Sandra‘s Closet

I love peonies, they are my favorite flowers. It is such a pity that their season is very limited, usually May to June. I love their frilly ruffles of petals and it always amazes me how such a beautiful flower can bloom from such a small tight hard bud. To me, they are the most beautiful right before they die. My daughter said something very sweet to me recently: «Mum, if you were a flower, you would definitely be a peony as you get more beautiful with age.»

Today’s look is inspired by this gem of nature. Burgundy and pink worn together is a colour combination that I personally absolutely adore. When the two hues meet, it’s pure magic.

My look: Katerina merino wool sweater and Wade high-rise flared jeans, both by Ulla Johnson, platform patent-leather loafers by Givenchy, Aby Lock small printed leather shoulder bag by Chloé, stingray sunglasses by Louis Vuitton, Royal Oak 37mm 18-karat frosted rose gold watch by Audemars Piguet, JUSTE UN CLOU bracelet in rose gold with diamonds, LOVE bracelet SM in white gold, LOVE bracelet in rose gold with 4 diamonds, and CLASH DE CARTIER bracelet SM in rose gold, all by Cartier, Coco Crush bracelet in yellow gold by CHANEL, gold chunky necklace by Dior, Rose Céleste necklace in 18k yellow and white gold, diamond, onyx and mother-of-pearl, and Astro Dior aquarius necklace, both by Dior Fine Jewellery.

By the way, in floriography, the language of flowers, peonies represent all the good stuff: good fortune, happy marriage, riches, honour, and compassion and surprisingly, bashfulness. Cheers to that! May we all have a little peony-wisdom in our lives this spring.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Today is World Dance Day, a global celebration of dance, that takes place every year on 29 April. Ever since I was a little girl dance has always been my favorite sport.

When house cleaning sucks, especially with no help during quarantine, I love to dress up, put the music on and dance while doing chores. So much more fun and thanks to my new noise-cancelling headphones (for more infos, see yesterday’s post here) nobody gets disturbed.

Let’s face it — It’s more productive to clean the house while singing and dancing to a catchy tune.

My look: Allison grain de poudre wool blazer by Stella McCartney, silk-paneled cashmere and silk-blend tank, silk-satin track pants, and satin platform pumps, all by Tom Ford, Aby Lock small printed leather shoulder bag by Chloé, Royal Oak 37mm 18-karat frosted rose gold watch by Audemars Piguet, H9 3rd generation Active Noise Cancellation Headphones in peony by Bang & Olufsen, JUSTE UN CLOU bracelet in rose gold with diamonds, LOVE bracelet SM in white gold, LOVE bracelet in rose gold with 4 diamonds, and CLASH DE CARTIER bracelet SM in rose gold, all by Cartier, Coco Crush bracelet in yellow gold by CHANEL, Rose Céleste necklace in 18k yellow and white gold, diamond, onyx and mother-of-pearl, daisy necklace and Astro Dior aquarius necklace, both by Dior Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht 
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

I love being active and try to do lots of workouts at home during quarantine to stay fit. I truly miss my weekly pilates class with Karolina Schmid and cannot wait until her studio opens again. Great news for my Zurich based readers: she will be opening another studio in Höngg with PILATESwiss wall boards and classes in June.

Whatever your favorite workout might be, the right activewear makes it even more fun. Hit the gym in Versace’s Greek key-infused pieces that elevate your casual look.

My look: Zip-up tech-jersey hooded sweatshirt, logo-jacquard low-impact sports bra, and logo-jacquard technical jersey leggings, all by Versace, Portugaba tote by Christian Louboutin, Run away sneaker in blue by Louis Vuitton, Love bracelets by Cartier, Royal Oak 37mm 18-karat frosted rose gold watch by Audemars Piguet and FF-print round acetate sunglasses by Fendi.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

DO NOT READ THE NEXT SENTENCE.

You little rebel. I like you.

