There’s no doubt about the biggest horological trend of 2024: It was all but impossible to show up at a Red Bar meeting, walk down the street in Geneva, or overhear some hushed industry gossip without stumbling upon talk of stone-dial watches. And while timepieces that use slices of hard stone for dials — lapis lazuli, onyx, even meteorite — have certainly available on the market for years, it took a surge of interest in vintage Piaget pieces from the mid-20th century to truly open the lapidary floodgates. Now, it feels like everyone and their mother is dropping a watch with a dial dating to the Paleolithic era.

Not that we’re complaining: The thing about using an ultra-thin slice of natural rock for a dial is that no two watches will look exactly the same, effectively making each piece a one-of-one creation. So regardless of whether your timepiece is a six-figure Rolex or a sub-$1,000 Dennison, it is — by virtue of its construction — just a bit more special than your run-of-the-mill metal-dialed watch. Furthermore, despite their fancy appearance, stone-dial watches run the gamut with respect to function: While Piaget tends to make dressier pieces, you can also buy a Rolex GMT-Master II with a meteorite dial, giving you an out-of-this-world take on a favorite tool watch. (Truly, the sky isn’t even the limit with stone dials!) Check out a few of our favorites below, and you’re sure to see what we mean.

Piaget Andy Warhol Watch

Price: $60,000; Diameter: 45mm; Movement: Piaget Cal. 501P1; Dial: Blue meteorite; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Sapphire.

If you’re truly looking to go for broke with the whole “stone-dial” thing, the best move would be to return to the source — aka Piaget. Beginning in the mid-20th century, this Swiss watchmaker and jeweler began combining the horological and lapidary arts into truly stunning creations that caught the eye of the period’s most well-heeled and tasteful men and women. Andy Warhol, for one, was fond of a 1970s-era Black Tie watch in yellow gold with a cushion case and a Beta 21 quartz movement. In seeking to honor the famed American artist, Piaget has rechristened the collection “Andy Warhol” and given the newest iteration several fun twists: pictured is the rose gold variation with malachite dial. Also of note is the 18K white gold case now with a gorgeous clous de Paris bezel and blue meteorite dial. All variation, of course, run on the the ultra-thin, automatic 501P1 movement. Best of all, it can be customized according to the client’s wishes.

Rolex GMT-Master II

Price: $47,500; Diameter: 40mm; Movement: Rolex cal. 3285 automatic; Dial: Meteorite; Water Resistance: 100m; Crystal: Sapphire.

While it may have been designed as a steel tool watch for pilots way back in the early 1950s, there’s no doctrine that says the Rolex GMT-Master series can’t look killer in any configuration — including with a rare meteorite dial. The ref. 126719BLRO doesn’t just give you a slice of unique space rock for a dial, however: You also get a white gold 40mm case with a matching Oyster bracelet, a bezel with a dual-color “Pepsi” insert in the brand’s renowned Cerachrom material, and the chronometer-certified cal. 3285 movement with 70 hours of power reserve. With Chromalight lume and the Easylink bracelet extension system, this GMT-Master II is still a utilitarian tool despite its precious-metal and meteorite appearance, allowing you to track multiple time zones simultaneously via an independently adjustable local hour hand as well as the 24-hour bezel insert. Learn more at Rolex’s website.

Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind

Price: $38,400; Diameter: 31.4mm; Movement: Cartier cal. 230 MC hand-wound; Dial: Carnelian; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Sapphire.

Though it’s generally categorized as a dress watch, the Cartier Santos-Dumont could just as well be classified as the first-ever pilot’s watch, seeing as the first model was made for Brazilian-born aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont at the turn of the 20th century. A gift from Louis Cartier himself, that original watch boasted a unique case with a bezel secured by eight screws — a feature it retains to this day. In early 2024, Cartier introduced a limited edition of 200 Santos-Dumont watches in platinum dubbed the “Rewind.” Take a close look at the dial, and you’ll realize that the indices — as well as the movement — run backwards, adding a touch of the surreal to this gorgeous piece. And the dial itself? Carnelian, a brownish-red semi-precious stone. The only downside: You’ll have to find it on the secondary market, as the run is long sold out.

