G I R A R D - P E R R E G A U X
The seductive art found on the dials of Girard- Perregaux’s new watches in their Chamber of Wonders métiers d’art collection adds a bespoke and artistic dimension to the house’s already coveted collections. Comparable to the work done by artisans of the Renaissance, each piece boasts exquisite workmanship and precise artistry.
Three meticulously crafted cartographic scenes are depicted on the watch dials, illustrating secret land and sea passages, travel routes of a bygone age and maps reflecting a time when humans were just on the cusp of geographical understanding. These watches show the world as it was understood to be at the beginnings of the age of exploration.
Seen through our 21st century eyes, these views may seem
almost nạve and simplistic, but nonetheless are charming and show how far we’ve come in just a few centuries.
Numbered within a trio of tiny pink gold discs and fitted with an automatic manufacture calibre, each of the three models is limited to only 18 pieces. The GPO 3300 calibre is a highlight of this watchmaker’s long history, and it guarantees reliability and precision. The main plate and bridges of each watch are carefully drawn chamfered, circular-grained and decorated with Côtes de Genève.
Composed of 205 parts, the watches offer a 46-hour power reserve at a frequency of 28,800vph. The 25.60mm diameter (11 ẵ lines), for a thickness of 4.20mm, is perfectly suited to the refined lines of the watches’ pink-gold cases, developed and made at the workshops of Girard-Perregaux. Each watch is a model of harmony, sporting a gently sloping and polished bezel to highlight the overall thinness of the piece.
The Pearl of Wonders watch is circular and features a classic style. The dial depicts maps drawn during the early 15th century by historian Ibn al-Wardi, the Greco-Egyptian astronomer and astrologer who lived in Alexandria in the early second century AD, and is considered to be the father of geography. Recalling the prominent influence that Arabic culture had over other civilisations, the dial places the Arabian Peninsula at the heart of its design, and also features the River Nile flowing into the Mediterranean.
The striking blue of the sodalite used on the dial provides a perfect backdrop for all the engraving and hand painting, which took an artisan 28 hours to complete. The result is a stunning miniature reproduction of the contours of an ancient map on the crystal, only 0.25mm thick. A final coat of lacquer, applied as a sealant, provides a protective and eye- catching sheen to this one-of-a-kind timepiece.
The Terrestrial Map watch, depicting an old Chinese map, was inspired by Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, a theologian, a philosopher, a mathematician, a cosmologist and an astronomer who travelled to Asia as part of his missionary work and landed in Macau in 1582. He never left, and spent the rest of his life educating the Chinese on all the areas he was proficient in. He was one of the few Westerners allowed within the walls of the Forbidden City. As a tribute to the history and the discovery of new territories, the map on this timepiece shows five continents and four oceans with precise geographical and astronomical indications written in Chinese.
Using translucent white jade as its base, this timepiece glimmers with a depth that is unique to jade. Seventeen hours of craftsmanship went into creating the miniature painting on this dial, using Chinese ink to create light and dark shades in bold, confident brushstrokes, as if to mirror the rich history of the Middle Kingdom itself.
Finally, the New World, or “Novus Orbis”, is a piece honouring Sebastian Munster (1488-1552), a highly lauded German scholar whose drawings of 142 maps were included in the book Cosmographia Universalis, a richly illustrated and detailed collection of cartograms.
Using a selection of stones and crystals such as blue and pink aventurine, calcite and Canadian nephrite, craftsmen employed the technique of stone marquetry and an impressive 95 hours to create an intricate mosaic for each watch. As the overall thickness of the dial stands at only 0.5mm, the delicate cutting and assembly of these crystal fragments reveal the dexterity and the skill required to create such a work of art. The minute hand-painted detail, done in six different tones, brings further life to this timepiece, creating the unique illusion that the land elements on this miniature map are “floating”.
TOP: Chamber of Wonders, Terrestrial Map.
LEFT: Chambers of Wonders, Pearl of Wonders.
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F E A T U R E
To celebrate the astrological Year of the Goat, the eighth animal sign in the Chinese Zodiac, Ulysse Nardin has paid tribute to the animal on the dial of the latest of its Classico Collection timepieces.
Known for being an independent yet highly intelligent animal, goats have long been loved for their stoic, loyal personalities. Considering the goat’s many admirable characteristics, it’s not surprising that this revered Swiss watchmaker has chosen to highlight this zodiac animal.
