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Chairman SHAHAB IZADPANAH
EDITORIAL
PUBLISHING
Editor in Chief MOJEH IZADPANAH
Publishing Director RADHIKA NATU
Associate Editor SHERI IZADPANAH
Publishing Assistant DESIREE LABANDA-GAVERIA
Editor-at-Large sandra lane
Junior Publishing Assistant Kisada Hurin
Managing Editor KELLY BALDWIN
Paris Representative GHISLAIN DE CASTELBAJAC
Fashion Writer susan devaney
Senior Advertisement Manager Pamela Bayram Cleave
Senior Editorial Assistant Natalie Trevis
Advertising Inquiries Tel: +971 4 553 90 49 Email: advertising@mojeh.com
Editorial Assistant Dmitri Ruwan
Subscription Tel: +971 4 553 90 49 Email: subs@mojeh.com
Guest Fashion Stylists Marjorie Chanut James V. Thomas
LOUIS FOURTEEN FOR MOJEH
Editorial Contributors Laura Collacott Duncan Forgan Nick Rice Josh Sims
Concierge Service Management DAISY MARCHANT Corporate Management JUBRAN HAMATI
ART
Online Division ALI ROMAN
Producer LOUIS AGENCY
Lifestyle Assistance KASIA WAWRYSZUK
Art Director AMIRREZA AMIRASLANI Graphic Designer Balaji Mahendran Digital Strategy LOUIS AGENCY Contributing Photographers David Goff Lionel Koretzky Joe Lai Nicolas Menu Edorado De Ruggiero Julien Vallon
Cover photographed by Nicolas Menu Earrings, Chanel
Published under HS Media Group FZ LLC Registered at Dubai Design District Building No. 8, Offices 212-213 P.O.Box 502333, Dubai, UAE. WWW.MOJEH.COM Louis Fourteen for MOJEH Follow us on Twitter @MOJEH_Magazine MOJEH Swiss Representative Office: Rue de Rive 4, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland For the UAE printed by Emirates Printing Press LLC. Distribution- UAE: Al Nisr Distribution LLC. Qatar: Dar Al Sharq. Bahrain: Jashanmal & Sons BSC (C). Oman: United Media Services LLC. Lebanon: Messageries Du Moyen-Orient The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessary those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The ownership of trademark is acknowledged, therefore reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All credits are subjects to change. Copyright HS MEDIA GROUP FZ LLC 2011
Slim d’Hermès watch in rose gold set with diamonds, smooth ember red alligator strap.
SLIM D’HERMÈS, PURITY IN MOTION
Abu Dhabi Bahrain Dubai Kuwait Lebanon Qatar Hermes.com
P r e c i o u s,
Nat u r al Wond er s Welcome to our second annual Jewellery and Watch book, where we bring together the key pieces, trends and pioneering people you should know about. With the watchmaking industry ticking increasingly in tune with women and jewellers fusing colour combinations with gems like never before, 2015 has set changes in motion for the year ahead. In light of this, we’ve brought together key contributors, the industry’s pioneers and our edit of the most exquisite creations over the past months for our second annual Jewellery and Watch book. In looking to Van Cleef & Arpels’ Cadenas watch and the latest in diving-watch technology for men, to an interview with regional talent Selim Mouzannar and international household name Carole Forestier-Kasapi of Cartier, the book is fuelled with newly launched mechanisms, un-matched craftsmanship and the kind of innovation that money can’t buy. A significant movement paving the way in the world of High Jewellery and watches, and one that weaves its way throughout these pages is colour. We first noticed it at 2015’s SIHH gathering where intricate and smart watch mechanisms for both men and women were livened up by designs that relied upon a heady mix of coloured stones and enamelling. The movement picked up momentum during July’s Haute Couture week in Paris in which houses such as Dior and Bulgari showcased their new collections, each shying away from the traditions of diamonds and instead leaning into brave and dynamic colour codes. Pink sapphires interlaced with blue sapphires and completed with tourmalines - or how about rubies and pink spinels framed with deep black diamonds? The point is, even in one of our oldest industries, we see no sign of slowing down, in both craftsmanship and design. From the skeleton watch to the secret model, the months ahead are for indulging in the special pieces presented to us in 2015. The question is: what splendours will be coming our way for 2016? It looks set to be another revolutionary (and breathtaking) year for jewellery and watches.
Photographed by Julien Vallon
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Mojeh_I and write to me at editor@mojeh.com
Mojeh Izadpanah Editor in Chief
Editor’s Letter
VEDANA COLLECTION • AMETHYST & PERIDOT RINGS WITH DIAMONDS THE DUBAI MALL, +971 4 4341570 • EL-KHAYYAT CENTER , JEDDAH +966 12 2833378
26. A Guy’s Best Friend? Can men wear diamonds? MOJEH contributor Duncan Forgan discusses the modern man’s adoption of the classic studs.
28. A Glittering Summer From Dior to Chanel, we take a closer look at the high jewellery stars showcased throughout Paris Haute Couture week.
46. Watches & Wonders 2015 Which watch is for you? From Cartier to Montblanc, we delve into the models showcased at the Hong Kong salon.
60. Red Carpet Regality
86. The Geometry of Time
Who’s she wearing? We look back at the stars
Re-launched this year, and looking as avant-garde as
who wore the finest jewels in the best style on
ever, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Cadenas watch embodies
the red carpet.
a unique sense of style.
74. In Deep Water
90. The Modern Orientalist
As diving watches take technology to new heights,
With gems embedded in his family history and an
we take them into their natural habitat – under the
eye for colour, Selim Mouzannar tells us why he’s a
water. Come dive with us.
man on a mission.
contents
158. Women In Time MOJEH contributor Josh Sims discusses why women’s tastes in watches have changed, even with very few women at the top in the industry.
164. Saying It With Flowers We take a look at the floral motifs that have inspired some of today’s most creative watchmakers to invent new complications for women.
170. The Bare Bones of It The delicate craft of skeletonisation is in the ascendant once more, with a range of stellar creations over the past year.
94. Sing The Blues
182. A Year in View
Coloured gems are back in style and, of all of them,
Looking back over 2015, we peruse the timepieces
the blues reigned in 2015. We look at the creations
that reveal interesting new directions in form,
infused with the ocean’s colour palette.
materials and functions.
102. Gems That Made History
190. The Queen of Complications
As auction sales continue to break records, we
Since 2006 Cartier’s head of Fine Watchmaking,
look at a dozen of the most breathtaking jewels
Carole Forestier-Kasapi, has achieved a lot more
and gemstones ever sold.
than anyone could’ve ever imagined.
C H O P ARD’S
F LI G H T O F F A N C Y Chopard’s first piece of jewellery, designed by Caroline Scheufele when she joined the family firm in 1985, was a clown pendant with diamonds in his belly. Scheufele’s sense of fantasy is as strong as ever – expressed beautifully through Chopard’s Animal World high jewellery collection. Among this year’s additions to the menagerie is this fabulous and dreamlike pair of Peacock earrings. With bodies formed by a latticework of blue titanium set with amethysts, tsavorites and garnets and tails of diamonds, sapphires and briolette tourmalines, they look ready to take flight. Peacock earrings from the 2015 Red Carpet collection, CHOPARD
T H E B IRDS
Malgosia Bela by Mikael Jansson – messika.com
Glamazone Collection
for English Ad
The Artist And his Watch Pablo Picasso is an icon of 20th-century artists in the true sense – a symbol, a definitive representation. Ironically, he became an icon through being an iconoclast; by overthrowing many traditional ideas he had a huge impact on modern art. Picasso’s enthusiasms included watches – and among his collection were some icons (yes) of midcentury watchmaking, notably a Rolex GMT Master ref.1675 and a Patek Philippe Triple Date Moonphase ref. 2497. The present whereabouts of both watches is unknown.
Photo: Getty Images
Pablo Picasso in his studio in the South of France
T H E ICON
the
Future is Orange Yellow gold ring set with citrine, spessartites, orange sapphires and white diamonds, from the Melody of Colours collection, DE GRISOGONO.
One of the colours least commonly found in fine gemstones, orange has increasingly appeared in jewellers’ collections in recent years – after a long hiatus when the fiery shades of autumn have been absent from both jewellery and fashion (and interiors, where orange had its heyday way back in the 1970s). Spessartite – also called mandarin garnet – offers the most fiery natural oranges, while citrine runs the gamut from bright orange to lemon-yellow and topaz also exists in orange. Among the traditional ‘big four’ precious stones, only sapphires come in bright orange – although they are almost invariably heat-treated to stabilise their colour. Whatever the stone, orange has the potential for great drama, so it’s little wonder that designers are harnessing the colour to create pieces with megawatt impact. It’s a happy coincidence that citrine – along with topaz – is the birthstone for November, the month when the Mojeh Jewellery & Watch Book is published.
T H E CO L O U R
M ODER N M USIC Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept RD#1 Minute Repeater
One of the great things about modern watchmaking is that it takes totally anachronistic ideas and updates them. And what could be more technically obsolete than a repeater watch? Mechanisms that chime to indicate the time were invented before electric light, when it was so pitch-dark at night in Switzerland’s valleys that there was no way to read a dial. Today’s watch aficionados value striking watches for their romantic appeal – and because they appreciate that building a repeater mechanism is one of the hardest things a watchmaker can do. Enter Audemars Piguet: not content with being one of the handful of firms that can claim true mastery of striking mechanisms, eight years ago its watch developers embarked on an extraordinary programme of research into sonic quality, working with academics and scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne (EFPL). In January it launched the RD#1, a concept watch incorporating its findings – on which it has three patents pending. But this is ‘still just a concept’, AP says emphatically, and the research continues at a specially built Acoustic Lab at its headquarters. It will be at least another two years before the developers are satisfied enough with their work to consider including the technology in a commercially available watch.
Green In s p i r a t i o n As a small watchmaking house that specialises in creating bespoke watches for collectors, Grieb & Benzinger is something of a best-kept-secret among watch connoisseurs, renowned for its enamel, engraving and skeletonising work. Green Inspiration, made at the request of a Middle Eastern collector, pays tribute to the Holy Month of Ramadan, taking the colour of Islam as its design cue and platinum as its case material. The base dial is grand-feu enamel over handguillochĂŠ in an intense emerald green that changes according to the light. The upper dial consists of an hour ring with ‘Hindi’ numerals, a small-seconds ring and an outer, minutes ring, all with hand-applied markings. A fine tribute indeed. Green Inspiration timepiece in platinum case, grieb & benzinger
T H E TRI B U T E
She will rock you
Words Dmitri Ruwan; Photos courtesy of S*uce
S*uce Rocks Thanks to founder Zayan Ghandour’s distinctive taste, S*uce has won a passionate following among women whose fashion choices favour the quirky and unconventional over the obvious and predictable. And so, when Ghandour opened her first fine-jewellery boutique, the wittily named S*uce Rocks, earlier this year, it was natural that she would seek out some of the most creative contemporary jewellers in this region and far beyond. S*uce’s penchant for discovering and ‘making’ new names is reflected in the mix of internationally established but new-to-the-UAE designers, such as Ileana Makri, Noor Fares and Perlota. Alongside their work is a fine selection of never-before-seen collections by regional designers such as Nada G, who’s known for her abstract rings using 18k gold and precious stones, Ralph Masri, a Central Saint Martin’s graduate who fuses artistry and craftsmanship into statement pieces and Suzanne Kalan, whose highly creative use of baguette diamonds won her a 2014 Couture Design Award in Las Vegas (the runner-up was another S*auce Rocks discovery, Belgium-based AS29 and its designer, Audrey Savansky). The boutique itself (in The Galleria Mall on Al Wasl Road, Dubai) serves as a kind of magpie’s nest for its merchandise, with a ceiling that is crafted from hundreds of fragments of wood and displays housed in little glass cabinets that resemble glittering sculptures.
Earrings in emeralds, diamonds, white gold and yellow gold, LAYLA ABDOLLAHI | Oval rings in yellow gold with champagne diamonds, NADA G; all at S*uce Rocks
RYM
Memories in stone
Like most of us, Reem Mobassaleh has fond childhood memories of gazing into her mother’s and grandmother’s jewellery boxes – and on special, treasured occasions, being allowed to play with some pieces. At the heart of her jewellery designs lie these memories, a nostalgia (real or imagined) that gives great emotional resonance to the pieces. Make no mistake, though, there is nothing old-fashioned about her RYM collections: Reem is a thoroughly modern woman (she traded a high-flying international corporate career for her new life in jewellery) and her creative vision is driven by two questions ‘what would I want to wear?’ and, perhaps more importantly, ‘how would I want to wear it?’. The answers are totally in tune with today: easy pieces that are both refined and simple, and jewellery that each person can adapt to her own style and change with her moods. Hence, her ‘Tags’ – the jewelled motifs that can be attached (with the help of an ingenious little tool) to any number of ‘bases’, from rings and bangles to chains and earrings. Beautifully crafted in 18-carat gold and set with diamonds and coloured precious stones, they can be mixed and matched, worn singly or in multiples, according to the occasion (and your outfit). There is something almost talismanic about the tags and the myriad ways you can keep them with you every day, building your own memories around them.
F R E S H TA L E NT
totally in tune with today, these are easy pieces that are both refined and simple, which women can adapt to their own style.
Can men wear diamonds? A few years ago the answer would have been an unequivocal ‘no’. Today, it’s more likely to be: ‘of course – it all depends where and how’.
By Duncan Forgan
I
n the opening scene of the movie Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta helps define the disco era. Strutting through the Brooklyn streets, with the Bee Gees trilling a high-pitched soundtrack, Travolta’s character Tony Mareno exudes charisma from every pore. His shirt unbuttoned to reveal a shiny medallion set against a chest rug, Travolta circa 1977 was – at least for a fleeting moment – the ultimate in male virility. Yet in the same breath as establishing himself as a fashion icon, Travolta was unleashing a backlash that would eventually see him (and the wannabe lotharios he inspired) pilloried as bad taste figures of fun. So passé did the Saturday Night Fever look become that the term ‘medallion man’ continues to describe men with a penchant for lush body hair and statement jewellery. Perhaps understandably – given the extent of this derision – it has taken quite some time for the reputation of men’s jewellery to stage a
Comment
Photos: Getty Images
A Guy’s Best Friend?
recovery. For much of the past three decades style experts have been taking a conservative stance, advising men that less is more when it comes to accessorising. A watch, a wedding ring and occasional cufflinks were, it was decreed, the safest and surest way for a man to look his best. Lately, however, role models from fashion, sport, film and music have been bringing full-blown bling back into the mainstream of gents’ style. In fact, not only are trailblazers such as Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake and David Beckham keen proponents of adornment, they are regularly spotted wearing diamonds, that most traditionally feminine of gemstones. They are not the only ones discovering that diamonds can be a guy’s best friend as well as a girl’s. Stars of the sporting firmament who rock rocks include veteran baseball pitcher Arthur Rhodes and Real Madrid wizard Cristiano Ronaldo, while entertainers such as Michael Bublé, Jamie Foxx, Justin Bieber and Will Smith have all been spotted with dazzling decoration. Meanwhile, diamonds are making prominent appearances in traditional men’s accessories such as watches and cufflinks. “The stigma about men wearing diamonds is definitely over,” says Peter Kerr, the Australian founder of mensjewelleryshop.com. “Men’s fashion has been rapidly catching [up to] women’s fashion in sophistication; it was only a matter of time until jewellery followed suit.” “Diamonds have always been associated with feminine glamour. They are graceful and dazzling – qualities that are very much associated with women,” adds Pailin Tangsinpoonchai, a Bangkokbased fashion consultant to both men and women. “On the other hand, they are the hardest stones on earth. They are formed with the force and pressure of the elements. What can be a more compelling symbol of [masculinity] than that?” One male-dominated sphere in which jewellery never went out of fashion is the world of hiphop. In the 1980s, when fashion crimes were committed on an almost hourly basis, acts such as Run DMC, LL Cool J and even radical firebrands Public Enemy, stormed the charts armed with risqué raps and a repository’s worth of jewellery draped about their persons. As hip-hop and urban culture has matured, many of its gaudier aspects have been airbrushed. Nevertheless, bling is still the thing for some of its most famous protagonists. Jay Z’s 1999 hit Girl’s Best Friend was an ode not to a woman, but to his collection of diamond-studded bracelets, rings and pendants. Other rap luminaries such as Slick Rick, Method Man and Sean ‘P-Diddy’ Combs are also huge fans of diamonds, buying their rocks from the New York jeweller Jacob Arabo, known as the king of bling, thanks to his relationship with the hip-hop world. Away from urban or hip-hop culture, diamond wearing among men is often just as showy.
