Sandra‘s Closet

Today, I am writing to share some exciting news about YVY, the Swiss fashion brand that has been making waves in the fashion industry for its innovative designs that cross the boundaries between object, accessory, and clothing.

Yvonne Reichmuth founder and creative director of YVY.

The brand’s biggest ARCHIVE SALE will take place from the 14th to the 16th of April at their studio and online from the 17th to the 20th. The studio’s address is Quellenstrasse 27 in Zurich with opening hours on Friday 14th of April from 10am to 8pm and during the weekend from 11am to 5pm.

The cuban-born American-raised superstar Camila Cabello wore the YVY Spine Harness for her look on The Voice USA recently.

YVY has gained a lot of attention and love from celebrities worldwide. The ARCHIVE SALE features some of the iconic pieces worn by Lady Gaga, Ciara, and Irina Shayk, making it an exciting chance for fans to own a piece of fashion history! Moreover, YVY will have samples and prototypes of some of their bestsellers.

Matthias Breschan, CEO of Longines, Yvonne Reichmuth and Kate Winslet.

Last year, Swiss watchmaking brand Longines entrusted YVY with a new design for the famous rectangular watch of Longine’s DolceVita collection, resulting in four sophisticated timepieces that were revealed in Paris in the presence of Kate Winslet.

Madonna in 2020 in a one-of-a-kind top from YVY’s BRUT collection, handmade in the Zurich atelier with Italian lambskin and delicate Swarovski crystals. 

The aim for YVY’s ARCHIVE SALE is to provide an unparalleled opportunity for the Swiss audience to own exclusive pieces from the collection Swiss made. YVY believes that each piece carries a unique story, and is thrilled to share it with their valued customers.

Lday Gaga herself starred in her Haus Laboratories’s makeup line’s campaign in a top by YVY to underline the empowering effect of a bold eyeliner.

Take advantage of this opportunity to get your dream leather look and follow YVY on Instagram @yvyleather for a first look at the archive pieces. Get exclusive access to iconic pieces worn by celebrities for fashion magazines and press events, as well as one-of-a-kind designs and samples from some of their must-haves at up to 80% off.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © YVY
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There is no doubt that Patek Philippe watches are considered an investment. Founded in Geneva in 1839, the brand’s style and craftsmanship make it stand out from competitors, creating highly collectable watches. Being an independent manufacture, the House has its own research and development department and creates and engineers all movements and external components in its own workshops.

One new ladies’ model, presented at Watches & Wonders has caught my eye and not only because I have a thing for colorful watches. The Manufacture is enriching its range of elegant watches for ladies with a new rose gold version decked out in purple – an original and refined color perfectly matching the warm nuances of the precious metal. Meet the new purple Ladies’ Calatrava – Ref. 4997/200R-001.

The bezel set with 76 round internally flawless Top Wesselton diamonds (0.55 ct), highlights the dial with its embossed radiating pattern and the entirely polished case. The presence of ultra-thin self-winding 240 caliber with an offcenter 22K gold mini-rotor makes it possible to offer a very slim case (7.4mm).

The dial base embossed with a concentric waves pattern is coated with more than fifty successive layers of translucent lacquer creating a fascinating depth effect. The shade of the dial is echoed by the purple calfskin strap with satinated finish and rose gold prong buckle.

Available – if your are lucky – for CHF 32.500.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Patek Philippe
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With these versions of the Day-Date 36, Rolex brings an unexpected creative twist to one of its iconic models. By displaying a new emotion each day, the watch brings an element of spontaneity into the wearers’ daily life and allows them to invest the reading of time with their changing mood. Rolex unveils three new variants of its Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, full of joy and energy.

Crafted from 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, these watches have adopted an original face. Rather than showing the day of the week, the arc-shaped aperture at 12 o’clock displays an inspirational keyword in English – ‘Happy’, ‘Eternity’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Peace’, ‘Faith’, ‘Love’ and ‘Hope’. The window at 3 o’clock reveals daily one of 31 exclusive emojis in place of the date.

Entirely created using champlevé enamelling, the dial is striking for the depth and intensity of its gleaming colours and decoration. The motif is inspired by a jigsaw puzzle. Turquoise blue, red, fuchsia, orange, green and yellow pieces fit together on a single-colour background, each representing one of the key moments in life. The hours are marked by 10 baguette-cut sapphires in six different hues set according to the main colour of the dial, which is turquoise blue on the 18 ct yellow gold and 18 ct white gold versions, and orange on the watch in 18 ct Everose gold.

