Pure horology magic ensues when the
time-honoured art of decoration finds its
place on timepieces in its myriad forms
Showcasing revered crafts that have taken centuries to perfect — and on a canvas no
bigger than the size of a macaron — métiers d’art timepieces hold a very special place in
the world of horology. They present watch connoisseurs with a different take on an industry
obsessed with the ultra-technical, super-precise and most complicated.
It also elevates a timepiece above the rest of its ilk, transforming, for example, an elegant
dress watch that merely tells time into a captivating work of art that gets nods of approval.
And why shouldn’t it? It takes years, if not decades, for a craftsman to master his métiers
d’art — be it enamelling, engraving, hand-painting, marquetry or gem-setting, among others
— and this explains why such time-telling masterpieces are so highly sought after.
Even so, in an age where watch brands are continuously elbowing for visibility on news
outlets and social media platforms, the boundaries of métiers d’art are constantly being
pushed, resulting in timepieces that awe and astound with their “more is more” maxim.
THE
WORLD IN
YOUR HANDS
Patek Philippe’s World Time Minute Repeater Ref. 5531 is a good example of this. When
it launched in 2017, the timepiece became the world’s first wristwatch to chime the local
(and not the home) time. Still, the watchmaker went one step further and adorned it with
enamelled looks that remain instantly recognisable. For this year’s edition, Patek Philippe
turned its eye to the city of its headquarters with the image of a Belle Époque fleet
steamship that is still a regular sight on the waters of Lake Geneva today. Depicted through
Grand Feu cloisonné enamelling, the automatic World Time Minute Repeater Ref.
5531G’s dial is achieved by outlining the image with hair-thin wires and soldering them in
place before the enamel is painted in. It is then fired up in an oven heated to between 600 and 800°C,
with each colour and gradient requiring a separate firing to bind it down. It’s a painstaking
process that calls for the utmost care and experience — it only takes one misfire to ruin the
entire dial. A hand-guilloched hobnail pattern on the 40.2mm timepiece’s white gold case
band and slide-piece completes the picture.
COMIC
RELIEF
Over at Hermès, it’s the Arceau Wow that perfectly exemplifies the maximalist
philosophy. Featuring a motif taken from the Wow scarf designed by comic book artist Ugo
Bienvenu two years ago, the 38mm white gold watch bears a translucent mother-of-pearl dial
that has been painted on both sides for added dynamics. First, the design is reproduced in
black ink on the back of the dial and hand-painted with approximately 20 layers of paint that
have been fired in a kiln at 90°C to seal and solidify the pigments. The horse and its rider are
then painted on the front of the dial in vivid colours and with volume that lets them stand
out from their two-dimensional frame. Encircled by a diamond bezel, each dial results from
meticulous work that takes over 35 hours to produce.
THE ARCEAU WOW BEARS A TRANSLUCENT
MOTHER-OF-PEARL DIAL THAT HAS BEEN PAINTED
ON BOTH SIDES FOR ADDED VISUAL DYNAMICS.
HEIGHT OF
ELEGANCE
Steady hands were also called on for Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new manual-wind Reverso
One Precious Colours timepiece, which features miniature-painted grand feu enamel
and diamond accents. To prepare the gold case for its adornment, transparent enamel is
first applied to seal the metal before layers of white enamel are applied to create a pristine
surface. The precise lines of its geometric design are then drawn and coloured in by hand
before a final coat of transparent enamel seals everything in. Working in layers, with each
layer requiring firing, the process is made even more difficult because it extends to the
watch’s convex sides and requires a different consistency of enamel to adhere. Up to 15
firings and 80 hours are needed for the enamelling process, with another 45 hours for setting
its 277 diamonds with the grain-setting technique.
THE SHAPE
OF BEAUTY
At Cartier, it’s marquetry that takes centre stage once more, with its Baignoire Allongée
having its turn with the ancient craft. Bearing an arched profile that seems to drape its oval
form across the wrist, the curved dial of the Métiers d’Art Baignoire Allongée presents
a unique challenge for the maison’s artisans: Mother-of-pearl, turquoise and onyx are laser-cut into the tiniest slivers before they are pieced together on the white gold dial. There is
no room for error, and it takes 25 hours to complete each dial with the aid of a binocular
microscope. Accentuating its oval form is a trove of black-and-grey spinels, blue tourmalines
and diamonds that have been set with an inverted pavilion setting. This complex procedure
adds a further 20 per cent to the manufacturing time.
MOTHER-OF-PEARL, TURQUOISE AND ONYX ARE
LASER-CUT INTO THE TINIEST SLIVERS BEFORE
THEY ARE PIECED TOGETHER ON THE WHITE
GOLD DIAL.
DIAMOND
AGE
Also pushing the boundaries of gem-setting is Harry Winston with its new Ocean Date
Moon Phase Automatic 42mm high jewellery watch, which commemorates the 25th
anniversary of the Ocean collection this year. Showcasing the brand’s savoir-faire in full
glory, and limited to just five pieces, the timepiece is completely cloaked with 38.4 carats
of diamonds employed to their fullest extent through different settings. Baguette-, brilliant- and the brand’s signature emerald-cut (located at the 12 o’clock position of the hour and
minutes sub-dial) are all found on this immaculate white gold watch, which throws contrast
to the blue sky and yellow gold moon of its moon phase aperture at four o’clock. Even the
automatic movement has not been spared: The white gold rotor is set with 26 baguette-cut
diamonds and can be admired through the sapphire caseback.
ACTION
PACKED
Last but not least is Audemars Piguet with the second installation of its Marvel
collaboration. This time, it’s everyone’s favourite neighbourhood hero who takes the
spotlight on the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” timepiece. Blending
high technology with revered decorative crafts, the superhero’s three-dimensional form
is first carved out from a block of white gold with a CNC machine and laser-engraved to
obtain the textures found on his suit. Then, the mini sculpture is finished and touched up
by the hands of a single artisan before the red-and-blue suit is hand-painted on. No less
than 50 hours of work have gone into bringing Peter Parker’s alter ego to life — a spectacle
made more impressive with the watchmaker’s new hand-wound Calibre 2974 setting the
stage. Taking the art of skeletonising to new heights, the Calibre 2974 has been reduced to
its bare minimum by a team of engineers, watchmakers and craftspeople. Pushing beyond
expectations, this Royal Oak Concept provides a paradigm of the “more is more” credo.
TAKING THE ART OF SKELETONISING TO NEW
HEIGHTS, THE CALIBRE 2974 HAS BEEN REDUCED
TO ITS BARE MINIMUM BY A TEAM OF ENGINEERS,
WATCHMAKERS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE.
