The Art of Jewellery and Gemsetting
At the crossroads of fine watchmaking and jewellery, gemsetting combines traditional savoir-faire and precise manual skill to adorn timepieces with precious stones. Set on the case, dial or bracelet, each gem is carefully selected according to Audemars Piguet's exacting standards of colour, clarity and quality, before being meticulously arranged into harmonious decorative compositions.
A LEGACY OF HIGH-JEWELLERY TIMEPIECES
For over 150 years, Audemars Piguet has cultivated a distinctive jewellery savoir‑faire, with gemsetting at its heart. Since the 19th century, the Manufacture has created jewellery timepieces that push the limits of miniaturisation and refinement, adorning pendants, bracelets and watches with precious stones.
1884: Pocket watch
This yellow gold pocket with diamond paving bears the Shah of Iran's coat of arms.
1897: Miniature Minute Repeaters
This 18-carat yellow gold and diamond-set brooch watch equipped with a miniature minute repeating movement was brought to Tiffany in New York by co-founder Jules Louis Audemars.
1917: Octagonal wristwatch
The aesthetics of the extendable bracelet are in line with the two horizontal sides of the octagon, as would be the case with the Royal Oak half a century later. White gold set with 82 brilliant-cut diamonds.
1921: High Jewellery with cover
The mechanism produced in the Vallée de Joux is hidden beneath a case designed by the New York jeweller Oscar Heyman. Case 104841 in platinum set with 261 brilliant-cut diamonds, 12 rubies, 35 emeralds.
1927: Timeless Baguette
The smallest “baguette” style movement produced by Audemars Piguet. This style of watch, made in a great variety of designs, blurred the line between jewellery and horology.
1929: Tutti Frutti
This timepiece incorporates multi-coloured gems (rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds) hand-carved into the shape of fruits and leaves by the Parisian jewel house Egouvillon Lafon & Cie.
1996: “The Beast” Turns Feminine
The first Royal Oak Offshore for women with a case of 30 mm in diameter and 10 mm in thickness, presenting beautiful gem-setting technique.
2015: Diamond Punk, ref. 79419
The 18-carat white gold case and bracelet are snow-set with 5,326 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling ~21.6 carats and further enhanced by 56 onyx elements.
2016: Diamond Fury, ref. 79420
This unique piece evokes unmitigated strength and elegance with its 4,635 brilliantcut diamonds adorning the case and bracelet, totalling over ~25.6 carats.
2017: Diamond Outrage, ref. 67701
This sculptural cuff-watch composed of fully gem-set spikes is presented in two unique 18-carat white gold pieces, fully set either with 9923 brilliant-cut and 354 baguette-cut diamonds (~50.06 carats and ~15.85 carats respectively) or with 11,043 brilliant-cut blue sapphires (~65.47 carats).
2018: A Royal Oak Concept For Slenderer Wrists
The first Royal Oak Concept for women presents a smaller diameter of 38.5 mm as well as exquisite gem-setting and showcases the first flying tourbillon ever featured in a wristwatch at Audemars Piguet.
2019: Sapphire Orbe
The Sapphire Orbe features more than 12,000 stones (sapphires and diamonds), each rigorously selected, individually cut and set by hand.
GEMSETTING
At the Manufacture, gemsetting is both an art of light and a discipline of precision, drawing on generations of jewellery savoir‑faire. Each stone is carefully positioned to reveal its full brilliance while complementing the architecture of the timepiece. More than a decorative element, gemsetting defines the piece’s identity, orchestrating light, texture and rhythm across its surfaces in a constant pursuit of technical and aesthetic refinement.
Spotlight on gemsetting techniques
Gemsetting encompasses a variety of specialised techniques, each defined by its construction and execution, from grain setting, which raises metal beads to secure the stone, to closed and semi‑closed settings that encircle it for balance and continuity. In invisible setting, each stone is grooved and mounted on hidden rails with minimal spacing, while claw setting uses fine prongs to ensure stability while maximising light entry.
Claw setting
One of the most timeless techniques in jewellery and watchmaking, claw setting uses fine metal prongs to hold a gemstone securely in place. By exposing much of the stone's surface, it allows light to enter from multiple angles, enhancing its brilliance and fire. Elegant and discreet, claw setting ensures that the gemstone remains the focal point of the design.
Closed and semi-closed setting
Often used for baguette-cut diamonds and coloured gemstones, closed setting surrounds the stone with a precious metal rim that follows its contours. Depending on the design, the gemstone may be partially or fully enclosed. This technique offers both protection and elegance, enhancing the stone's shape while creating a clean, architectural aesthetic.
Invisible setting
Among the most demanding gem-setting techniques, invisible setting conceals the metal structure beneath the gemstones. Each stone is carefully cut with hidden grooves that allow it to slide onto an underlying framework, creating a seamless surface with no visible metal between the gems. The result is a striking expanse of uninterrupted brilliance that showcases exceptional craftsmanship.
Grain setting
One of the most traditional gemsetting techniques, grain setting secures gemstones with tiny beads of precious metal. Known as grains, they are carefully raised from the surrounding surface and delicately pushed over the gemstone to secure it in place. Achieving a perfectly balanced setting requires exceptional precision, as each grain must be shaped, positioned and polished by hand. Particularly suited to small brilliant-cut stones, grain setting creates a refined sparkle while preserving the delicacy of the design.
Royal Oak Rainbow Setting
Evoking a chromatic arc, rainbow setting arranges coloured stones in a precise gradient. The technique's complexity lies in sourcing stones with evenly graded hues. To achieve this effect, gemmologists and gemsetters work together to select sapphires, citrines, tsavorites, tourmalines and topazes that meet the highest standards of colour consistency. In 2022, Audemars Piguet revisited the technique by unveiling two sets of ten Royal Oak Selfwinding timepieces, each fully set with gemstones of a single vivid hue, including pink tourmaline, orange spessartites and blue topaz, forming a rainbow when displayed side by side.
ROYAL OAK JOAILLERIE COLLECTION
The Royal Oak Joaillerie collection introduces a new interpretation of the Royal Oak through the lens of high jewellery. Drawing on its distinctive design language, it explores a refined interplay of geometry, light and creative expression.
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Creativity by and for Women
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