Diamond Watch Delaneau 18k

DeLaneau is known for its wide range of elegant and brilliantly designed custom-made watches for women. The Swiss luxury brand is revered for what are essentially pieces of wearable art — its meticulously detailed dials, usually depicting scenes from nature, are striking and wholly eye-catching on a wearer’s wrist. 

One of the first Swiss watchmakers to focus primarily on women’s watches, DeLaneau creates bespoke works, collaborating with their clients to produce a unique piece that enhances — as it becomes an element of — the wearer's identity. While women in the know are increasingly turning to men’s watches for quality, durability and serious style, there is no shortage of women today who prefer watches made specifically for them, whether they’re coveting classic accessories or immersing themselves in the collecting world. DeLaneau’s artisans know this, and they work with carefully selected gemstones, cases made of white gold and other distinctive alloys as well as the brand’s signature Grand Feu enameling to create one-of-a-kind pieces that stand out one from another as individual works of art.

Enameling is one of the oldest forms of surface decoration, used to add color to jewelry without having to rely on gemstones. Evidence of enameling goes back to ancient Greece. Throughout history, far-flung cultures favored different techniques. For example, cloisonné enamel was popular during the Byzantine Empire, while artisans living in France and Germany in the Middle Ages preferred champlevé. And Art Nouveau jewelry designers favored plique à jour. Not unlike the Art Nouveau designers that came before them, DeLaneau’s in-house artisans frequently look to wildlife and the great outdoors for inspiration. And while the brand is best known for its Grand Feu work, its designers work with plique à jour, cloisonné and paillonné, too.

Rolf and Yolanda Tschudin established the company in 1949 in Biel, Switzerland. They founded DeLaneau with the principle of providing outstanding timepieces for women. In the ensuing decades, the company moved toward a more modern approach, favoring sophisticated and unique design over the industry’s conventional expectations of them. The company, which largely produces what are known as jewelry watches, earned the title "Jeweler of Watches.”

In 2001, DeLaneau moved to Geneva and opened its own enameling atelier, and expanded its design capabilities. In 2004, they collaborated with famed manufacturer Christophe Claret to launch their tourbillon complication for women's watches and debuted three-dimensional dial structures in 2006. In 2010, DeLaneau opened a boutique in Geneva. A few years later, the brand was awarded the Prix de la Montre Dame at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. DeLaneau was purchased by Luna Management in 2017.

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Antique, new and vintage wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.

Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.

Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.

Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.

In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.

Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.

Find antique, new and vintage wristwatches on 1stDibs.