Infographic: Art and Conceptual-art-jewellery Influence on Watches.

By Chris Melchior.

From the beginnings of their evolution, watches have been based on engineering, with a significant influence from fine jewellery shown in the precious metals, aesthetic considerations and decorations used in almost all early watches. Watchmaking is now evolving beyond those influences, as illustrated by the infographic above.

Definitions:

The infographic above can be seen as having a gradient from design to art, on both of the axes. Assessments of these properties are inevitably subjective to some degree . . . if you disagree, tell us why in the comments. More details about all of this, below . . .

Engineering: “The branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.” (from Oxford Languages)

The (somewhat controversial) definition I am using for art is a cluster of factors, all of which must be satisfied for an object to be art:

• Art is enjoyed for its own sake, not for its practical usefulness,
• Art is focused more on aesthetics than on functionality,
• Art is more than intrinsic than decorative,
• Art has special focus,
• Art is unique,
• Art is creativity relating to conceptual ideas used as a means to communicate, evoke emotions and present challenge perspectives and concepts,
• Art is personal.

Details about each of those factors, along with many watch examples, are in my article “Are Watches Art?“.

So the vertical, engineering to art, axis of the chart above, is from design (engineering being a type of design), to art, as is the horizontal axis, since fine jewellery is defined as design . . .

Comparison of fine jewellery with art jewellery:

Fine Jewellery:	Art Jewellery:
materials: precious metals, precious gemstones	can include any material
simple symbolized forms	can include complex forms (organic, broken, fractal etc.)
highly polished surfaces	surfaces can be complex, rough, organic, broken, fractal etc.
design	some sub-categories (including conceptual-art-jewellery) are art
symbolized, polished, decorated & decorative	can use materials, forms and surfaces as what they are
valued by materials and brand	valued as art

As with most evolutionary developments, while fine jewellery and art jewellery have different properties, the differences between the two are sometimes more of a spectrum of degrees rather than always being an absolute distinction, and the two can sometimes be combined in a single piece.

Comparison of use of organic influences from fine jewellery and art jewellery perspectives:

Art jewellery evolved in the early 20th C (with some of its roots somewhat earlier) then exploded in the 1950s, and influenced some watches to a gradually increasing, although still relatively minor, extent until recent times. Conceptual Art Jewellery (a subset within art jewellery) dates from the late 1960s–1970s, led by Gijs Bakker, Otto Künzli, Peter Chang, etc., aligning with conceptual art (and the definitions of art, above).

Then UnconstrainedTime can be seen as having taken the leap to being watches fundamentally based on conceptual art jewellery, letting go of almost all of the fine jewellery and engineering influences of conventional watchmaking while retaining its profound links to the horological tradition in its use of an intuitively easy-to-understand 12-point time-display concept originating from ancient Near East time-keeping.

There are various subcategories of art jewellery, from artisan craftsmanship (which is usually regarded as design), to conceptual-art-jewellery (which is fine art and meets the factors of the definition of art detailed above).

Examples of art jewellery: see our Pinterest Board on art jewellery.

You might be interested in my unique perspective on the inevitability of art jewellery watches, which includes examples of timepieces influenced by art jewellery, and how art jewellery is part of what is arguably the biggest revolution in the western art tradition, that no-one seems to have noticed.

I have used the gradient from fine jewellery to conceptual-art-jewellery on the horizontal axis of the infographic (above), since, like the gradient from engineering to art, it is a gradient from design to art.

For my general observations on the difference between art and design, and how those differences are caused by just two fundamental differences, see my article section on the difference between art and design.

Notes on the items shown in our infographic:

Most watches other than those shown in colour on this infographic (above), seem to me to be observably based on a combination of engineering and fine jewellery in varying proportions. The engineering basis of watchmaking includes engineering functionality for tracking and displaying the time, which includes both mechanical engineering, electronic engineering in digital watches, and a combination of both in quartz watches with mechanical watch hands. The fine jewellery influence includes precious metals, simple (symbolized) shapes, decoration and highly polished surfaces (different from the functional surfaces of a purely engineering basis).

Most collaborations between artists and watchmakers have some art on the dial of an otherwise conventional watch, with the art having little or no relationship with the rest of the watch. These could be considered art plus a watch, or a watch plus some art, which can be seen as examples of decorative art (which is defined as design rather than art).

Materials used in watches:

The introduction of each of the materials listed below in watchmaking is a step away from fine jewellery, in which the “fine” refers to the exclusive use of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum etc.) and precious gemstones and always with highly polished surfaces, and/or sometimes being based on engineering considerations.

While some of these materials are used for their engineering properties (with the practicalities of tool watches being a significant influence in some areas of the current watch market), others can be seen as being used more for their aesthetic properties (as precious metals were from the beginning of watchmaking). This can be seen as relating to the fine jewellery influence which has been a part of watchmaking since its origins, since engineering is mainly about functionality rather than aesthetics.

Since their beginning, the visible parts of watches have often been polished more than is necessary for their use, which can be seen as a fine jewellery influence distinct from their engineering functionality. When visible parts of recent watches have rough or unpolished surfaces they are no longer part of the fine jewellery space, which almost always uses highly polished surfaces (exceptions including matte or brushed finishes in 19th‑century and Art Deco pieces.), so their influences are from engineering or other areas.