The new versions of the Day-Date 36 are equipped with calibre 3255, a movement at the forefront of watchmaking technology, enabling them to display a special keyword each day of the week and an individual emoji each day of the month, as well as the hours, minutes and seconds.

Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance on the wrist.

Interesting to know is that at its launch in 1956, the Day-Date was a major innovation: it was the first calendar wristwatch to indicate, in addition to the date, the day of the week spelt out in full in an arc-shaped window at 12 o’clock on the dial – a technical feat at the time.

Worn by many of the world’s political figures, directors and visionaries, the Day-Date is instantly recognizable, in particular thanks to its emblematic President bracelet, whose evocative name, together with the eminent figures who have worn it, ensured the Day-Date became known as the ‘presidents’ watch’.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: ©Rolex/JVA Studios and ©Rolex/Ulysse Frechelin
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Watches in the Oyster Perpetual range are direct descendants of the original Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch, on which Rolex has built its reputation since 1926. These timepieces benefit from all the fundamental features of the Oyster Perpetual collection – chronometric precision, a waterproof Oyster case, and self-winding of the movement via a Perpetual rotor.

Alive with colour, vitality and positivity, the new dials – presented at Watches & Wonders – of the Oyster Perpetual in 31 mm, 36 mm and 41 mm are dotted with many-coloured bubbles that joyfully reunite the five hues introduced to the range in 2020. Rolex brings in a new dial decoration for its Oyster Perpetual range, recognized for its pure lines and universal elegance.

Named «Celebration», this brand-new motif is available for the Oyster Perpetual 31, Oyster Perpetual 36 and Oyster Perpetual 41. Composed of differently sized bubbles fringed with black, it encapsulates the vivid colours of the lacquered dials introduced in 2020: candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green.

The Oyster Perpetual 31 is equipped with calibre 2232, while the Oyster Perpetual 36 and Oyster Perpetual 41 are both fitted with calibre 3230. These two movements at the forefront of watchmaking technology provide essential functions – hours, minutes and seconds.

Like all Rolex watches, these Oyster Perpetual models carry the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance on the wrist. This status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: ©Rolex/JVA Studios and ©Rolex/Ulysse Frechelin
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Since clocks were first miniaturised to be carried or worn as watches, women have played a pivotal role in determining the aesthetic of time and the ways in which it is worn. Thanks to the pioneering spirit of its founder, LeCoultre & Cie recognised the tremendous aesthetic and technical potential of timepieces that could also be worn as jewels and accessories and, at an early stage in La Grande Maison’s history, began creating watches for women as well as men. Blending the arts of horology and jewellery, the Maison has continued to marry technical sophistication, creative design and aesthetic beauty in a process of constant evolution.

Underlining this commitment to feminine expressions of fine watchmaking, the Reverso – although originally conceived for the gentleman polo player – began to appear in feminine form very soon after its launch in 1931. Among the many variations were models that could be worn on a cordonnet bracelet or transformed into brooches, handbag clips or pendants. In 2023, presented at Watches & Wonders, Jaeger-LeCoultre takes this creative legacy to a new level, presenting a new interpretation of the Reverso in the form of a magnificent piece of High Jewellery – the Reverso Secret Necklace, which transforms the design icon into a graceful and exquisitely feminine sautoir, or long necklace.

The cordonnet, the original black textile bracelet (literal translation: fine or small cord) seen on Reverso models of the 1930s has been reimagined as a supple chain of intricate diamond-set links and polished onyx beads, from which a richly gem-set Reverso is suspended. Two pendants of polished onyx charms add a refined flourish to this elegant new way of wearing the time.

Among High Jewellery watches there is a long history of secret watches – watches with a gem-set cover hiding the dial until the wearer wishes to read the time. The swivelling case of the Reverso is a twist on this idea, concealing the time when turned over. Although initially designed for purely practical reasons, the blank metal flip side of the case offers almost limitless potential for decoration with gem-setting, enamelling or engraving.

Worn with the case back turned to the front, the Reverso Secret Necklace is a beautiful Art Deco-inspired jewel that conceals its secret power of time-telling until the wearer chooses to reveal it; worn with the front dial showing, it is an exquisite timepiece that hides its reverse side like an enchanting, personal pleasure. It is notable that while the dial appears to observers to be upside-down, it is set that way so that the wearer can read the time naturally as she lifts the watch to her line of sight.

