Luxury & Brands
Watches from Geneva’s SIHH 2016: Ticking Fast
Text by Sitanshi Talati-Parikh. Ambience images by Falguni Sheth-Kapadia, Sitanshi Talati-Parikh and courtesy SIHH. Post assistance by Simone Louis
The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Geneva, is considered the crème de la crème of watch fairs, with it’s invitee-only entry, extremely selective offerings and some of the world’s most exclusive watch brands in attendance.
Systematically designed with country-based media slots to watch the unveiling of the year’s novelties, even the bracing cold (rumoured to be the coldest SIHH ever) could not dispel the passion emanating from the warm recesses of the Palexpo fair area, even though the hallways held whispers of the fair being a milder version of it’s earlier glory.
The booths may have been cookie-cutter for most part, but the window displays were innovative and some were just breathtaking in their intricacy. The presentation that took the cake, however, was hands-down the Audemars Piguet virtual reality tour of their manufactory with the humour, wit and infectious enthusiasm of the CEO François-Henri Bennahmias, that made even the sleepiest journos wake up at the fag end of the day.
This year saw a new lot of 9 independent watchmakers presented in a separate Carre des Horlogers section, some with some standout pieces. After 25 years, this year, SIHH saw 24 exhibitors and a museum display ‘Square of Clocks’.
Meanwhile, our evenings remained busy with cocktails at the A Lange and Soehne booth, the Jaeger-LeCoultre gala affair to celebrate 85 years of the Reverso watch with a mesmerising live installation and a Christian Louboutin pop-up, and the ever-elegant Cartier dinner. Not to mention, an exclusive première of the exhibition Breguet, A Story Among the Greats, at Cité du Temps.
Check out a visual gallery of our picks from SIHH 2016, if you missed our exclusive live coverage on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. (Click on any of the thumbnails to toggle gallery view.)
NOVELTIES BY THE BRANDS (In alphabetical order)
(Click on any of the thumbnails to view larger and for more specs on the watches.)
A Lange & Soehne
Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase Lumen
Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase Lumen
Limited edition of 200 watches, combines a brilliant moon-phase display with a luminous outsize date.
Saxonia Thin
Thinnest timepiece from the brand, featuring a manually wound calibre L093.1 movement and available in pink or white gold.
Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
Pairs three complications with five supplementary functions, powered by manually wound calibre L952.2, limited to 100 watches.
Lange 1 White Gold
Manually wound calibre L121.1, twin mainspring barrel with a power reserve of three days, plates and bridges made of untreated German silver.
Saxonia Moon Phase
Precise moon-phase display and the characteristic Lange outsize date, once set the display only needs correction by one day every 122.6 years, 72-hour power reserve.
Richard Lange Jumping Seconds
Richard Lange Jumping Seconds
Platinum timepiece with prominent regulator dial, integrated jumping mechanism to display the time in strict one-second intervals, limited edition of 100 watches.
Showstopper: Well, Walter Lange, actually! Seeing the charming and humble gentleman actually take you around and chat about the novelties was completely disarming. As always, A Lange and Soehne keeps the faith alive with meticulous and sophisticated timepieces – this time with Richard Lange Jumping Seconds (limited edition of 100 watches), and the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase Lumen (limited edition of 200 watches) which combines a brilliant moon-phase display with a luminous outsize date.
Audemars Piguet
Diamond Fury
Diamond-paved 18-carat white gold dial, blackened gold hands. 18-carat white gold bracelet, entirely set with diamonds. 4,635 brilliant-cut diamonds; ~25.60 carats (case, bracelet). 206 brilliant-cut diamonds; ~0.54 carats (dial). Quartz movement.
Millenary Hand-Wound
18-carat pink gold case, entirely set with brilliant-cut diamonds, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, crown set with an onyx cabochon, water-resistant to 20 m. Case width: 39.50 mm. Onyx off-centred disc and small seconds counter with white pearls, pink gold hands. 438 brilliant-cut diamonds; ~1.93 carats (case, buckle). 169 brilliant-cut diamonds; ~0.35 carats (dial, movement).
