From Chanel to Hermes: 12 showstopping watches that turn dials into works of art

The dial is where a watch reveals its character. It's the first thing you see, the last thing you forget and the surface where technical mastery meets artistic ambition. These 12 outstanding timepieces show how far watchmakers can push the limits of creativity within a remarkably small canvas. Ancient techniques like straw marquetry and grisaille enamel sit alongside futuristic innovations of rotating spheres, glowing gradients, and intricate mechanisms that animate entire scenes. Each dial tells a story, from 19th-century Parisian romance to rare and ancient metiers d’art, and tongue-in-cheek humour on dress codes. 

HANDCRAFTED SEASCAPE: SLIM D'HERMES HIPPOCAMPE

Hermes continues its poetic exploration of metiers d’art with the Slim d’Hermes Hippocampe, featuring a dial that transforms the maison’s refined dress watch into a miniature seascape. Created in collaboration with London-based illustrator Stuart Patience, the watch depicts a stylised seahorse brought to life through an intricate combination of engraving and leather marquetry, two techniques rarely seen together on a watch dial.

The process begins with an engraver tracing the seahorse’s curves into the dial, carving depth and texture before artisans apply hand-cut pieces of coloured leather, each trimmed to just 0.5mm. These fragments are then meticulously assembled to form a vibrant mosaic that captures the creature’s fluid silhouette and shimmering scales.

Framed by a 39.5.mm whitegold case, the watch is powered by the ultra-thin Hermes H1950 automatic movement, visible through a sapphire caseback adorned with hand-bevelled bridges and H-shaped decorations. Two colourways of teal and terracotta, each limited to 24 numbered pieces, are paired with Swift calfskin straps crafted in Hermes’ leather workshops.

MAKEUP REVOLUTION: CHANEL MADEMOISELLE J12 CALIBER 12.1 38MM 

Part of the maison’s whimsical Blush Watch Capsule Collection, the Mademoiselle J12 Blush Caliber 12.1 38mm watch transforms the graphic universe of Chanel Beauty into a playful, kinetic dial. Here, Gabrielle Chanel, who’s rendered in black and white, sits at her makeup table, while her beauty essentials like eyeshadows and lipsticks move slowly like a celestial orbit. These silver- and pink-toned motifs are printed on a black-varnished rotating disc that completes a full revolution every five minutes, giving the watch an ever-changing, animated charm.

A 20-piece limited edition, the 38mm creation is crafted in highly resistant black ceramic with matte, black-coated steel accents and a bezel featuring a chic baguette-cut motif. Adding subtle shine is a brilliant-cut diamond set into the crown. The wearer can admire the COSC-certified Caliber 12.1, a self-winding Manufacture movement with a robust 70-hour power reserve, through an exhibition caseback. 

OTHERWORLDLY MINIMALISM: H MOSER & CIE STREAMLINER PERPETUAL MOON CONCEPT METEORITE

H Moser & Cie’s Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite is part sculpture, part celestial artifact. Its dial is hewn from the Gibeon meteorite, which spent millions of years cooling in space before crashing to Earth. Cut and treated, each dial reveals the natural and one-of-a-kind Widmanstatten pattern, then is imbued with a warm golden tone and Moser’s hallmark fume effect for extraordinary depth. At 6 o’clock, a generously sized moon-phase aperture dominates the minimalist, logo-free dial, with a red-gold moon and hands enhanced by luminous Globolight inserts. 

Inside the 40mm steel Streamliner case with an integrated bracelet beats the new automatic calibre HMC 270, which offers a three-day power reserve and moon-phase so precise that it deviates by just one day every 1,027 years. 

KINETIC MARVEL: HAUTLENCE SPHERE SERIES 3

Hautlence returns to its most hypnotic complication with the Sphere Series 3, a compact yet striking evolution of its signature spherical time display. Housed in a 37mmby 45mm titanium case, this new model sharpens the architectural lines of its predecessor. 

On the left of the skeletonised dial is the rotating hour sphere that’s the star of the show. The polished, purple-coated titanium orb turns on three axes and is driven by four conical gears set at 21 degrees, creating the illusion of a floating, shape-shifting sculpture.

Balancing the composition, a retrograde minute hand sweeps over a suspended minute track before snapping back to zero in a controlled glide, revealing the mechanical stage beneath. Visible through fully openworked components is the manual-winding calibre A82, which has been redesigned for the smaller case and delivers a power reserve of 72 hours.

