Spider

Your story, your personalization

Spider

Artisans de Genève is an independent workshop customizing watches at the request of their owners; it does not manufacture or sell watches. It operates independently and is not affiliated with or authorized by any watch brand; trademarks are used solely for descriptive purposes in relation to the original watches.

All modifications are carried out independently and without any approval from the original brand. Each customized watch is for private use only; no responsibility is assumed for any resale or commercial use. The work presented was commissioned by a client and reflects our know-how only; it does not constitute an offer or commitment.

Estimated price: 39'520 CHF

The final price may vary depending on the nature and complexity of the customization and modifications requested.

A Personal Approach

Man carefully working on a small mechanical watch component at a workbench with soft sunlight in the background.

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Close-up view of a dark luxury wristwatch with a black metal band and a turquoise dial featuring multiple sub-dials.

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The project of Mr. S.C.L.

The Spiderweb Turquoise

Driven by our client’s vision, we travelled to Arizona in search of a stone that could embody his project, a material as vibrant and singular as the way he wanted to personalize his watch.

In this warm, ochre landscape, it was in fact a blue stone, Spiderweb Turquoise, that we carefully brought back and that became the starting point of this bold personalization.

When our client started his project, he had in mind to create something around stones, as he found the symbolism around this mineral absolutely fantastic. Indeed, seeking out "Spiderweb Turquoise" and blending it with sapphire, he found that immediately sumptuous.

Unlike a classic turquoise, this stone reveals a very fine and regular pattern reminiscent of a spider’s web. Between the finesse of the finishes and a subtle play of transparency, this timepiece becomes a unique, vibrant piece with infinite shades of blue.

Art supplies including a watercolor palette, paintbrush, pencil, tweezers, watch face blueprint, and fragments of blue stone on a dark surface.

Back view of a stainless steel artisan wristwatch showing intricate mechanical movement with turquoise details.

When Artisans de Genève told me they would set out to find the most incredible natural stone and told me the story of the Spiderweb Turquoise's origins, I was instantly captivated. I found the result and experience incredible, and perhaps that’s what makes the singularity of watchmaking customization.

Testimonial—Our client, Mr. S.C.L.

The Choice Of The Spiderweb Turquoise

Spiderweb Turquoise possesses a timeless beauty. Known for its amazing medium blue colour and the presence of its matrix, resembling veins.

Close-up of polished turquoise stones with natural brown and black veining.

Desert Stone

Spiderweb Turquoise, a unique semi-precious stone, mainly comes from the southwestern United States, particularly Arizona and Nevada. Extracted from the famous Kingman mine, the stone selected for this project reveals striking shades of blue and distinctive dark veins.

Two irregularly shaped stone pieces, one turquoise with black veins and the other dark blue, placed on a dark textured surface.

The Spiderweb Turquoise

Turquoise deposits usually form in Limonite, its host rock. Limonite matrix creates dark brown markings, resembling veins. The dark veins that run through it, drawing its distinctive lines, are in fact natural fracture points, areas of structural weakness within the stone.

Veins Of Fragility

For this project, a massive block of around 4 kg was extracted in order to select, at the very heart of the material, the area where the pattern appeared most harmonious and the colour most intense.

0.5 Millimetres Thick

Crafting the dial therefore required extreme precision. The finished plate measures just 0.5 millimetres thick. At that scale, the stone can fracture along its own pattern. Every movement of the tool had to respect the structure of the material.

Focus On Modifications

Close-up of a turquoise spider dial with three grey subdials and Swiss Made marking on a watch face.

The Spiderweb Turquoise Dial

The blue shade of the dial is truly unique and bold thanks to the use of a gemstone, Spiderweb Turquoise. The sapphire base creates intriguing effects of transparency.

Close-up of the back of a silver mechanical watch with an exposed skeletonized movement and the inscriptions 'Artisans de Genève', 'Spider', 'Made in Suisse', and 'SCL'.

A Skeletonised Movement

The movement adopts a skeletonised “neon-style” architecture. Its matte anthracite finish gives it a contemporary aesthetic. The signature balance bridge is cut from a block of hardened steel, bevelled and finished with black polish.

Deep Brown Ceramic Bezel

The bezel is crafted in deep brown ceramic, a material that is both lightweight and durable, and particularly resistant to scratches.

Other Modifications

Close-up of a watch face showing mechanical gears and white hour markers 3, 6, and 9 within a turquoise bezel.

Hands

The hands feature stamped and angled heads, a precise finishing that highlights the refinement of the elements.

Rotor

The oscillating weight is shaped from tungsten, a highly resistant metal, and decorated with an X logo in grand feu enamel.

Close-up of a luxury watch face showing internal gears and a turquoise marbled design on the dial.

Sapphire Dial

Sapphire is used as the dial base, echoing the transparency of the crystal to create subtle plays of light.

"Our work at Artisans de Genève is to source the finest stones."

"Our work at Artisans de Genève is to source the finest stones. And there are different types around the world depending on the choice. Turquoise is a colored stone that is mostly found in arid and dry regions.", Seraina W. - Gemologist (GIA) at Artisans de Genève

Dozens of pieces are carefully selected to create a dial that balances the blue color and dark veins, resulting in a unique and harmonious design.

Inside The Customization

Every detail of this customization was a bold gamble, balancing a highly technical approach with aesthetics. Discover the features that shape the identity of this unique timepiece.