Since most of us regard French maison Dior as a touchstone for refined femininity, its new Gem Dior range of watches and fine jewellery may come as somewhat of a surprise.
However, that first impression will soon seem normal when once considers how Dior Joaillerie’s artistic director Victoire de Castellane has always been a risk-taker and known for breaking conventions in jewellery making.
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And the thing that stands out immediately about this new range, which is now in stores, is its emphasis on a playful sense of “imperfection”.
The new Gem Dior range of watches and jewellery is a whimsical and tactile exercise in irregular shapes.
It’s most noticeable in the Gem Dior timepiece, where the case has been moulded into an irregular octagonal shape, in reference to the natural formations of minerals such as tourmaline.
“I designed a collection of watches and jewellery that’s not figurative,” explains Victoire de Castellane. “The spirit of this collection is modern – it’s a style that I would describe as abstract-organic, an organised disruption that turned out to be a true technical challenge for our ateliers.”
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The watch’s case is not the only surprise – its strap is fully articulated and designed to be worn as an open cuff. There are seven iterations of the watch in total, each presented with an interchangeable black leather strap.
Fun fact: the asymmetrical bracelet draws inspiration from Monsieur Dior’s way of pinning fabric swatches from his haute couture shows onto sheets of paper.
The open cuff is a detail that also surfaces in the Gem Dior jewellery collection. Consisting of 11 pieces such as bracelets, rings and earrings, the pieces here, likewise, sport deliberately misaligned links in gemstones and diamonds to create a gently undulating motif.
Peruse the collection in its entirety below.
