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Jewelry technique where small gemstones are set closely together on watch surfaces, creating continuous sparkle through precise stone placement.

Pavé (French for 'paved') is a gem-setting technique where small diamonds or gemstones are set closely together across a watch surface — dial, bezel, or bracelet — creating a continuous carpet of sparkle. Each stone is held by tiny metal prongs or beads, revealing minimal metal to maximize the impression of uninterrupted brilliance.
A gem-setter drills tiny holes precisely sized for each stone, then places each stone and secures it with small beads or prongs pushed up from the surrounding metal. This requires exceptional skill: stones must be perfectly aligned, consistently spaced, and uniformly set at the same height. The work is done under magnification and can take days for a fully pavé-set dial.
Full pavé covers the entire surface (dial, bezel, bracelet) with continuous stones, creating maximum brilliance. Partial pavé sets stones in specific zones — just the bezel, lugs, or dial indices — for accent. Full pavé watches are significantly more expensive due to stone quantity and setting labor, often reserved for haute joaillerie complications and ladies' watches.

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