If you are looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks, get a jeweller to help. And in a year at Watches and Wonders when grey was a trending theme, it was the high jewellery and haute couture maisons that put on a dazzling display.
That is the view of the fourth-generation family running London Jewelers, which serves the recession-proof glitterati of Long Island with a peerless portfolio of watch and jewellery brands.
“Rolex and Patek had stunning introductions with many beautiful jewelled pieces that are iconic to their brands, but we were also delighted to see Piaget, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpel and Cartier bringing their heritage and brand DNA to this year’s collections in an incredible way,” says Candy Udell, co-owner of London Jewelers.
Candy’s husband and co-owner Mark, along with son Scott and nephew Zachary Udell were sparring over which of Rolex and Patek’s pieces they would be pitching to their most loyal clients.
Only one of Rolex’s 2024 watches was priced at under $30,000, the grey and black GMT Master II in steel.
That does not mean the core collection of professional watches in steel will have their production trimmed. Quite the opposite, with fewer new references, Rolex can keep its manufacture focused on catching up with watches that have the longest waiting lists.
“We like the focus we saw from Rolex this year with fewer new models and more pieces in precious metals,” says Scott Udell, although his favourite watch of the fair was the new Rolex 1908 dress watch in platinum with an ice blue dial decorated with a guilloche rice-grain texture.
Diamond-encrusted precious metal Daytonas may have more niche appeal than the steel-on-steel, but Zachary Udell could see their appeal for his clientele. Two versions were revealed at Watches and Wonders, one in white mother of pearl dial with dark mother of pearl subdials, the other with the colours reversed.
Both watches come in 18ct white gold and crowned with a bezel set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds.
Patek Philippe’s appeal
Patek Philippe was the most memorable presentation for Mark Udell and a new generation World Time ref. 5330G was the star of the show.
The watch was launched last year as a limited edition at Patek Philipp’s grand exhibition in Tokyo, but is now in the core collection, albeit in ultra-low quantities because of its complexity.
The new reference houses Patek Philippe’s automatic calibre 240 HU C, a movement with an innovative date feature that synchronises to local time.
It comes in a shade of blue-gray with a hatched carbon patterned dial and is paired with a denim strap that Mr Udell believes will give it a appeal to new and old money millionaires on the island.
For something less complex but every bit as desirable, Patek Philippe’s new black and gold Ellipse is a classic from the archive.
The watch first appeared in 1968 and has been a black tie dinner favourite ever since.
Piaget gems
Yves Piaget, the fourth generation patriarch of the luxury maison in the 1970s and 80s, was at Watches and Wonders to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand, and his return was fitting for a showcase that brought back belle epoch luxury in exquisite jewellery timepieces and a fresh collection of Polo watches.
It was a return to the style and panache that made Mr Piaget one of the world’s most influential watch and jewellery makers of the late 20th century.
Candy and Mark were just starting to take on high end jewellery and watch brands like Piaget for their multi-generation family business at the time Mr Piaget was in his pomp, and they were greeted like treasured members of his extended family when they met again at this week’s Geneva show.
The big PR piece was a 2mm thin Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon watch, but the true stars, according to the Udells, were the vintage-inspired high jewellery watches that simply ooze eighties excess.
“It is the year of jewelled pieces from new to vintage,” Candy Udell declares. “It is a year to shine and sparkle and get back to glamour!” she concludes.
Atelier Chanel
Chanel created a glorious display at Watches and Wonders that drew together its signature styles in haute couture with stunning monochromatic timekeepers.
“One of my most enjoyable hours at the show was at Chanel’s where its heritage and DNA were presented through the tools it uses in its fashion atelier like needles, pin cushions, scissors, tape measures and mannequins,” says Randi Udell-Alper.
The entire Chanel display and 2024 product line is inspired by Gabrielle Chanel and her couture workshop on Rue Cambon in Paris.
The eponymous founder and creative visionary for the brand appears in person on a number of animated J12 watches in the signature monochrome style of the maison, but it a range of high jewellery pieces with concealed watch faces were the standout pieces, Ms Udell-Alper suggests.
Van Cleef & Arpel was another brand that distilled its essence and history into both its dreamlike Watches and Wonders booth and its metier d’art animated fine jewellery watches.
Cartier has secured its place as Switzerland’s second largest watchmaker in recent years thanks to reissues of its historic catalogue coupled with a relentless pursuit of perfection.
London Jewelers represents the fine jewellery and watches of Cartier in a branded boutique at Americana Manhasset on Long Island, and the team was delighted with what they saw at Watches and Wonders.
Most memorable amid a slew of 2024 novelties was the Santos Dumont Rewind, a red-dialled watch in a platinum case that tells the time in reverse.
The back to front timepiece is a limited edition of 200 pieces, but Cartier ensured there is a Santos Dumont for everybody with lacquer-dialled clockwise pieces in platinum, rose gold and yellow gold with hand-polished dials and bezels in either olive green, taupe grey or peacock blue.
Candy Udell’s jeweller’s eye was drawn to a solid gold bangle in the Reflection de Cartier collection that blurs the lines between the brand’s watch and jewellery wings.
Hidden watches were loved by aristocrats in the early 20th century and Cartier is building on its historic expertise for its modern day pieces.
The gold bracelet opens to reveal a small dial concealed where the two sides meet. As the bracelet is opened and closed, the other side shows a reflection of the dial, therefore showing it the wrong way around.
The Reflection de Cartier is available in five versions: yellow gold or rose gold; fully diamond-set white gold; and two further white gold models set with a range of coloured stones.
