Sections of this article
- The evolution of art jewellery
- The evolution of watch design
- How watch advertising evolved
- Art jewellery influenced watches
- Art jewellery watches
Introduction
Most watches are influenced by engineering and/or fine jewellery, and little else. Art jewellery evolved out of fine jewellery and various art movements around the beginning of the 20th Century, and started having some degree of influence on the design of a few timepieces relatively recently.
The development of horology, technology marketing and society has resulted in a profound change to how people relate to watches in today’s world.
The ongoing changes in these two areas seem to me to have made the emergence of art jewellery based watches, inevitable, as has now happened with our own UnconstrainedTime creations.
The Evolution Of Art Jewellery
All the jewellery which existed until around the beginning of the 20th Century, and most of the jewellery since then, is fine jewellery (or the fashion/costume jewellery which closely imitates it using less expensive materials). While fine jewellery was, before the industrial revolution, all necessarily made by hand, since that time, the vast majority of jewellery sold is mass-produced. Even much of the items labelled as “hand made” on some of the websites selling such pieces, are actually mass-produced, which can be seen from the re-use of the identical photos from the drop-shipping website in China where they obtained it and just added a huge mark-up, not even taking the time to photograph the objects themselves.
Of course, there are a relatively small number of fine jewellery pieces made by hand, these days, but they are definitely a tiny minority, with most of the items designed by committee (or just copied from someone else’s design) and mass-produced.
Fine jewellery mostly uses simple geometric shapes, smooth polished surfaces, and the precious metals and gemstones which give it its value (multiplied by the brand). Its function is decoration (so it is design rather than art, because the “decorative arts” are defined as design):
Around the beginning of the 20th Century, at the same time abstract art and ambient music broke free from the conventions used up to that point, the same revolution in the arts led to what is called art jewellery. The fact that these different areas all made the same change at the same time seems not to have been noticed . . . I talk about this in my blog post on the biggest revolution in the Western Art Tradition.
Bauhaus and the Arts and Crafts movement sought to bridge the gap between art and craft. Bauhaus rejected the ornamentation and the fine finishes which didn’t aid functionality, preferring the simplicity arising from the function itself. Surrealism, with its emphasis on the subconscious and fantastical imagery:
. . . inspired jewellery artists to create pieces that transcended the boundaries of reality. Additionally, the Art Nouveau movement,:
. . . characterized by organic forms and intricate detailing, provided a rich source of inspiration for jewellery artists who sought to incorporate natural motifs and flowing lines into their creations. These diverse art movements contributed to the ethos of individuality and artistic freedom that became integral to the concepts of art jewellery.
Art jewellery emerged as a distinctive movement in the mid-20th century, challenging traditional notions of adornment and redefining the boundaries between art and craft.
In the early stages of its evolution, art jewellery was partially a reaction to the industrialization of jewellery production. Artists sought to break away from mass-produced, standardized designs and concepts, embracing the ethos of craftsmanship and individuality. The movement gained momentum in the 1940s and 1950s, with pioneering artists like Alexander Calder and Art Smith pushing the boundaries of traditional jewellery forms.
One of the defining features of art jewellery is its emphasis on the artistic intent of the maker. Artists began experimenting with unconventional materials, techniques, and forms, incorporating a wide range of non-traditional materials such as found objects, plastics, wood, and industrial metals. Art jewellery also expanded beyond the simple geometric shapes and smooth polished surfaces which characterize fine jewellery, including complex, organic or broken surfaces and textures. This departure from conventional materials and concepts allowed for greater creative freedom, enabling artists to express their ideas in ways that were not constrained by traditional jewellery norms. The fact that they were expressing ideas or concepts, instead of just making decorations, is part of the difference between fine jewellery which is design, and art jewellery which is often art.
As the movement progressed, a more diverse range of artists joined the fray, each bringing their unique perspectives and influences to the world of art jewellery. The 1960s and 1970s saw the emergence of conceptual jewellery, with artists like Robert Baines and Ramon Puig Cuyàs exploring the philosophical and intellectual aspects of art that is more than just adornment.
In recent decades, the evolution of art jewellery has been marked by a fusion of traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Artists now have access to advanced tools like 3D printing and computer-aided design, allowing them to push the boundaries of form and structure. The field has become increasingly interdisciplinary, drawing inspiration from diverse sources such as architecture, fashion, and contemporary art.
Here are some examples of art jewellery:
The Evolution Of Watch Design
The evolution of watches has been significantly influenced by both the functionality of engineering and the decorative beauty of fine jewellery, two distinct realms that have converged to shape timepieces into the masterful creations we appreciate today. This amalgamation of technical innovation and fine craftsmanship has propelled some watches beyond mere timekeeping devices, elevating them to the status of coveted accessories and luxury items.
