Lifestyle
Paillonné enameling, feathering, and Japanese lacquer work are only a few of the artistic crafts watchmakers embraced for their latest creations unveiled at Baselworld 2014.
Amongst the standout offerings was DeLaneau’s Rondo Icon, depicting a richly colored miniature Russian icon using a combination of grand feu enameling, miniature painting, cloisonné, champlevé, and insertions of paillons (the application of translucent enamel over tiny pieces of gold or silver).
Jaquet Droz also turned to paillonné enameling for a trio of timepieces with deep blue grand feu enamel dials decorated with tiny floral gold paillons (particularly fetching on the pocket watch model). Each model will be limited to eight numbered pieces.
Vulcain presented two new limited edition 50s Presidents’ watches featuring a Pegasus on a frand feu cloisonné dial (no doubt a nod to the Year of the Horse in the current Chinese lunar calendar). Each model is limited to 18 pieces, all equipped with the self-winding Manufacture Calibre Cricket V-20.
Independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen turned again to Japanese lacquer for the new 28 Oukamon. The Finnish watchmaker teamed up with Unryuan Kitamura Tatsuo, one of Japan's leading contemporary lacquer artists, who used a mix of lacquering techniques that incorporate tiny sea shell pieces (green turban and abalone) to create a flower pattern. The unique timepiece is equipped with a hand-wound Voutilainen Vingt-8 calibre.
Louis Moinet used a combination of hand engraving and line engraving on a ferrous meteorite to reproduce New York’s iconic skyline with emblematic skyscrapers. The Mecanograph New York will be limited to 60 pieces.
Hermès embraced Millefiori glass making, more traditionally associated with colorful paperweights, to create a series of Arceau Millefiori models, crafted by the Cristalleries Royales de Saint-Louis. Read a separate story on these beautiful creations here.
Finally, Corum turned once again to the art of working with plumage in a new Feather Watch model, a tribute to a 1970s timepiece using an eye of a peacock feather at the center of the dial and framing it with 120 round-cut diamonds.
To discover all these artistic watches click on the slideshow.
