While Palexpo hosts the spotlight of Watches and Wonders each spring, Geneva’s quieter stages — from haute joaillerie showcases to independent design salons — reveal a parallel world of horological artistry. Away from the grandeur of major maisons, four exceptional timepieces emerged this year, blending mechanical innovation, storytelling, and artisanal mastery. These watches didn’t shout — they whispered, shimmered, and surprised.
Where jewellery meets time: poetic mechanics at Haute Jewels
At the InterContinental Hotel, Haute Jewels Geneva offered an opulent contrast to Palexpo’s technical displays. Long known for celebrating the world of high jewellery, this intimate salon has increasingly embraced watches that straddle the line between decorative art and mechanical ingenuity.
German house Stenzhorn, renowned for its invisible gemstone settings and dreamlike interpretations of flora and fauna, unveiled The Butterfly Clock — a sculptural marvel where time hides in plain sight. Delicate rose-gold branches cradle quartz blossoms and multicoloured butterflies, set with rubies, pink sapphires, and diamonds. A pear-shaped diamond floats around a mother-of-pearl ring, marking hours with quiet elegance. This is not a timepiece designed for precision — it’s a clock conceived as a poem in precious materials, perched atop an onyx base like a treasure from a modern fairy tale.
In a bolder spirit, Dolce & Gabbana continued its journey into high watchmaking with the Roma, part of its Manifattura Italiana initiative. Channeling the grandeur of Italy’s historic city clocks, the Roma watch embraces classical lines and ornate detailing. Crafted in 18K pink gold with a mother-of-pearl dial and fantasy-cut gemstone hour markers, the watch features a black diamond-set crown and the in-house DG 01.01 calibre. With small seconds at six o’clock and a 58-hour power reserve, the Roma balances technical rigour with unabashed decorative flair. It’s not just a timekeeper — it’s a tribute to Roman grandeur, distilled into 38mm of polished drama.
Artisan dials and narrative design: TAOS at Time to Watches
A few kilometres away at Villa Sarasin, Time to Watches gathered a passionate community of independent makers pushing the boundaries of form, technique, and visual storytelling. Among them, Geneva-based TAOS stood out for its fusion of traditional métiers d’art and contemporary dial-making.
Founded in 2019 by Olivier Vaucher — whose atelier has crafted dials for Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Hermès — TAOS is a deeply personal project that celebrates craftsmanship as narrative. Two standout models showcased the brand’s commitment to artisanal detail: Savile Row and Dentelle.
Savile Row, inspired by London’s famed tailoring district, features a dial composed of over 20 layers of transparent enamel, each fired over finely engraved gold. The final effect is astonishing — a radiant, dimensional surface that plays with light like fine cloth. Meanwhile, Dentelle draws on the delicate traditions of Swiss lace, embedding silver mesh beneath translucent enamel to evoke the shimmering elegance of Saint-Gall lacework.
Both watches are powered by the VOP318 calibre, developed in collaboration with Télôs Watch SA. From dial to movement, TAOS offers a seamless vision where mechanical and artistic disciplines converge — a manifesto in miniature for high-end independent watchmaking.
Kinetic sculpture in stone: Beauregard’s aquamarine marvel
Among the standout debuts at Time to Watches was Ulysse, the first men’s watch by Beauregard, a Montreal-founded brand with strong Swiss roots. Known for marrying high jewellery techniques with Swiss watchmaking precision, Beauregard’s creations are less about complications and more about emotion — told in stone and light.
Ulysse, developed with legendary independent watchmaker Vianney Halter, is a breathtaking example. The dial features 68 hand-cut aquamarine stones, set in an 18K rose gold lattice that shimmers with every wrist movement. Beneath this luminous mosaic, Halter’s automatic movement — complete with invisible rotor and hand-finished bridges — brings technical gravity to the visual lightness. Limited to just ten pieces, Ulysse is part jewel, part machine, and entirely original.
In parallel, Beauregard introduced new editions of his original Dalia collection — timepieces that transform flowers into horology. Each Dalia features 48 sculpted gemstone petals (including turquoise, coral, and opal), arranged to form a dimensional bloom. Set in a diamond-studded 38.8mm white gold case and powered by a central flying tourbillon, the Dalia is more than beautiful — it is mechanically sophisticated, emotionally resonant, and entirely handmade.
Beyond the spotlight: where the future quietly unfolds
Geneva’s springtime watchmaking showcase may orbit around Palexpo, but the city’s true horological breadth lies beyond its centre. At Haute Jewels and Time to Watches, independent brands and artist-driven ateliers reveal another Geneva — one where materials tell stories, where craftsmanship remains personal, and where innovation means pushing the boundaries of aesthetic expression.
Whether it’s Stenzhorn’s hidden-hour sculpture, Dolce & Gabbana’s Roman homage, TAOS’s enamel masterpieces, or Beauregard’s gemstone mosaics, these watches remind us that time can be measured not only in seconds, but in detail, daring, and depth. As the industry debates the future of luxury, these parallel salons have already offered an answer: it lies in individuality, in craftsmanship, and in the courage to create without compromise.
