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For the majority of watch owners, The only sapphire they encounter is the one that protects the watch face. If you If you own a Cartier, you’ve probably used a crown. I have a sapphire cabochon. Clear plastic has been a staple of affordable quartz watches since the ’80s.But that same whimsical curiosity translates surprisingly well into the luxurious side, thanks to the laboratory-made sapphire crystal. Sapphire’s hardness, which gives it legendary scratch resistance, and its wide range of colors, make it both a practical and innovative material for watch cases.
Aventi Pure Sapphire A11-01
Most microbrands do their best to imitate big companies and build history with brick-and-mortar stores to help legitimize themselves and establish trust. In fact, Aventi boasts of its decentralized nature, use of third-party manufacturers, and alternative business structures because they save customers money. That’s why the Pure Sapphire A11-01 is one of the few sapphire cases you can buy for just 4 digits without having to go directly to places like AliExpress. This shape certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, and some may question the longevity and practicality of the tourbillon movement, which is manufactured by Hong Kong’s PTS Resources, but the price plus the two-year warranty , cannot be ignored. Allocation is currently paused due to high demand, but A11-01 will definitely be back. Price: CHF 5,750 (~USD 6,530)
Code41 NativeDNA Sapphire X41
Code41 has taken many bold stances for a relatively young brand. The combination of high-end Swiss connections and crowd-sourced ideas resulted in an incredible result. A watch that retains the scent of traditionor give it up completely to create something new. The NativeDNA Sapphire X41 is not only one of the most affordable sapphire cases on the market, it also represents the brand’s transparency into all costs related to materials, manufacturing, and profits. It’s also customizable, with the stark angles of the skeletonized in-house movement taking on various icy hues of blue, grey, black and green, and a variety of strap options including clear rubber, racing leather and even a titanium bracelet. is selectable. Price: $24,435
ArtyA Tiny Purity Tourbillon Nano Saphir Chameleon
ArtyA is a very difficult brand to pin down because they have experimented in a huge amount of ways over the years. Nowadays, research on sapphires produced in laboratories is preferred. Unlike most brands, where any colored sapphire is considered experimental, ArtyA pushes the boundaries even further. Made with sapphire that changes color depending on the temperature of the lightusually distinguished by natural or artificial lighting. This effect is called pleochroism and is extremely rare in both natural and laboratory-produced stones. In fact, no matter what the origin of the stone, I have never seen a stone change color so dramatically. Each piece is unique and varies in color from orange to green to green to teal. All of that is appealing enough before tackling the Tiny Purity movement, which features a 17mm tourbillon with two barrels offering a 4Hz beat rate and 72 hours of power reserve. Price: $179,000
Ulysse Nardin Royal
Ulysse Nardin leaves behind an amazing legacybut one of the lesser-known highlights happened at the beginning of the previous decade. Introduced in 2010, the Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Mystery Tourbillon was a $1 million pure platinum watch fully set with baguette diamonds and sapphires. It was a bit of a cult classic as a limited edition of 99 pieces. But now the royal is back in the Ulysse Nardin catalog Two ultra-modern interpretations with a transparent sapphire case and crown. The translucent blue and red-pink structure that holds most of the in-house caliber UN-79 is made of lab spinel and stares front and center on the flying tourbillon. Price: US328,300
Hublot MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire Rainbow
Hublot is by far the biggest name in sapphire watchmaking and has released countless editions of both the Big Bang and Spirit of Big Bang watches in a variety of translucent colors. Many of these watches are also some of the most affordable sapphire case watches you can buy, especially on the second-hand market, but it’s Hublot’s Masterpiece collaboration with Takashi Murakami that truly deserves the title of top. Murakami’s subversive take on pop art is a perfect match for Hublot, emphasizing the silliness inherent in a watch that costs more than a house. Iridescent petals set with sapphires dance almost as much as the tourbillon at the center of the dial’s smiling face. Price: $374,000
Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon Sapphire Crystal
If you’ve got some serious cash, why not go all out? There’s traditional watchmaking, and then there’s the likes of Jacob & Co. Directly inspired by the bodywork of the Bugatti Chiron, the clear case is sculpted from solid sapphire with incredible detail and fluidity. Caliber JCAM37 has small 16 cylinder engine automatic machine Inside the sapphire block, it features an angled flying tourbillon and a 60-hour power reserve indicator. A limited edition of just seven pieces made of clear sapphire, it includes a variety of unique pieces created in alternative colors from blue to matte yellow. Price: $1,300,000
Time+Tide Timeless Pick: MB&F HM3 FrogX Purple
As creators of experimental and artistically-minded watches, MB&F is hard to ignore. HM3 was first launched as a precision instrument in 2009, but Maximilian Büsser tweaked it the following year to become HM3 Frog, giving it bulbous eyes and a grinning mouth. FrogX celebrates its 10th anniversary with a limited edition of 10 pieces, this time housed in a playful sapphire case shaped like the skin of a rare red-eyed tree frog. The sapphire case itself is transparent, but the purple rubber gasket and the way the light bends make the entire case look purple. All pieces have been sold, but one piece is currently for sale at MB&F’s Certified Pre-Owned Store for 148,549 Swiss Francs (~168,660 USD).