Reverse psychology is motivating a person to do something by telling him or her the exact opposite. By showing you how beautiful it is to be outside at the lake doing some exercises, I am actually hoping you will stay inside as much as possible so that this corona nightmare will hopefully soon come to an end. Dress up at home, it elevates your mood and comfy can be stylish, too!

My look: Reverse Psychology-print cotton-blend jumpsuit by Natasha Zinko, chain necklace, small messenger flap bag in Tiffany blue (Cruise 2019) and butterfly sunglasses with grey pearl chain, all by CHANEL, Ultrapace mid-top sneaker by Gucci, and Royal Oak 37mm 18-karat frosted rose gold watch by Audemars Piguet.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

As promised here is the first post dedicated to a watch that was presented during SIHH 2019 last week. High jewellery, horology and design cues from nature have united in Audemars Piguet’s Haute Joaillerie collection also in past creations. This year’s unique piece pushes gem-setting craftsmanship to new heights. Named after the river that crosses Le Brassus, home of Audemars Piguet, Sapphire Orbe embodies a glittering river of diamonds and sapphires in graded hues of blue and orange, as night merges into day. Personally speaking, it is divine, I have rarely seen such a glamour in a contemporary design.

The outstanding piece features more than 12,000 stones, each rigorously selected, individually cut and set by hand. The central petal-shaped rings are entirely snow-set with diamonds and graded sapphires in 6 graded shades of blue and orange, each in 20 different diameters ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm in size. Multifaceted, this piece offers a play of colour and light that changes depending on the perspective from which it is seen. It took approximately 1,050 hours to gem-set this piece.

In the domed centre nestles the 2 cm dark blue sapphire-set globe which, when inverted, reveals the watch’s 18-carat white gold dial paved with graded orange sapphires. This spherical case houses a tiny quartz calibre. The bracelet is made of articulated diamond-set components, for maximum flexibility and comfort.

FUNCTIONS
Hours and minutes
CASE
18-carat white gold case in shape of a sphere, entirely set with dark blue sapphires, surrounded by 18 carat white gold rings, set with diamonds, graded blue and orange sapphires, glareproofed sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 20 m
DIAL
18-carat white gold dial, entirely set with graded orange sapphires, white gold hands
SETTING
2,794 briliant-cut orange sapphires 15.14 carats
3,240 briliant-cut blue sapphires 23.03 carats
6,069 briliant-cut diamonds 27.93 carats
Total 12,103 stones 66.10 carats
BRACELET
Bracelet composed of 18-carat white gold elements, assembled together by hand and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, jewellery type clasp.
MOVEMENT
Quartz Calibre 2710
Total diameter 16.2 mm (7¼ lignes)
Total thickness 1.9 mm
Number of jewels 7
Frequency of the quartz 32.768 Hz

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Audemars Piguet

Personally speaking, SIHH in Geneva, the famous Swiss watch trade fair, is one of the most enjoyable events of my yearly must-dos. Nevertheless, a lot has changed during the past years. In 2020, the so-called Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie will take place in May right after Baselworld. It makes sense especially for all the visitors from abroad to come only once to Switzerland.

This year, Van Cleef & Arpels decided not to be exhibiting due to the little business the brand has with retailers and distributors. Two other luxury watch brands, Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet, are leaving next year for similar reasons. It seems that most of the prestigious watch companies are dealing more and more directly with their consumers.

Happy Sandra after seeing Audemars Piguet’s amazing high jewellery watch Sapphire Orbe (a detailed post to follow).

In the meantime others joined the exhibition for the first time, for example Bovet, known for their handmade watches with artistic finishes and highly complicated movements. In addition, Breitling and Bucherer recently became members of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), which manages SIHH. This might be the first step in replacing Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet for 2020.

Still trending: Colourful straps as seen at Piaget, Cartier and Audemars Piguet.

