PIAGET LIMELIGHT GALA
“A watch is first and foremost a piece of jewellery,” according to Yves Piaget. For more than half a century, the Limelight Gala has stood as a symbol of Piaget’s artistry, with sensual curves, asymmetrical lugs, and a harmonious fusion of gemstones and precious metals.
The House adorns a mesmerizing gold engraved pattern on its two new Limelight Gala creations. The new engraved finishing creates a wavy effect, an illusion of movement reminiscent of the softly rippling silk of red-carpet gowns, which is enhanced by the fluidity of the bracelet’s design. Each watch is worked by a single master-engraver over two days, ensuring consistency in the engraving from clasp to bracelet to dial.
While one model is a showcase of gold framed by 42 brilliant white diamonds weighing 4.74 carats, the second Mesmerizing Burgundy model is a vibrant celebration of Piaget’s colour expertise. The entire watch is hand-engraved with the new motif before the dial is flooded with rich, translucent Grand Feu enamel.
BVLGARI SERPENTI AETERNA
Serpenti Aeterna embodies the very essence of timeless design. This year is particularly symbolic, marked by the Year of the Snake, an emblem deeply rooted in the brand’s identity.
The Serpenti Aeterna is distinguished by its bold, modern and futuristic vision, paying tribute to Bvlgari’s heritage while looking resolutely to the future. More than just a watch, it is a manifesto of purity and form, where the art of watchmaking merges with a radical and eternal design.
A symbol of transformation and renewal, the serpent finds a new interpretation in this creation. Each curve, each line, reflects a timeless modernity, uniting innovation and tradition. Two variations are available, in rose gold and a high-end version in white gold.
With its bracelet design, the Serpenti Aeterna can be combined with other Bvlgari bracelets, offering infinite personalisation while maintaining a sophisticated and contemporary look.
RICHARD MILLE RM 07-02 AUTOMATIC SAPPHIRE COLLECTION
It was back in 2015 that Richard Mille boldly chose to design watches with cases made entirely of coloured sapphire. The RM 07-02 Automatic Sapphire collection has been enriched with four versions: gem-set pink sapphire, lilac sapphire, green sapphire and gem-set green sapphire. Gem-setting sapphire is a true feat of engineering that requires a laser to drill the holes for the stones, to the nearest micron. Prongs in hand-polished gold are made separately then inserted to form the settings that hold a graceful row of diamonds.
The stones adorning this watch catch the light to enhance every facet of the sapphire case, decorating the dial, bezel and flange. A cabochon also embellishes the crown. Here, precious stones, including dazzling diamonds, hypnotic blue sapphires and vibrant yellow sapphires, are combined with ornamental stones such as orange spessartite, white agate or opal, and various shades of green tsavorite, chrysoprase and malachite. The RM 07-02 Automatic Sapphire is limited to seven timepieces for each of the four versions.
CENTURY DRAGON STONE
The perfect geometry and strong lines of the Dragon Stone’s twelve-sided, facetted sapphire case have become a signature of the Swiss watch brand. Each facet is cut and polished by the hands of master craftsmen.
To perfect this majestic shape, the Dragon Stone is paired with a bracelet of delicately articulated links and wave-shaped attachments; other distinctive symbols which have built the collection’s reputation.
It is in daylight that the Dragon Stone reveals the full extent of its beauty, offering the ephemeral spectacle of an enchanting interplay between shapes and colours with kaleidoscopic glints. A Swiss quartz movement equips the model shown here, in 18k red gold and Century sapphire with 36 hand-cut and hand-polished facets, set with 340 diamonds totalling 4.85 carats.
GRÖNEFELD 1944 TANFANA
Wishing to create their first ladies’ watch, Dutch master watchmakers Bart and Tim Grönefeld, “The Horological Brothers”, pay tribute to their mother Antoinette with the 1944 Tanfana. A geometric motif, known as the ‘Flower of Life’, enhances the aventurine dial’s visual depth and texture. This pattern is linked to Sacred Geometry, an ancient discipline that explores the spiritual meaning of shapes and proportions often found in nature.
A small display sits at the base of the dial. It eschews the customary seconds hand and track in favour of an animated floral motif. As time passes and the floral motif rotates, it creates a mesmerising moiré effect, reminiscent of a flower endlessly blooming.
Measuring 37.5mm in diameter, the 1944 Tanfana has a gem-set case and pin buckle, providing an additional quotient of sparkle. The Red Gold Au750 5N Tanfana is set with 233 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 2.73 carats gracing the bezel, case and pin buckle.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS LADY ARPELS BAL DES AMOUREUX AUTOMATE
Continuing the story initiated with the Pont des Amoureux watch, the Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate watch sets the scene for the couple’s tryst in an all-new décor. This setting recreates the atmosphere and charm of a guinguette – open-air cafés for dancing that were popular in the Parisian suburbs and surrounding towns in the nineteenth century.
An automated movement brings the lovers closer together for a kiss at noon and midnight. The tender scene can be recreated on demand with the push of a button on the watch case. The hours and minutes are indicated by two stars set in motion by a double retrograde system, a signature feature of the collection.
Within the dial, depth effects are multiplied with five different planes. The palette of shades in grisaille and coloured grisaille enamel evokes the chiaroscuro of a starlit night. Festive lanterns and a bed of cobblestones in white gold – handcrafted by the house’s artisans – recall the streets of Paris. The back of the case echoes the scene on the dial, with enamel decal on sapphire glass and an engraving depicting the couple dancing.
CARTIER TRESSAGE WATCH
With the Tressage watch, gold, diamonds and stones are transformed through an alchemy characteristic of Cartier. The result is a selection of flamboyant creations that are both original and faithful to the house’s codes. As creative as it is precious, the Tressage watch follows in the footsteps of Cartier’s Maillon, Coussin and Reflection watches.
On the model shown here, two twists of gold and diamonds surround a rectangular dial paved with snow-set diamonds. On one side, the smooth roundness of yellow gold alternates with pavé diamonds, while on the other, the bold, sharp lines of vertical brancards provide contrast. Other versions feature a deep blue strap with snow-set diamonds on the gold twists and on the dial, or a gradient of sapphires alongside the diamonds, extending to the bracelet. Through these creations, where round shapes contrast with straight lines, smooth surfaces with the fine relief of the pavé, Cartier honours the legacy of Jeanne Toussaint, its first female creative director, appointed in 1933.
CHANEL AMULET “PROTECT ME” WATCH
A mythical gaze... that of Gabrielle Chanel whose eye is reproduced in the centre of this amulet watch. Crafted in Grand Feu enamel by Les Cadraniers de Genève with stunning detail, it is entirely set with 332 white, beige and brown natural diamonds. Selecting these stones took five months while recreating Mademoiselle’s gaze took a further two months to achieve. Turning the piece over reveals a white gold dial set with diamonds. The Amulet “Protect Me” Watch is worn on a chain made from yellow gold with diamonds and onyx.