MECHANICAL RAINBOW: ZENITH DEFY EXTREME CHROMA

Zenith injects explosive colour and chronometry into its all-new Defy Extreme Chroma limited editions. Building on the success of previous Chroma releases, these two 100-piece models turn the brand’s most advanced 1/100th-of-a-second chronograph into a vivid mechanical spectrum. 

Both iterations pair the architectural 45mm Defy Extreme case with a bold mix of titanium and ceramic. One model features microblasted titanium with black ceramic elements, while the other contrasts brushed and polished titanium against crisp white ceramic. The openworked dial reveals rainbow-PVD bridges of the movement, with indices, print and subdial hands echoing the same chromatic gradient. Even the star-shaped rotor ­– visible via an exhibition caseback – continues the theme and is rendered in electric blue for the black edition and vibrant green for the white. 

Technically, the Defy Extreme Chroma is as fierce as it is colourful. It’s movement, the El Primero 9004, houses two independent escapements, each with its own barrel and regulator. One beats at 5Hz for timekeeping and another at an astonishing 50Hz to power the chronograph.This allow the central seconds hand to move around the dial once per second for 1/100th-of-a-second precision. Each watch comes with two interchangeable straps in rubber and Velcro, as well as a titanium bracelet.

ELECTRIC NIGHTS: TAG HEUER MONACO CHRONOGRAPH

Tag Heuer channels the electrifying atmosphere of the Formula 1 night circuit into the latest Monaco Chronograph, a limited edition that reimagines the brand’s most iconic square-cased watch for after-dark adrenaline. Featuring a 39mm black DLC-coated titanium case, the timepiece is lightweight yet striking, its skeletonised dial transitioning through a vivid gradient of violet to deep blue – an homage to the moment twilight slips into night. 

The dial’s architectural depth is amplified after sunset as blue, green and purple Super-LumiNova illuminate the chronograph displays, hands, minute track and date system to create a layered glow reminiscent of neon-lit racing circuits. A matching iridescent metallised sapphire caseback extends the chromatic theme. 

Powering the watch is the Calibre TH20-00, an in-house automatic movement visible through the openworked dial and tinted caseback. Designed for precision and longevity, it anchors the watch’s high-energy aesthetic with technical substance. Limited to 600 pieces, the Monaco Chronograph is paired with a black rubber and embossed calfskin strap accented with purple stitching, a final nod to the colours of the night.

HAUTE CRAFT: CHOPARD LUC QUATTRO SPIRIT 25 – STRAW MARQUETRY EDITION

Chopard transforms one of its most significant complications into a miniature artwork with the LUC Quattro Spirit 25 – Straw Marquetry Edition, an exceptional creation with only eight pieces produced. At its heart is the LUC 98.06-L jumping-hour movement, whose four stacked barrels – powered by the maison’s exclusive Quattrotechnology – deliver an extraordinary eight-day power reserve, placing it among the rare jumping-hour watches with such endurance. 

The dial is a feat of 17th-century straw marquetry, meticulously executed in-house by a specially trained artisan. Fine strands of hand-dyed Burgundy rye straw are split, flattened and cut into tiny hexagons before being assembled into an interlocking green honeycomb pattern, a motif long associated with the LUC collection. The result is a textured, light-catching tableau that elevates the watch into the realm of wearable art. 

A jump-hour aperture at 6 o’clock preserves the clarity of the design, while the minute hand sweeps above the marquetry uninterrupted. The 40mm ethical rose gold creation houses a movement finished to Poincon de Geneve standards, visible through an exhibition caseback. Paired with a hand-sewn green alligator strap, this piece pays a tribute to Chopard’s commitment to preserving metiers d’art, while advancing fine horology.

FLUID HOROLOGY: HUBLOT MP-17 MECA-10 ARSHAM SPLASH TITANIUM SAPPHIRE

Hublot and New York-based artist Daniel Arsham continue their creative partnership with the MP-17 MECA-10 Arsham Splash Titanium Sapphire. Limited to 99 pieces, Arsham’s first wristwatch design for the brand channels his fascination with “collapsing time” into a fluid, splash-shaped form inspired by water and transparency. 

The 42mm microblasted titanium case integrates a frosted sapphire crystal bezel, rubber and titanium elements to create a sculptural silhouette that appears to ripple outward from the dial. A dramatic, asymmetrical splash-shaped aperture reveals Hublot’s new, compact MECA-10 manual-winding movement, which boasts an impressive 10 days of autonomy and is visible via the watch’s sapphire front and caseback. Accents in Arsham’s signature green animate the hour and minute hands, numerals, hour and five-minute markers, small seconds hand at 9 o’clock and power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock.