But most importantly what will we wear in 2019? Cuff watches, tourbillons, dial sets with miniature paintings, skeleton movements, shaped cases and still lots of celestial influences… Below are some of my favorite ladies’ watches revealed during the 29th Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie.

AUDEMARS PIGUET Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked
A watch that is brilliant in every way.
White “frosted gold”, 37mm, manual winding manufacture skeleton movement with a rainbow magic of its 32 baguette-cut sapphires (2.24 carats). MY FAVORITE!

RICHARD MILLE RM 37-01 Kiwi
Fancy a little watchmaking sweetness to help you through the winter?
Colored Quartz TPT and Carbon TPT, 34.400 x 52.30mm, self-winding mechanical movement, limited edition (30 pieces)

ROGER DUBUIS Excalibur Shooting Star
The coolest booth for the fastest girls in the world.
Pink gold set with diamonds, 36mm, flying tourbillon, skeleton manual winding movement.

PIAGET Possession Cuff Watch
A booth filled with sand for a little time out at the beach – a perfect backdrop to show the expert application of gold-working, a skill for which the brand is historically famed.
Pink gold set with 162 diamonds, 29mm, gold Milanese mesh strap.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE Rendez-Vous Moon Jewellery
One the sky is the limited. Nature played an important role at Jaeger Le-Coultre.
White gold case with mother-of-pearl dial and polished rhodium-plated appliqués, diamonds ~168 (~3.43 carats), calibre : 925B/1.

CARTIER Baignoire Allongé
Women are in for a treat at Cartier. Part of the Maison since 1912, the Baignoire features an ellipsis-shaped dial and  earned its unusual name in the late 1950s thanks to its strong resemblance to a bathtub.
Extra-large model, pink gold, dial set with brilliant-cut diamonds (293 diamonds,~1.50 carats), dark alligator leather strap, manual movement 1917 MC.

During the next days, I will show you much more as the most distinguished models deserve their own post, don’t you think? Stay tuned!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Some Stills: Courtesy of the Brands

«A reflection on contemporary women»

Do you remember when I flew to Florence in the end of 2016 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of AUDEMARS PIGUET’s Royal Oak (for the previous post click here please)? It was love at first sight when I spotted the outcome of the creative collaboration between the Swiss watch manufacturer and my beloved Italian jewellery designer Carolina Bucci who was enlisted to reinvent the iconic watch model while paying tribute to its rich heritage. The Royal Oak Frosted Gold, which has been available in pink or white god so far, is absolutely divine and is still on top of my wish list.

This fall, they deliver another surprise with this eponymous 37mm limited edition Royal Oak in yellow gold. The shiny, silver-toned mirror, framed with the shimmering sparkle of a Frosted Gold case and bracelet, replaces the trademark «Tapisserie» Royal Oak dial. Described by its designer as «rebellious» in character, this is an attention-grabbing piece, made in the image of a contemporary woman: spontaneous, true-to-life and totally unapologetic.

Carolina Bucci’s original 2016 Frosted Gold design celebrated 40 years of Royal Oak for women. With this limited edition of 300 pieces, her design evolves in new directions. For the first time, the «diamond dust» finish appears in yellow gold – the designer’s favourite version of this precious metal. There’s novelty in the packaging as well, with a mirrored box bearing a Frosted Gold AP insignia. This mirrored box is also designed by Carolina Bucci, who believes in pulling out luxury watch packaging from the back of the closet to put it on display.

“For me, Royal Oak is the watch. I wear it all the time; it’s part of my style, my signature.”
Above all, being almost without precedent in the annals of the Manufacture, this mirrored dial is stunning. Carolina Bucci explains her inspiration with a certain, yet unexpected, creative logic: “With the first Frosted Gold design, I took the perfection of the Royal Oak case and bracelet and ‘roughed them up’ a little, juxtaposing the perfectly imperfect Florentine finish with Swiss watchmaking precision. Now I’m doing the opposite, taking the textured surface of the ‘Tapisserie’ dial and flattening it out into a perfectly smooth mirror. The motive for both is to create something interesting and unpredictable. It’s a fresh take on an icon made in the image of a contemporary woman. I know women with a great eye for keynote accessories who are going to love this. The mirror is always interacting with its environment, ever-changing according to what clothes you’re wearing, the décor of the room, the lighting, the time of day, the weather.”