Engineering has been a driving force in the development of watches through most of their history, particularly in the quest for accuracy and reliability. The earliest timekeeping devices were mechanical, and the evolution of watchmaking has been intricately linked to advancements in engineering. The development of escapements, balance wheels, and mainsprings revolutionized the accuracy of timekeeping mechanisms. In the 18th century, John Harrison’s marine chronometer marked a significant breakthrough, providing unprecedented accuracy for navigation. This engineering feat laid the foundation for the precise timekeeping required in watchmaking. How important this improvement in accuracy was at the time (for global exploration and naval battles) can be seen in the fact that the prize money offered by the British government was the equivalent of several million dollars in today’s money. Here is the H4 by John Harrison:
As watches evolved, engineers incorporated a succession of new innovations like the quartz crystal in the 20th century, leading to unparalleled accuracy. The quartz crisis resulting from this substantial innovation, further polarized timepieces into cheap functional items or very expensive watches valued mostly for their looks.
Modern watches often feature intricate movements, such as tourbillons, originally created to counteract the effects of gravity on the accuracy of timekeeping:
Engineering innovations continue to push the boundaries of watchmaking, with advancements in materials, manufacturing techniques, and energy efficiency, although feats of engineering are now often used as impressive accomplishments in their own right, for the way they look, or for their relationship to horological history, rather than their functional value.
Fine jewellery has played an equally crucial role in the evolution of watches, transforming them into exquisite objets d’art. The marriage of horology and jewellery design began early in the history of watches, since they were only available to the wealthy, and often decorated. While pocket watches for men focused on timekeeping functionality, early wristwatches were very much decorative items for women, and much less accurate than the pocket watches of the time.
The incorporation of gemstones, precious metals, and intricate detailing elevates watches to the realm of high-end luxury. Brands like Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Rolex have become synonymous with both precision engineering and fine craftsmanship. Jewellery-inspired elements, such as diamond-encrusted dials, gem-set bezels, and intricately designed bracelets, contribute to the aesthetic appeal of luxury watches.
In the contemporary era, engineering and fine jewellery have synergized to produce watches that seamlessly blend technical innovation with creative beauty. The use of innovative materials like ceramic and carbon composites, coupled with meticulous gem-setting techniques, demonstrates the convergence of these two influences.
The two major influences on watch design so far, have been engineering and fine jewellery. Engineering is now often used for purposes other than its timekeeping functionality, such as can be seen with the beautiful and impressive HM9 Sapphire Vision from MB&F:
. . . and a few watches are now influenced by art jewellery (whether they know it or not), as I’ll detail below.
How Watch Advertising Evolved
In the evolution of watch advertising, there has been a noticeable shift from a focus on materials to a more profound emphasis on concept and story. Historically, watch advertisements primarily highlighted the technical specifications, materials, and craftsmanship that went into creating timepieces. The emphasis was on showcasing the accuracy, precision engineering, quality of materials, and intricate decoration that set a particular watch apart from others.
Examples include an advert for the “Colonial” by the Waltham Watch Company (an early American watchmaker), where they say how this watch is reliable and thin. Another ad from the Waltham Watch Company says how their watches “run with lasting regularity.” This ad talks about the practicality of the “strong nickel watch”:
This Mappin and Web watch advert talks about the watch’s “reliability under trying conditions” and “silver case”, “luminous dial” and how it is “compensated and jewelled”:
This was what mattered most about watches at the time . . . accuracy and reliability from the engineering perspective, and materials such as gold or silver which is what confers value from the fine jewellery perspective.
However, as consumer preferences evolved, after accuracy and reliability were taken for granted, watchmakers recognized the importance of connecting with their audience on a different level. Contemporary watch advertising has moved beyond the mere display of materials and specifications to convey a compelling narrative and emotional resonance. Brands now seek to tell a story, creating an immersive experience for consumers.
These stories often revolve around heritage, innovation, and the lifestyle associated with the brand. Advertisements may depict the journey of a watch from conception to creation, highlighting the brand’s history and values. Additionally, storytelling in watch advertising may delve into the inspiration behind a particular collection, the craftsmanship involved, or the lifestyle and adventures that the watch complements.
It is also interesting to note that engineering or fine jewellery is design, but art is much more about story or concept. Art also has an intrinsically higher value than design. Many recent watch adverts present watches as if they are art, such as being created by an individual focusing on chosen aesthetics, and by embodying abstract ideals, or even say directly that they are art, although many such claims can be seen as more about marketing than reality.
One of the reasons for this are the changing focus of a watch . . . now everyone has the exact time on their smartphone, watches have to present themselves as being valuable in some other way, such as being an expression of individual taste and status. Since the industrial revolution, with supply now exceeding demand in most areas, marketing has become increasingly important, and needs to present products in terms of what is important to people at the time, such as story and concept being a current priority so that people can feel an emotional connection with the brand and the product.
