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by: Michael Murillo

Seeing De Beers diamonds in luxury jewelry is not unusual. Watches, pendants, bracelets and necklaces sporting their world-famous diamonds have been treasured, collected and displayed for years. De Beers has made its mark on the luxury world by providing the highest quality diamonds that can be found in the most elaborate settings. But seeing De Beers diamonds in a De Beers line of luxury watches is more than unusual. It’s unprecedented.

The company known for sparkling diamonds set in elegant style has set its sights on a new market: For the first time in its history, De Beers has launched its own watch collection, and the Talisman line looks to have been worth the wait.

Designed to complement the existing Talisman Collection diamond jewelry line, the eight new watches continue the theme of using rough and polished diamonds to symbolize power and mystery in varied-but-congruent settings. The same contrasts and complements that have been so successful in pendants, rings and cufflinks translate perfectly onto the landscape of a watch, and De Beers has ensured that the theme is represented in a collection that represents the company’s high standards of luxury and quality.

De Beers Talisman Matte

Yet according to Guy Leymarie, CEO of De Beers, the company did not set out to continue its successful Talisman line when they chose to enter the watch market. But after working with different designs and creating a strong visual presence for the various models, attaching the Talisman name and philosophy became a logical decision.

Guy Leymarie, CEO of De Beers

“When we started to think about watches, we didn’t have a feel to make an extension of the Talisman (collection),” Leymarie said. “But after working on the designs for almost two years, we ended up with the concept of the pyramid in rough diamonds as the brand icon for watches, because it is the symbol of eternity and it is also the symbol of the Talisman jewelry line.”
The Talisman Collection includes the Suntime and the Talisman 8, each in a variety of styles. The Suntime’s medallion design is true to the Talisman name, with the 18K white gold version utilizing 11 baguette diamonds to mark the hours, and two larger diamonds marking the “12” and center of the face to achieve a total diamond weight of 1.68 carats. The resulting presentation is understated and elegant, and the center diamond gives the impression of looking down at an ancient pyramid from the sky. It features Swiss-made automatic movement, a power reserve of 42 hours, a thickness of 3.6mm and a diameter of 40mm. An 18K white gold ardillon buckle completes the piece. It retails for $16,000.
The yellow gold version offers the same basic design, but the diamonds provide a different experience for the wearer. One rough, unpolished diamond anchors the face while 58 brown and white polished brilliants radiate away from the center as hour markers. The result is eye-catching. This version features quartz movement and a total diamond weight of 2.35 carats. Like its white gold counterpart, it has a diameter of 40mm and a gold ardillon buckle (yellow for this model). It retails for $15,000.
The Mini Talisman Suntime is a steel model with quartz movement and a completely different look. The face is fully paved with round brilliants, contributing to the total diamond weight of 2.1 carats. In the center is a large, rough, unpolished diamond that attracts the eye while contrasting with the overall setting. With a case diameter of 33mm and a steel ardillon buckle, the Mini Talisman Suntime stands on its own among the Suntime models while retaining its overall theme. It retails for $12,000.
Talisman 8 watches differ from their Suntime counterparts in terms of form and expression. Talisman 8 is purposely designed like an amulet and utilizes the natural shape of diamonds to enhance the overall presentation, while retaining the signature options that horophiles covet in watches. It results in a striking statement on the wrist, and a renewed appreciation for the complementary power of the diamond in luxury pieces.
Each Talisman 8 model features scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, case dimensions of 40 x 40 x 10.5mm and a power reserve of about 42 hours. They also have the proud De Beers name featured prominently above the hands. But it’s the strategic and artistic use of De Beers diamonds that gives each model its unique look.
The yellow gold model has a cream dial and uses baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers, with a large, unpolished diamond at the “12.” That large diamond contrasts well with the others, but the shape also resembles the watch itself, which adds an unexpected congruity to the piece. The total diamond weight is .78 carats, and the matching 18K yellow gold deployant buckle completes the presentation. This model has quartz movement and retails for $17,000.
