Hand Meets Machine

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2017 Edition of Homes & Estates Magazine.

With price tags rivaling those of Italian sports cars, buyers of super-luxury timepieces are paying for the labor of skilled artisans.

By Roger Grody

Throughout history, watches have always incorporated innovative technologies, but the finest of those miniature machines showcase craftsmanship, through meticulous movement assembly or exquisite decorative enhancements. “When you want to buy exclusivity, you want something that requires the labor of true artists,” reports timepiece authority Ariel Adams, whose “A Blog to Watch” is an industry standard.

Precision craftsmanship is the foundation of watchmaking and premium manufacturers continue to emulate techniques perfected hundreds of years ago. Hand-painted dials are currently popular and watchmaker Bovet is known for remarkably detailed illustrations on lacquered mother-of-pearl surfaces, while Jaquet Droz’s Les Ateliers d’Art series reflects various techniques: painting, enameling, engraving, bas relief, and mosaic. Blancpain is one of several manufacturers that exploits the current trend of see-through cases by engraving or hand-painting freshly revealed surfaces.

Widely acclaimed Greubel Forsey — its limited-edition watches average about $500,000 — is renowned for…