Are these artworks or watches? Here are 4 of the most beautiful artistic watches of 2024

Dialling it up 

The newest kid on the independent block isn’t here to wow you with fancy complications or austere styles that worship the grand old traditions of horology. Instead, Taos is here to dazzle you with oodles of artistic crafts. Founded by Geneva-based dial specialist Atelier Olivier Vaucher and watchmaker Olivier Gaud, Taos has access to more than 40 collaborators covering over 15 distinct crafts and professions. All its watches will be one-of-a-kind masterpieces that require some 200 hours of work per dial, and another 100 hours for the finishing of the movement. 

Its inaugural seven-piece collection already impresses with highly original, expertly crafted faces, from the embroidery-like strands of enamel in the Broderies model, to the paillone enamel fireworks of red, orange, and black on the Euphorie. 

Lighting the way 

As usual, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Extraordinary Dials live up to their name. This year’s edition are a pair of nature-themed Lady Arpels watches that have an astounding amount of detail and depth thanks to two new techniques the maison developed. The first is faconne enamel, which involves pouring liquid enamel onto a stainless steel medium and then slowly sculpted into three-dimensional shapes. After they are fired, they are assembled into the delicate flowers of the bright and sunny Jour Enchante and dreamy Nuit Enchante scenes. 

The second technique features precious stones set into plique-a-jour enamel without the use of metal components. The indentations had to be precisely carved and the stones exactingly positioned before undergoing firing to seal the composition. It took the brand two years to perfect, but the result is dew-like gemstones glistening on transparent leaves. 

A celebration in motion 

Like many of the references in Hermes’ Exceptional Pieces collection, the Arceau Belles du mexique borrows its dial design from an existing Hermes silk scarf. The cheery circles were first imagined by artist Virginie Jamin, and were meant to represent the colourful swirling skirts of the female dancers of the Mexican hat dance.

But the watches have an added element of fun: the seven central appliques — all of them painted by hand — spin freely on their axes, creating a lively ode to joy and movement. Available with a raspberry or orange dial with matching alligator straps, each edition is a limited production of 12 pieces.

All-star cast 

When you have the reach and influence of a brand like Louis Vuitton, you can afford to gather the industry’s best for a trio of elaborate timepieces. A team of renowned artisans including Eddy Jaquet (engraving), Fanny Queloz (damascening), Rose Saneuil (marquetry), and Vanessa Lecci (enamelling) worked with the brand’s own La Fabrique des Arts and under the direction of Marie Bouttecon, a metiers d’art specialist whose clients include Parmigiani and Christophe Claret. 

Dubbed the Escale Cabinet of Wonders, each watch is sumptuous display of traditional savoir-faire.

The engraved carp swimming in rock crystal ripples, a gold and jade snake emerging from a straw marquetry forest, and the mighty dragon glistening with paillone enamel scales inlaid with yellow gold Monogram Flowers — all these richly symbolic panoramas were drawn from Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s (grandson of founder Louis Vuitton) collection of antique tsubas, the high decorated guards found on Japanese katana swords. The Koi’s Garden, Snake’s Jungle, and Dragon’s Cloud are limited to 20 pieces each.