One white gold model has a silver dial with baguette-cut diamonds at eight hour markers. Four rough, unpolished diamonds surround the hands and stand out against the lighter face. The result is a crisp overall look with a touch of color in the right places. It has mechanical movement, a total diamond weight of 1.58 carats and has a matching white gold deployant buckle. It retails for $18,000.
A second white gold model features automatic movement and a slightly different aesthetic. It has the same basic design with its diamonds, but a charcoal gray dial (a different look to the unpolished stones) creates a different presentation. These diamonds are even rougher, giving the piece a more striking look. Only the diamond at the “6” resembles the unpolished stones in the other white gold model, so while both white gold watches have the same elegant presentation, their differences are easy to note upon even casual inspection. The difference is also found in the total diamond weight of 1.71 carats. It retails for $16,000.
The white gold pavé version is an interesting fusion of the previous two models with elegant extras. It has the expected white gold case with a silver dial, but the stone design resembles the model with the charcoal gray dial. Outside the face, round brilliant diamonds fill the available space, creating a striking look on the wrist. These extra stones boost the total diamond weight up to 3.23 carats and give the overall look a sparkling validation. This version has automatic movement and retails for $22,000.
The full pavé version takes all of the previous elements and enhances the piece with the next logical step: A full complement of round brilliants both outside the face and across the dial. Like the second white gold model, three of the four rough, unpolished diamonds contrast with a darker one at the bottom. But in this case, the three similar unpolished stones have a defined, triangular shape. While this might appear somewhat sharp in one of the different models, it provides welcome definition in the full pavé. Even with all of the round brilliants, the angles of the unpolished stones call attention to them and are pleasing to the eye. The rough diamond at the “6” does not have this shape, but its color provides plenty of contrast and works well in the piece.
This version features quartz movement and an impressive total diamond weight of 6.81 carats. It retails for $38,000.
Leymarie said that although De Beers is world-renowned for its diamonds, they knew that entering the watch market would be a challenge. To become competitive would require out-of-the-box thinking and a commitment to providing something new for the wearer. “The watch market is extremely rich in terms of brands and in terms of design, and it’s not easy to establish yourself as a newcomer,” he said. From that challenge comes the use of an octahedron shape (the natural shape of diamonds) and the liberal use of rough diamonds on the dial.
Early feedback suggests that these risks have paid off handsomely. Leymarie said that the line has become very successful in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East—anywhere horophiles have a special appreciation for diamonds and their innovative placement in watches.
Part of the line’s success stems from De Beers not trying to be something it isn’t. “We don’t pretend to have become a watch maker,” Leymarie explained. “We enter the market not trying to compete with the leaders on the core business, but to try to create a niche in this market, which is a diamond specialist niche.” While some new watch makers enter the market with the bravado of an expert without the resume’ to back it up, De Beers knows their area of expertise is diamonds, and their intent was to highlight their unique pieces in this special line.
Even though they don’t pretend to be longstanding watch makers, the De Beers watches are clearly not lacking anything in the way of quality. Quite the opposite, in fact: De Beers has carried over their sterling reputation into this new market, and with Swiss-made mechanical, automatic and quartz movements across the models, their entry into the world of diamond watches is a memorable one. “We are clearly up to the luxury standard in this industry,” Leymarie said.
The success of this initial collection allows the Talisman watches to take their place next to the rest of the De Beers Talisman line, which includes rings, pendants and earrings. The pieces now complement each other, allowing for creative combinations when worn together, or a unique style when presented alone.
Like the watches, these pieces combine rough and polished diamonds to convey the power of earth-bound elements. The Talisman Signet Ring features white and fancy-colored rough and polished diamonds in white gold with a Hallmark setting. It has a total diamond weight of 1.29 carats and retails for $2,900. Its yellow gold counterpart is reminiscent of the similar Talisman Suntime watch, has a total carat weight of 1.36 and retails for $2,700. A Signet Sun Ring is also available in yellow gold with a smaller total diamond weight (.59 carats) but still featuring the distinct Talisman design for $2,200. The Talisman Signet Pavé Ring features 29 round brilliant diamonds in white gold. It has a total diamond weight of 1.42 carats and retails for $4,900. The Talisman Hero Ring has one rough diamond in a white gold setting, recalling the white gold Suntime with the rough diamond in the center. Total diamond weight ranges from 1.8 to 3 carats and retails for $7,200.
