Dial artistry fuelled by imagination takes watchmaking to great new heights. Jewelers who have branched out into watchmaking have imbued their pieces with exceptional craftsmanship by adorning the dials with enamel, diamonds, mother-of-pearl, micro-mosaic, nano mosaic tesserae and enhancing the beauty with a myriad of techniques such as paillonné and champlevé enamelling, relief engraving, feather marquetry and miniature painting. Bulgari, Dior, Chanel, Chopard, Harry Winston, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef and Arpels have been exploring watchmaking with its team of revered and skilled artisans who breathe life into each piece that is produced at the atelier.
Masterful creations by Bulgari with its Giardini di Bulgari line feature lacquered dials embellished with parrot, flowers, fishes and leaves motifs and set with brilliant-cut diamonds and coral; while Dior’s Grand Bal series are an ode to the legendary galas, cocktail parties and dresses of yore.
Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé collection combines artistic crafts, precious embroidery and grand feu enamel to envision breathtaking timepieces; whereas Van Cleef and Arpels in its Poetic Complications, Lady Arpels Papillons and Extraordinary Dials collection uses intricate mechanisms and artistic adornments to explore fascinating possibilities in watchmaking.
Dior VIII Grand Bal, Dior Grand Soir, La D De Dior Précieuse watches embody the spirit of the House of Dior and draw upon various aspects such as the brand’s creativity, sense of style, colors and swirling ball gowns, among others. Vacheron Constantin in its earlier Métiers D’Art Les Univers Infinis employs fascinating techniques while using the sea, doves and shells as its muses. The watchmaker turns to Chinese embroidery, Indian manuscripts, French lacework and Ottoman architecture for its newest Métiers D’Art Fabuleux collection and celebrates the decorative arts of several cultures.
To throw the spotlight on some such timepieces, we have selected some interesting pieces by jewelers and watchmakers, including Boodles, Carl F Bucherer, Chopard, de Grisogono, David Morris, Fabergé, Jewellery Theatre and Sicis, Palmiero and Perrelet in our list of favourites.
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Smitha Sadanandan