Lewis Hamilton’s diamond ear studs have become his style signature
Xavier Dolan wears a Boucheron brooch on a classic dark jacket
Beckham and motor racing ace Lewis Hamilton are often spotted with large diamond ear studs, estimated to be 2–2.5 carats each, giving them a value of at least USD30,500 [AED112,000]. Depp, meanwhile, is currently modelling an engagement ring that he bought for his wife, Amber Heard, for a sum believed to be around USD114,500 [AED420,000]. “It was too big for my girl,” the actor told chat show host David Letterman by way of explanation. It is understandable then, given these unsubtle shows, that diamond wearing is associated with ostentatious displays of wealth. But that is to ignore another strand of diamond wearing, a less obvious way of incorporating the gems into a rounded gent’s wardrobe. This refined style is typified by the fashion for friendship bracelets that has turned, over the past decade, from a never-got-over-my-gap-year tic into a deluxehippie mainstream style, with fraying string replaced by fine leather thongs and diamondstudded gold. “It is now acceptable for men to wear diamonds at any occasion and on any form of jewellery,” says Kerr. “What matters is how comfortable you feel and, if you are adding diamonds to your look, always remember to make them fit in with your personal style. My advice would be to start with a ring, as it is definitely the safest way to go. Pair it with a watch and possibly a bracelet or two, which allows versatility in colour and texture.” Certainly there’s no shortage of male public figures choosing to publicise their love affair with diamonds, in a tasteful way. At this year’s Oscars ceremony A-listers including Jared Leto and Common wore brooches incorporating diamonds. Michael Bublé and wrestling star David Otunga both pair diamond engagement rings with classic gentlemen’s wear. Other high-profile diamond-wearers include fashion designer Giambattista Valli and actor–director Xavier Dolan. Given this roll call of names from the worlds of sport, fashion and entertainment, one could be forgiven for thinking that diamonds remain the preserve of the creative classes. Kerr, however, believes that men from all walks of life are finding different ways of incorporating the precious stones into their attire. “Many men prefer their jewellery to be functional, not purely ornamental,” he says. “Over the past decade companies such as Rolex and Tiffany & Co. and jewellers like Thomas Sabo have been incorporating diamonds in cufflinks and on watch faces. This has really helped bring diamonds on men’s jewellery into the mainstream.” Despite the fact that John Travolta is, today, a face of Breitling – a watch company that eschews diamonds in favour of traditionally masculine style – almost 40 years after Saturday Night Fever, the vogue for men wearing jewellery is positively thriving, not merely stayin’ alive. n
Photo: Getty Images
2 0 1 5 P A RIS H A U T E CO U T U R E W E E K
A GLITTERING SUMMER The High Jewellery stars of Paris Haute Couture Week
By Susan Devaney
E
Backstage at the Zuhair Murad Haute Couture AW15 show at the Palais de Tokyo
very year in early July, Paris hosts the very small population of the world with the disposable income to afford the lavish creations made by the haute couture and haute joaillerie houses. The esteemed Fédération Française de la Couture du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (Fédération Française de la Couture for short) has the power of decision over which houses gain the official sanction of membership and, thus, the right to appear on the calendar. Only since 2011 have haute joaillerie houses been acknowledged by the Fédération and, in 2015, Chopard and De Beers join just eight other jewellers as official haute joaillerie members. Even so, the jewellers are not listed with specific show times on the couture week calendar. “There is no official venue or calendar of shows for the jewellers who choose to show during [July] Haute Couture week in Paris in early July,” explains Maria Doulton of TheJewelleryEditor.com. “The jewellery maisons decided that it [made sense] to show their Haute Joaillerie creations at the same time as clients and editors were in town for haute couture shows. This, of course, is an even more obvious decision for houses such as Chanel or Dior, which create both couture and jewels.” Although extremely Parisian and composed of some of the best talent in the world, both Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels are not members (through choice). And while they, too, showcased their new high jewellery collections in Paris, both had previously launched it elsewhere. The Haute Joiaillerie collections are composed of one-off pieces and, more importantly, they show off a Maison’s artisanal talents and traditions. Even so, some pieces are missing entirely, already in flight to Oman, Saudi Arabia or Kuala Lumpur, or hidden from sight, as its new owner doesn’t want the press even to lay eyes on their possession. This summer designers are keener than ever to play with new hues, to mix and match stones, materials and techniques in novel ways. From Chanel’s Les Talismans de Chanel collection the Hypnotique ring is a prime example of this new way of thinking, with lacquer employed with aplomb next to tanzanite and diamonds. Boucheron combined diamonds, pearls and desert sand in its Naguar necklace. “Les Talismans de Chanel was another forward-looking collection that used a range of techniques [such as] enamel and carving. Louis Vuitton’s Acte V – The Escape is notable for its elegance and clean lines as well as beautiful combinations of materials and coloured stones,” says Doulton. The sheer originality of each collection was outstanding: “The originality of Soie Dior, inspired by the little details of Haute Couture, such as ribbons, trims and pleats, stood out for its marriage of exquisite gems, arresting colour combinations and extraordinary craftsmanship. Chaumet’s Joséphine collection was very classical in its inspiration, in keeping with the house’s feminine and refined style,” explains Doulton. Aside from sharing a rarefied clientele, what relation does Haute Joaillerie have with Haute Couture fashion? “Both are worn on the body and serve to adorn and enhance the woman,” explains Doulton. “A jewel, like an Haute Couture creation, is a very personal choice that reflects the wearer’s personality and style but, unlike the dress, a jewel never goes out of fashion.”
Chanel LES TALISMANS DE CHANEL A fusion of speciality and loaded meanings is a hot topic in jewellery. Les Talismans de Chanel takes inspiration, as always, from a few of Gabrielle Chanel’s favourite things. ‘Mademoiselle’ was extremely superstitious, interested in signs and symbols, surrounding herself with lucky charms and loading her apartment with crystals because she believed in their healing properties – hence, the use of crystal cabochons in the new collection, and the adoption of the quatrefoil (four-leaf clover) as its leitmotif. Hautecouture inspiration is evident in motifs evoking lace, ribbons, and appliqué (in a ‘layering’ of stones). NECKLACE ‘Particulière’white gold, dark yellow-brown diamond, white diamonds, brown diamonds EARRINGS ‘Magnétique’: yellow gold, diamonds, carved crystal CUFF ‘Soleil’: yellow gold, diamonds RING ‘Mystérieuse’: white gold, yellow gold, diamonds, cultured pearls, rock crystal cabochons, black lacquer
BOUCHERON BLEU DE JODHPUR Comprising 100 pieces and three years in the making, Boucheron’s Bleu de Jodhpur collection pays contemporary homage to the 157-year-old Maison’s historic ties with India. Fusing creativity with culture, Boucheron’s director of creations, Claire Choisne worked alongside HH Gaj Singh II, the Maharaja of Jodhpur. The star piece, the reversible Jodhpur necklace, contains marble from the quarry that supplied the stone used to construct the Taj Mahal, along with diamonds, sapphires and rock crystal. The marble has been hand-carved to 1mm thick in places – something never achieved in jewellery before. WATCH Peacock Feather: white gold, diamonds, marble
BULGARI GIARDINI ITALIANI Emerging in the late 15th century, the Italian Renaissance garden is synonymous with symmetrical detailing, space and grandeur – all of which have been incorporated into Bulgari’s new Giardini Italiani collection. Comprising 100 unique pieces, it captures the colours, shapes, geometry and delightful design structures of the garden. While some pieces are literal depictions of flowers, the sapphire and diamond Water Symphony pieces were inspired by the musicality of Italian fountains, and the Sparkling Hearts necklace, with its curved lines and diamond-shaped hearts, incorporates a romantic notion of the Renaissance. NECKLACE ‘Secret Garden’: rose gold, diamonds, rubellite, tanzanite, citrine, amethyst, aquamarine EARRINGS white gold, emeralds, blue and pink sapphires, diamonds, amethysts
BUCCELLATI UNIQUE PIECES A series of magnificent one-of-a kind pieces gave full reign to Buccelleti’s mastery of Renaissance goldsmithing techniques, combining its signature engraving with intricate and light-as-a-cloud gold ‘lace’ and richly coloured stones. Simultaneously grand in their impact and delicate in their details, the pieces included several new Cuff bracelets – a house emblem – set with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. Necklaces and earrings often combined white gold with yellow or rose gold to great effect, while pendant earrings and cocktail rings balanced huge coloured stones with highly artistic settings. RINGS Yellow gold, white gold, yellow diamond, white diamonds; Amethyst, rose gold, diamonds, emeralds, yellow sapphires NECKLACE White gold, rose gold, diamonds
CHAUMET JOSÉPHINE HIGH JEWELLERY Napoleon’s first wife, Empress Joséphine was often adorned in beautiful jewels and she is the inspiration behind Chaumet’s Joséphine ou l’Art du Style collection. During his travels, Napoleon wrote to his love: “Joséphine, Joséphine, remember what I have told you many times: nature made me the strong and resolute soul. It crafted you from lace and gauze…” Emotion runs throughout Chaumet’s collection, which dazzles in soft colours, from regal blue to feminine pink. Joséphine was almost synonymous with tiaras – often with plumes or aigrettes – and the new Aigrette Impériale jewels capture the motif. RINGS ‘Éclat Floral’: white gold, diamonds, emerald; ‘Rondes de Nuit’: white gold, diamonds EARRINGS ‘Éclat Floral’: white gold, diamonds
CHOPARD RED CARPET COLLECTION Chopard’s Fleurs d’Opales rings are botanically inspired beauties, with gem-set petals surrounding a central opal. Chopard worked with the Aurora Gems opal mine in the Australian outback; the mine is owned by the Hatcher family, which manages every stage of the mining, polishing and sale of its stones, guaranteeing total traceability – a principle of deep importance to Chopard. In a vivid colour palette that matches the opals’ fire, one ring mixes tsavorites, sapphires, brown and white diamonds, and lazulites; another sets pink spinels into blackened zirconium, offset by black diamonds. RINGS ‘Fleurs d’Opale’, above: opal, rubies, purple sapphires, pink spinels, black diamonds, blackened zirconium, white gold; “Fleurs d’Opale’, below: opal, diamonds, blue titanium, tsavorites, lazulites and brown diamonds, white gold
DE BEERS HIGH JEWELLERY This year De Beers Diamond Jewellers became an official jewellery member of the Fédération Française de la Couture, as the house marked the 10th anniversary of its Talisman motif. The young creative director, Hollie Bonneville-Barden has brought a fresh vision to Talisman, with High Jewellery pieces incorporating major stones. Studded with rough and polished diamonds in myriad colours, the collection uses the unique serti poincon or ‘hallmark setting’ in which handraised points of gold grip the diamond, lifting it above the surface to capture the light while bringing a handhammered, ancient texture to the metal. NECKLACE ‘Talisman’: cut and rough diamonds, white and coloured, 13-carat orange roudh diamond drop, white gold EARRINGS ‘Sunrise Frost’: white diamonds, coloured diamonds, white gold
LOUIS VUITTON ACTE V – THE ESCAPE Streamline Moderne, the late-Art Deco style that emerged in the 1930s, was the inspiration for Louis Vuitton’s Acte 5 –The Escape. Drawing from that time (and the house’s initial) a stylised V appears throughout the collection, from onyx accents on diamond-set earrings to the V-accented shoulders of rings. The tassel – a motif significant of Art Deco – swings from necklaces and earrings. Thoughts of travel – the Maison’s leitmotif – are expressed through opals conveying the changing blue of the ocean, a grey Burmese sapphire like the foggy steam of a train, and pearls that suggest the foam of a steamship’s wake. EARRINGS ‘Capri’: white gold, diamonds, Australian black opals RING Excelsior: white gold, diamonds, enamel, indigolite tourmaline EARRINGS ‘Newport’: white gold, diamonds, black onyx
CARTIER ÉTOURDISSANT Cartier’s sunshine-filled jewels create mesmerisingly beautiful pieces, with dazzling materials in a vivid palette. Think: carved garnets of orange and green, purple tanzanites, black opals. The Romanov bracelet features a colossal 197.80-carat cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire once worn by Tsarina Maria Feodorovna. In the Garance necklace, the knot form, seen at Cartier since its beginnings, blends rubies and diamonds, casually tied at the throat. And the Hyberabad piece, set with Cartier’s famous ‘tutti-frutti’ of carved emeralds and sapphires, glistening ruby beads, can be worn as a choker or headdress. BRACELET ‘Flamboyant’: platinum, 14coral beads (total 133.68 cts), coral, onyx, emeralds, diamonds RINGS ‘Teinte’: white gold, coral, diamonds, onyx, chrysoprase; ‘Flamboyant’: platinum, coral, diamonds, emeralds.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS SEVEN SEAS Riding on the theme of the world’s Seven Seas, the collection moves from the warm Arabian and Indian oceans to the cooler Atlantic and Adriatic and visits their most mysterious inhabitants, from starfish to coral. Adopting the concept of travel jewellery, the pieces are light, like an easy-to-wear cruise collection; Nicolas Bos’s colour scheme evokes glittering, softly rolling waves and a slowly setting summer sun. Some may find the diamond bubbles, cascades of pearls and flamboyant shellfish extreme – with a multitude of precious stones falling over each other – but the quality and craftsmanship are beyond extraordinary. RING ‘Mer des Étoiles’, Arabian Sea: 7.29-carat Sri Lankan sapphire, diamonds, sapphires, chrysoprase: NECKLACE ‘Lagune Précieuse’, Adristic Sea: White gold, diamonds, sapphires, aquamarines
DIOR SOIE DIOR A play-off between strong materials and a delicate silk ribbon were at the forefront of Dior’s Soie Dior collection – a total of 53, one-of-a-kind pieces. A direct inspiration from haute couture, the silk ribbon has been translated into jewellery. Twisting and turning, the ribbon takes shape across an array of exquisite pieces. With rivers of diamonds, pink sapphires set in gold and frothy taffeta in yellow sapphires, it has the embellishments of couture wrought in precious minerals. The collection plays host to a spectacular colour combination with bursts of bright hues. The Smock Diamant Jaune bracelet is a prime example. Fusing yellow, white and burnt-orange (although they appear light brown) diamonds together, they flow together like a river in sweeping meanders. It’s an unusual colour combination that works perfectly. Or – the Tresse Émeraude ring with yellow diamonds, bright green emeralds, bold sapphires and Paraiba-type tourmalines. Like three stripes on a ribbon, they blend like the ever-changing colour palette of the ocean. Christian Dior’s creative director Victoire de Castellane weaves the luxurious intricacy of haute couture fabrics into the framework of each and every creation. “When you play with a ribbon, it’s instinctive and ephemeral, and I wanted to keep that notion of freedom, explains de Castellane. This idea of freedom is captured and reimagined in every design. All of them have a remarkable fluidity, movement and lightness, despite being executed in hard metal and stones…Rippling, twirling and winding around fingers like the fabrics on a seamstresses’ table, the silk ribbon takes many forms. Undulating over rubies, tourmalines, emeralds and diamonds. The standout piece has to be the Dénoué necklace in white and yellow gold with diamonds, sapphire and emeralds. Evoking the look of a just-untied ribbon that has somehow trapped a huge sapphire between its ends and uncurls a river of diamonds and emeralds. It only further showcases the sheer level of true craftsmanship synonymous with the house.
NECKLACE ‘Dénoue Saphir’: sapphire, emeralds, diamonds, white gold, yellow gold RING and EARRINGS ‘Galon Saphir’: sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, white gold, yellow gold.
All images photographed by Pol Barril for Dior High Jewellery
Beginning the creation of the Galon Saphir ring, an artist paints a gouache that’s almost photographic in its detail – even down to the way the light would dance on the stones’ surfaces. On a wax model of a Galon Émeraude earring the real stones put in position and – getting to the heart of the Soie collection – a velvet ribbon is curled around the central stone, its pleats and twists to be replicated exactly in precious metal and stones. Meeting the searing heat of the furnace, the metal softens and yields so that it can be bent to the designer’s will.
Painstakingly, with millimeter-precise gestures, the goldsmith makes holes in the metal at exactly the points where the stones will be set. With the emeralds now set in place, the Galon Saphir ring base begins to come alive, as final checks are made for the fitting of the main ring ornament. On a Galon Saphir Rose earring, still in the raw metal, the stones are eased into place to check their precise positions before the setting begins.
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By Sandra Lane
Held for the third time, the Hong Kong salon is like a scaled-down SIHH (it shares most of the same exhibitors) . However, its focus is different: rather than being purely a trade and media show, it is designed to include clients and collectors (invited by the exhibitors) as well, with a strong cultural and educational programme. The new watches introduced here include models made specially for Asia.
T H E W ATC H Y E A R
Geophysic Universal Time, JAEGER-LECOULTRE
A.LANGE & SÖHNE With 2015 marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of F.A. Lange, the Glashüttebased watchmaker (which was revived in 1994 by Walter Lange, the founder’s grandson) launched a series of commemorative editions during the year. At Watches & Wonders these were the 1815 200th Anniversary F. A. Lange in the firm’s proprietary honey gold, with the manually-wound calibre L051.1, and a boutique-only edition of the 1815 Chronograph in a cool and very elegant blue-and-silver colour scheme (white-gold case, solid silver argenté dial, blue hand-painted numerals and blue chronograph hands). The manually wound calibre L951.5 is a column wheel chronograph with flyback function and a 60-hour power reserve. A neat adition to the chronograph is a pulsometer scale, used in the past by doctors to measure a patient’s heart rate: it measures the elapsed time for 30 pulse beats. Whether it’s of any practical use is moot, but it’s a nice touch and a rather romantic addition to a truly lovely watch. ‘Lovely’ is also the right word (in many senses) for the Little Lange 1, a 36mm version of the house’s iconic timepiece, made with women in mind (Thank you Lange!) The dial is a gorgeous blue-toned mother-of-pearl and the case either white gold (with pale blue strap) or red gold (with champagne-coloured strap).
BAUME & MERCIER There’s a subtlety about Baume & Mercier’s watches that is both the best and worst thing: best because they will never be so flavour-of-the-month that they are ‘over’ a month later, and worst because it’s almost too easy to miss how good they are and what a great history the house has. In Hong Kong, marking its 185th anniversary, it unveiled two special timepieces – and both are of a subtletly that belies the complexity of their execution. The first neatly reverses the ‘wristwatch inspired by a pocket watch’ trope: it is a pocket watch inspired directly by the Clifton wristwatches – and, scaled up to 50mm, the Clifton case has lost none of its harmony. Conversely, the movement, a 5-minute repeater, was inspired by a (pocket) watch from Baume & Mercier’s Museum Collection. The striking mechanism, a Dubois-Depraz module, has been incorporated into the base movement beautifully and the whole ensemble skeletonised and decorated with great finesse. Simultaneously classical and contemporary, the pocket watch is a limited edition of 50 pieces. The second special watch is a Promesse model with a jade bezel. Doesn’t sound like much? Cutting a wafer-thin ring of the extremely brittle stone was a mammoth challenge. How hard? “Never again!” laugh’s Baume & Mercier’s Creative Director, Alexandre Peraldi.
CARTIER When Cartier introduced its chic new Clé case in January 2015, Thomas Crye, its International Head of Watch Marketing, said that it would eventually become a home for technical movements, not just the simple time-only versions initially shown. In Hong Kong we saw the first of the Clé-withcomplications – one, in a palladaium case, with the wonderful Mystery mechanism, calibre 1847 MC, and the other in white gold with Cartier’s signature Flying Tourbillon and the manually-wound calibre 9452 MC (and a mega-dose of diamonds). Both pieces look great – proving the maxim that a good design is one that can be adapted and adjusted to other purposes with no loss of identity or integrity. More proof of great design – and the stunning quality of Cartier’s artistic crafts – is a ‘boxed-set’ trio of Rotonde models with guilloché dials enamelled in a gorgeous blue that seems to shift tone from midsummer-sky-blue to vivid Mediterranean sea-blue, according to the way the light falls on them. Each contains a magnificent complication: a mysterious double tourbillon for the first, a minute repeater tourbillon for the second and an astrocalendar for the third. In hands-on workshops, Cartier initiated clients into the extremely complex craft of gold filigree – which it had introduced in the Panthère Filigree watch at SIHH 2015.
