While some watch styles have become more subdued, stone dials have been making a notable comeback in recent years. Meteorite dials have regularly appeared in the catalogues of mega-brands like Omega and Rolex, while more obscure stones like chrysocolla and astorite have been featured by Ulysse Nardin and Jaquet Droz, respectively. Even entry-level luxury brands such as Mido, Louis Erard, and Nivada have begun offering natural stone options. At the ultra-prestigious end of the spectrum are stone marquetry watches from Vacheron Constantin, Bvlgari, and, of course, Piaget.
If you think it’s simply easier to let nature do all the work, you’d be profoundly mistaken. While natural stones may not be as rare as gemstones, their qualities — such as colour, patterns, striations, banding, chatoyancy, and inclusions — are still crucial considerations. And finding the right stone is only part of the challenge. “After you find the perfect stone and the ideal area, you have to slice it to make the dial, which can be as thin as 0.4mm,” shares Guillaume Chautru, head of gemology at Piaget. “Then, you have to position it precisely on the dial, and the decisive moment of truth comes when you apply the hands. You need to apply just a tiny bit of pressure to the centre of the dial.”
According to Chautru, opal is the most difficult to work with. “Malachite and other stones are also fragile for sure, but opal is very tricky. There are many different hues and colours available, but with demand lately, it can be hard to find the perfect light blue stone. And once you’ve found it, there may be a hidden flaw, or it can break at the last minute even when everything seems on track.”