Watchmaking Archives - Page 18 of 22

Sunlight Journey – a Piaget high jewellery collection

August 7, 2017 by Editorial Team

All of summer in a Piaget cuff. Sunlight Journey is synonymous with the scenic beauty of the Amalfi coast.

Sun is on fire one last time and spells the start of a festive evening. Plunge into the heart of summer with the vibrant colors of the Piaget Sunlight Journey collection. Inspired by the Amalfi coast, this jewelry journey is punctuated by the path of the sun and the moods it creates: Secrets of Dawn, Midday Festival, and
Nightfall Celebration.

Each time of day produces its own light and its distinctive vibe, in which jewelry and watchmaking creations bloom in dazzling colours thanks to the use of exceptional gems such as blue sapphires and yellow diamonds.

“Piaget’s newest collection draws inspiration from the scenic beauty of the Amalfi Coast. A land of fire, volcanoes, and azure blue seas; a land bathed in light, a land where the natural elements unite with strength and passion. A land rich in culture and artistic expressions; a land of exchanges and sharing, where life itself is regarded as an intense and refined work of art, echoing the ‘art of living’ locations so greatly prized by the Piaget Society,” explains the luxury maison.

Secrets of Dawn includes watches featuring dials adorned with variously shaded white opals forming sceneries composed of billowing clouds and foam that inspire dreams and fantasy. Certain watches have captured these images in memory of a summer stroll, by using original materials such as eggshell mosaic for
their dial decoration.

The highlight of the Midday Festival is a necklace sparkling with an oval-cut Ceylon sapphire. Mosaic effects magnify the splendidly varied shades of the sea: gems reproduce the movement of a wave rippling over a watch, a one-of-a-kind creation embracing the wrist with its asymmetrical charm. A necklace of
sapphires, black opals and diamonds crowned by an emerald-cut blue sapphire shines with unique radiance like waves lapping against the shore.

The NightFall Celebration jewels radiate colourful beams of pink sapphires and red spinels. This range includes watches with dials meticulously crafted of micro-mosaic. We fall in love with the lavish rose bougainvillea encircling the dial taking on an intense and luminous fuchsia rose hue. Luminously resistant to
nightfall, a cushion-shape yellow diamond glows with spectacular radiance in the company of red spinels, yellow and white diamonds.

And sometimes, away from prying eyes, in the darkness well suited to confidential whispers, a ring will reveal its own secret: skilfully crafted feather marquetry embellished with purple sapphires, red spinels and diamonds

Sunlight journey, a Piaget high jewellery collection-art of the feather — Passion, delicacy and precision. A closer look at Nelly Saunier’s art, selecting feathers like precious stones.

Only Watch 2017: Magicafiore, an exceptional and oneofakind ladies’ watch

August 7, 2017 by Editorial Team

With the aim to contribute to the research by raising money to fight against the Duchenne Muscular dystrophy disease, Christophe Claret introduces a unique piece designed especially for Only Watch 2017 auction. The start of 2017 featured some exciting new watch models from the Christophe Claret brand: for its second participation in the Salon International … Read more

Connoisseurs will succumb to the fluttering wings of the Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton

June 12, 2017 by Editorial Team

A masterpiece of watchmaking craftsmanship, this automaton by Jaquet Droz Atelier de Haute Horlogerie based in La
Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland) is truly a piece of art come to life, presenting an allegory of love and nature.

The Loving Butterfly Automaton watch tells a story with its memorable dial and ultra-creative mechanics giving the illusion to the casual observer that the butterfly and the chariot are operating under their own power. The owner can contemplate a cherub seated on an animated chariot drawn by a butterfly that flutters its wings over a black onyx dial with 18-karat red gold appliques, 18-karat gold appliques of cherub, chariot and butterfly body.

As part of the prestigious collection of Jaquet Droz automaton watches – the Bird Repeater, Charming Bird, Lady 8 Flower – the Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton is a rare feat of technical and aesthetic prowess. A delight to the eye and reserved for true connoisseurs, each version has a limited edition of only 28 pieces and is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity signed by the craftsmen of Jaquet Droz.

This exclusive automaton mechanism, for which two patents are also pending, took three years to develop. The power reserve, maintained with three barrels manually wound using the crown, allows the butterfly to delicately flutter its wings 300 times over a period of approximately two minutes. Positioned side-on, the realistic effect of the scene is even more captivating. The hour/minute movement is equipped with an oscillating mass in 22-carat gold, featuring the pattern of the chariot’s wheel, a symbol of life.

Everything is achieved in the tiniest details. Forty hand-engraved parts in white or red gold are assembled manually with incredible meticulousness, from the small Cupid’s arms and defiant face, to the infinitely fragile legs and antennae of the butterfly. The trees, only 0.2 millimeters thick, are individually driven like the hands of a watch, bringing watchmaking expertise to art: an innovative, patent-pending technique. The fine gold volumes contrast with the dial in onyx or Polynesian black mother-of-pearl, making the magic of this timeless scene still more hypnotic.

This June Jaquet Droz is presenting its iconic Grande Seconde Off-Centered model in four versions with a diameter of
39 mm.

The brand founded by Pierre Jaquet-Droz has created one of the most beautiful dials in European watchmaking. The two intersecting dials form a figure 8: a symbol of completion, balance and infinity. A lucky number for the brand known by its twin stars.

Zannetti Skull 2017 – A glamorous pocket watch

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017 by Editorial Team

2017 Baselworld: The skull, a “must” of the watchmaking. The skull, being elected by all nowadays teenagers as their favourite break-with-tradition expressive element, actually exists in watchmaking since a long time. There is certainly a long-lasting tradition of “memento mori” watches in history: stories are told that even Maria Stuart, Queen of Scotland, spent her … Read more

New 2017 Rolex Watches: Sea-Dweller Oyster Perpetual, Cosmograph Daytona & Yacht-Master II

July 26, 2018March 24, 2017 by Editorial Team

Rolex is introducing the latest generation of its Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller. Rolex is introducing the latest creations in its Oyster and Cellini collections. Like all Rolex timepieces, the new watches are covered by Rolex’s own Superlative Chronometer certification – symbolized by the green seal – guaranteeing that they satisfy performance criteria which exceed watchmaking norms … Read more

Feminine Haute Horlogerie: Breguet’s new self-winding Tradition Dame 7038 in rose gold

March 16, 2017March 8, 2017 by Editorial Team

Baselworld 2017: Breguet unveils new Tradition Dame 7038 timepiece radiantly attired in rose gold. Breguet’s new self-winding Tradition Dame 7038 set to assert itself as a major player on the scene of feminine Haute Horlogerie. The luxury watchmaking house presents a worldwide exclusive glimpse at a new version of its Tradition Dame model, radiantly attired … Read more