The inner workings of these mechanical watches will thrill horology geeks, but what’s on their dials will appeal to anyone: decorative works of art to rival that on couture gowns. By Imran Jalal.
Drawn from the romantic folding screens in Coco Chanel’s apartment, the scenery on the dial features mother-of-pearl flowers created using glyptic – a stone carving method favoured by ancient Greeks and Egyptians – and sculpted gold leaves and branches. Each piece is one of a kind and takes over 100 hours to complete.
Part of a four-piece collection that pays tribute to different cultures and their arts, this watch is inspired by Chinese embroidery – the dial is all jade, the latticework gold, and the blooms, sculpted mother-of-pearl and pink opal. Number of pieces worldwide: 20.
No prizes for guessing why this watch has been nicknamed Origami. Like an op art nod to the Japanese technique of paper folding, the dial is a mix of mother-of-pearl veneers interspersed with orange sapphires for a 3-D effect.
The French jeweller has come up with a theatrical way to show how much power is left in this manual-winding timepiece. Press the crown and the rose gold hummingbird motif will “fly up” – the higher it goes, the more energy is left – while a panther cub emerges from behind mama panther, the diamond-studded feline that anchors the dial.
The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-esque dial boasts not one, but two traditional Japanese art forms. The intense black sheen is created with Urushi, the nearly mystical art of lacquer making (brushes are reportedly made from women’s hair and artisans have to be male and Japanese, or speak Japanese). The foliage motif? Maki-e, the technique of transferring gold powder or gold leaf onto lacquer by hand.
Boasting 192 baguette-cut diamonds and spinels, the pretty kaleidoscopic dial is the result of precise positioning (the closer to the centre, the smaller the gem) and invisible setting (the metal holding the gems in place can’t be seen).
Part of a three-piece collection, the lifelike bird motif – set here against a turquoise and lapis lazuli marquetry dial – is the work of French feather artist Nelly Saunier, a favourite collaborator of couture greats such as Jean Paul Gaultier. Each design is sold individually and limited to 22 pieces.
The dainty 30mm mother-of-pearl dial replicates Mexican artist Laetitia Bianchi’s vivid, tapestry-inspired scarf design for the label. Taking over 20 layers of hand-painted colour to create, it’s limited to six pieces worldwide.
Artwork Leyna Poh & Kim Wong
An adapted version first appeared in Female‘s February 2016 issue.
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