IWC Building on the success of the Portofino Mid Size introduced in late 2014, IWC has added three new models and renamed the line ‘Portofino 37’ adding clarity (even if taking away a certain poetry). There’s an Automatic Moon Phase 37, powered by calibre 35800 (in steel with diamonds on the mother-ofpearl dial and a green alligator Santoni strap), and two Automatic 37 three-handers with date (in steel with diamond-set bezels and a blue or silvered dial). IWC also introduced its first singlepusher chronograph, the Portofino hand-wound Monopusher. The movement, calibre 59360 has an impressive eight-day power reserve – a feature common to all of IWC’s 59000 movement family. The chronograph is offered in white gold with a slate-coloured dial or red gold with a silver-plated dial. The other newcomer to the Portofino line is the Hand-Wound Day & Date with the newly developed in-house 59220 calibre (thus, also an eight-day power reserve). Aesthetically very pleasing and refined with a narrow bezel and balanced displays, the dial has a large date window at 12, opposite the small seconds at 6, and a power reserve indicator at 9, balancing the day indicator in a sub-dial at 3 o’clock. The watch is available in steel with a silver-plated white dial and black strap, and red gold with a slate-grey dial and brown strap.
JAEGER-LECOULTRE While most houses emphasised new artistic interpretations of timekeeping, Jaeger-LeCoultre had its technical prowess front and centre. Its Geophysic line gained two new models – Geophysic Universal Time (pictured on the opening pages of this article) and Geophysic True Seconds – each with a new calibre of its own (772 and 770 respectively); what they share comes from deep in the core of JLC’s expertise in chronometry. The balance ‘wheel’ is not a wheel at all but a pair of sickle-shapes set at either end of a central axis; it’s all about reducing the surface of the wheel in order to reduce air friction and thereby increase precision. And it has been eight years in development! Also new in both calibres is a True Seconds mechanism (aka deadbeat seconds), which causes the seconds hand to ‘jump’ rather than to sweep, again demonstrating greater precision – and adding a great deal of charm. (Ironically, in mechanical watches, deador true-beat seconds were shunned for many years as being indicative of quartz movements.) The new addition to the feminine Rendez-Vous line is also very tehnically sophisticated, with a 60-second tourbillon at its heart. On the plum-coloured enamel dial, two styles of guilloché are used, to depict the twining stems and leaves of ivy – a motif repeated in a stunning diamond-set secret watch.
MONTBLANC Having launched the magnificent Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geospheres Vasco da Gama in January, Montblanc followed up with a new ‘Nightsky’ version. While a cosmetic variation on an existing timepiece may not seem like the biggest news, we’re highlighting it for two reasons: first, new models – even some magnificent examples – can too easily be subsumed in the watch industry’s relentless pace of new launches, giving them no time to ‘breathe’ and live in the spotlight, so that collectors and enthusiasts can take their time to consider them. So this is a ‘reminder’, if you will, about a very special timepiece. Second, and perhaps more impotantly, that it underlines the extraordinary capabilities that Montblanc has in its Villeret (formerly Minerva) workshops – in both movement development and fine craftstmanship – and the way it is harnessing those capabilities not only to secure its place at the High Table of haute horlogerie but also to flow down into its more accessibly-priced collections. The first of those accessibly-priced pieces to be launched under Jérôme Lamber’s leadership was the Heritage Spirit Perpetual Calendar, in 2014; in Hong Kong a gorgeous new version was presented, with a smoky sapphire dial. Also of note is the new Heritage Chronometrie Dual Time Vasco Da Gama, which marries fine watchmaking codes with great design and the very useful GMT complication.
OFFICINE PANERAI Panerai has made great strides in fine watchmaking over the past decade and yet some dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists among its fans still grumble that it is straying from its roots. Among the new watches are pieces that will satisfy the most truculent Paneristi and pieces that will delight those fans whose hearts beat faster at the sight of a complication or two. The purity of the PAM 574 Radiomir 1940 3 Days will delight the first group – not that you need be a traditionalist to appreciate the classical modernity of its lines. This watch is an ode to simplicity-done-well, on the inside as well as the outside. The movement is the new 4Hz calibre P.1000, produced from scratch in Panerai’s manufactory in Neuchâtel and designed to be, above all, solid strong and robust – to which Panerai has added a precisionenhancing stop-seconds reset feature. This watch looks best in steel, the apple-green strap contrasting beautifully with the cool metal and black sandwich dial. Firmly in fine-watchmaking territory, PAM 559 Tourbillon GMT – called ‘Lo Scienziato’ in homage to Galileo Galilei, the man who formulated the law of isochronism. The DLC-coated bridges of cal. P.2005S are skeletonised to show off the movement (including the perpendicular-mounted tourbillon). The second time zone hand is set via hourly jumps without affecting the minute hands or the running of the watch.
PIAGET Not content to introduce just two or three new watches, Piaget presented an entire collection of 38 unique pieces (and that’s not even counting its new Limelight Stella women’s collection). Gathered under the name ‘Secrets & Lights’ – which also embraces a High Jewellery collection – all 38 pieces take the Silk Road as inspiration, all showcase Piaget’s exceptional artistic skills – and that’s where the similarity ends. The watches range from time-only to tourbillons, via moon-phases; from masculine to feminine; showcasing artistic skills from scrimshaw to bulino engraving, feather marquetry to micro-mosaic. But there’s unity in such diversity – which underlines the strength of Piaget’s creative vision for the collection. Among highlights, the Polo Tourbillon Relatif wins for mechanical interest (already present in Piaget’s range for some time, its tourbillon cage rotates around the dial-side of the watch); this dial is finished in a champlevé enamel pattern inspired by the Islamic architecture of Samarkand, and the case-sides are engraved with a view of the city’. The Emperador Coussin XL Large Moon Enamel (right) features an exquisite map of the Silk Route, in champlevé enamel and enamel miniature-painting by Anita Porchet; the large moon display is rendered in hand-etched gold.
RICHARD MILLE Ever the provocateur, Richard Mille introduced two watches that set tongues wagging. The Erotic Tourbillon RM 69 is, perhaps, tamer than its name might suggest (given the explicit nature of some ‘erotic’ watches on the market). The emphasis here is on sexy flirtation: each of three rollers contains part of a suggestive message. At the push of a button, a mechanism (unconnected to the watch movement) spins the rollers briefly, stopping them in random order to create a message. The 169 possible combinations range from slightly cheeky, to much more ‘bedroom’. In the lower half of the watch case sits a remarkably compact manually-wound tourbillon calibre (designed in collaboration with APRP), which offers a huge 69hour power reserve. To enhance the reading of the message rollers, a pusher at 8 o’clock makes the hour watch hands disappear, thanks to a mechanism that uncouples them from the gear train; when released, the hands instantly spring back to the correct time. The other ‘talking-piece’ was the RM 26-02 Tourbillon Evil Eye. Of course, the ‘evil eye’ concept is well known in Middle Eastern cultures – with the protective talisman represented in blue. In Richard Mille’s version, the eye looks almost malevolent, in red and yellow grand feu enamel, surrounded by lacquered flames.
ROGER DUBUIS “Be Spectacular” could be Roger Dubuis’ motto, for spectacular (and daring, exuberant, dramatic) applies to everything it does, from its booth at Watches & Wonders (a scaled-down but no less dramatic version of the black forest-with-fallenstars – representing the Maison’s skeleton watch movements – from the SIHH), to the aesthetic of its watches, to the mechanical wizardry found inside them. The latter was showcased in the star piece in Hong Kong: the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument, is a new expression of the astonishingly technical Quatuor. Released in 2013, the Quatuor has four sprung balances that work in pairs, with their rates averaged out by a differential to deliver a rarely achieved frequency of 16 Hz (115,200 vph) – an approach to precision that goes far beyond the tourbillon. The skeleton movements, which have become a house signature, appeared in new, gem-set versions: the feminine Brocéliande with its ivy leaves of carved gemstones woven through the skeleton bridges, was shown in three gorgeous new colours – rhodiumed pink gold with pink leaves, blackened bridges with white leaves, and dark-grey bridges with diamond-set leaves. The masculine Skeleton Tourbillon Automatic version appeared as the Star of Infinity, the star-shaped part of the skeleton filled in with 34 baguette-cut diamonds.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS To Van Cleef & Arpels a watch is, above all, a medium through which it can tell stories – and those stories almost invariably involve romance and fantasy. Probably no collection embodies this more than the Peau d’Âne high jewellery line launched last year and based on a much-loved French childrens’ fairytale written in verse-form by Charles Perrault in the 17th century. Two new timepieces unveiled in Hong Kong continue that tale and both of them are mesmerisingly beautiful, showing off the French maison’s exceptional skills in miniature-painting, enamel work, sculpting and engraving gold, and of course, gem-setting in almost impossible-tobelieve detail. The dial of the Lady Arpels Peau d’Âne Forêt Enchantée (pictured at right) is made up of no fewer than six layers, drawing the eye deep into its dream-like miniature world. With three wonderfully colourful new additions to the Lady Arpels Extraordinary Dials collection, Van Cleef & Arpels makes its first foray into the art of feather marquetry, showing it off against a background of hard-stone marquetry. Each watch is named after a different bird and, on the Colibri Indigo (indigo hummingbird), Cardinal Carmin (crimson cardinal) and Martin-Pêcheur Azur (azure kingfisher) the brilliant feather artist, Nelly Saunier, recreates them in almost life-like detail.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN 260 years is a long time and, although it’s only a ‘decade anniversary’ and not, say, a half-century, Vacheron Constantin celebrated it with a vengeance in 2015. At Watches & Wonders the towering achievement of the ref. 57260 was, of course, the talk of the town. Crowds flocked to the enclosed area where it was on display (many of them no doubt vexed to discover that cameras were forbidden, hence no selfies or Instagrams. Good.) There was so much else to see: the Traditionelle World Timer offered its patented world time calibre 2460 WT (showing all 37 time zones simultaneously) in two glorious new autumnal colour schemes with the addition of a shaded sapphire day/night disc set over the world map. A new chronograph that reinterprets a near-legendary Vacheron piece from 1955 with ‘cornes de vache’ lugs, the Historiques Cornes de Vache 1955, left connoisseurs weak at the knees – as did the new Maîtres Cabinotiers Perpetual Calendar Regulator (a one-off piece already bought by a collector). Vacheron Constantin’s gem-setting mastery was on full display in a one-off pair of Éloge de la Nature jumping-hours watches with diamond-set swans on their dials, and in Les Heures Créatives, a new jewellery-watch line that, for now, comprises three irresistible and very distinctive pieces, inspired by Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the 1970s respectively. n
Photos: Carlton Davis for Tiffany & Co; Getty Images
CUFF LOVE 1
It was bound to happen: after several seasons of narrow bracelets being layered together, the cuff takes centre stage again. For designers, the generous proportions provide a canvas for delicately detailed workmanship or big sweeps of colour and texture. Either way, these oversized statement-makers are not made for shrinking violets.
ST Y L E NOT E
1. Costume-jewellery cuffs make a style statement in Chanel’s SS16 ready-to-wear collection | 2. ‘Scales’ Cuff in platinum with sapphires and diamonds from the Blue Book collection, TIFFANY & Co | 3. Aurelia cuff in 18-ct yellow gold with 12–13mm South Sea pearls and 4.76cts of diamonds, YOKO LONDON | 4. White gold cuff with diamonds (83.91cts) and rubies (84.61cts) in pear, round and oval cuts, GRAFF | 5. Lattice-style cuff in yellow gold with diamonds, AMRAPALI | 6. Victoria cuff in gold with diamonds (old-cut and rose-cut) and emeralds, AMRAPALI | 7. Opera cuffs in white gold with diamonds, and rose gold with diamonds and sapphires, BUCCELLATI | 8. Hortensia cuff in white gold with diamonds and sapphires, CHAUMET
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PIN INTEREST 1
To many us, brooches have a strong whiff of retro – think of them pinned to the lapel of an elegant 1940s suit, the shoulder of a 1950s dress – or even the coat collar of HM Queen Elizabeth (one of history’s all-time-great jewellery wearers, by the way). But to Miuccia Prada and some of her most forward-thinking peers, they are utterly of today. Follow their cue – but make yours precious, in gold and rare gemstones.
ST Y L E NOT E
1. From Loewe’s SS2016 ready-to-wear collection | 2. Tortue Clip in white gold, diamonds and mother-of-pearl from the Seven Seas/Arabian Sea collection, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS | 3. Starfish brooch in sapphires, emeralds and yellow gold from the Blue Book collection, TIFFANY & Co. | 4. Fée de Mers clip in blue and yellow sapphires, spessartite garnets and diamonds with 23.64-ct cabochon chalcedony, Seven Seas/African & Indian Oceans, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS | 5. Clip in white gold with diamonds and multi-coloured sapphires, GRAFF | 6. Peacock brooch in pink and white diamonds, GRAFF | 7. Broche Fascinante in diamonds and cabochon crystal, Les Talismans de Chanel, CHANEL | 8. Aquamarine, diamond and sapphire brooch, transformable into a necklace, from Lumières d’Eau by CHAUMET | 9. Diamond and white gold Mehdi clip from Bleu de Jodhpur by BOUCHERON
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Photos: Getty Images
Photographers jostle for position on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival
j ewel s i n s t yle
Red Carpet
Regality By Christopher Prince
B
ack when jewellery took pride of place on a red carpet star, it was less about whom she borrowed from and more about what she owned. That was the standard for Elizabeth Taylor, who, for the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970, requested the iconic ‘Taylor Burton Diamond’ to be removed from its ring setting and set into a glittering diamond necklace by Cartier. Today that notion has been turned on its head by high-powered jewellery houses flexing their commercial muscles, taking a generation of actresses under their wing in order to globally promote their brands. Although the romance may have gone, there’s still a select few leading ladies who can buffer the marketing spiel and make the creations they’re wearing stop us all in our tracks.
After winning her first Oscar at the 87th Academy Awards in March, Julianne Moore attended the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival dressed in a custom-made Giorgio Armani PrivĂŠ feather and beaded gown, offset with white gold, diamond and emerald earrings from Chopard.
Nicole Kidman dazzled on the red carpet of the 87th Annual Academy Awards in a sequinned Louis Vuitton column dress, which she offset with jewels from Harry Winston, including a pair of 7.11-carat emerald-cut diamond platinum ear studs, the 82-carat Caftan diamond bracelet, a 16.5-carat emerald-cut diamond solitaire ring and bezel-set diamond band ring.
Photos: Getty Images
The 2015 Met Gala, China: Through The Looking Glass, served inspiration for Reese Witherspoon’s scarlet gown from Taiwanese-Canadian fashion designer Jason Wu. She incorporated some New York glamour courtesy of Harry Winston with a stand-out diamond Skyscraper necklace, and emerald-cut diamond earrings.
Charlize Theron ignited the red carpet of the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival in a bodysculpting Christian Dior couture canary yellow gown, which she garnished with diamond cluster Chopard Green Carpet earrings and matching ring.
Photos: Getty Images
An advocate for Bulgari jewels, Naomi Watts again sported a Bulgari Serpenti necklace in white gold and diamonds, to elevate her sunshine yellow Gucci column dress at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.
A year after her second Oscar victory Cate Blanchett arrived at the 87th Annual Academy Awards dressed in a subdued John Galliano for Maison Margiela gown. The real statement was in her Tiffany & Co. Blue Book collection bib necklace, crafted from turquoises, aquamarines and diamonds.
Ivanka Trump paid homage to the China: Through The Looking Glass theme at the Met Gala in New York with a royal blue Prabal Gurung column gown accented with Cindy Chao’s Midnight Rose earrings featuring 53.55 carats of sapphires, and a matching Donut ring.
Photos: Getty Images
With the decadence of Lupita Nyong’o’s pearl-encrusted Calvin Klein gown capturing the headlines at the 87th Academy Awards, it was subtle beauty on the jewellery front as the actress opted for a pair of pendant earrings set with magnificent pear-shaped diamonds from Chopard.
At the 72nd Golden Globe Awards Emily Blunt added a dose of red carpet sparkle, contrasting her white Grecian goddessinspired Michael Kors gown with a suite of diamond and Paraiba tourmaline floral jewels by Lorraine Schwartz.
Salma Hayek wore a white brocade bustier gown from Alexander McQueen to attend the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, accenting it with a delicate floral hairpiece and equally delicate diamond-set feather earrings and matching bracelet from Boucheron.
Gwyneth Paltrow attended the 87th Academy Awards wearing a pair of Fire Phoenix earrings set with four rubellites, and a PÊtales d’Amour ring featuring a rare 6.27-carat pigeon blood Burmese ruby from Anna Hu, which beautifully offset her blush-pink Ralph & Russo one-shouldered couture gown.
Pearls Aloud 1
While some of the more creative jewellery designers have known it for years, several of the AW 2015 ready-to-wear collections made the message loud and clear: pearls have come out of granny’s closet. Those quietly classical and oh-so-polite strands of matching white spheres have been usurped by exotic colours, baroque forms and – when the pearls are indeed white – exciting and original settings.
S t yle n o t e
1. Aphrodite necklace in black gold with sapphires, amethysts, diamonds and natural colour Radiant Orchid freshwater pearls & Tahitian pearls, with matching ear-clips, YOKO LONDON | 2. Novus ring in black gold, diamonds and 12–13mm South Sea pearls, YOKO LONDON | 3. Magnolia earrings in diamonds purple sapphires, tsavorites, with pink Baroque pearls, JEWELLERY THEATRE | 4. Ring in black and yellow gold with diamonds and South Sea pearl, AMRAPALI | 5. Ring in red gold with baroque Tahitian pearl, LUCIFER VIR HONESTUS | 6. Ring in pink gold, morganite, spinels, cultured freshwater pearls, Paris Nouvelle Vague by CARTIER | 7. Earrings in blackened gold with white diamonds, rustic diamonds and baroque Tahitian pearls, SAVANNAH STRANGER | 8. Flower ring in multi-coloured sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds with South Sea pearl, DE GRISOGONO | 9. Necklace in rose gold, black and white South Sea pearls, diamonds, enamel and rubies, BVLGARI
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Hiding
Your Time More than simply elevating a gem-set watch into the realm of high jewellery, secret watches transform the wearer’s relationship with time-telling. There’s an air of mystery and a frisson of intrigue: only the wearer decides when the time will be seen; only she knows exactly where the dial is hidden, and how to release the mechanism that will reveal it. And while those concealed mechanisms add a fascinating degree of technical intricacy to these jewel-timepieces, their hideand-seek nature inspires designers to marvellous flights of fancy.