Jaeger-LeCoultre is one of the very few watchmaking Maisons to have its own Métiers Rares® (Rare Handcrafts) atelier, bringing multiple craft skills together in a specialised workshop within its Manufacture.

Recalling the Art Deco origins of the Reverso, the reverse side of the pink gold case is set with white diamonds and black onyx in an intricate pattern of geometric repeats, contrasting with the warm tone of the metal. Vertical rows of grain-set diamonds wrap around the convex sides of the case and frame the dial. Contrasting with the richness of black onyx and pink gold, the centre of the dial is set with white diamonds, as are the signature brackets that define each corner of the dial. With over 3,000 diamonds, the gem-setting on the Reverso Secret Necklace requires over 300 hours of meticulous work for our Métiers Rares® atelier artisans.

Concealed within the case, the movement that powers the Reverso Secret Necklace is testament to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s commitment to mechanical excellence. Developed and produced entirely in house and comprising 93 parts, the manually-wound Calibre 846 was created specifically for the Reverso and, in keeping with the Manufacture’s philosophy of product integrity, is shaped to follow the contours of the rectangular case.

The Reverso Secret Necklace is an exquisite creation that represents a rare and noble marriage of high jewellery, rare handcrafts and fine watchmaking.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Jaeger-LeCoultre
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Next week, the 2023 edition of Watches and Wonders, the famous watch fair, will be taking place in Geneva. From March 27 to April 2, 2023, the 48 exhibiting Maisons will present their watch novelties and iconic models.

Arriving at last year’s fair.

While the first days will be dedicated to professionals, great news is that the Salon will open its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 April, 2023. On top of that, the Salon will also take over the streets of Geneva with a special «In the City» program open to all to celebrate watchmaking together.

My favorite booth last year: Van Cleef & Arpels

More than just a trade show, Watches and Wonders Geneva is a passionate experience to be enjoyed in person. It is also a place where you can listen to and learn from the professionals. An extensive program has been specially designed for the weekend with conferences, guided tours and exhibitions. Connoisseurs, enthusiasts and those who are simply curious will be able to discover the marvels of the 48 exhibiting Maisons, from the greatest historical watchmakers to independent workshops and artisans. From exceptional pieces and new collections to skilled craftsmanship, there will be something to satisfy every curious mind.

At the Piaget booth in 2022.

EXHIBITING MAISONS
A. LANGE & SÖHNE | ALPINA WATCHES | ANGELUS | ARNOLD & SON | BAUME & MERCIER | BEAUREGARD | BELL & ROSS | CARTIER | CHANEL | CHARLES ZUBER | CHARRIOL | CHOPARD | CHRONOSWISS | CYRUS GENÈVE | CZAPEK & CIE | FERDINAND BERTHOUD | FREDERIQUE CONSTANT | GRAND SEIKO | GRÖNEFELD | HAUTLENCE | HERMÈS | HUBLOT | HYSEK | IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN | JAEGER-LECOULTRE | LAURENT FERRIER | LOUIS MOINET | MONTBLANC | ORIS | PANERAI | PARMIGIANI FLEURIER | PATEK PHILIPPE | PEQUIGNET | PIAGET | REBELLION TIMEPIECES | RESSENCE | ROGER DUBUIS | ROLEX | RUDIS SYLVA | SPEAKE-MARIN | TAG HEUER | TRILOBE | TUDOR | U-BOAT | ULYSSE NARDIN | VACHERON CONSTANTIN | VAN CLEEF & ARPELS | ZENITH

TICKETS are CHF 70 per person and can be obtained through the ONLINE TICKETING at watchesandwonders.com.
Here you will also find more information about the weekend.

In parallel, for the first time, Watches and Wonders will also be present in the heart of its host city. This festival of watchmaking, called «In the City», will be free and open to everyone. Visitors can therefore wander freely through the Rues Basses of the city center and spot the WandW display columns. This will be the sign that the boutiques have surprises in store: including historical pieces, demonstration workshops, a chance to chat with the watchmakers, a preview of new pieces, etc. To add spice to the experience, an interactive watch rally has been organized especially for the occasion. Using the QR codes scattered along a route, the public will be able to discover the participating boutiques and emblematic sites.

