GIVEN the rising interest in mechanical timepieces, you may wonder if jewellery timepieces - most of which use quartz movements - are getting any less popular.

The good news is, these bejewelled pieces will always find a place in consumers' hearts. "Many women still prefer hassle-free quartz watches and brands like Chopard," says Mr Raymond Lim, executive director of Cortina Watch. Case in point: Chopard's Happy Diamonds and Happy Sport are quartz watches that have been enjoying brisk sales.

Some of the quartz jewellery pieces, notably those made in small quantities, are unique because of the numerous high quality diamonds set on them. Such pieces tend to be more desirable as collectors want something exclusive.

Scarcity of good jewellery watches is a key reason why demand is constant, adds Mr William Leong, managing director of the Leong Poh Kee Group, distributor of Sarcar luxury timepieces in the region.

"Great craftsmanship and years of experience are required to produce fine jewelled timepieces and good craftsmen are hard to come by. In addition, gemstones of high quality are always in demand," he adds.

The regional general manager of Cortina Watch, Mr Jeremy Lim, who headed the recently concluded Jewellery Time exhibition at the Paragon shopping mall, also maintains that there is still a good market for jewellery pieces. He adds that the average piece at Jewellery Time was $50,000, and the total value of the watches exhibited was $60 million.

"We still have our regular customers buying jewellery watches, quartz models included," he discloses. "And while it is true that there is an uptrend for mechanical pieces, more and more jewellery pieces are being offered with mechanical movements as well."

Corum's Golden Bridge set with diamonds is one fine example; Cortina practically experienced a sell-out at their exhibition. This is an iconic piece for the brand and through the transparent sapphire glass, you can view the mechanical movement in a vertical position.The diamond-set pieces for Corum's Golden Bridge are a hot favourite, says Mr Lim.

Blancpain, a brand which does not make quartz watches, has stepped up its collection of ladies jewellery pieces as well. Glash�tte Original, once viewed as a conservative German brand, has an extremely loud and stunning piece known as the Golden Dragon.

And if you cannot decide between a mechanical or quartz watch, check out Patek Philippe's Gondolo Gemma, which is available in both versions.

Interestingly, jewellery pieces are catching on among the men too. Zenith's CEO Thierry Nataf recently launched the diamond-set Tourbillon Black Tie. "Normally,I do not wear watches set with diamonds. But this time I wanted something to wear for black-tie events, hence the creation. However, such jewellery watches for men must be subtle," says Mr Nataf.

Royal Time

HAVE you seen the special editions from Sarcar bearing the name and personal seal of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadejof Thailand on the dials? Well, here is one piece for women from the Galaxy Collection Lady.

How was this managed by the Swiss watch brand? "A senior member of Zonta International Club of Thailand, which has its roots in Geneva,was intrigued by our Sarcar rotating diamond watch. She was convinced that our timepieces could interest fellow members to embark on a Sarcar charity drive to contribute to the Chaipattana Foundation by raising funds through sales of our luxury timepieces," explains Mr William Leong, managing director of the Leong Poh Kee Group of companies, distributor of Sarcar luxury timepieces.

Among the objectives of the Zonta Club is to advance the status of women worldwide and to assist the less fortunate. The Chaipattana Foundation is one of the Thai King's selected charitable organisations which helps the underprivileged in Thailand.

As such, a special edition collection was created to commemorate the 60th anniversary and celebrate the 80th birthday of the Thai King on Dec 5. The luxurious Sarcar timepiece sold in aid of this charity carries the Thai King's name as well as his personal seal known as "Por. Por. Ror".