Clockwise, from above: Carpe Koi secret watch by VAN CLEEF & ARPELS (rose gold with spessartites, yellow sapphires, yellow diamonds, white diamonds, tourmalines; quartz movement) | Diamond Punk cuff watch by AUDEMARS PIGUET (white-gold bracelet with 7,848 snow-set diamonds for a total of 33.35 carats; white-gold dial set with 300 diamonds; quartz movement) | BULGARI Serpenti Secret double-wrap bracelet watch (rose gold, turquoises, white enamel, white diamonds; quartz movement) | Givre secret cuff watch from the Lumières d’Eau collection by CHAUMET (white gold, round-cut diamonds; quartz movement) | GRAFF Emerald Halo Secret Watch (white gold, dome set with a round-cut diamond surrounded by round-cut emeralds and additional round cut diamonds; white diamond pavé dial; quartz movement; 20mm case); Eternelles de Chanel High Jewellery Plume secret watch by CHANEL (white gold, pink sapphires, 2,319 snow-set diamonds; dial invisibly-set with 34 pink sapphire baguettes; quartz movement).
s t yle n o t e
B RI G H T F ACES As an alternative to the monochrome palette of more classical watch dials, designers are harnessing all manner of materials and craft techniques – from guilloché-work topped with grand feu enamel to paper-fine discs of gemstone and smooth-as-satin lacquer – adding a jolt of vivid colour to traditional timekeeping.
style note
From left: Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda watch with red guilloché-andenamel dial, automatic movement, 42mm white gold case with diamond-set bezel, white leather strap, by PARMIGIANI FLEURIER Rondo Translucent ‘Aurora Borealis’ with carmine red flinqué enamel dial set with a marquise-cut diamond, 40mm white gold case with diamond-set bezel, automatic movement, by DELANEAU ‘La d de Dior Précieuse’ watch with turquoise stone dial, black satin strap with diamond-set gold clasp, 21mm case with diamond-set bezel, case-middle and crown, quartz movement. DIOR TIMEPIECES Rolex Day-Date with green lacquer dial, 36mm yellow-gold case, automatic movement, green alligator strap, by ROLEX Lady Fabergé watch with blue guilloché-and-enamel dial, automatic movement, 39mm white gold case with diamond-set bezel, blue alligator strap, by FABERGÉ.
From left to right: IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition ‘Galapagos Islands’; 44mm rubber-coated stainless steel case; internal/external rotating bezel with SafeDive system; self-winding mechanical chronograph movement cal. 89365 with 68-hour power reserve; rubber strap with quick-change system; waterresistant to 300m BREMONT Supermarine S500: 43mm stainless steel case with helium escape valve and sapphire uni-directional rotating bezel; self-winding mechanical chronometer movement, cal. BE-36AE with 38-hour power reserve; stainless steel bracelet; water-resistant to 500m OMEGA Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial: 41mm titanium case with uni-directional rotating bezel in blue Liquidmetal, and sapphire crystal case-back; self-winding co-axial chronometer movement with 60-hour power reserve; magnetic resistance to 15,000 gauss; titanium bracelet; water-resistant to 300m RICHARD MILLE RM028 Automatic Diver’s Watch: 47mm titanium case with 3-layer uni-directional rotating bezel and sapphire crystal case-back; skeletonised self-winding mechanical movement cal. RMAS7 with titanium baseplate and bridges, and 55-hour power reserve; rubber strap; water-resistant to 300m
IN DEEP Water Invented for military use in the 1930s, the diving watch has come a long way, but the functional elements remain unchanged. We take some of today’s best diving watches into their natural habitat.
Photographed by David Goff
Creative direction by Sandra Lane
AUDEMARS PIGUET Royal Oak Offshore Diver: 42mm stainless steel case with sapphire crystal case-back; cal.3120 self-winding mechanical movement with 60-hour power reserve; dive-time indicator on rotating inner bezel; rubber strap; water-resistant to 300m TUDOR Heritage Black Bay: 41mm stainless steel case with red brushed-metal uni-directional rotating bezel; self-winding mechanical movement cal. 2824 with 38-hour power reserve; aged-leather strap; water-resistant to 300m HERMĂˆS Clipper Diving Chronograph: 44mm titanium case with unidirectional rotating stainless steel bezel and sapphire crystal caseback; self-winding mechanical chronograph movement with 60-hour power reserve; rubber strap; water-resistant to 200m
GRAHAM Chronofighter ProDive Professional: 45mm stainless steel case with automatic crown locking system, helium escape valve and uni-directional rotating bezel; cal. G1750 self-winding mechanical mono-pusher chronograph movement with 48-hour power reserve; rubber strap; water-resistant to 600m HUBLOT King Power Oceanographic 1000m: 48mm carbon fibre case; self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, cal HUB4160 with 42-hour power reserve; dive-time indicator on rotating inner bezel; rubber strap with quick-change mechanism; water-resistant to 1,000m
From left to right: BLANCPAIN Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph: 43mm ceramic case with ceramic uni-directional rotating bezel; cal. F385 self-winding mechanical chronograph movement; sail-canvas strap; water-resistant to 300m ORIS Aquis Depth Gauge: 46mm stainless steel case with ceramic uni-directional rotating bezel; patented depth gauge; self-winding mechanical movement with 38-hour power reserve; rubber strap; water-resistant to 500m ULYSSE NARDIN Marine Diver Black Sea/Blue Sea Chronometer: 45.8mm steel case with rubber uni-directional rotating bezel; selfwinding mechanical movement cal. UN26.28 with 42-hour power reserve; oversized running seconds and power reserve indicators; rubber and ceramic strap; water-resistant to 200m LONGINES Heritage Diver: 43mm stainless steel case; self-winding mechanical chronograph movement cal. L651 with 42-hour power reserve; dive time indicator on rotating inner bezel; rubber strap with integrated diving extension; water-resistant to 300m
ULYSSE NARDIN Lady Diver: 40mm rose-gold case; mother-of-pearl dial and rubber bezel both with diamond hour markers; self-windng movement cal. UN815.25; diamond-set lugs and rubber strap; water-resistant to 100m.
Post-production: Nash Balmedina Location: Analog Prduction Fish wrangler: Liz O’Byrne Faux coral: The One
LOUIS VUITTON Escale Worldtime with handpainted dial; 41mm white gold case with black alligator strap | VACHERON CONSTANTIN Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time in white gold case, calibre 2460WT | BAUME & MERCIER Capeland Worldtimer in 44mm stainless steel case with IWC cal.35370 | BREMONT ALT1-WT world time chronometer in 43mm steel case with calf-leather strap | GIRARD-PERREGAUX Traveller WW.TC with world-time and chronograph functions in 44mm red gold case | MONTBLANC Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum in 41mm rose gold case, with leather strap.
c o m pl i c at i o n
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World of Time
For some travellers, it’s not enough to know only the local time and ‘at home’ time shown by a dual-time (or ‘GMT’) watch. A World Timer is the solution – and, practicalities aside, a watch that bears the names of 24 (or more) world cities on its dial has a whiff of romance and escapism about it. Louis Cottier* invented the ‘Heure Universelle’ mechanism in 1931, making it possible to view the time in 24 timezones simultaneously; in 1950 he created a two-crown version, which made time-setting easier. Altogether, he produced a total of 455 movements for Patek Philippe, Agassiz, Vacheron Constantin and Rolex, among others, and most modern world-timer mechanisms are derived from his inventions. Cottier, who died in 1966, is regarded as one of the most important watchmakers of the 20th century. (*A French watch brand called ‘Louis Cottier’ bears no relation to the watchmaker or his descendants.)
THE STRONGEST LINK 1
For most of the past century the style police dictated that the only jewellery acceptable for men was the wedding ring-watch-cufflinks trio. While that left room for creativity in the cufflinks department, it’s only recently, since the rules of style relaxed, that designers have started to play the wrist game with real wit and daring.
ST Y L E NOTe
1. Mashrabiya ‘box’ cufflinks worn by their Dubai-based designer, André C. Meyerhans, MARIO UBOLDI JEWELLERY ART | 2. Skull-and-crossbones cufflinks in black gold with black and white diamonds, DE GRISOGONO | 3. Horse-bit cufflinks in yellow gold with cabochon sapphires, CARTIER | 4. Square cufflinks in rose gold with amaranth wood and amethysts, LONGMIRE | 5. Wings Tourbillon cufflinks in stainless steel with rock lapis lazuli, CHOPARD | 6. Square cufflinks in white gold invisibly set with emeralds, GRAFF | 7. Mechanical cufflinks in grade-5 titanium with patented automatic fasten-and-release system, RICHARD MILLE | 8. Kiss My Art cufflinks in white gold with diamonds and rubies, THEO FENNELL
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The
Geometry of Time With its daring form and strong angles counterbalanced by a delicate femininity, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Cadenas watch embodies a unique sense of style. Relaunched this year, it still looks as avant-garde as when it first appeared – way back in 1935. Photographed by DAVID GOFF Creative direction by SANDRA LANE
From Left: Cadenas Watch, yellow gold case and clasp, mother-of-pearl dial, alligator strap, quartz movement | Cadenas Sertie Bracelet Watch, white gold, diamonds, mother-of-pearl dial, quartz movement | Cadenas Sertie Bracelet, yellow gold case, bracelet and clasp, diamonds, mother-ofpearl dial, quartz movement, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Cadenas Sertie Bracelet Watch, white gold case, bracelet and clasp, diamonds, mother-of-pearl dial, quartz movement | Cadenas Sertie Watch, white gold case and clasp, diamonds, mother-of-pearl dial, alligator strap, quartz movement, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Post-production: Nash Balmedina Studio: Analog Production
i n p r o f i le
The Modern Orientalist By Natalie Trevis
Selim Mouzannar seems destined to have become a jeweller. With gems embedded in his family history and an eye for colour-infused designs inspired by nature, he is a man on an eternal search for beauty.
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t’s not really inspiration, it’s my life,” says Selim Mouzannar with a smile, talking about a love of gemstones that spans three decades. It’s clear that these stones are more than simply beautiful objects in his eyes – something much more personal. “What I am seeing, what I am feeling, all that is happening around me,” Mouzannar cites as inspiration for jewellery designs that take elaborate asymmetric forms in rainbow-hued tanzanite, diamonds and sapphires. The stones are like living, breathing things in his hands. “I combine all of my energy and all that I know about the work of gemstones: the volume and the cut, the shape of the stone or the jewel or metal itself. In putting together all of these things: this is my DNA”. Growing up with the gold souks of Beirut as a backdrop – his father and grandfather both were jewellers in Lebanon – and with a family history in jewellery that dates back to the 19th century, Mouzannar chose to walk a less conventional path. A path that meandered through Paris in the early 1980s (where he graduated from the Institut National de Gemmologie), Belgium and Saudi Arabia, took a detour via India, Burma
and a ruby mine on the Thai-Cambodian border and ended in Lebanon, where the eternal nomad opened a workshop and brought to life Maison Selim Mouzannar in 1993. “My universality helps me a lot in my point of view,” Mouzannar muses. “My eyes are opened the more I go around the planet. I meet people, I meet the desert or the ocean – it is all enriching to my view.” Describing his aesthetic as encompassing a “glimpse of vintage but with a contemporary message,” Mouzannar eschews ostentatious tradition, taking a modernist approach – found in softly cut stones, organic shapes and warm tones of rose gold – that defies borders. This is borne out by a loyal following that spans the Middle East, Europe and the US (where Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna and Eva Longoria have all adorned themselves with Mouzannar’s charms). “I am always moving. I cannot stay in the same place, but at the same time the platform in Lebanon is always a very strong source of work and inspiration.” Beirut, Mouzannar’s birthplace and home city, is a foundation amidst the wanderlust, albeit at times an uncertain one, battered by years of regional and civil war. “It’s always challenging me. It’s a territory where, unfortunately, not everything is good. You are constantly questioning yourself: about your life, about relations between human beings, about violence and peace. During these moments a human being is ready to give the worst of himself, which is violence, and at the same time the best of himself, which is beauty. It’s always a war between violence and beauty.” The craftsmanship and innovation in Mouzannar’s tactile jewellery is surely a counterbalance in his own life to a volatile
political situation – a peace offering of a sort, an avenue of escapism for both creator and client. Mouzannar’s reaction to Beirut is a consistent theme of his work, whether in pieces that reflect the city’s historic architecture (a subject that deeply interests Mouzannar, who has restored a historic residence there) or in symbolic linked chains. In the ‘Beirut’ collection colourful gems and crafted gold represent a city that may be bruised but is always full of life. Necklaces and rings are playful in triple discs of tanzanite, emeralds and sapphires, which take centre stage among circling diamonds in pink gold settings. Light and volume come together in these pieces in a way that mixes tradition with effortlessly contemporary design. “It’s really some kind of escape,” he says of his work, “and it’s a statement. When you are surrounded by bad energy it is a statement if your work is recognised internationally. It gives me a feeling of peace in my heart.” While home-grown and global inspiration abound in Mouzannar’s world, just as important – to the outside world at least – is the prized commodity of heritage: we look to jewellery Maisons for a long-term perspective, a voice and a sense of history. Mouzannar acknowledges this as a double-edged sword, particularly as it is embodied in his family name. “In the beginning I didn’t believe in my professional heritage,” he says. “I fought it. I didn’t want to be a jeweller. I don’t believe in what the family, my father or grandfather, gave me in that sense – I could tell you my father’s story about how we are called Mouzannar because it means ‘belt’ and we came from Damascus and we put all the gold in our belts. I am the one who made it on my own. I left when I was 17, I worked when I was 22 in Saudi
i don’t like to be trapped in one colour or one type of gem. in this moment i am working in blues and purples. life is colourful!
Arabia and then I went to the Far East, to Paris, to Belgium, to New York. I saw all of these things on my own.” Blessed and burdened as he is by his family name, Mouzannar considered abandoning it early in his career (and occasionally regrets not having done so). Ultimately, in spite of the “inelegant confusion” as he describes it, and the multiple branches of the Mouzannar family in the jewellery business, he takes satisfaction in the fact that his work is the product of his own experience, effort and creativity, reminding himself out loud that, anyway, it is only one detail of his story. “At the end everybody is recognised for his work,” he affirms – as much to himself as to me. Not afraid to take a risk, Mouzannar has a confidence with coloured stones that has become a signature of his Maison. “I don’t like to be trapped in one colour or one type of gem,” he says. “Now, in this moment, I am into the blues and working very much around the different colours of blue and sometimes purple tanzanite.”
Mouzannar’s risk-taking is reflective of an enthusiasm that touches all aspects of his life, from his love of “sublime” nature (“I am very close to nature, I like hiking, I like the sea, I am a sailor”) to his activism as a founding board member of the NGO, Right to Non-Violence. “Every one of us wants to do something different from the others. I think what I did well was using many other stones, especially coloured stones. Other creators and designers use white and black: neutral colours like diamonds and, if they want to be exotic, coloured diamonds in brown or black. But mainly they avoid colour. Life is colourful!” It’s true: each jewel, whether representing a galaxy, the Mediterranean Sea or the mythical basilisk, shines brightly in shades from azure to scarlet and everything in between. With his eyes open to every possibility, Mouzannar has frequently embraced creative collaborations. Working with Belgian silversmith and artist Annick Tapernoux most recently, he has also collaborated with furniture designer Nada Debs and painter and sculptor Ranya Sarakbi, resulting in collections as distinctive as they are dazzling. Sculpted cuboid rings in diamonds and white gold contrast with delicate infinity pendants, each piece containing a refreshing sense of the experimental. “I think my point of view is not the centre of the world,” says Mouzannar. “It enriches me to work with others and to listen to them. It also enriches them because we create a conversation. I think communicating today, communication between people, human beings, is very important. To refine and to centre.” As Mouzannar prepares to present a new collection, Mist, first in Paris and then New York, we can expect another colour-wheel of gems to cast its light. His gems don’t glitter, they glow, infused with a sense of adventure, a modern attitude and a dose of eternal optimism. “It’s a style of life,” he says, “You cannot really separate the different parts of my life.” When I ask Selim Mouzannar at what point he truly became a jeweller, he gives the answer he always does and always will: “Tomorrow.” n
N E W MOOD
Carlton Davis for Tiffany & Co.; Getty Images
T H E B LUES Coloured gems are back in style and, of all of them, the blues reigned in 2015. Diamonds may be forever but the shades of the ocean are certainly for now.
By Laura Collacott
The Art of the Sea Butterfly brooch in platinum, aquamarines, diamonds and coloured stones; ring in platinum with cuprian elbaite tourmaline, aquamarines, tsavorites and diamonds, both from the 2015 Blue Book by TIFFANY & Co.
