Aventurine dials

Cadrans aventurine © Amaury Thomas / WorldTempus

on November 7, 2024

2 minutes read

When watchmakers use aventurine for their watch dials, they don’t choose mineral aventurine, which exists in the form of quartz with shimmering inclusions. They use aventurine glass, a material created by chance in Venice in the 18th century, on the island of Murano, when an artisan dropped copper filings into a vat of molten glass. From this lucky coincidence emerged a unique type of glass capable of capturing the beauty of a starry night sky

Maurice Lacroix, CHF 7,550

With a starry sky as backdrop, the hands lead the dance. While the hour and minute hands are openworked and leaf-shaped, at five o’clock sits an arrow-shaped hand, a nod to Cupid. It points to the retrograde date, immortalised by the romantic declaration “Je t’aime, un peu, beaucoup, à la folie!” (”I love you, a little, a lot, passionately!”) A small seconds at 10 o’clock, made up of two circling hearts, completes the display.

Masterpiece Embrace en acier, 40 mm de diamètre, mouvement automatique avec date rétrograde et petite seconde, bracelet en cuir © Maurice Lacroix — Masterpiece Embrace in steel, 40 mm diameter, automatic movement with retrograde date and small seconds, leather strap © Maurice Lacroix

Omega, CHF 14,300

The most famous of Omega watches, the first watch to walk on the moon, in 1969, is presented here in a blue version. The blue ceramic case harmonises beautifully with the blue alligator strap and the superb aventurine dial, a stunningly lifelike reproduction of the night sky. What could be more fitting for the space watch?

Speedmaster Blue Side of the Moon en céramique, 44, 25 mm de diamètre, mouvement chronographe automatique avec indicateur des phases de lune, bracelet en cuir © Omega — Speedmaster Blue Side of the Moon in ceramic, 44.25 mm diameter, automatic chronograph movement with moon phase indicator, leather strap © Omega

Bulgari, CHF 15,700

The aventurine dial on this watch is not midnight blue, but grass green – a product of the artistic collaboration between Tadao Ando and Bulgari. The Japanese architect wanted to capture the ephemeral splendour of nature and the essence of the seasons. Green aventurine offers the perfect way to symbolise spring.

Serpenti Tubogas en or jaune, acier et diamants, 35 mm de diamètre, mouvement à quartz, bracelet en or jaune et acier © Bulgari — Serpenti Tubogas in yellow gold, steel and diamonds, 35 mm diameter, quartz movement, yellow gold and steel bracelet © Bulgari

Hermès, CHF 45,790

Here, the dial offers a breathtaking nocturnal spectacle. Enhanced by a bezel set with white diamonds, the dial, made from aventurine on mother-of-pearl, is decorated with three planets in aragonite, opal and freshwater mother-of-pearl, with a scattering of diamonds for stars and finally, a crescent-shaped moon phase indicator set in the heart of the summer night sky.

Arceau Petite Lune en or blanc et diamants, 38 mm de diamètre, mouvement automatique avec indicateur des phases de lune, bracelet en cuir © Hermès — Arceau Petite Lune in white gold with diamonds, 38 mm diameter, automatic movement with moon phase indicator, leather strap © Hermès

Jaeger-LeCoultre, CHF 82,000

This romantic jewellery watch features a “shooting star” complication, a celestial phenomenon that fascinates all lovers. Here, the star moves across a starry sky in the centre of the dial. The shooting star appears randomly on the dial approximately four to six times an hour, its unpredictability making the experience even more magical... and romantic.

Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star en or rose et diamants, 36 mm de diamètre, mouvement automatique avec complication étoile filante, bracelet en cuir © Jaeger-LeCoultre — Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star in pink gold with diamonds, 36 mm diameter, automatic movement with shooting star complication, leather strap © Jaeger-LeCoultre

Audemars Piguet, CHF 95,200

A classic alternative to the famous Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 is available in a number of versions, including this astral iteration with complications. It features an in-house movement with a full perpetual calendar and boasts an exceptional aventurine dial with a discreet moon phase indicator. The starry-sky effect is the perfect complement to the perpetual calendar offered by this complication.

Code 11.59 en or gris, 41 mm de diamètre, mouvement quantième perpétuel automatique avec indication de la semaine, du jour, de la date, des phases de lune, du mois et des années bissextiles, bracelet en caoutchouc © Audemars Piguet — Code 11.59 in white gold, 41 mm diameter, automatic perpetual calendar movement with week, day, date, moon phase, month and leap years, rubber strap © Audemars Piguet

Van Cleef & Arpels, CHF 113,000

Van Cleef and Arpels’ concept of poetic time takes pride of place in this Lady Arpels Jour Nuit, half of whose rotating aventurine dial is concealed beneath a white mother-of-pearl cover. As it rotates, the dial alternately displays the phases of the moon and sun, represented by two celestial bodies crafted in white gold and yellow gold, each fully set with diamonds.

Lady Arpels Jour Nuit en or blanc et diamants, 38 mm de diamètre, mouvement automatique avec affichage des phases de la lune et du soleil, bracelet interchangeable en cuir © Van Cleef & Arpels — Lady Arpels Jour Nuit in white gold with diamonds, 38 mm diameter, automatic movement with moon and sun phase display, interchangeable leather strap © Van Cleef & Arpels

Bovet, CHF 650,000

The unique and delicate aesthetic of aventurine is beautifully paired here with high watchmaking artistry. The Récital 28 Prowess 1 is a grand complication, bringing together all the finest horological elements, including a tourbillon escapement, a full perpetual calendar and an innovative world time display that uses rollers to account for daylight saving adjustments.