DIAL ART
The face of the watch throws up immense possibilities for the watchmaker to draw attention. Some like to take up the challenge while some don’t. Hiren Kumar Bose on the brands at BaselWorld 2016 who decided to woo the viewer with their looks
DIOR Grand Soir Kaléidiorscope
The exceptional use of precious stones and materials used to create this unique geometric look takes its inspiration from delicate embroideries designed by Christian Dior for his dresses and transposes them to the wrist in a whirlwind of precious colors. More than one hundred and eighty metals and stones of varying nuances and forms decorate the dial with layered lightness. Each piece has been carefully shaped down to the tiniest fraction of a millimetre, before being delicately positioned and then set in a way that best catches the light. Informed by a mastery of technique, this seemingly floating explosion of colours and lines extends onto a bezel also set with precious stones. Placed behind the “Elite 681” automatic calibre movement, the pure-wrought rotor is visible through a subtly-striped caseback that references kinetic art, one of this creation’s main inspirations.
SWAROVSKI Crystalline Hours
Swarovski’s first automatic watch for women, the timepiece is an evolution of the original Crystalline line. The watch encompasses the sparkling essence of Swarovski, boasting approximately 4,000 crystals in the
domed and see-through case. Developed in collaboration with renowned watch designer Eric Giroud, this striking timepiece features expert craftsmanship with a luxurious dial design embedded with finely cut crystals and encased in solid sapphire glass, a material able to resist day-to-day wear.
ARTYA Son of Earth Butterfly
All eyes turn to the dial of the 38mm Butterfly watch, a kaleidoscope of butterfly wing fragments enhanced with gold leaf. Shimmering, vivid, brilliant colours come together to reveal themselves in a superlative composition by ArtyA’s dial artist, Dominique Arpa-Cirpka. These unique creations are shown to full effect in a case whose classic form is draped in three original shades of chocolate, black or blue. Exclusive and with endless possibilities for personalisation, from the composition on the dial to the shape of the hands, eventhe case diameter and colour, the limited edition Butterfly collection lends new style to custom-made.
L’DUCHEN Golden PeafowlL’Duchen wished to pay tribute to this legendary bird through a dedicated 42mm stainless steel watch. Thehand-painted dial required ten layers of lacquering and painting corresponding to 80 hours of fine workmanship. Creating a model from the Art Collection may take up to three months. This technical mastery enables L’Duchen to offer its customers entirely personalised timepieces with the Peafowl motif hand-painted on gold leaf.
HERMÈS Mille Fleur du Mexique Claude Joray
The miniature painting on the dial is executed made mother-of-pearl and depicts a motif from Laetitia Bianchi’s silk scarf creating a pattern with its barrage of cut leaves and flowers reminiscent of 15th and 16thcentury tapestries. Drawing on Mexican folklore, the design also exhibits an outpouring of magical feathers, flowers, leaves, and birds. This Slim d’Hermès 39.5mm timepiece features a sapphire crystal case back toallow the wearer to look in on the tranquil beat of automatic Calibre H1950 any time s/he might tire of the artwork on the other side.
FENDI Policromia
Fendi’s collaboration with one of its favourite jewelry designers, Delfina Delettrez, is inspired by structures in her native Italy, like the architecture of Rome and the Palazzo Della Civilita Italiana — which houses the Fendi fashion house. The 3-D effect makes for a new spin and fresh take on modern watch design. The new line, Policromia, will be available in 20 models in both 33-mm and 38-mm case sizes, and features a combination of precious mineral stones on the dial as well as white diamonds on the dial and case.
BULGARI Lvcea Il Giardino Paradiso
Graced with finely and elaborately decorated dials, the watch evokes luxuriant fauna and flora with an exoticand vibrantly colourful bird of paradise motif. Blue mother-of-pearl depicts the sky background enlivened by a bird of paradise and a motif composed of flowers and foliage. The tableau springs to life, thanks to the meticulously hand-crafted miniature painting accentuated by brilliant-cut diamonds and complemented by the same gems set on the bezel and the bracelet lugs. The two interpretations of Il Giardino Paradiso in 50-piece limited numbered edition for both versions beat to the rhythm of Manufacture Tourbillon Calibre BVL 263.
Gc LadyBelle
The 34mm series offers two different highly sophisticated styles; one with mosaics of shimmering mother-of-pearl in a kaleidoscopic pattern as well as a highly fashionable and modernist execution reflecting the latest colour trends. A kaleidoscopic flower of pointed petals blossoms up on the dial which is adorned with small pyramidal indices, elegantly tapered hands and three Roman numerals. The fashionista sister presents itself with an abstract design print on the dial, inspired by the 1970s patchwork trend, offering a highly contemporary take on this timepiece. The combinations of brown and beige tone marry with a rose gold (PVD) case and attachment picked out on the coordinating brown cobra-patterned leather strap with golden scale highlights. In tune with the purple trend, an additional dial with abstract design in deep burgundy and plum purple tones, with matching colours on the cobra-patterned leather strap, contrasts strongly with the polished all-steel case and attachment.
