The decoration and finishing of a watch dial is an art form. At its most basic, it displays the time. At its most expressive, it conveys a specific style — feminine, masculine, sporty, dressy, even crazy — and serves as a canvas for artistic mastery.
It’s why dials are also called faces. They convey emotion and are central to a brand’s identity. For centuries, watchmakers and artisans have employed a wide array of decorative techniques on watch dials, from engraving and guilloche to painting and gem-setting.
But in 1963, brothers Gerald and Valentin Piaget had a different idea: They would let Mother Nature hold the brush. While dials were traditionally crafted from brass or gold, Piaget pioneered the use of natural stones. Vibrant colour has long been a Piaget hallmark, and stones like lapis lazuli, malachite, tiger’s eye weren’t just chromatically rich — they often came with delicate, unique patterns that enhanced their exclusivity and rarity.
Paired with the maison’s expertise in gold craftsmanship, these jewellery watches became beloved by many, including Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy. While some watch styles have become more subdued, stone dials have been making a notable comeback in recent years. Meteorite dials have regularly appeared in the catalogues of mega-brands like Omega and Rolex, while more obscure stones like chrysocolla and astorite have been featured by Ulysse Nardin and Jaquet Droz, respectively.
Even entry-level luxury brands such as .