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Gilbert Albert Watches

Swiss, 1930-2019

When it came to creating elegant jewelry out of unusual materials, Gilbert Albert was a master alchemist. Not only was he the first known jeweler to set meteorite fragments in fine jewelry, but he also crafted works from more earthly components such as sea-urchin skeletons, shark teeth, peacock feathers and fulgurites, which he placed in tubes of glass made from sand that had been struck by lightning.     

Born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1930, Albert began training in jewelry design at the age of 15 while attending the city’s School of Industrial Arts. There, he became influenced by European abstract artists such as Piet Mondrian and Constantin Brâncusi. A decade later, luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe spotted Albert’s talents, and for the next seven years, he worked at the company as a designer, developing Patek’s signature asymmetrical timepieces. 

In 1962, Albert opened his first atelier and pioneered a method for incorporating unconventional natural materials into his jewelry. Driven by a lifelong love of nature, Albert combined petrified plants, furs, feathers, dinosaur fossils and beetle exoskeletons with traditional precious metals and gemstones to make curious rings, brooches, bracelets and watches. Among his most well-known pieces are his sculptural gold clip-on earrings, pendant necklaces and interchangeable cocktail rings with removable beads.

Throughout his career, Albert’s creations have been exhibited at shows and fairs in Prague, Paris, London, Milan, Copenhagen, Antwerp, Brussels, New York, Vienna, Salzburg, Tokyo, Osaka, São Paulo, Lisbon and Dubai. He was also the first living artist since 1917 invited to display work at the Kremlin, in Moscow. 

In addition to receiving numerous accolades for his jewelry designs — he won the Diamonds International Award 10 times — Albert has been recognized for his talents as an artist. In 1999, the Swiss government hired him to design the “Mass” of the Republic of Geneva. He also received the Ramsar Wetlands Conservation Award, and Geneva’s International Museum of the Reformation has one of his sculptures on permanent display. 

Even after Albert’s death, in 2019, his artisanal jewelry remains highly coveted among collectors.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of Gilbert Albert rings, necklaces and earrings.

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Creator: Gilbert Albert
Rare Vintage Omega x Gilbert Albert Frisson D'or Model 7148 Watch
Rare Vintage Omega x Gilbert Albert Frisson D'or Model 7148 Watch

Rare Vintage Omega x Gilbert Albert Frisson D'or Model 7148 Watch

By Gilbert Albert

Located in New York, NY

Rare Vintage Omega x Gilbert Albert Frisson D'or Model 7148 Watch Gilbert Albert (1930–2019) may not be a household name, but in the mid-20th century, he quietly reshaped the language of watches and jewelry. His fantastical, almost otherworldly pieces earned him worldwide recognition as an award-winning designer.  Albert was not interested in decoration for its own sake. He wanted to capture nature as it is, without artifice, without distortion. After redefining case design at Patek Philippe, he carried that same daring sensibility to Omega, where, in the late 1960s, he produced some of his most radical work. Crafted in 1968 at the height of his creative power, the Frisson d’Or, a so-called “secret watch,” drapes across the wrist like a living sculpture. Forged in 14k yellow gold, its bracelet ripples with textures that evoke the beauty of coral, bark, and flowing water. The gilt dial lies hidden within, a secret revealed only in motion, like sunlight flickering between shifting coral. Anchored by Omega’s century...

Category

Late 20th Century Swiss Modernist Gilbert Albert Watches

Materials

14k Gold, Yellow Gold

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Gilbert Albert watches for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a range of Gilbert Albert watches available on 1stDibs.