Millenary Hand-Wound
18-carat white gold case, entirely set with brilliant-cut diamonds, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, crown set with an onyx cabochon, water-resistant to 20 m. Case width: 39.50 mm. 18-carat white gold off-centred disc and small seconds counter with “zebra” pattern, set with brilliant-cut diamonds and onyx, yellow gold hands. “Large square scale” yellow alligator strap with diamond-set 18-carat white gold pin buckle. Additional black shiny strap. 438 brilliant-cut diamonds; ~1.93 carats (case, buckle). 140 brilliant-cut diamonds; ~0.43 carats (dial, movement).
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
Stainless steel case, glareproofed sapphire crystal, diamond-set bezel, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m. 37.00 mm. Black dial with new “Lady Tapisserie” pattern, circular-grained external zone, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. Black rubber strap with stainless steel AP folding clasp. 32 brilliant-cut diamonds ; ~1.02 carats (bezel).
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
18-carat pink gold case, glareproofed sapphire crystal, diamond-set bezel, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m. 37mm. Silver-toned dial with new “Lady Tapisserie” pattern, circular-grained external zone, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. White rubber strap with 18-carat pink gold AP folding clasp. 32 brilliant-cut diamonds ; ~1.02 carats (bezel).
Royak Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph
Royak Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph
Stainless steel case, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, black ceramic pushpieces and screw-locked crowns, water-resistant to 300 m. 42.00 mm. Green dial with “Méga Tapisserie” pattern, black counters, blackened gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating, black rotating inner bezel with diving scale and zone from 60 to 15 minutes in green. Green rubber strap with stainless steel pin buckle. (Also available in yellow, orange and blue).
Showstopper: While Audemars Piguet, in their dynamic presentation, showcased a range of novelties, we have picked out the women’s range here including the Diamond Fury, the Millenary Hand-Wound and the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph. (Though we couldn’t resist including the Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph.)
Baume & Mercier
Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar
Clifton Chronograph Complete Calendar
Available in three versions, features a classic design and offers two practical complications: complete calendar and chronograph.
Capeland Shelby Cobra Limited Edition
Capeland Shelby Cobra Limited Edition
Powered by mechanical self-winding movement (Valjoux 7753), fitted with chronograph, tachymeter and date functions.
Petite Promesse
Diameter of 22mm, bezel set with diamonds, wrap-around leather strap or steel bracelet and a dial in pure white mother-of-pearl.
Showstopper: Their desire to celebrate unique moments with the keywords of expertise, passion and happiness. Besides their complications like the Capeland Shelby Cobra limited edition, their feminine offering comes in the form of the Petite Promesse in a 22-diameter case with a white mother-of-pearl dial, diamond bezel, following the mix-and-match trend with a calfskin leather strap in orange and blue or a polished steel wraparound bracelet. (Priced at approximately 2200-2900 CHF.)
Cartier
Dragon Mystérieux watch
White gold, one 23.77-carat cushion-shaped fire opal, diamond, coral, onyx, emerald eyes, mechanical movement with manual winding, mystery hour and minute display.
Drive de Cartier
From top to bottom: Drive de Cartier flying tourbillon watch 18-carat pink gold, Drive de Cartier watch steel, Drive de Cartier watch 18-carat pink gold(2 types), Drive de Cartier watch large date, retrograde second time zone and day/night indicator steel.
Rings of Saturn motif watch
Rings of Saturn motif watch
White gold, diamonds, black jade, mechanical movement with manual winding, calibre 101, unique piece.
Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux
Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux
950/1000 palladium case, calibre 9462 MC, double adjustable folding clasp in 18-carat white gold, beaded crown set with a blue sapphire cabochon, also available in baguette-cut gem-set versions.
Mechanical Legends Crash Skeleton
Mechanical Legends Crash Skeleton
18-carat pink gold case, calibre 9618 MC, beaded crown set with a blue sapphire cabochon, mineral glass crystal, limited series of 67 numbered pieces.
Showstopper: Practically everything! It sparkles, it shines and it’s a work of art. The one that stole our heart was the Parrot with approximately 100 real rose petals glued on the dial, using a secret technique. Limited edition of 20 pieces costing approximately 100,000 EUR.
Christophe Claret
Marguerite
Two butterflies around a daisy on the dial – darker one perched on a petal rotates every hour while lighter one on the stem indicates the minutes, one press on the pusher at 2 o’clock makes the numbers disappear to reveal the phrase: “Il m’aime passionnément” (He loves me passionately).