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urquoise, azure, aqua, royal, icy, ocean; call it what you will, blues have without question set the tone for 2015. By the time Cate Blanchett had appeared at the 86th Oscars wearing a fizz of Tiffany turquoise, aquamarines and diamonds and Bianca Suarez had turned heads with her turquoise Chopard drop earrings set with green tsavorites and beads of berry rubellite, the course was set. “We have witnessed a resurgence of coloured gemstones in jewellery collections over the past few years, including the ‘big three’ emeralds, rubies and sapphires, but also more unusual and rare gemstones [such as] Paraiba and Indigo tourmalines or lapislazuli,” says Natalia Shugaeva, the Head of Design at Fabergé. Why the sudden popularity? “These gemstones are popular with clients looking for a rare, unusual coloured gemstone to reflect their personality,” Shugaeva explains. “Clients are now more aware of the wide range of choices available and are looking beyond the obvious. More than a trend, I feel it is a revival and that the love for blue gems is here to stay.” Another reason is the rise of the more ethically discerning jewellery buyer who, in the hunt for more morally mined stones, has looked beyond diamonds, enlarging the scope of stones. Looking beyond traditional sapphires, both high and fine jewellery collections now embrace blue in a riot of aquamarines, lapis lazuli, tanzanites chalcedony, tourmalines and turquoise. “Following a few decades of domination by the clear stone, the coloured gemstone revolution is most definitely back”, says Ian Harbottle, CEO of Gemfields, the world’s largest producer of ethically stones. It is in part driven by growing wealth in emerging economies – India and China – but bold accessories are in vogue and with a sense of fashion freedom running high, people have become more daring with their jewellery
‘Secrets & Lights’ sautoir and ring: emeralds, turquoises, diamonds, white gold, by PIAGET
purchases, especially when contrasted with the relatively conservative tastes of the 1980s and ’90s. Carlo Palmiero, the founder of familyowned firm Palmiero, believes there are also more esoteric reasons for the rise of blues: “In these chaotic times, we are tormented by negative news and events. Blue releases harmony and serenity, it is the colour of the sky. As it symbolises nature, blue releases new peace and gives us the chance to cut ourselves a moment from everyday hectic life in order to rediscover the beauty around us.” Stones formerly overlooked or designated as
‘Parure 8’ earrings: tourmalines, sapphires, diamonds, white gold, Lumières d’Eau by CHAUMET
‘Capri’ ring: opal, diamonds, white gold from Acte V–The Escape by LOUIS VUITTON
semi-precious (as if it to diminish them) such as turquoise, tanzanite, Paraiba tourmalines – a particular sensation – lapis lazuli, opals, chalcedony, aquamarine, topaz and iolite are having their moment in the limelight. Some have even overtaken the classic big three in terms of price-per-carat value. Rich, deep and vibrant hues of blue have formed a vein through haute joaillerie in 2015. And these blues have brought with them a sense of boldness and playful creativity. Different tones, textures and translucencies are layered and juxtaposed. “These stones offer so many colour variations,” says Raffaella Rossiello, International Communication Director of Chopard; “it gives us the ability, for example in the Animal World Collection, to reproduce the colours of the feathers or the skin of different animals. The best example is our peacock earrings, presented in Paris during the Couture week, in which we used different stones and diamonds to express the beauty of this animal.” Daring creativity has ushered in audacious
designs: on Chopard’s Scintillating Fish Necklace, gem-set fish appear to swim in a cascade of coral and waves. On a statement ring in the de Grisogono collection, a plump amethyst is surrounded by bubbles of turquoise beads. It’s hard not to think of the ocean when admiring blue gems; Louis Vuitton’s Acte V/ The Escape collection features a breathtaking pair of drop earrings with blue/black Australian opals surrounded by diamonds, inspired by Capri’s famous Blue Grotto. Accordingly, several of the new collections have marine themed names and pieces, such as Tiffany’s ‘The Art of the Sea’, created under the artistic direction of Francesca Amfitheatrof. Highlights include sapphires set like fish scales, droplet blue tourmaline necklaces and rings set with enormous tanzanites. Van Cleef & Arpels named its 2015 High Jewellery collection ‘Seven Seas’, with the Reflets Adriatiques featuring drops of tourmalines, emeralds and diamonds hanging from a ribbon of sapphires.
Seven Seas collection, Adriatic Bora transformable necklace with turquoises and diamonds | Adriatic Bora earrings with detachable pendants in turquoise and diamonds | Black Sea Île au Trésor ring with black opal of 13.22 carats,sapphires, Paraiba-like tourmalines and diamonds, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
“To me, blue is a very strong and evocative color. It reminds me of nature, the sky and the sea,” says Fawaz Gruosi, Founder and Creative Director of de Grisogono. “I am in love with the unique colour of the sea of the Sardinian coast, where I spend my summers. Beautiful shades of very light and deep blues have inspired some of my latest creations. This year De Grisogono presented two stunning blue-toned additions to its Grappoli high jewellery watch collection: one piece is set with brilliant-cut dark blue sapphires and briolette-cut tanzanites and the other is set with precious apatites and Paraiba tourmalines. “The rich hues of intense blue and vivid turquoise combined with glistening white diamonds remind me of the scintillating
reflection of the Sardinian sun as the waves gently roll in,” says Gruosi. Turquoise – whose name derives from the French for ‘Turkish stone’, on account of its passage through the souks of Istanbul on its way to Europe – is certainly the stone of the moment. “[It’s] making a serious comeback in both high and fine jewellery,” says Shugaeva, who paired turquoises with enamel of the same hue and other coloured stones in Fabergé’s Summer in Provence collection. In Piaget’s Secrets & Lights high jewellery collection turquoise is a running theme, inspired by the Silk Road traders who wended their way across the continent, through Samarkand to Venice. A gold cuff edged with unevenly
‘Melody of Colours’ earrings: turquoises, emeralds, white gold, DE GRISOGONO
shaped turquoise beads and diamond-set leaves is both dramatic and elegant; a looping bracelet in yellow gold is set with teardrops of sky blue stone. Turquoise vies for predominance with Paraiba tourmalines, the name of that stone alone creating a buzz at its mention: it was discovered only two decades ago and the Paraiba mine in Brazil, after which it is named, is already almost exhausted. As a result, Paraiba tourmalines now sell for similar prices per carat to the highest quality diamonds and the hunt is on for new sources of similarly bright tourmalines. Chopard’s show-stopper at Baselworld, was a ring with a vibrant, 41 carat Paraiba tourmaline in Titanic blue at its centre, surrounded by diamonds set in a lattice of white gold. Arunashi’s impressive cuff too has an electric 23-carat stone at its centre, surrounded by diamonds and opals set into titanium, while Boghassian has artfully combined both turquoise and tourmaline in a spectacular flower-shaped ring with hand-carved turquoise petals around a Paraiba tourmaline that has been inlaid with an oval diamond. Designers are excited by the new colour trend: “As a designer, this allows me to explore more possibilities in the realm of high jewellery, which are led by an artistic point of view rather than a commercial point of view,” enthuses Shugaeva, Palmiero adding that colour tonalities allow for endless creative freedom. “High jewellery has changed; it no longer is a jewel composed of a single stone, in which the mount is secondary,” adds Carlo Traglio, President and CEO of Vhernier. “We are moving more and more towards jewels made of different stones mounted together, of different colours. Forms change; they’re now more important, different, and excitingly innovative than ever.”
Étourdissant ‘Lagon’ bracelet: black opal (85.42 ct), diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines, platinum, CARTIER
Traglio insists that his company’s creativity is not led by trends – and in this he is not alone. “I am not interested in following trends,” says Gruosi; “to me creating should be a pure expression of passion”. What’s different, says Traglio, is the customer: “This creative freedom is not new to us. What has changed is the openness of a wider number of customers who are keen to buy jewellery with a ‘different’ spirit, definitely more creative than ever before.” A broadened range of stones has given designers and craftsmen more free rein, which has enhanced creativity. This season’s cascade of blues has been a vibrant display of shifting tastes, and discerning women are the richer for it. Any colour, so long as it’s blue. n
ALTA
F A N TASIA Dolce & Gabbana in Portofino
2015 HIGH JEWELLERY
For a weekend in late July Portofino was transformed into a magical fantasy-land as Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana hosted their Alta Moda show. Unlike the Parisian houses that launch their high jewellery separately from their fashion collections, Dolce & Gabbana show the Alta Moda and Alta Gioaielleria together. This adds impact, of course, and it also underlines the designers’ vision for both art forms. And art this truly is. The jewellery is closer to wearable sculpture than the traditional notion of gemstones-in-precious-metalsettings. Even the major stones served to embellish and emphasise the metal, rather than being look-at-me rocks in their own right. Expressing a wit and playfulness through extraordinary richness and astonishing craftsmanship, these are jewels like no other.
EARRINGS Sculpted and engraved yellow gold, tanzanites, diamonds, emeralds, pearls NECKLACE Sculpted, engraved, braided and filigree yellow gold, tanzanites, emeralds, rubies, diamonds
that made
history As auction sales continue to break records, we look at a dozen of the most breathtaking jewels and gemstones ever sold – often as remarkable for their history as for their quality. By Yixuan Fan
The Duchess of Windsor’s Cartier Panther Bracelet
We cannot talk about precious jewels without acknowledging the power of romance. This onyx and diamond panther bracelet, made by Cartier Paris in 1952, was commissioned and owned by American socialite Wallis Simpson, The Duchess of Windsor. Few women in history compare with Simpson’s hold on the romantic imagination of her age. Born Wallis Warfield in 1896, the divorcee’s scandalous relationship with British monarch Edward VIII caused the king to abdicate his throne – ‘for love’ – in 1936, whereupon the couple lived in European exile as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Among the Duchess’ most prized processions was this glorious bracelet, which fetched three times its estimated price at Sotheby’s in 2010, even though it was in imperfect condition (several small stones are missing). Although the buyer remains anonymous, rumours persist that Madonna, who directed a woeful movie about the Simpson-Windsor affair, bought the coveted item for US$12.417m. The bracelet remains a 20th century jewellery icon. However, the question remains: is it worth more than US$12m when other Cartier panther models of similar vintage are also in circulation? Probably not – and this is where romance enters the frame: its former owner’s story gives the bracelet an intangible, totemic power.
t he p o we r o f s t o n e s
Photos: Getty Images
Sold in 2010 by Sotheby’s London, US$12.4m
The Graff Pink being sold by Sothebys and being inspected by Laurence Graff
The Graff Pink Sold in 2010 by Sotheby’s Geneva, US$46.2m We have to list two pink diamonds, given the stones’ rarity and incredible market powers. Many connoisseurs prefer to credit the Graff Pink as the most expensive, and most beautiful, pink stone in the world since it won the crown at Sotheby’s Geneva auction house in 2010. Its main competitor: The Historic Pink. Weighing 24.78 carat, an extremely rare size for any pink diamond, the Graff Pink (named by the eponymous jeweller after he bought it) is classified by the GIA as ‘fancy intense pink’, a description limited to the top two percent of the world’s diamonds. This sensational stone’s early history is unclear. We know that it was once owned by American jeweller Harry Winston, who claimed it to be ‘one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered’. It then passed to a private collector and fell into obscurity. Then, in 2010, it broke all records at Sotheby’s, when Laurence Graff bought the stone for US$46.2m. To this day, it remains one of the most expensive single jewels ever sold.
La Peregrina Necklace
Once the world’s most famous woman by some margin, the English-born actress Elizabeth Taylor lived a life of intense drama. She held enormous sway over men (marrying eight times; twice to Richard Burton) and her everlasting glamour and beauty, as well as her prodigious love of jewellery, gave her an immortal appeal. When her astonishing collection came up for auction in 2011, it shattered sales records. The headline lot was a large 16th-century natural pearl named ‘La Peregrina’ (meaning ‘pilgrim’ or ‘wanderer’ in Spanish) mounted on a Cartier necklace. One of the world’s most famous pearls, its history dates back some 500 years: acccording to lore, an African slave found it near the Isle of Santa Margarita in the Gulf of Panama in the mid-16th century and gave it to the administrator of the Spanish colony, whereupon he was rewarded with his freedom. It was later given to Queen Mary I of England, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. After her death, La Peregrina stayed among European kings and queens for several centuries, until it was sold to James Hamilton, Marquess and later Duke of Abercorn in Scotland. When it turned up at Sotheby’s London in the 1960s, Taylor’s then-husband Richard Burton purchased it for $37,000 as a gift to his bride. Today it belongs to a private collector in Asia.
Photos: Getty Images, Christie’s
Sold in 2011 by Christie’s New York, US$11.84m
The Patiño Ruby/Hope Ruby Sold in 1989 by Sotheby’s New York, US$4.62m and in 2012 by Christie’s Geneva, CHF 6.24m
In the middle of last century Count and Countess Guy du Boisrouvray (she was born Luz Mila Patiño) amassed a breathtaking collection of jewels, which were inherited by their daughter, the Countess Albina Boisrouvray. Countess Albina sold the entire collection in 1989 to fund a charitable foundation established in memory of her son, FrançoisXavier Bagnoud, who was killed in a helicopter crash. The jewels sold for $31.2 million, an auction record at the time for any single-owner sale of jewellery in the United States. The star lot of the sale was a 32.08-carat Burmese Mogok ruby and diamond ring by Chaumet, which was bought by Lily Safra, the wife of banker Edmond Safra, for $4.62 million – a world auction record for any coloured stone at the time. The ring – with its central stone renamed the Hope Ruby – was sold again in 2012 as part of the Christie’s Geneva sale ‘Jewels for Hope: The Collection of Mrs. Lily Safra’. It sold for $6,736,750 (well above its high estimate of $5m), an increase in value of more than 50 percent in two decades. With all the proceeds from the sale donated by Mrs Safra to support 32 charitable institutions, the 70-lot auction of jewels achieved more than 35 million Swiss Francs, a world record total for a jewellery charity auction. The price of the Hope ruby has since been eclipsed but no other stone has contributed so much to philanthropic causes as this one.
The Archduke Joseph Diamond Sold in 2012 by Christie’s Geneva, CHF 20.35m Originating in the Golconda mines and named after its first recorded owner (although nobody knows how it came into he Archduke’s possession), this colourless, internally flawless cushion-shaped diamond originally weighed 78.54 carats. The Archduke – born a Hapsburg, he was a military officer who was briefly Hungary’s head of state in 1918 and 1919 – is recorded as having deposited the stone in a bank vault in 1933. It was sold to an anonymous buyer in 1936 and kept in a safe-deposit box in France, never to be seen again until 1961, when it appeared at auction in London – but was unsold. It resurfaced again at Christie’s Geneva in 1993, where it was bought for $6.5m by an American jeweller, Alfred Molina, who had it recut to 76.02 carats to improve its clarity and symmetry, Molina resold the stone at Christie’s Geneva in November 2012, where an anonymous bidder paid more than 20m Swiss Francs ($21.48m), far exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $15m. This set a world record for a Golconda diamond and a world record price per carat for a colourless diamond.
the benchmark for burmese sapphires, the rockefeller is unmatched for its combination of size, shape, colour and clarity
The Rockefeller Sapphire
Named after its second owner, John D. Rockefeller Jr, the philanthropist son of the oil baron, this stunning 62.02-carat rectangular step-cut stone was mined in Burma – almost certainly in the Mogok region. Rockefeller bought it in 1934, on the advice of the family’s jeweller, Raymond Yard, from an Indian Maharajah, believed to be the Nizam of Hyderabad. For his first wife, Abby, Rockefeller had set it in a brooch by Pierre Cartier, taking Cartier’s advice to re-cut the stone to 66 carats; after Abby’s death, Rockefeller had the stone redesigned into a ring for his second wife, Martha. In 1971, after Martha’s death, the ring was sold in Zurich by the Rockafeller heirs, for $170,000. It changed hands numerous times over the next three decades, being re-cut in 1980 to its present form and set in a ring by Tiffany & Co. Today it remains in the hands of the private collector in Asia, who bought it in 2001.
Photos: Getty Images, Christie’s, Sothebys
Sold in 2001 at Christie’s New York, US$3.03m
Donnersmarck Emerald and Diamond Tiara Sold in 2011 at Sotheby’s Geneva, US$12.76m This spectacular emerald and diamond tiara is called ‘the most valued tiara in the world’ for good reason. Its awe-inspiring beauty has served emperors and aristocrats for hundreds of years. Composed of 11 rare Colombian emerald pear-shaped droplets that weigh over 500 carats, and set within an array of large and small diamonds mounted in silver and gold — the tiara was commissioned by German prince Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck for his second wife, Princess Katharina, in the early 20th century. Although, unusually, the diadem doesn’t bear an artisan mark, it’s assumed that either Boucheron or Chaumet, both of which the Prince patronised, crafted the masterpiece. The history of the 11 emeralds is fascinating: it’s believed that they once belong to Empress Eugénie, wife of French Emperor Napoleon III, who was known for her love of emeralds. In 1872, after the revolutionary fall of the French monarchy, 25 emerald drops from her collection were auctioned to different buyers, all of whom remain anonymous. Miraculously, it appears that 11 of the emeralds were eventually collected together to create the tiara. It now belongs to another anonymous owner.
The Graff Vivid Yellow Sold in May 2014 by Sotheby’s Geneva, CHF 12.8m It’s strange indeed when a rare gem smashes the previous record for its type and still the result is considered ‘disappointing’. In the case of the Graff Vivid Yellow, the disappointment was only that it didn’t achieve its pre-sale high estimate of CHF 22.3m; nevertheless, at CHF 12.8m, it far exceeded the prevous record for a yellow diamond – CHF 11.28m, set by the 110-carat Lady Dalal. With its uniquely stunning daffodil-yellow fire, this 100.09-carat gem is one of the very few 100-carat-plus yellow diamonds in existence. Originally named the Dream Diamond, it was bought by Laurence Graff as a 190-carat rough in 2005, on a trip to Kimberley in South Africa. It took nine painstaking months of work by the New York master cutter Nino Bianco to get the diamond to the point we see it today: a modified cushion cut, certified as VS2 clarity.
The Zoe Diamond Sold in 2014 by Sotheby’s New York, US$32.65m As the price of fine jewellery reaches increasingly stratospheric heights, another world record was set in New York in November 2014 by a resplendent 9.75-carat vivid-blue diamond. This time it signalled the emergence of a new market – the Asian billionaires. Headlining the private collection of Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon (widow of the late philanthropist Paul Mellon), the exceptional pear-shaped vivid blue diamond triggered a fierce bidding war. The hammer eventually fell at the astonishing price of US$32.65m, more than double its pre-sale estimate of $15m. The buyer, Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau Luen Hung, renamed it the Zoe diamond, after his 12-year-old daughter, Zoe Lau. The Zoe diamond still tops the auction record for the most expensive blue diamond in the world, and also the highest price per carat – US$3.3m – for any diamond. Although many still question the unfathomable price tag of the stone, regardless of its perfections, David Bennett, coChairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery division, describes the Zoe diamond as ‘the most beautiful blue diamond’ he has ever seen.