When the sun goes down, «In the City» will continue to beat in the heart of Geneva: on March 30, all the participating boutiques will stay open until 9pm, while a special program has been created for this evening of festivities. Artists, dancers and musicians will take over five stages along the streets, beginning at 5pm. At the Pont de la Machine, a conference on «Geneva, Switzerland and Watchmaking» will be open to all who register. A collection of food trucks will be stationed at the city’s main crossroads with one objective: get ready for a free concert from the celebrated DJ/Producer The Avener at Quai du Général Guisan, at 8pm.

DJ/Producer The Avener

The heart of Geneva will be beating to the rhythm of watch movements from March 27 to April 2, 2023. The wonder of watchmaking is within everyone’s reach!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Watches & Wonders, © Sandra Bauknecht
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Ladies, are you ready for a high-watchmaking novelty. Meet the other side of sweetness as Louis Vuitton demonstrates its advanced mastery in horological automata with a new feminine timepiece.
Introducing the first in-house self-winding automaton movement, the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is a distillation of high-watchmaking savoir-faire, enacted by Louis Vuitton’s specialist movement workshop La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva. Under the candy-bright hues and alluring textures of an engraved grand feu enamel dial, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata bears a movement of formidable ingenuity and pin-sharp precision. The aesthetic of Louis Vuitton’s latest creation hides a piercing intellect, reminding us that nulla rosa sine spini; there is no rose without its thorn.

A Mechanism In Full Bloom
High watchmaking at Louis Vuitton flowered at the beginning of the 21st century, leading up to the creation of a small handful of bespoke automaton timepieces
for special clients. In 2021, the Maison communicated about this side of the brand’s in-house watchmaking expertise for the first time. Louis Vuitton’s next stride in the realm of automaton timepieces continues to explore the theme of blended passion and savoir-faire.

The motif of a rose and its entwined thorny vines has been taken further than the Maison initially broached in the enamel-dial Escale Spin Time Only Watch (2019). Motion and dynamism define the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, but even more provocative is the revelation that lies beneath the lush petals and glossy heart of its dial, the first in-house enamel dial from Louis Vuitton. At the push of a button at the 8 o’clock position, the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata blooms under the touch of its wearer, in a lush profusion of dial animations.

Beware Of Thorns
Time can be dangerous, according to the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, where the hours and minutes are told by thorn-armoured hands on a subdial encircled by inward-facing briars. Those who take time for granted, or let their attention wander, the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata seems to say, may soon find themselves in a prickly situation. The flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock provides the rhythmic pulse of the watch, marking out the seconds over the course of its one- minute rotation.
At 9 o’clock, a flaming heart, symbol of piety, is emblazoned with the word «SWEET» and crowned with a golden circlet of Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. A hidden power throbs within the heart, revealed when the pusher at 8 o’clock, set with adamantine gems, is actuated.

Around the hours-and-minutes subdial, an external halo of thorns emerges and extends radially outwards. The enamel roses (one at 12 o’clock and another
at 4 o’clock) are not the demure botanicals they first appeared to be; they have found new vitality, with spinning Monogram flowers at their centers, diamond pistils firing rays of refracted light. The blazing heart roars to life, its flames dancing as if fanned by an invisible gale. The heart cracks open, a jagged fissure revealing that the soothing legend engraved on the heart now comes with a bold caveat: «SWEET BUT FIERCE».

A World Of Mechanical Expression
If knowledge is power, then knowledge (or know-how) that only you have becomes the most powerful thing of all. The unique savoir-faire of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in innovative horological automata is expressed in one of the most mechanically impressive creations of the Maison to date: the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata. Five separate dial elements form the automaton array of the watch, leaping simultaneously into action when the pusher at 8 o’clock is actuated. The radially extruding thorns surrounding the outer circumference of the hours-and- minutes subdial. The two Monogram flowers at the center of the enamel roses at 4 and 12 o’clock rotate simultaneously. One starts its course clockwise while the other moves in the opposite direction. After a short pause, the two flowers perform the opposite dance. The articulated heart that cracks open to reveal the full message «SWEET BUT FIERCE». Lastly, the gold tongues of fire at the top of the heart that undulate in simulation of real flames.