Poker
Automaton watch, users can immerse themselves in three-player games of Texas Hold’em with 32,768 different combinations, equipped with cathedral gong.
X-TREM-1
Introduction of a magnetic field – usually the arch enemy of horological mechanisms – into the heart of the watch, two hollowed steel spheres move with no mechanical connection and indicate the hours and minutes which are housed inside sapphire tubes on either side of the caseband.
Showstopper: In time for Valentine’s Day (hey, if you believe in that fluff, we are not judging!) the lovely Marguerite with the ‘He loves me, he loves me not’ flower petal game, where the answer keeps changing. Complications created for women, with limited editions of 20 pieces at nearly 200,000 CHF to start out. In the text version, feel free to personalise your own watch message with, ‘Marry Me!’
De Bethune
Greubel Forsey
Double Balancier à Différentiel Constant
Double Balancier à Différentiel Constant
Unique edition of 33 pieces in white gold, two inclined balance wheels, three-dimensional geometric lugs and raised polished engraving on a hand-punched background.
Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision in Red Gold
Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision in Red Gold
Enamelled indications on solid gold dial, hand-finished hands, lower tourbillon bridge with barrelled and polished surface.
Showstopper: With merely a 100 pieces/novelties a year (and a 100 people working for them), GF has kept it going strong with 20 calibres and 7 inventions in 12 years. Their Signature 1 (11 pieces in white gold, 11 in red gold, 11 in platinum, 33 in platinum) and the Double Balancier (33 pieces in white gold) are cool takeaways.
H Moser & Cie
Swiss Alp Watch
18-carat white gold model, signature fumé dial, kudu leather strap, limited edition of 50 pieces.
Perpetual Calendar Heritage Limited Edition
Diamond-set and enamelled pocket watch case in 5N red gold, white Grand Feu enamel dial with hand-painted Roman numerals and dovetail-shaped blued hands, solid 18-carat gold plate and bridges with matte finish, hand chamfering and hand-engraved hallmark.
Showstopper: As they say, they are ‘Very Rare’ believing in individualised, unique products; with 1000 watches a year worked on by a team of 50 people. Founded in 1828 by watchmaker, F Moser, their first boutique was in St Petersburg. All their movements in-house including the screws. Their perpetual calendar (limited edition 10 pieces at approximately 250,ooo CHF); their logo-less endeavour perpetual calendar (10 pieces at approximately 60,000 CHF and another version in 20 pieces at approximately 24,000 CHF) and their Swiss Alp Watch (which has an uncanny resemblance to the Apple watch) has a mechanical heart.
HYT
H4 Metropolis
Centred around the amalgam of mechanics and liquid, titanium case and titanium black DLC bezel, skeleton mechanical hand-wound movement, unstructured fluid hour display, - 65-hour power reserve.
Skull Maori
Rare handmade engraved pink gold (5N) skull shaped dial, traditional hand engraving of Maori tribal tattoo, seconds dial in the left eye, power reserve indicator in the right eye, retrograde red fluid hours.
H1 Iceberg
Limited edition of 50 pieces, retrograde blue fluid hours, mechanical hand-wound movement, exclusive HYT calibre, white rubber strap, titanium deployant buckle.
IWC
Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36
Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36
Calibre 35111, 42-hour power reserve, stainless-steel case, silver-plated dial, blue alligator leather strap by Santoni, stainless-steel butterfly clasp.
Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48
Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48
Mechanical movement, date display, IWC-manufactured calibre 59215, titanium case, black dial, brown calfskin strap, titanium pin buckle.
Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince”
Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince”
Pellaton automatic winding, annual calendar with date, day and month displays, 18-carat red gold case, blue dial, dark brown calfskin strap by Santoni, 18-carat red gold folding clasp.
Showstopper: Celebrating 80 years of the pilot’s watches, their booth had a cool ‘Top Gun’ feel. Their historian, Dr David Seyffer oozed passion, as he gave Verve a personal tour of the novelties and vintage pieces, taking us back in time and making the timepieces come alive. We love that IWC has brought out a 36mm watch that’s perfect for women! (What we couldn’t believe is the size of the 55mm watch on display, limited to 100 pieces!)
