6 of the best artisan watches

While classic sailing watches and the best worldtimers have their place, if you're looking to really turn heads at your next superyacht party a great artisan timepiece is the perfect thing. Combining the style of the best black-tie watches with the luxury of a fine jewellery timepiece, our edit of the best artisan watches are made to be shown off.

Patek Philippe Skeleton bracelet watch Ref 5180/IG

If you’re a connoisseur of micro-mechanics and believe less is more, this watch will appeal. All possible components are pared down to the bare minimum before being hand engraved. Every detail is visible through transparent crystals, front and back.

£64,210, patek.com

Parmigiani’s exquisitely finished Hemispheres watch features a dual time zone display, perfect for the seasoned traveller. The rose gold “Savane” version is part of the Atelier collection and features a hand-enamelled dial designed to match its snakeskin strap.

£37,700, parmigiani.ch

Bovet’s watches have been famed for their superb enamel decoration ever since the firm’s founding in the 19th century. The tradition continues today in the Amadeo range, which features superb images — such as blue thistles (above) and horses — on their porcelain dials.

£43,000, bovet.com

Just 30 examples of Richard Mille’s reassuringly expensive Diamond Twister tourbillon will be made, each featuring an 18-carat gold case set with 270 diamonds and with a crown dressed with black sapphires. The hand-wound tourbillon movement is assembled on a baseplate made from black onyx.

£679,500, richardmille.com

Artist Kiichiro Masumura, a “living national treasure” in his native Japan, has created a small series of Chopard watches with unique dials enhanced with the ancient Urushi and Maki-e lacquer painting techniques. This rose gold example carries an image of chrysanthemum flowers, which are said to symbolise purity and vitality.

£15,680, chopard.com

Vacheron Constantin has made watches without a break since it was founded in 1755, making it the oldest Swiss watch house to have remained in continuous production. This Malte tourbillon has a platinum case containing a hand-wound movement of 246 parts, almost every one of which is meticulously hand decorated.

£179,650, vacheron-constantin.com