This unprecedented display of horological virtuosity is the result of three years of research and development within Louis Vuitton’s high-watchmaking atelier. Subtle signs in the movement design and finish indicate that the calibre LFT 325 has been constructed expressly for the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata — a dedicated movement being a time-honoured indication of horological prestige. The micro-blasted movement bridges are decorated with thorny rose stems in pink-gold, sinuously embracing the exposed wheels visible through openworked sections. The 18K pink-gold rotor is also engraved and openworked with Monogram Flowers, as is the automaton regulator bridge at 12 o’clock. The history of the dial continues, sculpting the shapes of the movement. The dance
of colors and the seductive play of textures continue, requiring long hours of research and development to achieve the softness of the gray contrasting with the brilliance of the pink gold. The search for colors, the work on materials and the attention to detail testify to the precision and extreme meticulousness necessary to achieve such a level of finish.

The flying tourbillon frequently makes an appearance in the fine-watchmaking segment of Louis Vuitton timepieces, but the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata
is the first time this mechanism has been combined with a self-winding movement with dial-side automata. As the automaton is driven by its own dedicated mainspring, the flying tourbillon is able to maintain high levels of chronometric performance throughout the 65 hours of movement power reserve. The challenge of synchronising the dial animations of the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata has been answered by the cumulative expertise and experience of the movement development team at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, led by master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas. While the dial springs into action as if by magic, a glimpse behind the curtain is afforded by the open caseback.

In the upper right quadrant of the movement, an openworked bridge allows a tantalising view of the automaton mainspring, driving wheels and regulator. This complex assembly feeds energy to the seven dial automata, coordinates their running times and also controls the speed at which they operate. On the dial, each graceful motion of the automata, from the opening of the heart and revelation of the secret message, to the spinning Monogram Flowers, the dancing flames and the emerging thorns, is precisely calibrated to produce a 13-second symphony of mechanical excellence, seen nowhere else in the world except on the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata.

Art, Glass, Fire
The grand feu enamel dial of the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata represents an important step for the Maison in terms of in-house savoir-faire — the integration of a millennia-old artisanal craft. The alchemy of grand feu enamel starts with the powdered silica, finely ground by hand and combined with various metal oxides that impart colour to the final result. After the enamel powder is applied to a prepared surface, it is fired in a kiln at temperatures between 700°C and 1,200°C, vitrifying the enamel. This brings out the intense and durable colours that have made grand feu enamel the decorative technique of choice for timepieces over the centuries.

On the dial of the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, a combination of champlevé and cloisonné enamel is used to illustrate the various aesthetic elements. The former involves removing material from the dial surface, creating a space where enamel powder can be deposited. The latter requires the use of thin gold wires, meticulously shaped by hand and fixed onto the dial surface, creating closed cells which can then be filled with enamel. The art of grand feu enamel requires a delicate touch, years of experience and a highly disciplined — and, indeed, technical — approach. After working with some of the most revered enamel artists today, such as the legendary Anita Porchet, who created the dial of the Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time Only Watch, the Maison now counts this rare craft as part of its in- house savoir-faire, under the expert hand of its master enameller.

Beauty emerges, refined and transcendent, from the crucible of horological knowledge and combined expertise at Louis Vuitton. The Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is the multi-layered result of the Maison’s approach to fine watchmaking, now elevated to unprecedented levels in all 169 years of Louis Vuitton history.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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In unveiling the Tambour Opera Automata, Louis Vuitton continues its journey through the exclusive world of high watchmaking timepieces with automata. Paying tribute to the Sichuan Opera’s Bian Lian, the virtuoso decoration of this specific watch presents a traditional mask that comes to life and changes expression on demand.

An artistic performance driven by a virtuoso movement entirely conceived, developed, and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
After the Tambour Carpe Diem, which won the Audacity Prize at the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève in 2021, Louis Vuitton has left Europe and its expressive Vanitas and embarked on a new journey in China, the land of Bian Lian. This «art of changing masks» characteristic of the Sichuan Opera is a major source of inspiration for the Tambour Opera Automata watch.

In the same vein as the Carpe Diem figure that changed expression on demand, the Tambour Opera Automata highlights a remarkable discipline requiring unwavering dexterity. During the opera, the performers can put on up to twenty different masks in a fraction of a second, revealing their wide range of expressions. Each has their own technique for making these painted silk figures appear and disappear with a quick hand gesture or a graceful fanning motion. In the 21st century, very few actors still master the ancient art of Bian Lian.