Signature Hublot codes remain despite the timepiece’s avant-garde look, including six H-screws, the lugs and an H-shaped titanium clasp securing a textured rubber strap bearing Arsham’s monogram. 

SARTORIAL FUN: RAYMOND WEIL TOCCATA HERITAGE X SECONDE/SECONDE

Raymond Weil infuses wit into classic sartorial codes with the Toccata Heritage x seconde/seconde/. Equal parts elegant and cheeky, the limited edition pairs Swiss refinement with the irreverent creativity of French artist Romaric Andre, better known as seconde/seconde/ in horological circles. Renowned for transforming vintage watches into contemporary art objects, Andre brings his playful subversion to Raymond Weil’s emblematic Toccata Heritage collection, turning traditional elegance into a tongue-in-cheek design.

Housed in a sleek 37.7mmby 32.5mm oval stainless steel case, the watch features an anthracite dial split into two contrasting zones: a matte opaline section partially “hidden” under an illustrated cuff and a luminous sunray side that reveals polished markers. A yellow-printed instruction at 9 o’clock reads: “Dress shirt cuff should cover at least half of the watch”, a humorous reminder of dress-watch etiquette that echoes the timepiece’s conceptual starting point: a horological game of Simon Says, here reimagined as Raymond Says.

The cheekiness continues on the solid caseback, on which a final dress-code rule is engraved: “Never wind your watch while wearing it. Take it off first, then wind it in a dramatic fashion (ideally in the midldle of a conversation)”, turning etiquette into modern art. Beneath the humour lies the manually wound RW4100 calibre that offers 45 hours of power, while dauphine hands, short lugs and a black calfskin strap complete the dress-watch silhouette.

PERFECTING PRECISION: A LANGE & SOHNE RICHARD LANGE JUMPING SECONDS

The Saxon manufacture reintroduces one of its most intellectually rigorous timepieces with the new Richard Lange Jumping Seconds. A 100-piece limited edition that places precision at the forefront, its warm pink gold dial is paired with a cool white gold case that gives it a distinctive, quietly luxurious presence.

The dial layout remains a masterclass in legibility, inspired by an 18th-century Seyffert chronometer. The largest of the three intersecting circles is devoted to the seconds, underscoring the complication’s starring role as the hand advances in crisp one-second jumps. This deadbeat seconds display is driven by a constant-force escapement that delivers uniform energy throughout the entire power reserve, ensuring stable rate performance. A discreet triangular aperture turns red 10 hours before the power reserve is depleted, reminding the wearer to wind the watch. Additionally, Lange’s ingenious Zero-Reset mechanism allows the seconds hand to snap instantly to zero when the crown is pulled, enabling precise, to-the-second time-setting.

Seen through the sapphire crystal caseback, the meticulously finished 390-component calibre L094.1 reveals Lange’s artisanal signatures, such as untreated German-silver plates, screwed gold chatons, blued screws and a hand-engraved balance cock. Measuring 39.9mm by 10.6mm, its elegant proportions make this jumping-seconds chronometer one of the manufacture’s most quietly extraordinary creations.

LOVERS' RENDEZVOUS: VAN CLEEF & ARPELS LADY ARPELS BAL DES AMOUREUX AUTOMATE WATCH

The French maison expands its beloved Pont des Amoureux story with a new chapter in white gold. The Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate is a 38mm poetic complication that stages a moonlit rendezvous at a Parisian guinguette – an open-air dance cafe once popular in 19th-century France.

The dial is a miniature theatre of light and shadow, executed in grisaille and coloured grisaille enamel to capture the chiaroscuro of a Parisian night. Festive lanterns glow in warm yellow tones, while hand-sculpted white gold cobblestones add depth across five layered planes of decor. The romance continues on the caseback, where enamel decal and engraving depict the couple mid-dance beneath the stars.

At noon and midnight, a new automaton movement, which took four years to develop, brings the scene to life. The lovers move towards each other, their articulated arms lowering naturally until they share a tender kiss before returning to their original places. This 12-second sequence can also be activated on demand via a case-side pusher. Time is displayed via a double retrograde system, with two shooting-star hands sweeping gracefully across the upper arc of the dial.