WHEN A GREAT STONE WITH GREAT PROVENANCE REAPPEARS ON THE MARKET AFTER SEVERAL Decades it is sure to attract
Photos: Getty Images, Sothebys
huge interest
The Historic Pink Sold in May 2015 by Sotheby’s Geneva, CHF14.81m When a stone reappears on the market after disappearing from view for several decades, it is sure to attract great interest. The cushion-cut vivid pink diamond was the centrpiece of a necklace owned by Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, a niece of Emperor Napoleon I. Living in Paris, Princess Mathilde was a dazzling socialite who hosted a renowned literary and artistic salon, with Proust and Flaubert among regular guests. When she died in 1904, aged 83, her magnificent jewellery collection was sold through Galerie Georges Petit. The New York jeweller Dreicer & Co bought the necklace, re-cut the diamond to 9.0 carats and set it in a ring sold to William Clark, a prominent industrialist and banker, who also served as a US senator. Clark, in turn, bequeathed it to his daughter, Huguette, in the 1940s. It remained hidden in a safe until Huguette’s death in 2011, reappearing the following year as ‘The Clark Pink’ at Christie’s New York, where it was sold for $5.7m.This year, having been re-cut to 8.72 carats it was sold again at Sotheby’s Geneva, setting a new record for the per-carat price of a pink diamond. n
P r e c i o u s,
Natu r a l Won d e r s Precious stones are among the greatest wonders of nature. Here, we photograph them in a style inspired by the ‘nature morte’ paintings of the 17th-century Old Masters.
Photographed by Nicolas Menu Styled by James V. Thomas
Necklace, Christian Dior
Earrings, Chanel
Necklace, Piaget
Broches, Louis Vuitton
Necklace, Bulgari
Earrings, Chopard
Earrings, Christian Dior
Photographer’s Assistant: Joan Dastarac Retouching and Capturing: Pascal Hirsch at ELVIS Paris Production and Set Design: ELVIS Paris Production: Louis Agency
The Bold and The Beautiful From delicately sculpted roses to daring colours and audacious forms, Dior’s jewellery collections express a singular view of femininity.
Photographed by Julien Vallon Styled by Marjorie Chanut
Poisonus earrings and ring, Dior Fine Jewellery
Gourmande Libellule rings, Dior Fine Jewellery
Mitza rings, Dior Fine Jewellery
Rose Des Vents bracelets, Dior Fine Jewellery
Pre Catelan earring s and ring, Dior Fine Jewellery
Miss Dior and Diorette rings, Dior Fine Jewellery
Archi Dior earrings and ring, and My Dior bracelet, Dior Fine Jewellery
Models: Irina Shnitman at IMG Paris, Jaque Cantelli at Next Models Paris and Clarice Vitkauskas at Next Models Paris Hair Stylist: Yoshiko Haruki Make-up Artist: Alexandra Tshiteya at Aurelien Agency Local Production: ArtBoard Production: Louis Agency
Pre Catelan earrings and rings, Dior Fine Jewellery
TESORI DEL MARE Ring – Emerald cabochon – 12.89 cts. Diamonds, white gold, Giampiero Bodino
&
Colours Lights Giampiero Bodino translates the richness of Italy’s culture and heritage into magnificent contemporary jewels of bold style and singular warmth. Photographed by Lionel Koretzky
MOSAICO Cuff – White chalcedony, diamonds, white gold, Giampiero Bodino
CORONA Ring – Sugar loaf blue sapphire – 8.35 cts. Blue sapphires, white gold, Giampiero Bodino
CHIMERA Cuff – Emeralds, blue sapphires, yellow sapphire, black spinels, diamonds, white gold, Giampiero Bodino
CHIMERA Cuff – Pink and yellow sapphires, rubies, mandarin garnets, diamonds, pink gold, Giampiero Bodino
CORONA Necklace – Blue sapphires, diamonds, white gold, Giampiero Bodino
Local producer: Talent and Partner Production: Louis Agency
A TIME FOR
ELEGANCE As day turns to evening a gentleman’s choice of timepiece – like his wardrobe – reminds us that strength lies in simplicity.
Photographed by Joe Lai Styled by James V. Thomas
Annual Calendar ref. 5396 in 38.5mm rose-gold case with rose-gold bracelet; moon-phase and 24-hour indication; self-winding mechanical movement, PATEK PHILIPPE
Calatrava ref. 5120 in 35mm white gold case with alligator strap, calibre 240 ultra-thin selfwinding mechanical movement, PATEK PHILIPPE
Slim d’Hermès 39.5mm in steel case with alligator-leather strap; self-winding ultra-flat mechanical movement calibre H1950, white opaline dial, HERMÈS
ClĂŠ de Cartier 40mm in whitegold case with bracelet in polished and satin-brushed white gold, automatic mechanical movement calibre 1847 MC, CARTIER
Parmigiani Tonda Hemisphères in 42mm rose-gold case with alligator-leather strap, calibre PF337 self-winding mechanical movement with second time zone for hours and minutes, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
Royal Oak Automatic 41mm in steel case with rose-gold bezel, steel and rose-gold bracelet, selfwinding mechanical movement cal. 3120, AUDEMARS PIGUET
Tank Anglaise XL in steel case with bracelet in polished and satin-brushed steel, self-winding mechanical movement calibre 1904 MC, date display, CARTIER
Day-Date 40mm in yellow gold on yellow-gold President bracelet, automatic mechanical movement calibre 3255, champagne sunraybrushed dial, ROLEX
Wardrobe: Dior Homme Model: Christopher Michaut at Bananas Hair Stylist: Nori Takabayashi Make-up Artist: Maki Ihara Stylist’s Assistant: Emil Kosuge Video: Omid Zarei Location: L’Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, Paris Production: Louis Agency
Classima 39mm in steel case with alligator leather strap and white opaline dial with date display, Swiss-made quartz movement, BAUME & MERCIER
Earrings and bracelet, Cartier
A STORY TOLD IN LIGHT With their timeless appeal and remarkable ability to capture and reflect light, white diamonds will forever be a source of inspiration for great jewellery designs.
Photographed by Edorado De Ruggiero Styled by James V. Thomas
Ring and watch, Piaget
Necklace and bracelet, Chaumet
Watch, Vacheron Constantin
Earrings and necklace, CARTIER
Necklace, ring and earrings, Messika
Watch, Cartier
Earrings and broche, Louis Vuitton
Necklace, bracelet and ring, Dior
Necklace, Watch and ring, Chanel
All Clothing: Celine Model: Manuela Frey at Elite Paris Hair Stylist: Nori Takabayashi Make-up Artist: Min Kim at Airport Agency Set Designer: Federico Tetti Photographer’s 1st Assistant: Halldora Magnusdottir Photographer’s 2nd Assistant: Paul Jedwab Production: Louis Agency
WOMEN IN TIME Increasingly, women appreciate watches that are technically sophisticated – and yet there are still very few women at the top of the watch industry.
W OM E N ’ S W ATC H E S
PHOTO: PETER LINDBERGH, by courtesy of IWC
By Josh Sims
Behind the scenes during Peter Lindbergh’s shoot for the launch of IWC’s Portofino 37 in 2014, starring Cate Blanchett, Zhou Xun and Emily Blunt.
Work in progress on the dial of the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish by VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
T
he Swiss watch industry is still very much a man’s world. Despite there being many women among the artists involved in unique decorative work of haute horlogerie – enamelling, marquetry and the like – there are few women in very senior roles in the business. Carole Forestier-Kasapi, head of movement creation at Cartier, is one; Laurence Nicolas, the President of Dior Watches & Jewellery, another. Then there are those in family-owned or –run companies: Sandrine Stern, Head of Watch Creation at Patek Philippe, is the wife of managing director Thierry Stern; Nayla Hayek, the Chairwoman of Swatch Group and CEO of Harry Winston is the daughter of the group’s founder, the
Nayla Hayek, Chief Executive of Harry Winston and Chairwoman of Swatch Group
late Nicolas G. Hayek; and at Audemars Piguet there is Jasmine Audemars, of the founding family. Even so, according to the association of employees in the Swiss watchmaking industry, in 2010 just 223 out of 1603 people at management level were women and the proportion has changed little since then. “You need to be a very strong woman to survive in [this industry],” says Sara Sandmeier, Senior Designer at Baume & Mercier. “But I do think being a woman in watches brings a difference. It may be another stereotype, she concedes, but women watch designers are more likely than their male counterparts to “pay attention to the details, to create a whole that is softer, more colourful, less aggressive”.
The Reine de Naples with Moonphase and Power Reserve indicator ref.8909, by BREGUET
Arguably the dearth of women at the top has had a wider impact on the industry’s attitude to women consumers. Despite the great increase in interest in mechanical watches among men since the early 1990s, the assumption has remained that women are taken by a watch only if it is, essentially, a piece of jewellery, and ideally smothered in diamonds. Many companies seeking to inspire women to buy, have simply made smaller versions of their masculine pieces. Women, the line has been, just aren’t that interested in the craft of the watch and its movement. Not so says Jasmine Audemars: “It’s a cliché that women are not interested in mechanical things. They like cars and engines, and why not? They can appreciate the beauty of a movement too.” In the past, women mostly had a watch bought for them as a gift; now more are buying a watch for themselves – and their financial independence makes them ripe to buy into watches of pedigree rather than merely prettiness. As manager of Parmigiani’s flagship store in London, Tony Sofocli sees a steady stream of wealthy individuals of both genders and countless nationalities, which places him in a good position to comment: “Now we see a surprising number of women who look at a watch and the first thing they do is flip it over to see if it has an exhibition window,” he says. “The fact is that women don’t just want to buy the badge anymore. They want to invest in a product that gives them quality and, for many, that means buying into the foundation behind a company, its craft in making movements. So, yes, our Tonda 1950 Tourbillon has a mother-of-pearl dial and lots of diamonds – but it’s still intrinsically a tourbillon, and more and more of our female customers recognise that.” Breguet and Patek Philippe have long been champions of complications for women, including the ‘big three’ – a chronograph, a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar – from the latter. IWC introduced its Portofino mid-size collection this year – not labelling the 37mm line a ‘Ladies’ watch but aiming it at any wearer with a slim wrist.
Caseback view of RM 07-01 ATZ white ceramic by RICHARD MILLE
Assembling the movement of the BallerineEnchantée by VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Even those brands with more masculine styling – Audemars Piguet, Glashütte Original and Montblanc, for example – have made efforts to woo women with new lines that include higher-quality mechanical movements in the line-up, as well as slightly smaller sizes. When Montblanc launched its Star Classique line in 2012 it was always envisaged as unisex, its 39mm case ideal for men with slimmer wrists as well as women who like a bolder size. It subsequently added a 34mm size to the line – and, yes, it does come with a diamond-set option but the gems are not the whole point of these watches. It’s interesting that some the first companies to respond with gusto to women’s desire for technical quality in their watches have been fashion businesses such as Dior, Hermès and Chanel. (Some say that Chanel created a new category with the launch of the J12 in 2000.) These companies have long histories of appealing, first and foremost, to women but have until recently been the underdogs of the serious watch world. However, it is to these brands that, research suggests, many women looking to buy a serious watch are turning first. For similar reasons, haute joaillerie houses – Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget and Cartier, for instance – have been able to finesse the technical side of their watchmaking to bring more naturally feminine watches to market. Cartier has launched several feminine watch models with new inhouse movements over the past seven years – and it’s hard to think of any watch that combines technical complexity with inherent femininity better than the ‘Poetic Complications’ series from Van Cleef & Arpels. Among the growing band of smaller, independent companies some have been fast to respond too. Richard Mille, for example, introduced its first women’s watch in 2007, with no compromise on technical content compared with its men’s watches and, at this year’s SIHH placed most of its focus on two new women’s pieces, both with tourbillons. “Women generally are now more confident in watch shopping,” says Peter Harrison,
PETER LINDBERGH photo by courtesy of IWC
PATEK PHILIPPE Ladies First Perpetual Calendar, ref.7140R
Adriana Lima photographed by Peter Lindbergh for IWC
Sara Sandmeier, Senior Designer at Baume & Mercier
the CEO of Richard Mille for Europe, the Middle East & Africa, “It’s less about buying whatever makes you feel part of your group and more about buying what is individualistic. It’s not about following trends any more.” The internet has greatly increased the knowledge that most watch buyers have, and women as well as men, are now much better educated – not only about the technical aspect of watches but also about what constitutes value in a watch. This may presage some major changes, since many watch companies have made much of their profit by selling quartzmovement watches to women. “Certainly it’s going to get harder for many companies to justify even a $500 quartz watch,” says
Harrison, “and I think many will drop them when demand passes. A lot of companies have only been able to generate growth over recent years by producing quartz – there’s a lovely margin in it – but it does raise questions for a brand.” More women buying more mechanical pieces might even mean that the number of women in positions of influence in the industry may approach a better balance. That’s something Sara Sandmeier would approve of. “When I moved into watches,” she recalls, “someone took a look at my portfolio of jewellery designs and told me it was ‘poetic’ – which was their way of telling me that they didn’t think it was very good.” They probably think differently now. n
aying
it with
Flowers Floral motifs have inspired some of today’s most creative watchmakers to invent new complications that set these beautiful blooms in motion
By Laura Collacott
On CHAUMET’s Hortensia Creative Complication, two delicate flowers rotate around the dial to indicate hours and minutes
W OM E N ’ S W ATC H E S
In the Lady 8 Flower by JAQUET DROZ an automaton mechanism is incorporated into the movement, enabling the wearer, at the push of a button, to open the lotus flower and reveal the diamond at its heart
A model dressed in flowers at the launch of the RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur
F
lowers have long been an overt symbol of femininity – used as decoration on everything from dress fabrics to tea-cups, jewellery and sofa cushions, and offered to women as the quintessentially feminine gift, whether as single buds or extravagant bunches. Indeed the delicateyet-strong beauty of flowers has become a metaphor for femininity. Floral motifs are nothing new in women’s watch designs. Indeed, feminine wristwatches are nothing new: the first wristwatches were made for women, not men, as they had nowhere in their outfits to keep a pocket watch. But the boom in technically sophisticated watches designed specifically for women – that’s new. This technical sophistication need not mean a sacrifice of femininity, of course,
as is clear from the use of gem-setting, enamelling, miniature painting, engraving and other artistic crafts on the cases and dials of such watches. These timepieces are the thinking woman’s jewellery. Vacheron Constantin unveiled the Florilège in 2013, a triptych of watches with enamel faces inspired by botanical illustrations from Robert Thornton’s 18th-century Temple of Flora book. At Piaget the rose is a long-standing icon (“the most universal flower,” according to Yves Piaget), recently immortalised in a luminous cloisonnéenamelled version of the Altiplano. GirardPerregaux etched a flower motif into the mother-of-pearl face of the technically refined Cat’s Eye Tourbillon. And complexity has been gathering pace. Take Bovet’s Lady Bovet watch, a unique
The RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur features a floral automaton with a flying tourbillon at its heart
piece created for the 2015 Only Watch charitable auction. A Virtuoso II calibre, introduced in 2014 (the first Bovet movement not regulated by a tourbillon) displays hours and minutes on both sides, and so is housed in a reversible and convertible white gold Amadeo case. That has allowed the reverse to be exquisitely decorated with a miniature, enamel-painted scene of two white doves and vibrant flowers. Even so, in these examples flowers have remained a decorative motif, however elaborate. Now women are being offered floral-themed timepieces to match the boys’ watches – which is to say that they are as technically sophisticated as they are beautifully feminine. This year, in several remarkable new timepieces from different houses, flowers have gone beyond the merely ‘pictorial’ and become animated. Christophe Claret was, in fact, first off the mark last year, when he introduced Margot. It features an enamelled daisy motif with a yellow sapphire centre in a mother-ofpearl face, with which to play the childhood game of ‘he loves me, loves me not’ with the press of a button placed at 2 o’clock, which makes petals disappear in ones and twos beneath the face, the answer (of seven romantic possibilities in French) appearing in an aperture. A chime accompanies each
press of the button, the aural mechanism set with a ruby and visible through a tiny window in the case at 8 o’clock. Turn the white or rose gold case over and you’ll see the self-winding movement whirring away beneath a flower-like lattice set with eight precious stones. “When we made the Margot, we were the first to achieve a [completely new] high complication exclusively for women,” says Christophe Claret, the eponymous founder. “It’s an idea that I have wanted for a long time. I had also unsuccessfully offered the idea through the Manufacture to other brands; they felt that the market for this kind of complication was too low. Apart from a few brands that have poetic approaches on small complications for women, such as Van Cleef & Arpels or Breguet, [none is] really interested in realising complications exclusively for women.” The Margot is whimsical, charming and beautifully made – as well as mechanically complex – yet it won as many detractors as fans when it was launched, with selfstyled purists (that is, the purely-technical watch geeks) calling it ‘pointless’. Claret was vindicated with a Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève prize. Since then, other firms have unveiled new women’s complications – all with floral animations. Claret himself introduced the Marguerite
Above and below: CHANEL’s Première Flying Tourbillon features a spinning camellia flower
A detail of the Margot by CHRISTOPHE CLARET
Above and below: on the GRAFF Floral Tourbillon the three gem-set flowers rotate in sync with different parts of the movement
this year, a slightly pared down version of the Margot with tiny butterflies marking the hours and minutes, and other houses have begun to release complications with flowers at the heart of their theme. Makers are going to increasing technically lengths to create women’s models that are both highly sophisticated and beautiful. More and more, floral designs are not simply part of the decoration but animated functions of the engineering. Graff launched its 2015 women’s collection with the Floral Tourbillon at its core, the result of 2,500 hours of design and development work, according to a company spokesman. A delicate floral outline is traced over the tourbillon cage between 5 and 6 o’clock on the dial (which is motherof-pearl or pavé diamonds, depending on the design specifications), while a cluster of three flowers – with petals formed by marquise-cut rubies, emeralds, sapphires or diamonds – sit at 8, 9 and 12 o’clock and rotate in line with the beats of different parts of the movement. “An increasing number of women are intrigued by the inner workings of a mechanical watch – with the quality of the materials used also a key consideration,” says Michel Pitteloud, the CEO of Graff Luxury Watches. “The MasterGraff Floral Tourbillon was developed in line with this
increased appreciation [and] it combines technical innovation with the craft and skill of our gem-setting experience.” Richard Mille introduced the Tourbillon Fleur this year, priced at a cool $1.1 million. That money buys you a shapely, diamondencrusted watch with a five-petalled magnolia flower, set among delicate hand-painted leaves, which blooms every five minutes or on demand, at the press of a pusher. As it blooms, a mesmerising flying tourbillon is revealed rising – just a millimetre – when the petals open to mimic a real flower. On the reverse, an exhibition case-back reveals glimpses of the grade-5 titanium movement. “For a long time we have wanted to do a watch with an automaton,” says Tim Malachard, Richard Mille’s Marketing Director. “The tourbillon was a natural choice for us. Following that logic, the next decision was to create an automaton that would hide and conceal the tourbillon – which led us to the idea of a flower, and that is naturally more feminine. The idea of raising and lowering the tourbillon as the flower opened and closed was just one of those ‘how can we push it further’ things that we like to do.” Pushing things further takes time, in this case four years. “It made things vastly more complex and it took Giulio Papi [of the
The Marguerite by CHRISTOPHE CLARET
movement developers APRP] a ridiculous amount of time to find the solution; the hardest part was not only to achieve that tiny and very controlled movement but also to co-ordinate it perfectly with the petals opening and closing,” says Malachard. Of a similar calibre, the Jaquet-Droz Lady 8 Flower has an automatic movement with a butterfly so precious set into the face that it looks almost real, trapped in a glass cloche. Jaquet Droz is no stranger to whimsically avant-garde technology; witness the automata dolls that catapulted the firm to international fame in the 18th century. One version of the Lady 8 Flower features a white gold case, the face set with sapphires on a gleaming diamond background, another a red gold case with diamond-set bezel and butterfly of hand–painted enamel. Above,
floating in a separate orb to complete Jaquet-Droz’s signature figure of eight and powered by a mechanical automat, is a lotus flower that blooms at the press of a button to reveal a diamond at its centre. The trend for women’s mechanical watches in recent years has opened the creative floodgates for high jewellers and artistic watchmakers. A focus on women has almost given makers permission to step away from time-related complications to more lateral, amusing and delicate ones. The result so far, demonstrated by this bouquet of floral complications, has been the harnessing of sophisticated watchmaking simply for beautiful ends, adding a softer touch to high-precision machinery and, in pushing the boundaries, opening the door to all manner of future possibilities.