To transpose this mysterious interplay of faces to a watch case, Louis Vuitton enlisted the help of the greatest contemporary craftsmen. Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, Master Watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps, created this exceptional watch movement, while Anita Porchet, Master Enameller, and Dick Steenman, Master Engraver, decorated the timepiece with virtuoso design.

«We wanted the Tambour Opera Automata to reflect the striking aesthetics and expressive movements of Bian Lian», explains Michel Navas.«This extremely challenging art remains a secret, just as automaton mechanisms require a perfect knowledge of traditional watchmaking skills.»

Originally, jacquemarts were automata designed to strike the hour on church bells. When watchmakers miniaturised them on watches, they became essentially decorative, animating dials with theatrical scenes, while the time was still traditionally marked by classic hands.

Unprecedented expression
With the Tambour Opera Automata, Louis Vuitton continues – in Asia – the daring journey it initiated in Europe in 2021 by creating of the Tambour Carpe Diem Automata dedicated to the Vanitas. By choosing to celebrate the Sichuan Opera today, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton is taking its mastery of contemporary fine watchmaking to the next level. Indeed, this timepiece, which is the subject of several patents, took over two years to develop. As with the Tambour Carpe Diem, the time is only displayed on the dial – by means of a jumping hour and a retrograde minute mechanism – by activating the automaton. This calibre LV 525, totalling 426 components, has a power reserve of 100 hours.

As for the automaton mechanism, its five animations create a unique and unforgettable 16-second watchmaking spectacle, driven by this exceptional calibre with jumping hours and retrograde minutes. When the latch is pushed, the engraved pink gold dragon’s head rises to reveal the jumping hours inscribed on the forehead of the cloisonné enamel Bian Lian, while its tail indicates the retrograde minutes.

The mask’s expression changes dramatically – its eyebrows frown, its eyelid closes over its left eye, and the pupil of its right eye retracts to reveal a pointed Monogram flower. Going from joy to sadness through the movement of its chin, the Bian Lian mask expresses a wide range of emotions. The beauty of the dial and the lively rhythm of this miniature theatre leave the viewer spellbound.

The excellence of craftsmanship
To root this Tambour Opera Automata in the 21st century, Louis Vuitton has combined traditional Chinese symbols with the brand’s emblematic design elements, such as the canvas pattern and the Monogram flowers enamelled on the dial. Reigning supreme, the imperial dragon, a mythical creature associated with ancient Chinese emperors, represents strength, power and nobility.

The fan by its side is a sign of wisdom and authority. As for the clouds, they symbolise good luck, and the gourd in the shape of a calabash is believed to protect people from evil spirits. As an ultimate refinement, the Asian unlucky number 4 in the time display is replaced by a four-petalled Monogram flower.

Crafted in white, red and black cloisonné enamel separated with white gold threads, the mask owes its flawless workmanship to the master enameller Anita Porchet. The fan is given remarkable depth through the champlevé enamel technique, which involves removing some material from the surface in order to deposit colour pigments. The enamelling of the dial and crown took over seven days to complete.

Crafted over a period of nearly two weeks by the famous Swiss engraver Dick Steenman, the details engraved in the precious metal give the Tambour Opera Automata an unparalleled level of relief. The pink-gold dragon displays its expressive character in the smallest of details (piercing ruby eyes, engraved and sandblasted scales, etc.). So much so that it appears to literally leap out of the Bian Lian’s mask to reveal, open-mouthed, the time display.

The push button of the automaton depicting a dragon’s head, as well as the winding crown and adorned with a champlevé enamel fan, are entirely hand-made. Finally, pushing sophistication and technicality to the extreme, Louis Vuitton has reproduced the shape of the Chinese mask on the back of the movement, contrasting a shot blasted finish with a perfect mirror polish, without the slightest flaw.

With the Tambour Opera Automata, Louis Vuitton has amplified the technical complexity of the automaton watch with a bold, powerful and contemporary aesthetic. Personally speaking, diving into the craftsmanship behind this beautiful watch, I feel so much appreciation for the work that went into every little detail. A choice for the dedicated watch connoisseur.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Right in time for Watches & Wonders next week, Cartier presents its newest must-have watch: Clash [Un]limited which is characterised by an elegant mechanism that stands out for its beauty, creating a jewellery watch that combines finesse with power.

