The latest and most talked-about collections
Italian model Mariacarla Boscono is part of the Cartier Panthere tribe
SPIRIT ANIMAL
Fearless, powerful, graceful, untamed—the panther has become inextricably entwined with Cartier over the last century, appearing regularly in the house’s design oeuvre. The feline has made its appearance as an abstract spotted motif on jewellery and watches, as a stylised shape on a cuff, and in its most naturalistic form, perched on a watch. Over the years, the Cartier Panthère, in all its various forms, has garnered ardent admirers, from the Duchess of Windsor to Italian model Mariacarla Boscono, cementing its icon status and keeping up with the times through constant reinvention.
From left: High Jewellery figurative white gold watch with sapphires, emeralds, onyx and diamonds; High Jewellery platinum necklace with tanzanite, black opals, purple sapphires, onyx and diamonds; Panthère de Cartier white gold bracelet with emeralds, onyx and diamonds, Cartier
WHAT A GEM
Harry Winston has launched a series of larger models in its Emerald watch collection, perfect for those who like their watches with more heft. The 33mm octagonal case in 18k white gold comes with a dial in blue with sunray satin-brushed finish, and the 18k rose gold version has a silver opaline sunburst dial. All the new Emerald models come with alligator leather straps that complement the dial—blue for the white gold and brown for the rose gold version.
Emerald 33mm watches, prices upon application, Harry Winston
RETRO REVIVAL
Here's a new way to wear a belt—wrapped around your wrist. The Van Cleef & Arpels Ludo belt bracelet is a reinterpretation of a bracelet design that was introduced in 1934 and last reissued in the ’50s. An articulated ribbon of gold hexagonal links with star-set stones and a buckle-like clasp, the 2019 edition of the Ludo bracelet is available in four versions, featuring different combinations of coloured gold and gemstones.
Ludo bracelet in yellow gold with sapphires, turquoise, lapis lazuli and diamonds, $82,000, Van Cleef & Arpels
JAPAN HOUR
Variety is the spice of life and you get it in spades with LUKIA, Seiko’s watch collection for women. The range includes mechanical and chronograph watches in solid stainless steel with scratch-resistant sapphire crystals. Priced between $580 and $812.20, the pocket-friendly LUKIA series marries a chic, modern sensibility with effortless style. Thoughtful design touches like a strap with a triple folding button switch clasp that make it easy to put on without compromising stability.
From left: LUKIA chronograph watches SRWZ66P1 (rose gold), $660.20; SRWZ65P1 (blue dial), $496.50; SRWZ67P1 (black dial), $544.70, Seiko
FOR THE CHILDREN
For the 10th anniversary of their partnership with charity organisation Save the Children, Bvlgari has created a special sterling silver and onyx pendant with the charity’s emblem on its back. Other pieces in the Save the Children collection include a ring, bracelet and pendant, all in silver and black ceramic, and inspired by the B.Zero1 design. Part of the proceeds from the sales of these pieces will be donated to fund the charity’s programmes which support vulnerable children all over the world.
Clockwise from top: Save the Children pendant in sterling silver and onyx, $1,080; silver and black ceramic ring, $790; silver and black ceramic pendant; silver and black ceramic bracelet, $820, Bvlgari
TIME FOR ACTION
An official partner of the Cannes International Film Festival since 1998, Chopard has extended its cinematic collaboration to Hollywood. Its latest partnership with Netflix is action movie 6 Underground, starring Ryan Reynolds who plays a billionaire-turned-vigilante crime fighter. Directed by Michael Bay, known for his explosive blockbusters, the film puts Reynolds, and his Chopard watches, through some thrilling sequences. The actor sports the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer, the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale and the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph in different scenes. Whether you’re a watch aficionado or just a fan of the Dead Pool star, you’ll find it hard to tear your eyes away from the screen.
Clockwise from top: Ryan Reynolds wears the Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control. Reynolds on the set of 6 Underground. Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Racing Colours Edition, $7,840; L.U.C. XPS 1860 Offi cer, $40,600; Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale, $11,100, Chopard
THE RAT PACK
Watch brands pay homage to the Year of the Rat with bejewelled and enamelled editions.
JAQUET DROZ
Jaquet Droz introduces four Petite Heure Minute models depicting the rat with ruby pomegranates which are regarded as a symbol of life and fertility. The watchmaker’s highly skilled Ateliers d’Art uses several decorative techniques for the rat motifs and designs on the dial, such as hand-painting, hand-engraved appliques in relief and Grand Feu enamelling. Price upon application.