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Rendez-Vous Night & Day steel watch with diamonds
Rendez-Vous Night & Day steel watch with diamonds
Sunburst satin-finished dial, 204-part mechanical automatic movement Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 898A, 40-hour power reserve, day/night indicator featuring a
silver-toned powder finish.
Duomètre Quantième Lunaire
Duomètre Quantième Lunaire
Silvered opaline dial, lunar calendar function, hand-hammered moon phase indicator, Dual-Wing® system, ‘jumping seconds’ counter at 6 o’clock and revealed movement.
Showstopper: To celebrate the 85th anniversary of the iconic Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre has teamed up with Christian Louboutin to give their Reverso an unprecedented edge with a newer, younger market. You can choose your strap or customise it digitally. We love this clever move, because it expands the repertoire of the classy brand into a wider market; much required in the luxury space today. And for those who like it hardcore, their Gyrotourbillion is a piece to watch.
Laurent Ferrier
Galet Traveller Globe Night Blue
Galet Traveller Globe Night Blue
A three-dimensional dial marrying gold and champlevé enamel. The centre of this dial is adorned with a convex planisphere depicting the five continents in 18K white gold, surrounded by a blue enamel sea. Powered by self-winding LF Calibre 230.01, incorporating the dualtime
adjustment mechanism as well as the date. An 80-hour power reserve.
Galet Square Boreal
41mm, self-winding FBN 229.01 calibre with a 3-day power reserve. This is the first exclusive in-house movement
developed, assembled and adjusted in the Laurent Ferrier workshops.
Showstopper: The Galet Traveller Globe night blue, which is an interpretation of the Earth seen by night.
Mont Blanc
Montblanc 4810 ExoTourbillon Slim Limited Edition North America LE 38
Montblanc 4810 ExoTourbillon Slim Limited Edition North America LE 38
Montblanc’s new Manufacture Calibre MB 29.24 unites Montblanc’s patented ExoTourbillon with a stop-seconds mechanism. This mechanism halts the screwed balance wheel to set the time precisely to the second. The stop-seconds mechanism is activated via the crown with a three-step function, which also includes winding the movement and setting the time.
Mont Blanc 4810 Orbis Terrarum
Mont Blanc 4810 Orbis Terrarum
Presents the worldtime complication on a multilayer sapphire crystal dial. It shows the continents as viewed from the North Pole, encircled by 24 cities representing the different time zones. Under the cut-out continents, a disc showing day/night as well as the 24 times zones rotates with the movement mechanism. As the continents change from showing the different climate zones during daytime to a dark blue colour after sunset, the course of day and night around the world can be observed at a single glance.
Mont Blanc Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Transatlantic Pocket Watch Limited Edition 8
Mont Blanc Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Transatlantic Pocket Watch Limited Edition 8
Made of 281 hand-crafted components, the Montblanc Calibre MB M68.40 impresses with its triple time zone indication. With home time displayed on a delicate “rose de vents” at 12 o’clock and central local time, it is the world time indication that dominates the dial. To show the course of day and night around the world, two discs with 24 time zones simultaneously revolve around two fixed, three-dimensional globes. As a reference, 24 cities from each hemisphere encircle the dial.
Showstopper: The 4810 ExoTourbillon Slim with patented construction including quick stop mechanism, first-time micro rotor movement in a 42mm red gold case priced at approximately 34,500 EUR. Limited edition with hand painted dial with 3 options of maps (America, Europe and Asia) limited pieces of 38 at 43,500 EUR 42mm white gold. The 4810 Orbis Terrarum offers universal time indication with day/night indication and climate zones; and the beautiful Villaret Tourbillon Cylindrique with world time (handpainted with Grand feu enamel and hand engraving to depict the ocean) comes in a limited edition of 8 pieces priced at approximately 300,000 EUR.
Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic
Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic
First white dial in the Radiomir 1940 collection, water-resistant to 10 bar, 42mm polished steel case, untreated leather strap with contrasting stitching.
Lo Scienziato – Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio
Lo Scienziato – Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio
P.2005 mechanical movement – hand-wound
calibre with the special tourbillon patented by Panerai, tourbillon. brushed titanium case, hours, minutes, small seconds, second time zone, power reserve indicator on the back.