The Bare Bones of It Skeleton watches and the fine art of skeletonisation have a tradition spanning hundreds of years. This delicate craft is in the ascendant By Nick Rice once more, with a range of stellar new creations.
CR A F TSM A NS H I P
E
Detail of calibre RD01SQ from the Excalibur Double Flying Tourbillon Skeleton by ROGER DUBUIS
very year, in the rarefied world of haute hologerie new directions are feverishly scrutinised, every twist and turn analysed and, in early 2015, in the sophisticated confines of the SIHH fair and the frenetic swirl of Baselworld, it became evident that this is the year of the skeleton. The skeletonised watch is nothing new, of course, and the first examples date back centuries, but this remarkable style of timepiece continues to evolve. The art of skeletonisation, also referred to as ‘open-working’, involves paring back a watch dial and movement to the bare bones and, in some cases, embellishing the remaining structure with a range of decorative crafts, such as guilloché – formerly known as ornamental turnery and originating from the 16th century. Skeletonisation is one of the most challenging and intricate techniques in fine watchmaking and consists of meticulously sawing away every possible gram of excess material to reveal the mechanism at the heart of the watch – a mesmerising view across an orchestra of components: over bridges, pinions, plates, wheels and springs. The remaining structure is then decorated with techniques such as étirage, anglage, ciselage and brossage – all forms of polishing and engraving that demand years of practice to master. The crucial difference between a skeleton and a skeletonised watch is the process of creating it. A skeleton watch is conceived and designed from the outset to be a skeleton, so, rather than carefully cutting away metal as in the skeletonising process, the bridges and plates are developed with open aesthetics and the architecture of the movement must be designed to complement this skeleton. Tracing the roots of skeletonised watches is akin to herding cats – just when you think there is a definitive pattern and first example, another one pops up. There’s a theory that skeletonised watches originated with one of Napoleon’s soldiers: the story goes that the soldier took his battlefield knife to his pocket watch in order to extract some metal to repair his rifle. More than 300 years earlier, in the 15th century, there are examples of watches with openings that
Decorating the skeletonised bridges of PIAGET’s Altiplano Ultra-Thin Skeleton 1200G
Engraving the skeletonised Calibre 2790SQ at VACHERON CONSTANTIN
showcase the mechanics – although this is not technically skeletonisation because the movement plates were not open-worked. There are also table clocks from the 16th century that feature open iron-frame constructions with the essential mechanics prominently presented. As with modern skeleton watches, a significant amount of the architecture of these clocks was designed from the drawing board to present the clock works to be openly viewed. But this is a clock not a watch. Nevertheless, these examples might be thought of as the natural predecessors of the skeleton and skeletonised watch.
Applying the strict definition that a watch must have open-worked plates and decorated bridges to qualify as a true skeleton watch, we can posit 1760 as the year of the first bona-fide example. According to Jeffrey S. Kingston in Le Quai de l’Horloge, the annual publication of the prestigious watch company and master of skeletonisation, Breguet, “Two French watchmakers vie for the prize of the first skeleton watch, Lépine and Caron.” Kingston says, “In both cases their creations featured movement plates that had been carved with openings to show the running train, barrels that were similarly sculpted, revealing the mainspring, and a balance cock slimmed to a triangular form showing the components lying beneath. Almost all of the core elements of today’s haute horlogerie skeleton watches are in these first Lépine and Caron timepieces.” More than 250 years later the skeleton watch continues to fascinate. In the 1920s, esteemed watch Maisons such as Vacheron Constantin and Cartier expanded the notion of transparency with their skeleton pocket watches by using rock crystal for the cases, enabling the viewer to see through the entire timepiece. Last year Vacheron Constantin launched the Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourée, inspired by the vaulted arches of industrial architecture of the late 19th century. Describing the collection, Christian Selmoni, Artistic Director at Vacheron Constantin, says, “The movements have been open-worked then engraved in an innovative way, which allows a real threedimensional vision on the movement. Metal surfaces of the movement reflect the light in different directions. Our master engravers have created a new expression for skeletonised watches... it’s about creativity, opening new doors, creating new designs, yet being faithful to our traditional decorative crafts.” Vacheron Constantin offers much-valued insight into the magic of skeleton watches, as the company is undoubtedly one of the masters of the art and one of very few that creates skeleton versions for almost its entire product range, from relatively basic, slim watches to high complications, such as the Malte Openworked Tourbillon. Why now? “There has been an incredible interest in the past 25 years about technical, complicated watchmaking,”
The Master Ultra-Thin Skeleton with blue enamel, by JAEGERLECOULTRE
The J12 Skeleton Flying Tourbillon by CHANEL
For Blue Merit, GRIEB & BENZINGER skeletonised a rare A.Lange & Söhne tourbillon calibre
Open-working adopts an angular, contemporary aesthetic in the L-Evolution Tourbillon Carrousel by BLANCPAIN
says Selmoni. “We have seen incredible technical achievements since the 1990s and, about 10 years ago, we saw the comeback of the decorative crafts in haute horlogerie. So, it’s not exactly surprising that skeletonised watches are enjoying such an interest today, as they are a very rare combination of both technical watchmaking and decorative crafts – a very particular combination of technique and aesthetics.” With the recent proliferation of skeleton and skeletonised watches new notions about categorisation and the idea of a ‘true’ skeletonised watch arise. The crux of the matter is whether the timepiece is hand-made or not. Many skeletonised watches today are produced using high-tech machines and industrial methods such as spark erosion and computer-controlled cutting, rather than by a master craftsman painstakingly removing metal by hand. Industrial processes clearly involve the utmost precision, as the slightest variation in component measurement or strength could drastically compromise the accuracy and functionality of a watch, but that serves only to elevate the prestige of a watch created and decorated by hand and eye alone. According to Kingston, “By any reasonable standard, these [machine made] watches …cannot be considered as equals of genuine, classic haute horlogerie skeleton timepieces.” It is certainly true that industrial processes are not necessary, save for increased production numbers and lower cost, as authentic hand-made skeleton watches are still made. Audemars Piguet began producing skeletonised watches in the early 20th Century and is renowned for its quality and authenticity. Claudio Cavaliere, Global Brand Ambassador at Audemars Piguet says, “We define a skeleton movement as a calibre from which we have removed as much material as possible while keeping unchanged key movement features, functions and, of course, reliability. Audemars Piguet’s work is recognisable by the way bevels are made and by the interior angles that can be hand-made only, versus rounded angles produced by machines.” The relatively young house, Grieb & Benzinger,
The Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées with baguette-diamond-set bezel by VACHERON CONSTANTIN
The presence of sharp interior angles is a key factor when examining a skeletoniSed timepiece as they signify that the finishing was done by hand.
The open-worked dial of the BREGUET Tradition Automatique Seconde RĂŠtrograde S7097BB puts the movement on full show
The case and bridges of PIAGET’s Emperador Skeleton Tourbillon are set with diamonds
Fabuleux Ornements Ottoman Architecture, by VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Skeleton case and movement on the MasterGraff Structural Tourbillon Skeleton by GRAFF
specialises in creating sublime hand-made skeletonised timepieces, for which it is now lauded among collectors and connoisseurs. Grieb & Benzinger watches are not available in shops but by worldwide concierge service – a proverbial cherry on the cake in terms of exclusivity. The watchmakers lay claim to being the only company worldwide to combine all three classic skeleton crafts – hand-skeletonisation, hand-engraving and guilloché in their skeleton watches. Georg Bartkowiak, responsible for design and marketing at Grieb & Benzinger says, “Although skeletonisation is a very classic – some may say old-fashioned – technique, modern watch design is making use of skeleton designs from square one. Modern skeleton watches are not an artistic product resulting from the imagination of a skeleton artist, but perfectly styled timepieces by the use of computer technique. The appearance of the skeleton is already designed on a screen while the old style was to re-work and reduce an existing movement.” Bartkowiak considers only a few of today’s skeletonised watches to really show the authentic art of classic craftsmanship. “Around 99 percent of existing skeleton movements are sawn by CNC machines,” he says. Conversely, Grieb & Benzinger uses the classic technique of old-style handskeletonisation. “We set ourselves apart from the norms of modern production, allowing the freedom to use historical machines and tools more than a century old in order to create true works of art,” says Bartkowiak. This style is totally different as it re-creates and modifies the bridge, cock and baseplate layout with new threedimensional creations if required.” Bartkowiak sees a significant fissure in the very principle of a skeleton timepiece that is conceived using modern-day technology. “The good old saying, ‘form follows function’ has turned into a new definition: ‘function follows form!’” he states. “The engineer is able to plan very carefully, by the use of the latest CAD technique, the layout of every single component, the position of the barrels, the balance of the wheels, in order to reach a cool design. The computer is even able to quote the necessary material strength of bridges and plates. The advanced CNC wire and cutting machines support the CAD designs and enables you to produce beautiful styled skeleton watches with perfect results,
Detail of the skeletonised dial, movement and seconds hand of Memoris, by LOUIS MOINET
Detail of the Tonda 1950 Squelette by PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
every one as good as the other. However, due to that detailed industrial production, as perfect as they are, for a real watch connoisseur these watches have no soul.” In the final analysis, the idea of a genuine skeleton watch is entirely subjective and dependent on the individual. Whether a watch is one-of-a-kind, like all those created using traditional methods, or produced with modern-day methods, is left to the scruples of the consumer. Either way, they say it’s better not to have any skeletons in the closet. For most admirers of fine watches, however, those skeletons are more than welcome. n
P o l o T i m e
Photos: Evelina Jakovievska/Images of Polo; Vanessa Taylor; Astrid Munoz; Getty Images
Clockwise, from above: Pablo McDonough playing for Zedan in the Julius Baer Dubai Gold Cup, RM 053 on his wrist | Piaget ambassador Facundo Pieres playing for King Power Foxes against UAE in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup Final at Cowdray Park | Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassador Luke Tomlinson playing in the Gold Cup at Cowdray Park | An image from a series of artistic polo shots by Astrid Munoz, commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre | Pablo McDonough playing in the Richard Mille Arts et ElĂŠgance match at Chantilly.
Sp o r t i n g L i fe
The association between watches and polo is closer than ever. And it’s not just the obvious link between a glamorous sport and high-end products – a natural partnership for Piaget’s Polo collection. In 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre, designed the Reverso at the request of poloplaying British Army officers in India for a watch better able to sustain the rough-andtumble of the sport. Eighty years later Richard Mille introduced RM 053, cased in titanium carbide and worn by its co-designer, Pablo McDonough in every match that he plays.
“
Polo is not ‘chic’; it is beautiful, very physical, technically very difficulT and extremely precise – RICHARD MILLE
Clockwise from top left: Action during the Julius Baer Dubai Gold Cup at Arabian Ranches | Scene from the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at Desert Palm | An image from a series of artistic polo shots by Astrid Munoz, commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre | The St Regis team, winner of the Piaget Hamptons Cup, with Piaget CEO Philippe Leopold-Metzger.
Opposite: The Timewalker Urban Speed Chronograph e-Strap by MONTBLANC | This page: PIAGET Black Tie Vintage Inspiration
there is a playfulness with shapes, and the use of unusual materials continues – especially those that add visual and textural appeal
h i ghl i gh t s
AYear In View While the ephemeral idea of trends is hardly appropriate to highlevel watchmaking, the timepieces introduced during 2015 do reveal interesting new directions in form, materials and functions. By Josh Sims
T
alk to the elite end of the watch business, and the question of trends is generally met with a blank stare. As Michel Parmigiani, the watchmaker behind Parmigiani Fleurier, puts it, “the industry just doesn’t focus on a few big styles any more – each watch becomes more like a work of art in its own right. It’s more individualistic, because these days everyone wants to be different.” Peter Harrison, the CEO in Europe, the Middle East & Africa for Richard Mille, one of the more progressive independent brands, puts it more bluntly: “I have no idea what the trends are. I’m not sure there are any. We just do what we like.” As this year’s new watch collections seem to confirm, while consumers at the more mass level still identify with status brands and their iconic models, at the very top – where prices in six figures are not rare – it is the watch itself that matters; a watch, indeed, that may have taken many years to
create. As IWC’s creative director Christian Knoop stresses, ever-longer development times mitigate against trends in a watch industry making ever more sophisticated watches – “this is not the fashion industry”. That’s not to say that the watches released over 2015 don’t reveal certain loose patterns. There is a playfulness with shapes, for example, with the likes of Vacheron Constantin (celebrating its 260th birthday this year), Chaumet and Cartier setting round dials in squared-off cushion cases. The use of more unusual materials continues, with, according to Knoop, many more unexplored materials set to undergo investigation for their use in watchmaking over the next couple of years, especially those that improve durability and reliability. In the meantime, most are pursued for their visual and textural appeal. Audemars Piguet has used forged carbon in its latest designs, Parmigiani and Jaeger-LeCoultre have meteorite dials and Piaget – in a re-edition
of Andy Warhol’s Black Tie watch – has onyx. Ralph Lauren – perhaps, thanks to its fashion roots, the most willing to push forward on the use of unexpected materials solely for their aesthetic appeal – has introduced models featuring cases of shotblasted steel, for a distressed effect, and dials ringed with burl wood. A decade ago TechnoMarine caused outrage in much of this conservative industry by teaming precious gemstones with a plastic watch case – but now the idea returns thanks to Roger Dubuis, which has developed a method for setting diamonds in rubber. Black and off-white may remain the
dominant colours for dials, but blue continues its ascent and grey is on the up – even if subtly: A. Lange & Söhne’s Datograph Perpetual brings the colour of storm clouds right across its face, but this watch, the company’s first minute repeater with a digital (as opposed analogue) display – in development since 2010 and yours for 4 € 40,000 euros – achieves the shade by using blackened German silver. If you’ve spent that much on a mechanical movement of such exquisiteness, you might well want to see it, and show it off – so skeletonised movements, stripped back and fully visible front and rear of the watch,
A.LANGE & SÖHNE Datograph Perpetual
are more widespread too. Cartier introduces one for its classic Tank, and for its revival of the 1960s Crash model, Ralph Lauren has created its first and Roger Dubuis has draped creeping ivy around its signature, star-shaped skeleton architecture for a new women’s model. Among the most striking skeletons is Parmigiani’s Tonda 1950 Squelette. Made for both men and women, it comes with a clear sapphire glass – as normal – and also with a semi-opaque milky glass which, when lit from behind, shows the movement’s parts with all of the evocative blurred edges of shadow play. This year’s collections add to the evidence that women’s attitude to watches is changing. “Compare the industry today with 15 years ago and there’s a distinct change,” says Frank Touzeau, the marketing and creation director at Piaget, which has introduced a refinement of a bracelet first devised in the 1960s, and comprising some 300 tiny, hand-assembled links. “Then it was men who wanted a strongly recognisable watch with real technical value, and now women want that too.” As Peter Harrison and Michel Parmigiani suggest, some of the most impressive watches launched for this year are going entirely their own way in style and innovation, and, what’s more, doing it as much for female customers as male. Cartier, for example, has created a new setting for diamonds that, in effect, mounts them on tiny springs with just the right amount of vibration so that, when the wearer’s wrist moves, the stones do too. This adds much more shimmer than any traditional setting. Richard Mille, meanwhile, offers its first flying tourbillon, and offers it to women: the tourbillon cage is set amid a series of petals that open and close every five minutes, allowing the tourbillon to rise through this mechanical blossoming. It’s a marvellous little moment to behold. But for how long will such extreme craft be appreciated? Montblanc has produced what may be the most culturally relevant watch of 2015 – with a smart-watch-inspired ethos that has since been adopted by the likes of Bulgari and Brietling, among others at the high end of the traditional watch industry. In Montblanc’s case, the interest lies less in the timepiece as its strap. The Montblanc Timewalker Urban Speed has what the company calls an E-strap. This comprises a small touch screen through which wearers can manage mobile phone calls and texts, and monitor their activity. It taps younger generations’ obsession with connectivity as well as (not instead of ) allowing them to wear a ‘real’ watch. The E-strap is, perhaps, just the first sign of what’s to come in the next few years. n
JAEGER-LECOULTRE Master Calendar with Meteorite dial
PARMIGIANI FLEURIER Tonda 1950 Squelette
RALPH LAUREN Automotive Skeleton 45mm
The Richard Mille watches have changed the horological landscape, with timepieces of staggering technical accomplishment… and cost. A visit to the Richard Mille Manufacture uncovers the alchemy.