Berneron Mirage

Price: ~$59,543; Diameter: 34mm; Movement: Berneron cal. 215 hand-wound; Dial: Tiger’s eye or lapis lazuli; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Hesalite (dial); sapphire (caseback).

With a background in the fine arts and industrial design, Sylvain Berneron spent five years with Richemont and another five as Breitliing’s Chief Product Officer before launching his eponymous brand in 2022. The company’s first timepiece, the Mirage, is a veritable smash, having charmed collectors and journalists with its Dali-esque case, dial, hands, typography, and even movement. And while the first Mirage was a 38mm sector-dial masterpiece, the second-gen 34mm iteration is where stones come into play: Available in yellow gold with a gorgeous tiger’s eye dial or white gold with a beautiful lapis lazuli dial, the Mirage is a true connoisseur’s timepiece — one in which virtually every component is an original design whose careful consideration makes for a truly standout debut.

Bulova X Complecto Super Seville

Price: $1,095-$1,295; Diameter: 37.5mm; Movement: Bulova NM10 Precisionist quartz; Dial: Turquoise, tiger’s eye, or snowflake obsidian; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Sapphire.

Inclusive collector community Complecto partnered with Bulova on a modern, stone-dialed take on its 1970s Super Seville watch. Housed in a 37.5mm tonneau-shaped stainless steel or gold-toned case with a matching bracelet, it’s available in one of three dial configurations: turquoise, tiger’s eye, or snowflake obsidian. With an engine-turned bezel, an outer minute track printed along the dial’s rehaut, and a subtle, magnified date wheel at 3 o’clock, it’s an otherwise pared-back design that can be dressed up or down as the occasion calls for it. What’s more, it’s powered by a high-frequency, ultra-precise quartz movement beating at 262 Hz, making for a beautiful package that’s wildly accurate, too. Retailing for between $1,095 to $1,295, it’s also an excellent entry point into the stone-dial phenomenon that won’t drain your (entire) bank account.

Dennison A.L.D. Collection

Price: $690; Diameter: 37mm; Movement: Ronda 1032-1 quartz; Dial: Tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, malachite, or midnight aventurine; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Sapphire.

Born in the United States, Aaron Lufkin Dennison co-founded Waltham Watch Company in the mid-19th century, after which he founded his eponymous casemaking concern in Britain. Today, the brand that bears his name produces cool, affordable watches — including the stone-dialed variety — whose excellent dimensions make them perfect for any-sized wrist. The A.L.D. collection features watches with tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, malachite, and midnight aventurine dials in a tonneau-shaped shape measuring 37mm wide by just 6.05mm tall. Available in both stainless steel and gold-toned versions, it allows the stone dials to do the talking, each of which features only the “Dennison” wormark and a set of elegant spade hands. Powered by a Ronda quartz movement and available with a variety of leather straps, the A.L.D. — at just $690 — is the stone-dial timepiece for the masses.

Moser Streamliner Tourbillon

Price: ~$120,000; Diameter: 40mm; Movement: H. Moser & Cie HMC 804 automatic; Dial: Wyoming jade; Water Resistance: 120; Crystal: Sapphire.

If a stone-dialed watch isn’t sufficiently avant-garde for you, try this Streamliner Tourbillon from Moser: Its distinctly organic shape — complete with a case and integrated bracelet in matching red gold — gives it a character matched by few other high-end independent timepieces. Vertically brushed, its precious-metal housing takes on a futuristic aspect which is well balanced by the Wyoming jade dial, whose natural striations add a welcome sense of depth. Largely unadorned with the exception of three applied indices, this simple dial design puts the automatic HMC 804 movement’s one-minute flying tourbillon front-and-center above 6 o’clock, while a double hairspring ensures accuracy and reliability. Measuring 40mm in diameter, this spectacular timepiece is waterproof to 120m — impressive considering its delicate construction!

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 15550BA

Price: $63,300; Diameter: 37mm; Movement: Audemars Piguet Calibre 5900 automatic; Dial: Turquoise; Water Resistance: 50m; Crystal: Sapphire.

