A Moment in Time: Anna Maccieri Rossi on Watchmaking, Jewelry, and the Art of Timekeeping

Twice a year, we adjust our clocks—springing forward or falling back—marking the inevitable passage of time. But what if time was more than just numbers on a dial? What if it was something to be felt, cherished, even worn?

For Anna Maccieri Rossi, time is more than a measurement; it’s a living, breathing force—one she translates into fine jewelry. With a background designing high jewelry watches for Jaeger-LeCoultre, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., and Ferragamo, her perspective on time is precise and poetic. As we prepare to shift our clocks for Daylight Savings Time, we caught up with Anna to explore how she weaves the art of timekeeping into jewelry that moves with us.

“My experiences in high jewelry watchmaking gave me a unique perspective on time,” Anna shares. “I’ve always wanted to create something beyond just a beautiful pendant—something deeply personal, something that speaks to the heart.”

One of her favorite collections, Carpe Diem, embodies this philosophy. Within each piece, a star or heart-shaped second hand subtly moves, reminding the wearer to pause, breathe, and be present. “You have to look closely to see the movement—it’s a metaphor for life itself,” she explains. “Time isn’t just something to track. It’s something to feel.”

Anna doesn’t see watch movements as mere mechanisms for telling time—they are tools for storytelling. “I wanted to create something magical, with a spark of the unexpected,” she says. “I love Swiss complications, but for my designs, movement is more than just function—it’s a way to convey an emotion, a message. Time is now.”

Her jewelry invites us to engage with time in a more thoughtful, intimate way—to see it not as something slipping through our fingers but as something we can hold onto. Anna’s designs are alive with movement, rich in symbolism, and imbued with a sense of memory and imagination. 

“Jewelry should have a soul,” she says. “An amulet that makes the young dream and the old remember.”

In an era where time feels like a luxury, she urges us to reconsider how we engage. 

“Time is our most precious commodity—the one thing money can’t buy,” she says. “I want my work to build a culture around this idea, to bring a new awareness to how we honor and experience time.”

As we adjust our clocks and reset our schedules, perhaps Anna’s jewelry offers a reminder: Time isn’t just something we measure. It’s something we live.