometer. Particularly charming: the convertible brooch watch, which can be transformed into a casual necklace using a leather cord - a subtle nod to Hermès' saddlery tradition.
A watch? Yes. But much more: a silent commitment to timeless elegance with a wink.
Berney - The renaissance of the ring watch
Tradition meets miniature mechanics: Since 1972, the Berney family business has stood for passion, precision and genuine Swiss watchmaking. Founded by 92-year-old Henry Berney, who is still actively involved today, the company maintains a deep connection with the legendary Valjoux movements and the Haute Horlogerie of the Vallée de Joux.
Today, granddaughter Carole Berney runs the company with a fresh eye and great respect for tradition - and is bringing back an almost forgotten form of timekeeping with the revival of the ring watch. While the industry in the 1970s was polarised between quartz and mechanics, Berney chose a middle way: filigree calibres, such as the legendary Jaeger-LeCoultre 101, make it possible to elegantly integrate time into jewellery - whether as a ring, brooch or necklace.
The new ring watch, which was unveiled in April 2025, is more than just a timepiece: it is a statement of craftsmanship, aesthetics - and the art of combining innovation with history.
Today, Berney relies on precise quartz movements for its iconic ring watches - in close partnership and exclusively certified by ETA. This rare honour gives the atelier access to the latest innovations. In addition to current models, Berney lovingly maintains "new old stock" pieces from the 1970s - some of which are original, some of which have been modernised. Whether classics or playful designs such as the "Panda" model: Berney combines technical expertise with creative freedom in the smallest of spaces.
Cartier
Hardly any other house has mastered the art of combining time and elegance as sensually as Cartier. The traditional Parisian house has been making history for over a century - not only as a jeweller to kings, but also as a visionary watch manufacturer. Cartier blurs the boundaries between haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie.
Cartier Panthère: When watch meets icon
Cartier once again bridges the elegant gap between watch and jewellery - with the Panthère watch.
Two worlds meet on a bracelet: a fine watch and a three-dimensionally modelled panther, ready to pounce.
In polished yellow gold, the feline predator features a black lacquer pattern and bright green tsavorite eyes. The white gold version, on the other hand, sparkles in a full dress of diamonds - a tribute to Cartier's legendary animal motif and the fine art of watch jewellery design.
Cartier Tressage - bangle or watch?
Of course, the watch can also remain on the arm - but then it is more of a bangle...
With the new Tressage watch, Cartier once again proves why the company is considered the epitome of French jewellery. The rectangular, elongated case seems to embrace the dial - opulent, dynamic and in true Cartier style. A masterful interplay of volume, light and movement.
More Cartier news: this way
Aerowatch: Time in its most charming form - the pendant watch
A tribute to the fine tradition of pendant watches - a format that has almost been forgotten in the modern watch world. Worn elegantly on a chain, this model combines nostalgic charm with contemporary sophistication.
The polished stainless steel case, decorated with fine details, surrounds a classically designed dial. The watch remains pleasantly light and wearable, a stylish accessory for anyone who likes to carry time with them as a piece of jewellery.
Aerowatch proves once again that traditional values and modern design do not have to be a contradiction in terms - but can form an attractive liaison.
More about Aerowatch: this way
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