The thought of any Royal Oak is enough to spin most collectors’ heads around — but what about one in sumptuous yellow gold with a natural turquoise dial? Sold! This Royal Oak Selfwinding, housed in a 37mm yellow gold case with a matching, integrated bracelet, is well sized for both female and male wrists. At just 9.3mm tall, you could easily slip it under a cuff — but why would you want it to? The entire point is to show off that gorgeous, light-blue stone dial and its subtle, mesmerizing striations, applied yellow gold indices, and luminous hands. Inside beats the automatic, in-house Calibre 5900 movement with 60 hours of power reserve and a date function, while the bracelet is cinched closed via an AP-signed folding clasp. Subtle this watch ain’t — but some watches aren’t meant to be. This is the timepiece you wear to the club!

Erebus Watches Ascent Malachite

Price: $499; Diameter: 39mm; Movement: Miyota 9015 automatic; Dial: Malachite; Water Resistance: 100m; Crystal: Sapphire.

The project of Youtuber Jody Musgrove and collector Steven Parker, Erebus Watches offers its Ascent sports watch in several stone dials, including this handsome example in malachite. For just $499, you get a 39mm stainless steel case with an Oyster- or Jubilee-style bracelet; a double-domed sapphire crystal with AR coating; 100m of water resistance; and a beautiful green malachite dial with an outer printed minute track in white, applied steel trapezoidal indices, a date window above 6 o’clock, and a luminous sword handset. Powered by the automatic Miyota 9015 movement with 42 hours, it packs quite the punch for the money, with aesthetics that remind one of classic, established field watch designs. (Heck, at this price, you may as well grab the aventurine and enamel dials as well).

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d'Art Tribute to Great Civilisations Buste d’Auguste

Price: Upon request; Diameter: 42mm; Movement: Vacheron Constantin Calibre 2460 automatic; Dial: Stone mosaic and gold appliqué; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Sapphire.

This 42mm white gold miniature masterpiece doesn’t use just one stone for its dial — it’s got 660 of ‘em! That’s how Vacheron Constantin created the breathtaking mosaic that adorns the Tribute to Great Civilisations Buste d’Auguste, part of its Métier d’Art collection. While the center of the watch is taken up by a gold appliqué of Octavian (later Caesar Augustus), the first Roman emperor, the periphery is composed of seven different types of stones and pays tribute to a mosaic found in Lod, Israel. Colorful and complicated — its automatic, in-house Calibre 2460 G4/2 movement displays the hours, minutes, date, and month via four apertures — it’s a horological masterpiece whose limited production is sure to render it a future classic at auction.

Omega Constellation

Price: $9,300; Diameter: 41mm; Movement: Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8900 automatic; Dial: Meteorite; Water Resistance: 50m; Crystal: Sapphire.

The “Connie” has been a favorite of in-the-know collectors for years, and for good reason — the production variant of a 100th-anniversary model from 1948 known as the “Century,” the Omega Constellation married automatic winding with chronometer accuracy at a time when many manufacturers weren’t offering anything comparable. This modern 41mm stainless steel execution still offers those features — albeit in upgraded, Master Chronometer-certified form — but also packs a breathtaking blue meteorite dial with applied white gold indices and hands, plus a date window above 6 o’clock. Paired to an integrated bracelet with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, it’s a stone-dialed beauty that strikes the perfect balance between sporty and dressy. (Plus, its laser-ablated Roman-numeral bezel is simply too cool for school).

Baltic Prismic Stone

Price: ~$1,362; Diameter: 36mm; Movement: ETA Peseux 7001 hand-wound; Dial: Jade, agate, or lapis lazuli; Water Resistance: 30m; Crystal: Sapphire.

We’re not sure if they’ve tried, but it would seem that the folks at Baltic can’t make a bad-looking watch. Just check out the Prismic: This 36mm time-only collection is not only wondrously handsome, but it packs a feature set that would be the envy of watches many times its price point: While its case features a stainless steel bezel, caseback, and lugs, its midcase is Grade 5 titanium in a grained finish — a combo gives the watch depth without necessitating a thick profile. Alternating polished and grained surfaces are complemented by a double-domed sapphire crystal, beneath which sits a dial in one of several hard stones: jade, agate, and lapis lazuli, each of which is finished with applied indices, a sub-seconds counter above 6 o’clock, and a set of dauphine hands. Powered by the manually-wound ETA Peseux 7001 movement, the watch is currently sold out in all configurations — here’s hoping that Baltic turns back on the presses!

12 Great Stone Dial Watches to Pick Up in 2025