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Gemsetting, or sertissage, is one of the most desired crafts, blurring the line between watchmaking and jewellery. This technique involves securing precious stones, such as diamonds, sapphires, or other gems, onto a watch’s case, dial, or bracelet.
The art of jewellery and gemsetting
Jewellery has long been part of the brand’s identity, from early collaborations with Tiffany and Oscar Heymann to the development of the Frosted Gold finish with Carolina Bucci, highlighting shared craftsmanship between watchmaking and jewellery. These partnerships reflect a common commitment to mastering materials, refining finishes and perfecting gem‑setting techniques.
Every stone is carefully sourced and chosen for purity and brilliance, then set by hand to create a seamless sparkle that enhances the watch’s architecture, keeping this craft profoundly human and rooted in beauty, precision and the savoir‑faire that defines the Manufacture.
A few gemsetting techniques
Gem‑setting encompasses many different techniques that may appear unrelated at first but all serve specific purposes in watchmaking. Each method is chosen for its aesthetic and functional qualities, representing some of the most emblematic approaches used in the craft.
A LEGACY OF HIGH-JEWELLERY TIMEPIECES
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.
THE ROYAL OAK SELFWINDING RAINBOW SET
The Manufacture has reinvented the rainbow altogether with ten timepieces per set, each fully decorated with a distinctive gemstone in a vivid red, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink or orange hue so as to form a rainbow when set side by side.
Explore the timepieces
More about gemsetting
When Gems Join the Dance
Whether in music, art, cuisine or design, a great classic is a celebrated, well-known, admired and respected work that can be endlessly reinterpreted. Unchanging, yet constantly renewed, the Royal Oak began to meet this definition in the 1980s.
Read on AP Chronicles
Two Royal Oak Selfwinding sets Shimmering with iridescent Coloured Gemstones
Two unprecedented white gold Royal Oak Selfwinding sets in 37 and 41 mm reinterpret the “traditional” rainbow watch to celebrate 50 years of Royal Oak design innovation.
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AP Talks about Ladies Watches
Looking back at the history of ladies watches and its evolution through time, our three experts discuss the art of gemsetting and the 2021 novelties in this latest episode of AP Talks.
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Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet shines with Diamonds
The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection evolves with two new 41 mm tone-on-tone models in 18-carat white and pink gold entirely paved with 1085 brilliant-cut diamonds.
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Creativity by and for Women
In 1976, Jacqueline Dimier designed the women’s version of the Royal Oak – a watch in its own way as shockingly revolutionary as the original. For Audemars Piguet, this model was the first milestone in a rich and varied women’s line, since punctuated by amazing creative collaborations.
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Find a boutique
We invite you to visit our AP Houses and boutiques to explore a variety of Audemars Piguet timepieces and receive expert watch servicing from our skilled professionals, by appointment or walk-in.