Luminor 8 Days Set
Available in only 500 examples, comprises Luminor Black Seal Left-Handed 8 Days and Luminor Daylight 8 Days, supplied in a box inspired by those used for vintage Luminor watches, containing a model of the human torpedo together with a rare publication on the military equipment of the special forces of the Royal Italian Navy.
Showstopper: Introduction of the white dial is a visual change from before, particularly with the hands in blue with an alligator blue strap. Their Lo Scienziato is a statement piece, while they also have a Luminor special edition of 500 box sets in exclusive packaging (approximately 20,000 EUR) keeps the fans excited.
Parmigiani Fleuer
Kalpa Tourbillon Cyclone
Platinum case is set with 215 baguette diamonds, Hermès strap, 103 pieces of mother of pearl on dial, equipped with a 30-second tourbillon.
Bugatti Super Sport Sapphire
Bugatti Super Sport Sapphire
Gold skeletonised case with sapphire sections, movement made entirely of gold, 19 of the movement's components including bridges and plates are made of red gold.
Showstopper: At the 20th anniversary of the brand, they unveiled a range of striking timepieces, while taking us through their watchmaking history. The Kalpa Tourbillon Cyclone, 30-sec tourbillon with 215 baguettes, manually wound, one-week power reserve at approximately 495,000 CHF hit the high note.
Piaget
Altiplano 38mm engraved gold dial
Altiplano 38mm engraved gold dial
Crafted by artisan Dick Steenman, 18-carat pink gold case, bezel set with 78 brilliant-cut diamonds, limited edition of 8 pieces.
Limelight Stella
First complication watch dedicated to women by Piaget, powered by caliber 580P, will require a one-day correction only after 122 years.
Limelight Gala
Milanese mesh bracelet, diamond-set elongated asymmetrical lugs.
Emperador Coussin XL 700P
Emperador Coussin XL 700P
Limited edition of 118 pieces. Case in 18K white gold, small sapphire case-back, black ADLC coated bezel, generator and micro-rotor underlined with polished white gold, silvered indexes. 1st Piaget hybrid movement: Self-winding calibre with a quartz generator; Power reserve: approx. 42h; Thickness: 5.5 mm (movement); Diameter: 34.9 mm (15''' 1/2)
Altiplano 900D
The thinnest manually-wound mechanical watch with a case and dial covered in diamonds.
2016 Altiplano 900D
5.65mm; 18k white-gold case is given an extra bezel structure which is set with baguette-cut diamonds, while the rest of the case sides and lugs are set with round-cut diamonds.
Showstopper: The sheer sparkle at the booth was beautiful, not to draw away from the lovely timepieces which included the Altapino with the engraved dial and their first complication watch for women, the Limelight Stella. Their Altiplano 900D has become the thinnest manually-wound mechanical watch with a case and dial covered in diamonds. And to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its first in-house quartz movement, the ultra-thin 7P calibre presented in 1976, Piaget unveils the Emperador Coussin XL 700P: featuring an unusual match between a mechanical calibre and a generator, issued in a 118-piece limited series.
Richard Mille
RM 69
This calibre features a unique Richard Mille architecture which was developed in collaboration with engineers from AP Renaud & Papi.
RM 26-02 Tourbillon Evil Eye
RM 26-02 Tourbillon Evil Eye
Designed and brought to life by Olivier Vaucher, a renowned craftsman from Geneva, showcasing the art of grand feu enameling.
RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire
RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire
Ergonomic tripartite case reveals the new in-house CRMA5 caliber, assembled around a skeletonized plate in microblasted 5N gold set with diamonds.
RM 50-02 Airbus Corporate Jets
RM 50-02 Airbus Corporate Jets
Created by Sylvain Mariat, Head of ACJ Design Studio, and Richard Mille. The watch houses a new tourbillon calibre, featuring a power reserve indicator (70 hours) between 11 and 12 o’clock, and a torque indicator.
Mechanical fountain pen
The Fountain pen, a quintessential writing instrument, a product of watchmaking by virtue of a mechanical movement as complex as any RM calibre.
Showstopper: All the talk of an ‘erotic tourbillon’, RM 69 in a limited edition of 30 pieces which says, ‘I want to explore you tonight’. Outlandish pieces appeared in the form of the Evil Eye Tourbillon, and a new Pink Lady Sapphire. The Airbus Corporate Jets was their unique collaboration in a limited edition of 30 pieces with airbus corkscrews, corporate jet logo and cockpit colours. To move to writing instruments, the NTPT carbon and titanium fountain pen offers a mechanically retractable nib in red and white gold, with a self-winding pen calibre.