“I designed the Royal Oak Frosted Gold in response to a challenge from Audemars Piguet.”

It’s a creation that has come with technical challenges. The mirrored dial is the most unforgiving component; only perfection will do. Carolina’s complete satisfaction with the result, which, has surpassed her own expectations, is testament to the Manufacture’s rigorous quality control, Carolina being known for her eagle eye and uncompromising standards.

Chairwoman of Audemars Piguet’s Board of Directors, Jasmine Audemars is an established fan of Frosted Gold and has been wearing the first edition 37mm selfwinding model since 2016. For her, “the creativity behind the Frosted Gold watch is simply amazing. It is both art and a very high level of technology. With Carolina Bucci, we created a kind of masterpiece.” She sees the new limited edition with its mirrored dial as «the final touch:» “It’s unique and fun. Who needs a selfie when you can look at yourself in your watch?”

This new limited edition ROYAL OAK FROSTED GOLD in yellow gold is in stores now for CHF 53’900.-.

Personally speaking, one of the most beautiful watches I have ever seen! Bravo Carolina for your creativity and bravo Audemars Piguet for this collaboration.

TO SHOP CAROLINA BUCCI’S JEWELRY DESIGNS SHE IS WEARING IN THE PICTURES, CLICK HERE PLEASE.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: ©Audemars Piguet 2018

Since many years, I have been invited to SIHH, which is the year’s first gathering of professionals in the watchmaking segment and I love going there. Held in January, it sets the tone for the twelve months to come as it rolls out the latest trends. By visiting the glamorous watch fair, you are not only treated to champagne, 5-star hotel accommodation (I stayed at the beautiful Four Seasons in Geneva), but only amazing events with tons of celebrities visiting the prestigious event. 2018 has been one of the fair’s most interesting yet with incredible watches being unveiled and new exhibitors presenting their novelties.

New to the fair is French luxury house Hermès who is showing at SIHH for the very first time.

CEO Piaget Chabi Nouri with me

Altogether there are 35 exhibitors with many newly on-board CEOs such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin and Piaget. The latter’s new CEO Chabi Nouri presented her fresh direction and won my vote for best booth at the fair. The beautiful tropical island themed decorations featured real lush palm tree embellishments, an indoor pool, and even a simulated skylight.

The brand’s new Altiplano Ultimate Concept, which is with only 2mm of exceptional horology the thinnest watch in the world, was one of the talking pieces of the fair. Personally speaking, I have fallen for Piaget‘s turquoise-colored Limelight Gala watch and some other favorites that you will find below:

LIMELIGHT GALA WATCH BY PIAGET
White gold, set with diamonds
Turquoise dial
Manufacture Piaget quartz movement 690P

PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER
Mini model
18k pink gold
Case set with brilliant-cut diamonds
Triple-loop bracelet

ROYAL OAK FROSTED GOLD SELFWINDING BY AUDEMARS PIGUET
Selfwinding manufacture calibre 3120
Centre seconds, date,
37mm, dial comes now in pink gold
18-carat pink gold

TONDA 1950 BY PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
PF702 ultra-thin automatic movement with micro rotor
48-hour power reserve
Hand-beveled bridges
18ct rose gold case
Available in stones dial and with diamond setting
Alligator strap

FIFTY-SIX COMPLETE CALENDAR BY VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Precision moon phase
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
18K pink gold
40 mm diameter, 11.6 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Alligator strap

The watches are getting smaller and so are the prices… many watchmakers are opting for less expensive models as Piaget launches for the first time watches in steel, as well as Jaeger-LeCoultre does for the so-called «Polaris» collection. Vacheron Constantin will be making a ladies line and Panerai is releasing a new range of 38mm timepieces, the smallest Panerai watches ever.