Personally speaking, I am absolutely blown away by this new model. With beads, picot studs, clou carrés and mobility, the Clash de Cartier codes flow, intertwine, forge their way and manifest themselves in the form of a precious watch.

From faceted corners and bevelled dials to full and empty spaces, as well as round and square elements, its geometry is constant and true to the Maison’s style. A culture of design counterbalanced by Cartier’s graphic precision through movement, from the beads that roll over each other to the hinges of the bracelet, all articulated to create softness on the skin. An ambition to structure the watch and create perspective: from the form of its links to the mini case with its sixteen-faceted cut glass that accentuates the distinctive lines.

My favorite: SMALL MODEL, QUARTZ MOVEMENT, YELLOW AND VIOLET GOLD

The legacy of Jeanne Toussaint and her sense of volume comes to mind. As early as the 1930s, she dared to provoke glittering collisions between preciousness and the industrial aesthetic of ball bearings. A natural link between the past and present, as seen in this Clash [Un]limited watch, which also uses chromatic contrasts to emphasise the geometric motifs. How? Firstly, by alternating brushed and satin-finish gold, then by combining yellow or rose gold with violet gold, a new shade of gold in tones of shimmering violet, entirely developed for Cartier. It punctuates the watch, from the clou carré to the beads on the bracelet.

With variations on the same theme in limited-edition releases, the Clash [Un]limited watch is available in diamond-paved yellow gold, rose gold and white gold. It also unites exceptional pieces with stones that enhance the design in black and white with onyx, black spinels, obsidian and diamonds, or in different colours with coral, black spinels, chrysoprase, tsavorites and diamonds. Designed by the Cartier watchmaking studios, the Clash [Un]limited watch resides in the Maison’s creative repertoire of jewellery watches.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier
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A square in a circle, small squares in a large square. Hermès loves to play with shapes. From the distant memory of those children’s games combining colours and volumes, Hermès has given life to a unique and playful watch. It could have been called Double Face, or Recto/Verso. Wow suits it so much better!

Wow, like his original idea. Two years ago, young comic book artist Ugo Bienvenu designed a surprising silk scarf for Hermès. It was named Wow. Why Wow? Because it picks up Hermès’ cherished equestrian spirit and transposes it into the world of comics.

The designer vaulted into the saddle and set his foot in the stirrups to offer small square comic-book-style panels within the large square shape of the silk scarf. Squares, bubbles, animation… A heroine crosses Paris on jet skis, rollerblades, in cars and of course on horseback. Two amused golfers wonder who this intrepid woman is? Amazon, secret agent, Parisian heroine? All that and more: she is the Hermès woman.

The Wow effect comes not only from the pattern, but also from the way in which is created, including a different colour scheme on each side: a multicolored interpretation on the front and a monochrome version on the back.

The idea made its way from Paris to Switzerland and the workshops of Hermès Horloger. A double-sided dial? Why not, as long as it is thin and translucent like the silk thread that inspired it. The obvious choice was mother-of-pearl, a dainty, elegant and feminine material through which the ray of light could shine and enable the artisan to set about creating a playfully radiant motif.

On the first side, the design is initially reproduced in black ink, visible on both sides. It guides the deft touch of the artisan until the last brush stroke. The entire décor of the motif is then hand-painted on this first side. The pastel colours are applied one by one: thick enough to give depth to the design, yet thin enough to let the light shine through – a subtle balance calling for the finest skilled craftsmanship. It takes about 20 layers to bring out every nuance of this design. Each is fired in the kiln at 90 °C to solidify the precious pigment.

The horse and heroine are majestically enthroned on the second face corresponding to the upper dial side of the watch. The colour is sharper, the volume denser, the design is every bit as lively as the rider and her mount. Together, they literally burst out of the dial. The Hermès gallop responds to the silky, muted solid colours painted on the reverse side of the watch with its brightly varied shades, its relief effects and its boldness. While the horse’s movement makes a sudden appearance, it stems from a wealth of meticulous and diligent work involving more than 35 hours to produce a single dial.

This timepiece with its Arceau case designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978 comes in two versions powered by the same Manufacture H1912 self-winding movement. The first flaunts a dial in soft pink tones, while the second opts for bluish accents. Paired with a Hermès calfskin strap, each of these white gold Arceau Wow model features a bezel set with 82 diamonds and is issued in a 24-piece limited edition.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès / David Marchon / Anita Schlaefli
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