Within the Cat's Eye collection, exclusively dedicated to women, Girard-Perregaux has created two new timepieces graced with complementary Day/Night complications. The flowering of the lotus at dawn and that of the Arabian jasmine at nightfall form an infinite cycle. Whether solitary like the lotus or in clusters like the Arabian jasmine, flowers are a universal embodiment of delicacy. Above and beyond their apparent fragility, they convey the power of symbolism: the pristine purity of the lotus emerging from the waters of a dark pond; or the voluptuous charm evoked by the bewitching fragrance of jasmine.
The case of the Cat's Eye provides a setting for these two specifically chosen flowers. With its oval shape and balanced proportions, it embraces the shape of the wrist, as do the curved lugs and domed crystal. The mother-of-pearl dial of the Cat's Eye Lotus features a guilloché rim. It draws the gaze to the very heart of the watch, where the mother-of-pearl is polished to heighten its shimmering effect. Adding a sense of depth and volume to this composition, the mother-of-pearl wave representing the horizon is slightly raised. It conceals a hand finely made from the same material and tipped with a lotus flower engraved and adorned with a miniature painting handcrafted by an artisan.
It is in the soft warmth of the night that star-shaped jasmine flowers bloom, releasing their sweet scent – in which Cleopatra is said to have soaked the sails of her boat when she travelled to Caesar. Girard-Perregaux depicts a mother-of-pearl jasmine flower – likewise engraved and hand-painted – blossoming beneath an aventurine sky. The inner bezel ring surrounding the aventurine disc is slightly raised at 3 and 6 o'clock so as to focus attention on this deep blue heavenly vault studded with golden specks. It is set with diamonds of different sizes to better highlight the elliptical shape of the case.
For both its feminine and masculine creations, Girard-Perregaux combines original design and watchmaking substance – in this case the astronomical Day/Night complication. Its figurative representation – the lotus giving way to the moon, and sunrise followed by the blossoming of jasmine – creates a sense of serenity. Among the multitude of indications serving to mark off time, the Manufacture has chosen only the essential points of reference – hours and minutes, day and night – for the Cat's Eye Lotus and the Cat's Eye Arabian Jasmin. In the same spirit of simplicity, the Day/Night complication of the Cat's Eye Lotus and Cat's Eye Arabian Jasmin does not require any independent adjustment. It is synchronised with the hours and minutes hands and handled via the crown shaped like a flower in bloom.
As the Cat's Eye Arabian Jasmin responds to the Cat's Eye Lotus by following in its temporal wake, Girard-Perregaux establishes a dialogue between technical and aesthetic skills and options. These two creations are driven by the GP03300 self-winding movement, designed, developed and produced by the engineers and master-watchmakers of the brand. On the pink gold version, the oscillating weight made of the same precious material is distinguished by a skeleton-working process that incorporates the floral codes of the Day/Night complication while preserving the watch's precision. The intertwining petals feature alternating polished and microblasted zones while concealing nothing of the movement with its 218 components and hand-crafted finishing: Côtes de Genève, circular graining, bevelling, blued steel and engraving. The open back of the two models provides an admirable view of this meticulous craftsmanship.
The Cat's Eye Lotus is available in a chic contemporary version with a steel case and a silver-grey satin-effect calf strap. Attired in pink gold, the Cat's Eye Arabian is fitted with a midnight blue alligator leather strap.
