As we see a strong trend towards more highly decorated watch dials for women, Chaumet is making it clear that it, too, is in the game of creating works of art for the wrist using a wide variety of techniques, from enamelling to stone marquetry, miniature painting, gem-setting and stone carving. And with its latest collection, following on from last year’s first enamel dials, French watchmaker Chaumet is going back to nature.
Birds, bees and butterflies flutter across the dials of the latest additions to Chaumet’s enchanting ‘Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes’ collection. Nature meets art in five different designs that build on the maison’s bestiary with surprising combinations of precious woods, diamonds and hard stones.
One intricate design features a buzzing bee with wings made out of rock crystal and a butterfly, both hand-painted on mother of pearl, hovering over golden dandelion flowers set with brilliant cut diamonds. Another watch dial depicts two dragonflies decorated with white mother of pearl, yellow agate and orange carnelian, flying across a night sky studded with diamond-set stars. Below, their reflections can be seen twinkling in platinum in a mother-of-pearl lake bordered by gold-engraved marsh grasses.
These finely detailed dials adorn a 35mm rose gold watch case set with diamonds, and the bracelets come in a choice of coloured satin or white alligator with a rose gold diamond set pin buckle. Other features include a self-winding mechanism developed in Switzerland for the French jewellery house. Each of the watches in the collection is limited edition, with only 88 pieces available.
Chaumet has also added three new precious watches, in a smaller 31mm size, to its Hortensia collection. Inspired by the hydrangea flower, the dials have been designed using the inlay technique to depict a central flower surrounded by three floral corolla.
The effect is especially mesmerising in the black version, where each petal is enhanced by a black border, making the design pop against the white mother-of-pearl background. The watches are available in yellow or white gold, matched with a black satin or white calfskin bracelet.
Celebrating the eternal beauty of nature, each timepiece brings together the creativity and technical expertise long associated with the Maison de Chaumet.
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Chaumet Hortensia collection watch in yellow gold featuring a dial with rounded marquetry and polished gold mother of pearl decorated with a pattern of hydrangea flowers.
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Chaumet Hortensia collection watch in yellow gold featuring a bezel with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds and dial with rounded marquetry and polished gold mother of pearl decorated with a pattern of hydrangea flowers.
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Chaumet Hortensia collection watch featuring a rhodium-plated white gold case and a polished white mother-of-pearl dial decorated with a pattern of hydrangea flowers.
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Chaumet Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes collection watch dial displays a group of doves sculpted from white agate with wings inlaid with Grand Feu enamel, orange cabochons and an orange ornamental stone background.
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Chaumet Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes collection watch displaying a group of six butterflies in blackened gold, inlaid with red cornelian marquetry and white-coloured wood, perched on one of three pink gold stalks set with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds.
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Chaumet Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes collection watch with a polished pink opal base featuring poppy flowers with petals in carved turquoise and pistils set with five brilliant-cut royal blue sapphires. The butterfly is sculpted with white mother-of-pearl, with wings filled with orange cold enamel.
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Chaumet Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes collection watch dial displays two dragonflies decorated with white mother of pearl, yellow agate and orange carnelian, flying across a night sky studded with diamond-set stars. Their reflections are seen below in a platinum and mother-of-pearl lake bordered by gold-engraved marsh grasses.
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Chaumet Attrape-moi…si tu m’aimes collection watch featuring a bee with wings made out of rock crystal and a butterfly, both hand-painted on mother of pearl, hovering over golden dandelion flowers set with brilliant-cut diamonds.