With art itself being much more about story and concept than design is, presenting themselves as having the characteristics of art is an obvious direction for high end watchmakers to be going in, and it makes sense for such watches to actually be more about art, as well. Which seems to me to have made the evolution of watch influences from fine jewellery to art jewellery, an obvious progression. for innovative timepieces, although traditional horology will always be popular (with the majority of the population being far more comfortable with the past than with the future or present-time reality).
This shift reflects a broader trend in marketing where consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that offer a narrative, an experience, and a connection beyond the product itself. By weaving a captivating story, watch advertising has transformed into a means of not just showcasing a timepiece but also inviting consumers to be a part of a larger, meaningful narrative associated with the brand.
Art jewellery Influenced Watches
Some watches now incorporate materials, forms and surfaces which are not part of the fine jewellery design language. This can be understood as the influence of art jewellery or the art movements which led to it, such as the Bauhaus. This can be seen as a watch designers subconsciously connecting to the much broader range of options allowed by those evolutions in the arts without necessarily having an intellectual understanding of why they now find themselves doing things that were not being done a few generations ago.
One great example is wood watches, such as this example from DWYT:
. . . incorporating or featuring a material which would never have been considered for use in this way by the fine jewellery tradition.
There are many watches which incorporate pieces of meteorite into their construction. While meteorite is certainly valuable in financial terms, often being many times the value of gold, it can be seen as a departure from the preference of fine jewellery for more “perfect” materials, with its uneven composition and rough texture.
Other materials used in watches which align with art jewellery rather than fine jewellery include rusted, textured iron, such as the Romain Jerome Titanic DNA collection:
. . . and their controversial steampunk collection, both of which used metal from the titanic, which is deliberately given a rusted finish, or the love of bronze watches which are naturally or manually patinated.
The Devon Tread 1 Steampunk Watch uses lots of patinated bronze, evoking times gone by, while also using a micro-controller (as our own brand does) which is very much a present day approach to displaying the time.
Other watches feature complex or organic design elements, or rough, uneven surfaces such as the proudly displayed 3D printed surfaces on Holthinriches watches:
. . . or the unpolished machined dial of Ochs Und Junior watches watches.
Art jewellery Watches
While some watches these days can be seen as having a definite influence from art jewellery (as I mention above), I’ve not seen any other watches, before our own, that could be said to be fundamentally based on what might be called “conceptual art jewellery” concepts rather than those from engineering or fine jewellery.
While some of the collaborations between watchmakers and artists certainly present genuine art inside a watch, there seems to me to be a clear distinction between the watches used, with their traditional engineering or fine jewellery influences, and the art added to usually just one specific part of them. So it can be seen as more of a juxtaposition of two subjects which remain separate, than art actually influencing the watch design or vice versa.
The ongoing evolution which includes the development from fine jewellery to art jewellery, as described above, lead to the art-jewellery influenced watches I mention above. It seems to me that it was inevitable that this would progress to the point where the engineering and fine jewellery influences were broken free from, and art jewellery was used as the main basis of what a watch looks like, as our UnconstrainedTime brand has done.
So in this sense, what our brand is doing can be seen as a progression from what has come before. On the other hand, we can also be seen as having formed a new starting point, breaking entirely free from the engineering and fine jewellery basis of watch design up to this point, and presenting time-pieces which start fundamentally from freely chosen creation, expressing personal explorations and profound concepts or emotions, i.e. objects which meet the authentic definitions of art.
This seeming contradiction often happens in the evolution of an area, with new influences at first being minor, with the focus still being on the traditional context, then the new influences gradually increasing, until there is a point where a sudden leap occurs, breaking entirely free from the former influences and forming a new concept based entirely on the new influences.
With UnconstrainedTIme watches, there is no distinction between the art and the watch. The watch is the art, and the art is the watch. I’ve written elsewhere about the definition of the difference between art and design as it applies to watchmaking.
One of the main reasons that I have created watches which don’t have much at all of the conventional watchmaking influences: engineering and fine jewellery, is that, unlike almost all watch creators, I don’t have a background in watchmaking, engineering or fine jewellery. My background is fine art and cutting-edge contemporary music, and my UnconstrainedTime creations have arisen from those influences.
For example:
The whole of our Poppy Seed Pod watch is fundamentally based on forms and surfaces which are authentically organic in nature. One of the options is blackened silver, which is a rough surface, very much part of the art jewellery vocabulary. And, like all of our initial watches, it’s very much a personal creative exploration by myself, experimenting with themes I’ve been obsessed with for many years:
Our Techno-circle #1 watch is a very different aesthetic, but still part of my exploration of areas which fascinate me:
And Fractal Emergence uses a 3D fractal, a complex, organic-like form definitely part of the language of art jewellery rather than fine jewellery, and another area I’ve been obsessed with for many years:
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Do you think art jewellery watches were inevitable? Let us know what you think, in the comments below.
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