While it might seem that unpolished surfaces are due to the engineering basis of watches, if that were the case then a significant number of watches would have displayed unpolished surfaces on cases and dials throughout the evolution of watchmaking, and that is observably not the case, which strongly suggests that other factors are involved. While other writers have said that, for example, the unpolished raw machined dial on an Ochs and Junior watch is a Bauhaus influence, this doesn’t apply when the material is not only unpolished but deliberately chosen for its properties which are not functional, such as the pitted, rusted steel on a Romain Jerome Titanic DNA collection watch, the wood used in wood watches, or the cheese used in the H. Moser & Cie Swiss Mad. So when it’s not about raw functionality, but a deliberate choice of a material mainly for its aesthetic or conceptual properties, that’s not Bauhaus influence (which is based on form following function), it’s something else. It seems to me that the fine jewellery influence which was present from the beginning of watchmaking has evolved to include the broader range of what is acceptable in the art jewellery space, even though this perspective seems not to be discussed by others at this time.

So the use of each of these materials below, beginning in the year shown, is partly a gradual progression away from fine jewellery towards increasing use of art jewellery’s aesthetic use of any material and surface, as well as being partly due to engineering innovation and overcoming the technical challenges of using each of these materials effectively in watchmaking.

Materials used in watches:

• Steel From 1930. Although materials such as steel had been used in the movements of watches and clocks since the beginning, they were rarely featured on the visible parts of watches until the 1930’s (since they aren’t part of the fine jewellery design language).
• Ceramic. From 1962. The first watch with a ceramic case is generally considered to be the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. 3755), introduced in 1986, though Rado had earlier experiments using ceramic-metal composites (like the 1962 DiaStar) and Omega also explored them, but the IWC was the first true ceramic case in widespread luxury production. Rado followed up with the first all-ceramic case and bracelet in 1990 with the Ceramica.
• Tungsten Carbide. From 1962, with the Rado DiaStar 1.
• Stone. From 1963 according to some sources, with the Tissot RockWatch (1985) usually cited as the first stone watch case.
• Fiberglass. From 1969.
• Titanium. From 1970 with the Citizen’s X‑8 Chronometer.
• Carbon fibre. From the 1980s, such as Audemars Piguet 1985 concept pieces.
• Wood. From the 1980s, with the analog quartz Terminator 1981 prototypes by Analog Watch Co. then WeWood popularised wood cases later (2000s).
• Bronze. From 1988 with the Gerald Genta Gefica Safari 1988. Although popular these days, bronze watches are a relatively recent innovation.
• Meteorite dials. From 1990, with the Rolex Day‑Date meteorite dial, late 1980s/early 1990s
• Moon material. From 2009 with the earliest “moon material” in the Romain Jerome Moon Dust DNA, then Omega’s Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 11 used lunar dust fragments later (2019)
• Concrete. From 2012 with early experiments (e.g., Dzmitry Samal 2012) , then the H. Moser Concrete Art Edition (2016).
• Graphene. From 2017, with the first carbon‑graphene composite case by Richard Mille 2017, then the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Nanograph (2019) using a graphene hairspring;.

Specific watches:

Romain Jerome Titanic DNA collection. 2007. A watch with a bezel made of stabilized rusted steel from the Titanic. Use of this material makes the bezel of this watch part of the art-jewellery space (since rough surfaces are not part of the fine jewellery space, and the rusted metal is not being used for its engineering properties).

Haldimann H9. 2012. A watch which doesn’t display the time. The fact that it is more about a concept than the conventional functionality of a timepiece makes it more towards conceptual art and conceptual art jewellery and further from the functional focus of engineering.

H. Moser & Cie Swiss Mad Watch. 2017. A watch with a case made from real cheese combined with resin to create a polymer, which makes the case of this watch part of the conceptual art and art jewellery spaces, and since the material used is far from the fine jewellery focus and also not based on engineering usability.

Watchmakers (and their year of launch):

Urwerk. 1997. While still very much based in engineering (described by others as design-led experimental watchmaking), the outsides of their watches seem to me to have more of a focus on aesthetics than functionality, and explore further from watchmaking conventions than most. They would certainly draw special attention in today’s society. Those are some of the factors of the definition of art (as detailed above). They are said by others to be firmly within applied design rather than fine art; while they can be seen as approaching the art threshold in their aesthetic intent.

MB&F. 2005. The design of some of their watches originate from the creator’s childhood obsessions, they have a significant focus on aesthetics, and would draw special attention in today’s society. Those are some of the factors of the definition of art, while these watches also derive the majority of their influences from traditional watchmaking engineering and functionality, and the are described by others as design-led experimental watchmaking. They are said by others to be firmly within applied design rather than fine art; while they can be seen as approaching the art threshold in their aesthetic intent.

Ochs and Junior. 2006. Their proudly displayed unpolished watch parts are often described as “Bauhaus”, can be seen as the raw functionality of engineering, and also moving away from fine jewellery’s insistence on highly polished surfaces on visible areas of watches.

Mr Jones watches. 2007. Art or illustration on the dial and hands, inside an otherwise conventional watch. I’ve placed these slightly further towards art than other collaborations because the watch hands are often part of the art rather than part of the conventional watch design, unlike with most collaborations between artists and watchmakers.

HYT watches. 2012. Their use of liquid as an additional time indicator on a watch which also has the time shown by conventional hands is not necessary for time-display functionality, and is outside the fine jewellery use of materials and surfaces. It’s for conceptual and aesthetic interest.

REC Watches. 2014. Incorporating parts of recycled vehicles, also a departure from the materials used in the fine jewellery space, towards conceptual-art-jewellery.

Holthinrichs. 2016. Proudly displaying raw 3D printed texture in some areas of their watches, placing them outside the fine jewellery space.

UnconstrainedTime. Launching 2026, part of art jewellery’s extension into timekeeping devices. We are, arguably, the first watch brand where the whole of the watch is based on conceptual-art-jewellery and fully fits all the defining factors of art, while also being rooted in the world of horology with our simple time-display embodying the 12-hours per day concept from the ancient Near East.

What do you think of the progression away from engineering and fine jewellery influences in watchmaking? Comment below, or let us know in our social-media (see the links near the bottom of each page).