Roger Dubuis showed me a novelty for the ladies range that I have fallen in love with immediately but I am not allowed to talk about it until February…!

TONDA 1950 GALAXY by PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
PF702 ultra-thin automatic movement with platinum micro rotor
48-hour power reserve
Hand-beveled bridges
18ct gold case with diamond setting, 064ct
Blue Aventurine dial
Hermès alligator strap

The color to opt for is blue. There was not one booth that didn’t show a variety of azure, indigo, sky or cerulean. As there were so many, I decided to write a separate post about it which will be published soon…

Stay tuned! So much more to come!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Indian actress and Audemars Piguet ambassador FREIDA PINTO who rose to prominence through the 2008 British drama «Slumdog Millionaire» was born and raised in Mumbai. Today she lives in Los Angeles where along with working on her film career, she promotes humanitarian causes and is vocal about women’s empowerment. Calling herself a «global citizen», she is still very proud of her Indian roots, the rich culture, heritage and family values she grew up with. Therefore she was happy to share her travel tips for INDIA with us. Enjoy!

Your favourite city?
UDAIPUR, the city of the lakes, it is in Rajasthan in Northwest India. It is romanticism at its highest level, it is not only romantic, it is about the whole concept of romanticism, color, light, architecture and texture of fabrics.

Your favourite hotel?
UMAID BHAWAN PALACE in Jodhpur which is also a very beautiful city. I have always wanted to do an event there, watever the event might be. I love how it is perched on the top of a cliff and expansive regarding the history behind. All palaces in India that got transferred into hotels have this old world charm that you wouldn’t find in a modern retreat.
Circuit House Rd, Cantt Area, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342006
Phone: +91 291 251 0101

Your favourite restaurant?
MAHESH LUNCH HOME in Mumbai. It is a seafood restaurant that serves Mangalorean food.
For example next to J.W.Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400049
Phone: +91 22 6695 5554

Your favorite dish?
My favorite dish is NEER DOSA with the fish curry.

Your favourite sightseeing spot?
CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS, formerly Victoria Terminus, and better known by its abbreviation CST, is a historic railway station in Mumbai and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I went to college very close by and we shot the last scene of «Slumdog Millionaire» there. So it has a lot of memories for me.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Area, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001

Your favourite beach?
I like the beaches in GOA because I like Goan food which is this beach shack kind of food but to be honest my favourite beaches are outside of India.

Your favourite shop?
AMRAPALI JEWELS. They have beautiful jewelry with locations everywhere in India (for store information, please click here). They even have a shop now in London.

Your must-have souvenir?
SILVER or PRECIOUS GEMSTONES anything in terms of jewelry that you would find only in India or that you would find in other countries but sold at ten times the price.

The best book to read about India?
THE SHADOW LINES by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh as it gives you a piece of history of my country. The novel is set against the backdrop of ancient events like the Swadeshi movement, Second World War, Partition of India and Communal riots of 1963-64 in Dhaka and Calcutta.

Thank you, Freida, for sharing your insider scoop on India with us!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Locations, ©Archana’s Kitchen, via Slumdog Millionaire, © AUDEMARS PIGUET, © Sandra Bauknecht

Up the style stakes in this dazzling bottle green pocket watch dress from Dolce & Gabbana’s fairytale-inspired F/W 2016 collection that I wore to the launch event of Audemars Piguet‘s new Royal Oak Frosted Gold at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence last week. Couldn’t this be a better match? It definitely made me feel like Alice in Wonderland…

My look: Pocket watch-appliqué crepe midi dress and Dolce embellished printed leather shoulder bag, both by Dolce & Gabbana, black jacket, goat hair-trimmed leather pumps and drop flower earrings with green crystals, all by Gucci, diamond ring and bracelet, both by Vainard Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht