SINGAPORE (Dec 3): Make your festive outfits pop with these glittering timepieces, which combine the art of high jewellery with Swiss luxury watchmaking expertise.
Queen of the high seas
Emerging from Omega’s new Seamaster Aqua Terra Jewellery line is a watch model with a 38mm case crafted from 18k Sedna gold and a diamond-paved bezel. The same gold is used for the watch’s hands, which point to 12 marquise-cut red rubies at every hour. Its dial celebrates the undulating rhythm of the ocean with three different styles of horizontal “waves” in silvery guilloche, interspersed with waves in 18k Sedna gold as well as 18k Sedna gold paved with 191 diamonds in total.
Star-studded
Like stars plucked from the sky, 83 diamonds shine brilliantly against the mesmerising sunray-brushed blue dial of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Tourbillon Dualtime watch in white gold. The watch’s Calibre 987B automatic mechanical movement contains 302 parts and a 48-hour power reserve. On its dial at six o’clock is a reworked tourbillon carriage, while a 24-hour dial rests above it at the 12 o’clock position.
Everyday glamour
A self-winding mechanical movement is presented in a round case for the first time in the Patek Philippe Twenty~4 collection. Available in stainless steel or rose gold with dials of various colours, the new Twenty~4 Automatic gently hugs the wrist with its 36mm round case. It features a bevelled, diamond-set bezel that has been elaborately constructed to echo the profile of the central bracelet links at 12 and six o’clock.
Imperiale legacy
Chopard evokes the splendour of Tsarist Russia with its Imperiale line’s 2018 Empress Watch — the maison’s interpretation of the country’s imperial crown and its ornamental richness. Diamonds, pearls and a ruby grace the open-worked cover of this “secret” watch with an 18k white-gold case and Grand Feu enamel dial. The dial is framed by a diamond-set bezel and at its heart is the hand- engraved emblematic motif of the Imperiale collection, which is also adorned with diamonds.
Black and white
Hermès celebrates the beauty of contrasts with its Heure H Double Jeu watch: a paradox of either white or black lacquer, diamonds and black Barénia or white grained calf-skin straps. Two graphic compositions subtly stage the house’s letter “H” motif. The cases were designed by Philippe Mouquet in 1996. In its vertical setting (pictured), 122 diamonds frame a square case with black or white transferred Arabic numerals on the lacquered dial. The horizontal alternative features 93 diamonds on its case, with 138 diamonds set on the dial.
Royal reflections
Italian jewellery designer Carolina Bucci refreshes her 2016 Frosted Gold design for Audemars Piguet with the “diamond dust” finish in her favourite version of the precious metal — yellow gold. In this limited edition of only 300 pieces, the original “Tapisserie” dial’s textured surface has been flattened into a perfectly smooth, silver-toned mirror that is always interacting with its environment. In a nod to its distinctive mirrored dial, the watch is presented in a display-worthy mirrored box, which is also designed by Bucci.
This article appeared in Issue 859 (Dec 3) of The Edge Singapore.