Roger Dubuis
Black Velvet
Tone-on-tone carbon dial offset by white Roman numerals, white gold appliques and 66 extremely rare Paraiba tourmalines adorning the bezel and third-lug decor, satin-finish strap secured by a DLC-titanium folding clasp.
Blossom Velvet
Available in pink and blue versions, in pink or white gold respectively, mechanical self-winding movement calibre RD821, two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel and lugs, signature Velvet central tonneau adorned with more diamonds and unique floral embellishments crafted from a thick plate of Grand Feu enamel.
Velvet by Massaro
Fashioned in collaboration with haute couture bigwig Maison Massaro as a tribute to silver-screen siren Rita Hayworth, unique strap in warm gold tones, 88-piece limited edition, self-winding calibre beating at 28,800 vph with a 48-hour power reserve.
Velvet Ribbon
Fully paved with emerald- and baguette-cut
diamonds, 38.5-mm platinum case, 631 diamonds totalling around 53 carats, water-resistant to 3 bar.
Velvet Secret Heart
Mechanical self-winding RD821B movement with double-retrograde date function, two rows of sparkling brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel and the inner bezel ring, white dial accents, opulent ultramarine blue alligator leather strap.
Showstopper: Their Velvet range encompassing bejewelled, fashion, art, and materials. Their take-away theme: ‘When the essence of haute couture meets the creativity of haute Horlogerie’ with examples like the Massaro (subsidiary of Chanel) collaboration.
Vacheron Constantin
Overseas
Five new Overseas models (12 references) equipped with manufacture movements, including three new calibres, interchangeable bracelets and straps.
Reference 57260
"The Most Complicated Watch": Entirely original creation exhibiting a total of 57 complications, new benchmark in horology, multiple calendars and double retrograde rattrapante chronograph – never previously existed before this.
Showstopper: Besides the Overseas with the changing belts, Reference 57260 is showcased as the most complicated watch made by Vacheron Constantin. An entirely original creation exhibiting a total of 57 complications (several of which are unique and new), it sets a new benchmark in horology, with multiple calendars and double retrograde rattrapante chronograph. The watch is a benchmark in the 260th anniversary year of the brand.
Van Cleef and Arpels
The Lady Arpels Ronde des Papillons
The Lady Arpels Ronde des Papillons
Its new Poetic Complications watch brings together three colored butterflies in a playful aerial to-and-fro. Their circling dance between the clouds sets the tempo for the minutes, while the hours take flight in the wake of a swallow, symbol of joyful portent.
Lady Arpels Jour Nuit Fée Ondine
Lady Arpels Jour Nuit Fée Ondine
Dial: mother-of-pearl, diamonds, yellow and pink sapphires, spessartite and tsavorite
garnets, miniature painting, plique-à-jour and champlevé enamel
Case: white gold, diamonds, engraved motifs, sapphire-glass window
Self-winding mechanical movement, 24-hour module
Rubis Secret watch
A cuff bracelet set with 115 Mozambique rubies weighing a total of 151.25 carats.
Lady Arpels Martin-Pêcheur Azur
Lady Arpels Martin-Pêcheur Azur
White gold, diamonds, miniature feather art, alligator bracelet and manual-winding mechanical movement. Expressing happiness and fidelity, the kingfisher is flying over a sea with shades of turquoise and lapis lazuli.
Lady Arpels Colibri Indigo watch
Lady Arpels Colibri Indigo watch
Pink and white gold, diamonds, miniature feather art. Evoking a positive vision of life, a hummingbird is flying over a flower in diamonds and hard stone marquetry.
Showstopper: By far the delicate and beautiful Poetic Complications collection. With the winged ballet of the Lady Arpels Ronde des Papillons to the water nymph fairies of Lady Arpels Jour Nuit Fee Ondine…it’s an artistic craftsmanship and detail at it’s best. And they do love their hidden/secret watches. So along comes the Rubis Secret watch — a cuff bracelet set with 115 Mozambique rubies weighing a total of 151.25 carats, not to mention diamonds. It took 1500 hours of work to create secret drawer!