By Cynthia Unninayar
The 23rd edition of the by-invitation-only Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH)—the elite gathering of some of the most prestigious names in Haute Horlogerie—took place a few months ago against the backdrop of a record 2012 for Swiss watch exports.
While mechanical prowess was clearly on stage with many brands at the SIHH, the main recurring theme seemed to be a return to traditional skills and the poetic interpretation of time—to the “Metiers d’art.” Enamelling, marquetry, mosaics, guillochage, miniature sculpture and painting, Etruscan granulation, and of course sumptuous stone setting were used on their own or in combination to create timepieces that evoked pure and timely elegance and extravagance. Shown here are a few examples of brands engaged in the most creative forms of these artistic crafts.
The poetry of time was in the air at Van Cleef & Arpels, with ladies’ timepieces that centred on “A World of Movement, Lightness and Grace.” The brand introduced four exceptional limited editions of its “Charms Extraordinaires,” with dials filled with enchanting scenes of flowers and fairies, topped with an ethereal lucky charm. In its “Extraordinary Dials” collection, Van Cleef & Arpels presented high jewellery watches with colourful butterflies and flying kites decorating the dials, perfect examples of a combination of artistic virtuosity and feminine delicacy.
The “Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée Poetic Complication” takes poetic and mechanical prowess to a new level. Inspired by a quote from Anna Pavlova—I’ve been dreaming that I was a ballerina, and that I was spending my whole life dancing as lightly as a butterfly—the beautiful ballerina is half dancer and half butterfly. A true miniature figurine, the golden ballerina is sculpted in relief and set with diamonds. Animated by a double retrograde movement, her tutu rises up in two sections, first on one side to indicate the hours and then on the other side to show the minutes, before they both move down again simultaneously. This magical and enchanting manner of telling the time on demand is activated using a push-piece located at 8 o’clock.
On the luxury feminine side, Piaget showcased two collections: “Limelight Gala” and “Couture Précieuse.” Limelight Gala draws inspiration from the 1960s when the Geneva watchmaker crafted dazzling jewellery timepieces for its feminine clientele. Imbued with glamorous chic, each of these timepieces has its own distinctive personality at the crossroads of art, design, and high jewellery. Among the highly stylized pieces in the Couture Précieuse line is the high jewellery cuff watch set with diamonds in rose gold.
In keeping with its vocation for extraordinary jewellery timepieces, Cartier featured a remarkable collection of 41 jewellery watches, including 23 unique editions, with the apt title: “Les Heures Fabuleuses de Cartier.” At first glance, many do not seem like watches at all, but rather luxurious pieces of jewellery. But, with a flick of a finger, a bejewelled bracelet or ring becomes a true timepiece.
A wizard of watchmaking, Cartier has created serpents that slide off a watch to become a brooch, peacocks that take flight to adorn a lapel, and a parrot whose head turns to reveal the time on a ring, among other creative entities that conceal time one minute and reveal it the next.
True to tradition, the panther has not been forgotten. Voluptuous and supple, one enamelspotted cat curls itself around the dial of the “Panthère Divine de Cartier,” while another graceful little panther clings to the side of the “Baguette Panthère” with its paws and tail wrapped around the bracelet. A third panther was represented in an amazing timepiece with its face crafted of gold granulation.
Drawing inspiration from Robert John Thornton’s coloured engravings entitled “The Temple of Flora,” published in 1799, Vacheron Constantin created artistic examples of the botanical illustrations popularized by British aristocrats during the late 18th century. Its “Métiers d’Art Florilège” collection features three rather amazing models— the White Lily, the Queen, and the China Limodoron. The White Lily features a fine guilloché pattern that draws light into the enamelled dial, while the Queen showcases Strelitzia Reginae, a lovely flowering plant indigenous to South Africa. The China Limodoron evokes the flamboyant red and creamy white colours of an orchid.
The feminine models of Audemars Piguet all reflect the spirit of independence cherished by the Geneva brand, along with its taste for elegance. Among the new ladies’ models from the “Royal Oak” collection were two luxurious diamond-studded pieces. One featured an automatic movement while the other offered a quartz version.
Montblanc continued the “Princesse Grace de Monaco” collection with the unique and exclusive “Pétales de Rose Motif” line. Dedicated to the favourite flower of the princess, the rose petals determine the design of the bracelet, where invisible joints connect individual petal contours to create the floral loops of the linked bracelet. The entire watch is made from 18K white gold set with 810 diamonds.
Roger Dubuis has also shown itself to be both a jeweller and a watchmaker. The brand’s “Velvet High Jewellery” timepiece is completely covered in diamonds, offering a luxurious blend of technicality and opulence, with 304 diamonds arranged in invisible settings that seem to magnify the precious stones totalling approximately 13.61 carats.
The next SIHH will be held in Geneva from January 20 to 24, 2014.