The Talisman Sun Medal Pendants appear to be the inspiration for the Talisman Suntime with brown and white brilliants radiating away from one larger rough, unpolished diamond. In the pendants, the design is somewhat less structured since there are no hour markers, but it also gives the piece an amulet-like appeal. The yellow gold Sun medal pendant has a total diamond weight of 1 carat and can be worn on a cotton cord or knife edge chain, which is sold separately. It retails for $2,350. The white gold pendant has a larger diamond weight (3.88 carats) and comes with a 50cm white gold knife edge chain. It retails for $7,300.
The White Diamond Sun Medal Pendant deviates slightly from its counterparts by presenting a white diamond in the center instead of a rough one. Set in yellow gold, it has a total diamond weight of 2.51 carats (including .55 carats for the center stone alone) and comes with a 50cm knife edge trace chain for $10,000.
The Signet Stud earrings follow the common Talisman themes with white and fancy color rough and polished diamonds and a rough diamond in the center. Available in yellow gold, these earrings have a total diamond weight of 1.26 carats and measure 12.7mm x 14.8mm. They retail for $3,700.
Other accessories include the Sun Cufflinks which are set in yellow gold with white and fancy color round brilliant polished diamonds. They have a total diamond weight of .96 carats and retail for $2,800. De Beers rounds out the line with a striking Cuff Bracelet, which features a generous array of white and fancy color rough and polished diamonds (4.91 carats). It certainly complements a Talisman watch, and works especially well with a Talisman 8. The Cuff Bracelet measures 60.3mm x 25mm x 49.5mm and is available in 15-19cm sizes. It retails for $8,500.
While the Talisman collection is varied and thorough in its offerings, it is just one of many jewelry lines that De Beers offers. Others include the Burning Rocks Collection, the Radiance Collection, the Wildflowers Collection and the Secrets of the Rose Collection, featuring a vast assortment of rings, pendants and earrings.
As the Talisman watches join the other pieces in the collection as sought-after diamond accessories, De Beers has achieved its goal of introducing unique jewelry to diamond-lovers. Leymarie believes that the market itself is sometimes lacking in innovative designs, and with the Talisman line the public is responding favorably to something different that retains traditional expectations of quality and luxury. “If you look at the market, you have a lot of beautiful things, but with a very similar design. The creativity on the functionality is huge, (but) on the design it is less striking. You have a lot of similar forms on the market,” he said. “We have to be different.”
And by being different, De Beers has also succeeded in enticing new customers to try diamond jewelry and appreciate their luxury. In fact, Leymarie himself is among the new converts.
“The mechanical (Talisman) with baguettes and rough, brown diamonds is the one I wear,” Leymarie explained. “To be very honest, I have spent 20 years in the watch and jewelry industry. This is the first time that I’m wearing a diamond watch, and I feel comfortable doing it.” He said its masculine, elegant look is appealing to anyone who appreciates watches; even those who don’t normally wear one with diamonds.
The Talisman Collection has broad appeal, but an intentionally-limited distribution: They can only be purchased at a De Beers retail outlet. Currently, the company has several locations in the US, including New York, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Houston and Washington. Around the world, De Beers retail stores can also be found in locations such as Tokyo, London, Paris, Dubai and Seoul. The intent is to create awareness and provide an exclusive setting for this inaugural collection, although other avenues could open up in the future.
The current success of the Talisman collection has De Beers already thinking about the next step. Leymarie said that the public can expect to see items such as very special limited editions with retrograph movements in the future. But whatever forms or functions define additional collections, De Beers will always ensure that its signature stone makes an important statement throughout future lines. “We are about diamonds. We want to give all the dimensions and myth and mystique of diamonds,” Leymarie said. “I think it [the watch market] is a very strong potential market for us, especially if we try to capitalize on what De Beers is about: Diamonds.”

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