clockwise from far left:
Vacheron Constantin unveils
its new Fabuleux Ornements
collection of timepieces. An
in-house-made, ultrathin
117-part movement powers each
watch in this series celebrating
the decorative arts of different
cultures. This version ($135,000),
based on Chinese embroidery,
is crafted in 18k gold and
features a jade cloisonné dial
with hand-engraved leaves of
mother-of-pearl and pink opal
surrounded by 145 round-cut
diamonds. Just 20 pieces will be
made. vacheron-constantin.com
The complex Parmigiani
Fleurier Tonda Tourbillon 1950
(price on request) features an
in-house-designed and -built
60-second tourbillon
escapement and an ultrathin PF
517 movement that houses the
world's lightest tourbillon cage.
The gray mother-of-pearl dial has
a fine cut at 7 o'clock (a nod to
the time, 7:08, when the founder
of the brand was born), that
offers a view of the tourbillon
aperture. Jack Ryan, 3520 Bee
Cave Road, 512-732-2408;
parmigiani.ch
In honor of the 85th anniversary
of the famed Jaeger-LeCoultre
Reverso (with a case that turns
over to offer a second dial), the
brand unveils a host of new
Reversos, including the One
Duetto Moon ($11,500).
Powered by a manually wound
mechanical movement, the
watch displays two faces: One
side offers the moon phase via a
mother-of-pearl lunar disk; the
other side is a classic time
indication of hours and minutes.
jaeger-lecoultre.com
Piaget also looks to the night
sky with the new Limelight Stella
($29,700), the brand's first
complication created just
for women. Powered by a
mechanical movement, it
features a diamond-adorned
moon-phase indication at 12
o'clock as well as an aperture
base and case bedecked in
diamonds. But the watch is
driven by serious technology:
The astronomical moon
depiction requires a mere
one-day correction after 122
years. Sam L. Majors, 2727
Exposition Blvd., 512-473-0078;
piaget.com
For the past few years, premier watch brands attending
the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH)
in Geneva have given greater face time to the fairer sex
when it comes to mechanical-watch offerings (savvy
women also care about what's under the hood). In
response, a host of brands are giving women time-
pieces with substance, blending state-of-the-art
technology with beautiful design to create a complete
package that speaks to both form and function.
In the watch industry over the past half-decade, fans,
fanatics, and connoisseurs have witnessed the term
métiers d'art take on a life of its own, and this year is no
exception. In fact, several brands have gone above and
beyond when it comes to designing watch dials as mini
canvases—the results are stellar masterpieces that, in
another form, could easily grace art-museum walls.
FOR THE LADIES: STUN THEM WITH SUbSTaNcE
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