HARRY WINSTON
Harry Winston takes inspiration from the Chinese art of paper cutting for its Premier Chinese New Year Automatic watch. The rat and surrounding scenery are an openwork pattern created from a single piece of 18-karat rose gold, contrasting against the red beaded mother-of-pearl background. Only eight pieces are available. Price upon application.
PIAGET
For their Zodiac Altiplano watch, $99,500, Piaget has commissioned a master craftsman, Anita Porchet, an enamelling specialist skilled in producing miniature artwork, to design a dial picturing two white rats against a background of delicate grey tones, crafted in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel.
CHOPARD
The L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Rat 18K rose gold watch, $32,900, is sized to fit Asian customers, with a 40mm diameter and 6.8mm-thick case. The lacquer dial features auspicious symbols: a golden rat standing on an ear of corn signifying abundance, and in front of a khaki, a fruit that represents longevity.
MAKE MINE MONOGRAM
Louis Vuitton’s signature Monogram flowers continually evolve with each series. The latest Idylle Blossom collection is sprinkled with diamonds on rings, pendants and bracelets in three colours of gold—pink, yellow and white. Have fun with these eminently wearable pieces by combining them as the mood strikes—stack the bracelets and rings, layer the openwork pendants, mix the different golds. Prices start from $6,000.
Clockwise from top: Idylle Blossom Diamant bangles. Idylle Blossom Diamante ring and bangles
SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE
With Chaumet’s eye-catching cocktail rings, all you need is just one to dress up any outfit. Now the question remains: how do you choose a favourite from such a seductive palette of candy-bright hues? The Exquises with honeybees hovering around an oval-cut semi-precious gem is charming but so is the Offrandes ring which offers a choice of pink, purple, lavender or yellow sapphires encircled by brilliant-cut diamonds.
From left: Bee My Love cocktail ring in rose gold with oval-cut citrine palmera and brilliant-cut diamonds,$24,500; Bee My Love cocktail ring in rose gold with one oval-cut rhodolite garnet and brilliant-cut diamonds, $26,300, Chaumet
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Singer, songwriter and now watch designer, Pharrell Williams has partnered with Richard Mille on the RM 52-05 Tourbillon Pharrell Williams timepiece, which was inspired by his fascination with the cosmos and his love for Star Trek. “I just thought that Mars was such a beautiful and poetic subject matter,” says Williams. His obsession with space exploration found expression in an astronaut’s helmet on the dial, skeletonised watch hands that evoke rocket launch platforms and a rubber-covered crown that calls to mind the tyre of a Martian rover. Only 30 pieces are available.
Clockwise from left: Pharrell Williams wears the RM52-05 Tourbillon he designed with Richard Mille. An early sketch of the dial. The RM52-05 Tourbillon Pharrell Williams watch, price upon application, Richard Mille
BELLE OF THE BALL
To commemorate its 95th anniversary, Damiani has created a rainbow version of their iconic Belle Époque cross-within-a-cross necklace, using multi-coloured princess-cut sapphires set in rose gold. The Italian jeweller has also introduced an XL version, the Belle Epoque Masterpiece, which dangles on a cluster of fine rolo chains in rose gold.
From left: Masterpiece Belle Époque, price unavailable; Belle Époque $6,490; Limited Edition Belle Époque, $2,590
BARE BONES
Skeleton watches appeal to connoisseurs who enjoy looking at the inner workings of the mechanisms and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into them. Now there’s one more to admire: TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 02T Cortina Edition. This collaboration between the Swiss watchmaker and the Singapore watch retailer is the latest member of the family, and only 10 pieces are available. Packing two complications—chronograph and tourbillon—in its robust 45mm case, the sporty timepiece is hard to miss, thanks to bright orange accents on the dial and orange alligator strap. It comes with an additional rubber-lined black alligator strap.
The Carrera 02T Cortina Edition, $26,000, TAG Heuer
IN FULL BLOOM
Swiss boutique watchmaker Bovet is known for its luxury timepieces that marry the decorative arts and their horological expertise. For the Amadeo Fleurier 39 Poppies watch, the maison partnered Russian jewellery designer Ilgiz Fazulzyanov, known for his expertise in Grand Feu enamelling. On the dial, poppies in enamel are surrounded by 138 diamonds. The watch can be converted to a table clock, a pendant (for the women’s version) or a pocket watch (for the men’s version), without the use of any tools, thanks to a patented system that took the maison seven years to develop.
Amadeo Fleurier 39 Poppies Grand Feu Enamel watch, CHF 130,500 Bovet