By Nick Rice
S
ince its launch in 2001, the Richard Mille brand has exploded 400 years of tradition in watchmaking, and shattered assumptions about the commercial value of timepieces. Before Richard Mille, watches with seven-figure price tags were unheard of; now they appear quite regularly. The unprecedented prices were devised in line with Richard Mille’s commitment to innovation and quality, and other watch companies have taken note. The Swiss luxury watch industry divides the market into six price segments, ranging from ‘masstige’ (which includes brands such as Hamilton and TAG Heuer) with prices between 1,000 and 3,000 Swiss Francs to ‘über-luxury’, with prices upwards of 120,000 Swiss Francs ($123,500). Richard Mille sits here, although its more
INSID E STOR Y
spectacular creations, such as this year’s $2,020,000 RM 56-02 Sapphire, of which 10 were made, should really be ascribed a seventh category of their own. But ‘ultraüber-über luxury’ just doesn’t sound right. When Mille was interviewed on a US news channel earlier this year the reporter asked, “And you have sold all of the $2 million dollar sapphire crystal watches?” Without missing a beat Mille replied, “Yes” – and, registering the incredulity on the interviewer’s face, added, “You have to understand that these are very technical watches.” Why are Richard Mille watches so expensive? It’s because ‘technical’ is an understatement. These timepieces constitute the vanguard of contemporary watchmaking. From the beginning Richard Mille embarked upon a quest to smash boundaries and pioneer new techniques in watchmaking, without compromise, investing millions into R&D and finding ways to incorporate new materials from hitherto unrelated industries, such as aerospace and Formula One. A source of inspiration for the first Richard Mille watch – RM 001 – was F1 racing car design, an inspirational touchstone that has remained integral to the company’s work, confirmed by its tag-line – ‘A Racing Machine on the Wrist’. Since that first game-changing timepiece, around 60 different models have been developed – all limited runs – and all personally designed by Richard himself in collaboration with the company’s workforce in Switzerland and Paris and his elite stable of brand ambassadors. A rare invitation to the Richard Mille Manufacture the village of Les Breuleux in the Swiss Jura was a chance to see where the alchemy happens. We begin with the 3,000-square-metre Pro Art factory, fully owned by Richard Mille, which opened in 2013. There are no puddles of oil or strewn tools as one might associate with an engineering plant; a phalanx of high tech CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling machines dominates a vast space; it is flooded with natural light and immaculately clean.
Photos: Getty Images and Courtesy of Richard Mille
Pioneering at a Price
Main picture: The RM5102 Diamond Twister | Opposite: Back view of the RM19-02 Tourbillon Fleur | Below: Richard Mille in Chantilly, France, in September 2015
Here the technical mastery of base plates, bridges and cases happens, including the signature Richard Mille tonneau cases. Seeing these iconic cases being constructed makes clear the technical feats the 100-odd production staff must accomplish. Here, too, the company’s technicians work on new materials that are at the leading edge of other industries, adapting them for use in watchmaking – for example, ALUSIC, an alloy of aluminium and silicium carbide particles that was developed for use in satellites, and is now used in the RM 009. It’s not only the material used for the cases that elevates their cost but the case shape itself. The three-part sandwich-style case is significantly more challenging, and therefore expensive, to construct than other cases. The three constituents – front
bezel, middle section and back bezel – are all curved, making machining much more difficult. And when machining is finally complete, the three curved parts must join precisely together, within a tolerance of one one-hundredth of a millimetre, to ensure that no dust or moisture can penetrate. Racks of cases, wrought in a variety of materials, including the traditional white gold and red gold, as well as titanium and carbon fibre, sit next to the machines waiting for the next stage of creation. What is striking is how incredibly light many of those in the modern materials are. Weight is another area where Richard Mille has swept aside preconceptions; when he launched his first watch at the turn of the millennium, the prevailing logic was the heavier a watch, the more it must be worth. Mille wanted his
creations to be as light as possible without compromising performance, rigidity, resistance, reliability or function. By 2010, Mille had devised his best expression of this goal with the RM 027, at the time, the lightest mechanical watch ever designed. Created for tennis star Rafael Nadal, this tourbillon watch weighs less than 20 grams, including the strap. Produced in a limited edition of 50 pieces, its price was inversely proportionate to its weight, at $525,000. Again Mille had invested in automotive and aerospace technologies to create this horological marvel. The tourbillion is made from a titanium and LITAL® alloy, a high lithium content alloy containing aluminium, copper, magnesium and zirconium. Because lithium, one of the
lightest elements, provides great strength without adding unnecessary weight, this alloy is used in the construction of the Airbus A380, helicopters, rockets, satellites and F1 racing cars. Few people imagined that a watch that felt the same weight as a handful of toothpicks, could possibly cost more than half a million dollars. Referring to the infamous cost of buying a Richard Mille watch, Tim Malachard, Global Marketing Director at Richard Mille says, “I believe that our customers appreciate the unique design and constant innovation of the brand through our large range of models – even though we [produced] less than 3,000 watches last year.” More pertinently, Malachard insists that there’s no ‘smoke and mirrors’: “What you see [with our watches] is totally transparent
Photos: Guy-Lucas de Peslouan for Richard Mille; Nick Rice
Main picture: The Richard Mille Horométrie building at Les Bruleux, Switzerland | Other pictures: inside the Richard Mille workshops.
We do tons of development, studies and tests, only to release a few watches – so you come out with a very high cost per unit
and we never include any gimmicks. There is a reason in every function and design aspect.” Staunch defence of the pricing for Richard Mille watches also comes from Andrew Hildreth, a watch expert and the moderator of the independent Richard Mille forum on PuristSPro, who says, “F1 cars are the most expensive racing machines for the track; Richard Mille watches are, likewise, the most expensive racing machines for the wrist. These are timepieces that go far beyond the mere sum of their parts, elevating watchmaking to an exceptional form of mechanical art – with a price to match.” The last word on value for money however, must come from Richard Mille himself: “We do tons of development, studies and tests, only to release a few watches. But that’s our choice. When you divide all those developments by the number of pieces we produce, you come out with a very high cost [per unit]. In Formula 1 you have exactly the same sort of situation: you develop all the time and you release only a few units. But this is what we love to do.” Our tour continues across the road in the Horométrie workshop where more highprecision work takes place, including the assembly and finishing of the watches. Many of the workers here look incredibly young – another sign of the progressive style of the company. Peering over the shoulder of one employee as she meticulously places tiny gems, cogs and hands into a movement, I ask her how she maintains such stillness in her gestures. She covers the mechanism with a small glass cloche and explains how she controls her breathing – much like a marksman, exhaling before she delicately inserts a component. On the same floor the rumble and thud of testing can be heard and I’m able to observe the latest iteration of the Rafael Nadal collaboration, the RM 27-02 tourbillon [launched in June this year], being put to the test via a battery of equipment. When cleared, the waterproof tourbillon is certified to withstand 5,000 Gs – more than sufficient
for shattering pressures on court. The price of this latest piece? A cool $800,000. Prices like these are to be expected when pushing and establishing new boundaries. Richard Mille is a modern day frontiersman. He is taking the art of watchmaking to new places. He knows that many of his customers have a clear idea of the production, turnovers, profits and processes of major brands, and he sees this as a good thing. “People will gladly pay for a timepiece as long as it has the quality that it should have, as well as exclusivity and a special cutting-edge character,” he concludes. “When you [know] how difficult that is to achieve and produce, [a wider] economic awareness only helps in understanding the nature of the product.” n
THE
UEEN By Josh Sims
OF COMPLICATIONS In 2006, when Cartier recruited a young watchmaker called Carole Forestier-Kasapi to head its new Fine Watchmaking division, few could have imagined how much she would achieve in less than a decade.
IN P RO F I L E
Carole Forestier-Kasapi, the Head of Movement Development at Cartier
This page: Cartier’s watchmaking headquarters at La-Chaux-deFonds in the Swiss Jura | The Grande Complication de Cartier, unveiled in January 2015.
C
arole Forestier-Kasapi is a rarity in the high-end watch world – a woman in a senior position; even more unusually, she works on the technical side, as the head of movement design at Cartier. Forestier-Kasapi’s brother was a watchmaker, as were both her mother and father; she has been a Breguet Prize-winner, co-creator of the Zenith Elite movement and, at Cartier in 2010, designer of a ground-breaking tourbillon that revolves around the movement. She studied at the local Ecole d’Horlogerie, worked in the family watchmaking workshop and then spent two years at Conseilray SA and four with Renaud & Papi, before joining Cartier. Despite all of this, for Forestier-Kasapi to hold the position she does is striking. “The watch industry is a closed world in the sense that it’s very traditional and very male,” she says, with a very French c’est la
vie shrug. “Perhaps it’s no different from any engineering-type work – women have traditionally been given only very repetitive work.” Certainly it’s been a hard industry to come up through as a woman: “I remember meeting suppliers early on and it was typically a terrible experience. Sometimes it was quite directly pointed out that I was a woman ‘so how could we possibly work together?’ They weren’t confident in sharing technical information with a woman. You have to keep your cool – and prove that you’re a watchmaker before you’re a woman.” But Forestier-Kasapi recognises that, perhaps, her interests make her an exception. She says that she’s still not convinced that many women are all that interested in movements – not unless it animates the dial in some way that enhances a watch’s appearance. It is for this reason that one of Cartier’s latest advances – aside, that is, from an AstroCalendar, a Crash skeleton, various Secret watches and a revival of the use of filigree as a decorative technique – is just that: a mechanism that gently vibrates multiple springs, onto each of which is mounted a
diamond, which collectively form the dial. “It’s a complication for women,” ForestierKasapi says with a smile. And complication is the word. “The difficulty was in developing the right springs for each diamond, then to find the right frequency of vibration in order to make the diamonds shimmer. And then the setting was tricky because there are no metallic parts in which to set the diamonds... But women want a complication to be in service of something [not for its own watchmaking sake]. And in this case it’s to show off their diamonds.” Forestier-Kasapi says all of this with something of a sigh – it is late in the day and she has a heavy cold. But her enthusiasm still comes through and – inevitably cutting against gender stereotype – more for the technical challenges of her job than the aesthetic results. “It’s a question of team-work,” she says. “We have to find solutions to the problems we set ourselves and then have to compromise to find the right aesthetic. Sometimes we can propose a solution and the watchmakers will tell us that it can’t be done – at which point you just have to start moving slowly towards a place where it can be. Often the watchmaking is at the service of the aesthetic. But you have to have both – that’s where the challenge lies.” Don’t, however, envisage Forestier-Kasapi hunched over a work-bench in a grubby apron, loupe welded to her eye socket. One aspect of the industry that frustrates her is its tendency to romanticise what is, for her, for Cartier, a scientifically progressive business. “I can’t stand it when other brands still push that old image of watchmaking in a chalet on top of a mountain,” she says. “The fact is that watch production is essentially hightech, which is an image much of the industry seems scared of. Apparently it’s all about ‘hand-made’ and ‘art’. Any client who comes to the [Cartier] manufacture isn’t put off – they leave understanding why the watches are so expensive.” Indeed, Cartier’s watchmaking hub, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland – where Forestier-Kasapi oversees a 35-strong design team – gives a very different impression. A decade ago already, it started working with 3D printers – something that few people had even heard of at the time. It is these that produce in wax, layer by layer, a prototype for another Cartier watch. Soon, out will pop a 1:1 scale representation; this will be polished and painted to look much like the watch that the wax wants to be, then sent along with the first drawings and the design team’s notes, to the watch division’s
president for inspection. And so the cycle is repeated – rapidly, with sterile efficiency – until a new collection is created. Software systems can not only simulate on screen how a watch might work, but what special tools will be required to assemble it, the torque required on each screw, the tolerances of the parts to within an accuracy of five per cent, what quantity of oil will be required to keep it running. Meanwhile, giant contraptions with prosaic, unrevealing names – Satisioh Machine 2, Almac CU1007, Chiron 3234 – run 24 hours a day, churning out high-precision watch parts. One CMC machine produces some 50 kilometres of steel links every year. This is very much the watchmaking of tomorrow. Small wonder that ForestierKasapi sees her industry as akin to that of car manufacturing, with the same imperatives
Members of the Cartier watchmaking team in the atelier | During the presentation of the ground-breaking ID Two concept watch in 2012.
to look forward rather than backwards to those mountain-top chalets. “Look at that industry before fuel injection, for example,” she suggests. “Carburettors were a real problem in terms of their durability. Now we don’t have those problems. Engines have long lives. We have to take the same kind of steps in watchmaking today – and not just for servicing. It’s really difficult these days for anyone to understand why they will have a two-month wait for their watch to be repaired or serviced because it has to go back to the manufacturer. As with our cars, we’re right to expect a one-day service. The difficulty is to do all of that while maintaining the traditions of watchmaking, to modernise while keeping the spirit of haute horlogerie.” The technology is, in large part, what has allowed Forestier-Kasapi to work effectively over such long time-scales – she typically
works on a movement design for three to five years, with another two required to bring it to market – but also at such a high rate of productivity. She has developed and produced some 30 new movements over the past six years. And for every one that she presents to management, maybe 10 others are rejected as too impractical, insufficiently commercial, not right for the company image... Certainly, there is a sense that ForestierKasapi finds pandering to marketing matters frustrating. “The latest equipment allows us to explore new ideas at some speed,” she says. “Sometimes we might hesitate about a certain design. With the Ballon Bleu, for example, we couldn’t decide whether to create a shape around the crown or not – so we just printed two models. In the end the final design was a mix of the two. But watch design entails a lot of back and forth, teamwork and discussion, so we do all we can to streamline the process. “It’s quite unusual in the watch industry to operate a think tank,” Forestier-Kasapi adds. “Before, we had several places used for development and decided to consolidate them all in one building, so every element of a watch starts in one location. Design is the first step of the life of a watch and if you skip it or rush it, it’s never a great watch at the end. And better design means better products – that’s something the watch industry doesn’t acknowledge enough.” Not that better design doesn’t come with certain restrictions. Forestier-Kasapi has ambitions towards movements that she would love to make, but is also aware – as any successful designer must be – that she must work within brand guidelines. “Watch design [at Cartier] is a very strict process, but it’s easy, and necessary, to maintain its handwriting,” she says. “It has so many codes – the blue hands, the Roman numerals, and so on. The difficulty for me is to not use the codes, or to use them in a new way. Thankfully Cartier has a long story and lots of archives, so there are always ideas to explore again.” She sets limits on herself too. There is, she concedes, a temptation to use every new material just because it’s there – and, indeed, the wider watch industry seems invigorated in doing just that now. Forestier-Kasapi takes a cooler approach: “For me it’s important to use new materials and new processes, of course, but only in a way that makes sense,” she says. “You can’t just use all the new materials because they’re there – they have to bring something to watchmaking, a new functionality or a new efficiency, for example. If, tomorrow, we could use a new material to double the durability of watch
Opposite page: Front and back views of calibre MC-9406, the movement inside the Grande Complicationde Cartier. This page: The Astrotourbillon Skeleton and the Rêves de Panthère Day-Night
parts, that would be perfect. But if not, what’s the interest? Sometimes using a new material is ultimately just a marketing position, which I really don’t get.” Of course, Forestier-Kasapi is by no means immune to what a new material might bring. Indeed, rather than being stuck in the past, she gives the impression that, were something to come along that would make tradition redundant, such would be the extremity of the improvement it offered to mechanical watchmaking, she would grab it. She cites, by way of example, carbon coatings now common in Formula One racing that could have profound applications in her world. It could mean that lubrication would no longer be an issue: “and lubrication is a massive issue in watchmaking,” she says. “Even the most basic movement has 60 points that need oil and six different types of oil in certain quantities,” she adds. “Have too little and you’re back to diminishing durability. Have too much and it gets everywhere. And the perfect oil doesn’t exist yet either, so it has to be changed. Solve that problem and it would completely change the way
watches are made. Well, we’re working on it.” As, indeed, Forestier-Kasapi is working on many things – all of which are, unsurprisingly, being kept secret. She has, in fact, a dream movement in mind, to which she is slowly, inexorably, making tracks, providing the inevitable money men will let her make them. “Do I have a dream movement to make? Yes. In fact, I’m not that into watches – it’s the movements I love. But I also have a sales and marketing department,” she says, laughing. “It’s easy to work in marketing: ‘We need a new tourbillon’. Well, OK... Of course, it’s all commercial at the end of the day – there’s always a certain price and certain quantities to any brief. You try to find a balance between commerce and creativity. That’s when you get a successful watch. But, you know, they’re really not easy.” n
VACHERON CONSTANTIN’S REMARKABLE REF.57260 Eight years in the making, Vacheron Constantin’s Reference 57260 is a magnificent celebration of its 260-year heritage. The dry fact – that this is the most complicated of Grande Complication watches ever made – only begins to tell the story. Vacheron Constantin itself writes that “the research and skills developed during [the watch’s] construction” may be considered as “the greatest contribution to the advancement of mechanical watchmaking since the 1920s”. It’s a very big claim – and there’s much evidence to back it. Here are just a few items: new complications, which needed to be developed from scratch, include a double retrograde rattrapante chronograph; an automatically activated ‘night silence’ feature for the Grande and Petite sonnerie chiming system; a 12-hour world-time mechanism with digital display; and an ‘Armillary Sphere’ tourbillon. But the greatest technical achievement is a Hebraic perpetual calendar – which, unlike the Gregorian calendar, works on the principle of the 19-year Metonic cycle, requiring calculations so complex that nobody had previously attempted to translate them into a mechanism. Ten days after its unveiling at a private event in Geneva, the Ref.57260 was taken to the Watches & Wonders fair in Hong Kong, where it drew crowds every day. And no wonder: with the Ref. 57260 Vacheron Constantin has created a true masterpiece. Watchmaking history has just been rewritten – congratulations Vacheron Constantin and happy 260th birthday. n
T H E MI L E STON E
Photographed by Marco Cella
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