Ulysse Nardin demonstra tes its attention to detail and fine craftsmanship by employing the intricate and centuries- old art of the enamel champlevé method on the dial, where design elements are carved directly onto the watch dial with a chisel before being filled with enamel. The varied colour palette is achieved using a range of metallic oxides, and firing the piece until the enamel melts. The resultant image on the watch dial is a strikingly attractive piece of miniature art, a testament to the hours of painstakingly detailed artistry and workmanship.
However, enamelling is not a craft that’s new to Ulysse Nardin; for over 25 years, the Swiss watchmaker has used
Top: Classico Goat.
Right: Chiselled dial with desired design.
before filling up with enamel paint.
U L Y S S E N A R D I N
this technique on the dials of their watches. Further, in 2011, the house acquired the famed specialist luxury watch dial enameller Donzé Cadrans, ensuring that the art of enamelling will be very much a part of Ulysse Nardin’s offerings for many years to come.
Made available as only 88 limited edition pieces, the Classico Goat features the self-winding, COSC-certified UN- 815 movement, which can be seen through its sapphire crystal exhibition window on the caseback. It has a power reserve of 42 hours and is water-resistant to 50 metres. Featuring an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the watch is further enhanced by a leather strap with a rose-gold tang buckle.
The history of Ulysse Nardin is as storied as any esteemed brand and steeped in history and tradition, as born out of the passion and the imagination of one man, Ulysse Nardin in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland. The founder apprenticed with his father, Léonard-Frédéric, and later worked with precision timepiece expert William DuBois before founding his own watch brand and company. He built the company’s early reputation with his pocket and marine chronometers, setting the benchmark in both civil and military realms. When he died in 1876, his son, Paul-David, took control.
Ulysse Nardin’s steadily growing success and renown was crowned with more than 4,300 watchmaking awards, including 18 gold medals. Despite its achievements, the firm fell victim to the quartz crisis in 1983 and was put up for sale.
Yet, this setback turned out to be a blessing instead, because it made possible the renaissance of this high horology watch brand. Soon, it would propel itself into becoming once again revered for its revolutionary developments.
Convinced the imaginative firm could become a market leader, Rolf W Schnyder purchased the company. It was Schnyder’s meeting with watchmaking genius Dr Ludwig Oechslin that sparked the turning point for Ulysse Nardin, resulting in the development of many milestones in the watch industry. Innovation remains embedded in the Ulysse Nardin culture, often expressed through breakthrough achievements and the proactive use of new materials, like Silicium.
Its many models, including its most iconic works, are housed within a four-pillar system for simple navigation:
Marine, Functional, Exceptional and Classico. The Marine
pillar pays tribute to Ulysse Nardin’s rich history with the sea and includes exquisite timepieces such as the Marine Chronometer Manufacture, Marine Diver and Lady Diver.
Functional presents the game-changing Perpetual Calendar, Dual Time and Sonata. Exceptional showcases the Trilogy of Time series, which catapulted the brand’s comeback, and of course, one must not forget the Freak, which stunned the Swiss watchmaking industry for its ground-breaking use of Silicium. The category also encompasses the minute repeaters, where time is not only seen, but also heard. The Classico pillar comprises timepieces that integrate in-house dials with the rare, centuries-old art of enamelling.
For nearly 170 years, Ulysse Nardin has forged ahead, anchored in seafaring roots with sights set on the horizon.
Forever inventive, the manufacturer remains steadfast in its pioneering precision of fusing bold innovation with undeniable style. November 2014 heralded a new era for Ulysse Nardin, following its entry into Kering’s Luxury Watches and Jewellery division. Through this acquisition, Kering will support the continuation of Ulysse Nardin’s path of innovation and ensure the future growth of independence in the manufacture of in-house movements.
TOP: Classico Kruzenshten.
ABOVE: Filling in the enamel.
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F E A T U R E
PA R M I G I A N I F L E U R I E R
What happens when two esteemed names
in the luxury industry put their heads together and combine their talents? You get double the beauty in two eye-catching timepieces. This is what we are now treated to with a new collaboration between Lalique and Parmigiani Fleurier, which has produced the Le Jour et La Nuit Clock project. Fusing haute horlogerie with the precise artistry of jewellery and crystal setting, this synergistic partnership has given birth to two exquisite table clocks: the Soleil de Gaia clock and the Serpent.
This is the second time Lalique and Parmigiani Fleurier have joined forces (the first being in 2013) and arises out of the friendship between the CEOs of both houses. This year’s collaboration sees the combination of superior watchmaking artistry with the material expertise of crystal artisans and jewellery craftsmen, showing us how mechanical and aesthetic complexity can work together beautifully. This marriage works especially well because both Parmigiani and Lalique share a similar philosophy — each house has its own manufacturing plant, allowing their creations to be produced independently.
The Soleil de Gaia and Serpent clocks both depict motifs representing day and night; thus paying homage to the jewellery pieces designed and created by R ené Lalique (1860-1945) which carried similar themes. Combining a Lalique crystal casing with
a dial created by Parmigiani, these timepieces are definitive objets d’art, which not only tell the time accurately, but are also rich in symbolism and history.
Inspired by mythology, the contrasting forces of dark and light, night and day, and good and evil were among master jeweller René Lalique’s favourite themes. The most notable manifestation of this vision was in the iconic “Le Jour et la Nuit” clock created in 1926, which showed the figures of a man and a woman, symbolising day and night.
By returning to the timeless concept of duality, craftsmen incorporated this Yin and Yang theme again into the two new Soleil de Gaia and Serpent table clocks. Though each clock carries unique design features, they are united by a common crystal mount, found in both pieces, which depicts two opposing figures that represent day and night.
The Soleil de Gaia clock pays homage to Gaia, Goddess of the Earth, who in Greek mythology is associated with the Sun and the life she brings through her light and warmth. The design of this piece is inspired by Art Deco motifs featuring sunrays radiating outwards. The dial itself cleverly embodies both elements of day and night — yellow gold and coral are used to represent the sun of daytime, while white gold and black are interwoven to depict the night.
The Serpent clock is in turn inspired by the Greek myth of Psyche, a beautiful woman represented in the form of a
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: The Original Le Jour et La Nuit by Rene Lalique; molten crystal poured into the mould for stamping; after stamping.
butterfly, who was promised in marriage to a Serpent but managed to escape. Evoking sensual and seductive elements of the myth, the motifs of a serpent’s curves are beautifully carved into the side of the time display. Here too day and night are very artfully conveyed within the body of the clock — day can be seen in the yellow gold face, while night is revealed on the reverse, where the intricacies of the clock’s movement can be glimpsed through an interlocking motif finished with dark- red lacquer.
With mother-of-pearl marquetry illuminating the dials, both clocks are fitted with the first horological movements created by Parmigiani Fleurier, a nod to the brand’s early days. A series- mounted double barrel ensures that hours, minutes and seconds are indicated with perfect reliability; this mechanism has the effect of stabilising the distribution of energy to the regulator, to ensure that the supply is constant throughout its entire power reserve. This regular driving force also guarantees perfect chronometric performance with a variation of less than +4/-4 seconds per day. Furthermore, the double barrel increases the movement’s autonomy to provide a power reserve of eight days.
As a bonus, this collaborative effort between Parmigiani Fleurier and Lalique has also resulted in the creation of a special edition piece called the Toric Lépine. This unique table clock, made from a crystal case by Lalique, encases a Parmigiani Fleurier pocket watch within a special mounting system,
enabling the clock to be easily transformed into a pocket watch, a feature that was often found in René Lalique’s jewellery pieces of the past.
This pocket watch features a minute repeater with Parmigiani Fleurier’s haute horlogerie movement, long known for its fine mechanical complexity and excellent craftsmanship.
Thematically, the Toric Lépine pays special tribute to the Coutard Fountain, which centres on the myth of Arethusa being turned into a fountain by the Goddess Artemis, to help her flee the romantic advances of Alpheus.
Drawing from Art Nouveau influences, the Toric Lépine perfectly combines the surrounding crystal design of the clock with the central watch dial. The crystal itself is finely crafted to mimic the Greek naiads’ (water nymphs) long hair and water bubbles in an unusual recreation of the Coutard Fountain, the motifs of which are frequently found in Lalique’s work through the ages.
The dial of the Toric Lepine has a base made from mother- of-pearl, which is carved in concentric waves, reminiscent of ripples on a pond. Luminescent white mother-of-pearl cabochons adorning the dial further enhance the natural play of light within the crystal. Finished with a platinum case and chain embellished with brilliant and baguette diamonds, this wearable objet d’art is a veritable treasure to behold and a feast for the eyes.
CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP LEFT:
Pouring the crystal paste into the mould;
hand polishing the crystal, Toric Lepine.
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F E A T U R E
Describing a Vacheron Constantin timepiece as precise, meticulous and exquisitely detailed doesn’t seem to do it justice.
Seeing the maison’s latest Métiers d’Art Savoirs Enluminés collection however, might take us closer — the Swiss watchmaker’s aesthetic expertise and technical know-how seem to be on full display here. Vacheron Constantin draws from its rich history and tradition to present watch lovers, collectors and connoisseurs with a new limited edition collection of 60 decorative timepieces, set to rival any ingenious work of art.
This new collection draws its references from the Aberdeen Bestiary, a 12th century English manuscript which was renowned for its miniature illustrations and descriptions of mythical animals often found in fables and fairy tales.
As if to reflect the art of the book, Vacheron Constantin has also utilised the specialised art of miniaturisation in creating the unique dials of the collection. This involves a complex technique combining the skills of scribes, painters and gilders to create a remarkable work of art on the infinitesimally minuscule scale of a watch dial.
Like the beautiful illustrations of the bestiary, the Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Savoirs Enluminés
collection perfectly reflects the beauty that can come from the artistic collaborations of different master craftsmen — in this case, the watches combine original watchmaking techniques with highly developed artistic crafts. Painted on a shimmering gold background using the delicate craft of Grand Feu enamelling and the Genevan technique of miniature painting, the colours of exceptional hue and intensity — mainly blues and reds — are rendered ever more vivid, accentuating the lines and the curves of the mythical animals depicted in the Aberdeen Bestiary.
Each of the three timepieces depicts an animal from the Aberdeen Bestiary. The first carries an Altion, a beautiful sea bird that symbolised serenity and was inextricably associated with water, building its nests on the sea. Its bluish green plumage, elegant wings and stylish posture are designed to fit exactly within the circular dial and form a striking contrast to the yellow gold background. The second model, Vultures, features two birds considered lords of the skies. Shaded in subtler tones of pinks and reds, their bodies form a circle, symbolising eternity and longevity. The last model is called Capers and has as its main figure a midnight-blue goat, which is associated with Earth. In this way, the three animals of the collection give equal representation to water, sky and
Top: Métier d’art Savoir, Enlumine.
VA C H E R O N C O N S T A N T I N
land, and symbolise the harmony between all creatures. Each design is available only in 20 limited edition pieces.
The incredible detail of the art on these timepieces can be viewed through a twin-level 22-carat gold dial. The upper element, which is bordered by a frieze, has a creature at its centre. Adorned with Grand Feu enamel, the upper dial perfectly marries miniature and champlevé techniques. The process of enamelling is laborious and labour-intensive, with colour applied one after the other in several stages under a microscope before being fired in a kiln. On the background of the dial, the enamelled gold is textured by hand with the help of fine brushes and erasers to recreate a gold leaf effect. The level below, visible through the left side of the dial, features extracts of Latin text from the Aberdeen Bestiary manuscript.
This minuscule piece of gold is structured over three levels of detail, none of which are ticker than 0.9mm.
As to hours and minutes, the Arabic numerals on the chapter ring are arranged in a semi-circle, and between the two layers of the dial, each hour number slides from top to bottom alongside the 60 minutes — a truly original way to tell the time.
The dragging or trailing display and the three spokes of the hours wheel are prolonged by a carousel which each bears four hour numerals. The hour crown turns in such a way as to successively place the carousel bearing the numeral opposite the corresponding minute painted on the lower dial.
As the hour gradually slides downwards before vanishing after the 60-minute mark, it makes way for the numeral of the following hour.
This eye-catching way of reading time is made possible by an exclusive patented mechanism, unique to this collection—a self-winding Calibre 1120 AT, which is built on an ultra-thin base movement. Though this mechanism was developed and specially crafted by Vacheron Constantin in keeping with the traditions of haute horlogerie, it meets the Hallmark of Geneva criteria. Wearers can be assured not only of the collection’s exceptionally poetic beauty, but also of the superior workmanship and technical skill that have gone into its creation.
LEFT TOP TO BOTTOM:
Painting the coloured enamel before grand feu; decorating the dial; polishing the bevelled edge.