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Luxury

Timeless métiers d’art watches continue to defy trends and return on investment

STORYPin Lee
Every year, companies use centuries-old techniques to create intricate timepieces that put aesthetics before gadgetry and hi-tech functionality
Every year, companies use centuries-old techniques to create intricate timepieces that put aesthetics before gadgetry and hi-tech functionality
On Her Watch

Every year, companies use centuries-old techniques to create intricate timepieces that put aesthetics before gadgetry and hi-tech functionality

I was spellbound the first time I saw Jaquet Droz’s Charming Bird at the 2012 Baselworld fair. The miniaturised automaton bird inside the 47mm-diameter watch turned, flapped its wings, moved its head and tail, and opened its beak to chirp, all driven by an intricate mechanism set against an even more intricate hand-decorated dial which depicted the Swiss countryside. Priced at US$450,000 then, this wristwatch was way beyond the budget of ordinary watch-lovers but I could see why it would be a collector’s hidden treasure.
Jacquet Droz’s new Charming Bird, released in 2016
Jacquet Droz’s new Charming Bird, released in 2016

The maison has continued to astound since then with new creations such as the Lady 8 Flower, featuring a lotus flower that opens to reveal a pearl or a diamond, and the Petite Heure Minute Relief Carps, which used champlevé enamel to create the illusion of carp playing underwater.

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Every year, companies introduce watches that astound, including métiers d’art timepieces. In watchmaking, metiers d’art describes art that has been resurrected and reintroduced, via limited edition or bespoke timepieces. These include engraving, enamelling and damascening which have been used for centuries to create intricate timepieces that put aesthetics before gadgetry and hi-tech functionality.

While many fans tend to focus on the technical side of mechanical watches, some well-heeled aficionados and collectors are attracted to métiers d’art timepieces. For them, these watches represent the pinnacle of watchmaking as they incorporate the highest level of craftsmanship and have an inherent value within the movement and a style that is not as concerned with trends.

 

Métiers d’art timepieces integrate artisanship and laborious hand finishing; hence they pay homage to the brands which have devoted lots of time, energy and money turning them into horological works of art.