Three Boucheron timepieces have been preselected for the 2013 edition of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).
The Epure Tourbillon Vitis has been pre-selected in the Ladies’ Complications Watch category. The Ajourée Héra will be competing in the Jewellery Watch category. As for the Epure Je pense à toi timepiece, it has been pre-selected in the Artistic Crafts Watch category.
Net surfers can take part in the Prix du Public by voting for their favourite watches. To vote Boucheron, click here.
Net surfers can take part in the Prix du Public by voting for their favourite watches. To vote Boucheron, click here.
Epure Tourbillon Vitis
The Epure Tourbillon Vitis timepiece is part of The Epure d’Art line. This line pays homage to Nature, something so dear to Boucheron.
Épure Tourbillon Vitis is unlike any other watch, both inside and out. The bunch of grapes is created from just one piece of mother-of-pearl sculpted into many tiny grapes.
The flying tourbillon was invented in the 19th century and is one of the most complex and renowned watch-making complications in the world. This mechanism, which allows the cage to rotate freely, is incredibly accurate and is crafted by only the most skilled watchmakers.
This timepiece is unusual in that the movement is engraved and set in the back of the watch with stunning depictions of 26 Place Vendôme (Boucheron’s legendary address) and the square’s famous column. It is decorated with 19 jewels and the hour and minute display is positioned at 1 o’clock, a reference to the location of the Maison Boucheron on the square.
The front of the watch is decorated with fine white gold vine shoots that echo the tourbillon’s spirals.
The vine symbolizes love, friendship and solidarity. By combining the vine and its fruit, Boucheron also represents fruitfulness, youth and eternity.
Ajourée Héra
This timepiece is the final creation in the Ajourée collection. Like a courtship display, the peacock fans its tail, filling the case with its majestic plumage. This creation has extensive openwork and cleverly interweaves golden threads to create stunning volume effects.
The peacock’s tail ends in a fan of ocelli, created using paved diamonds and blue sapphires set off with sculpted half-moon chalcedonies and pear-cut sapphires. Many shades of blue are created, from light to dark, natural to precious. The peacock’s head complements its tail and is crowned with an aigrette-like diamond tiara. It has a diamond eye and its long neck is created using blue sapphires.
In Greek mythology, the peacock was the favorite creature of Héra, the goddess of women and marriage. It also symbolizes fertility and immortality.
Epure Je pense à toi
Epure Je pense à toi is a complex masterpiece with fabulous openwork. On a polished hematite face, a white gold pansy unfurls six snow-set, diamond paved petals. At the center, six close-set diamond pistils are set off by ultrafine gold beading and show fine openwork. In this tiniest of spaces, more than 250 diamonds make the flower truly blossom.
The pansy is a token of love and fidelity, as well as a symbol of desire. Frédéric Boucheron was well aware of this, as can be seen in the necklaces, brooches and tiaras that he created in honor of this flower. Before each of his many journeys, he would send his wife, Gabrielle, a bouquet of pansies accompanied by a note declaring “Je pense à toi”.
The GPHG's prize-giving ceremony will be held at the Grand Théâtre de Genève on November 15, 2013
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