An entire line of pendants, earrings, cufflinks, necklaces and more made from antique watches. And it’s via steampunk.

The green movement has given us a lot of things – great organic produce, safer cosmetics, and dreamy Adrian Grenier hawking eco-products. And now, the green gods have bequeathed more eco-friendly awesomeness upon us. Recently, we had the opportunity to check out designer Miae Kim’s one-of-a-kind Antige Steampunk Jewelry. It’s an entire line of pendants, earrings, cufflinks, necklaces and more made from antique watches. And it’s via steampunk.

And just what is steampunk? It refers specifically to an era of steam power in 19th century Victorian Britain. Steam power produced new technologies that changed the world as we know it.  (It’s also a sub-genre of science fiction that was popular in the late 1980s.) And as Miae tells it, “steampunk is all about transforming these incredible mechanisms into pieces of art.” And this is exactly what she’s done in her line of jewelry.

Antique 1913 Waltham Pocket Watch with Da Vinci's Drawing of Head of Leda Steampunk Necklace



And just how does one become a steampunk jewelry designer? Miae has been working as a visual effects artist for years, mostly in animated films.  She began making jewelry as a form of meditation to escape from her high-pressure Hollywood job.


Petite Alaina Ring



Miae always found it fascinating how much intricate work went into making watches, especially the antique ones. She notes that one can often find the internal mechanics to be prettier than the outside. 


Steampunk Filigree and Watch Gear Wheels Earrings



This is truly a pure form of recycling old broken mechanisms. Miae gets her watches and other pieces from old watchmakers – she never buys working watches. She points out that this is recycling by preserving original pieces, whereas most recycling just reuses the materials.


Steampunk Vintage Watch Olivine Crystal Cuff Links



And Miae isn’t stopping with these pieces. She’s currently working with a fashion designer friend to create leather steampunk items such as cuffs and small purses.  She’s also working on steam punk hair pieces with feather and watch parts. 


Vintage Swiss Gruen Steampunk Bracelet



You can find more of Miae’s work on Etsy. She also creates artful vintage glass and filigree jewelry and other unique handmade fine pieces.