"Each Delance symbolizes the talent, the creative energy of women, and their contribution in all areas of life." This conviction guides Giselle Rufer, founder of the brand. When her idea was germinating 30 years ago, those who succeeded or sought to build a career tended to adopt masculine codes. She somewhat took the opposite approach—without any animosity, simply because she wanted everyone to express their personality freely: "From the very first day, I said: I am a woman, and I want to be even more of a woman."
With a rich background in watchmaking—including a stint at a major Swiss house she prefers to keep unnamed—she brings all the passion of her experience to Delance. Half of the talents in the industry are women, and she is determined to give them their share of the spotlight through a watch designed by and for women.
A Universal Symbol
For Giselle Rufer, a watch should not only tell the time: it tells a story, embodies values, and carries a message. "I wanted to create a piece that symbolizes life, harmony, and spirituality, very important universal values for women. I also wanted it to be a small sculpture. And then, for it to have meaning." The unique shape of the Delance, hand-sculpted, is inspired by the symbolism of the pyramids that connect the sky and earth. Its lines also recall the symbol of infinity, the harmony of the union between top and bottom, north and south." A cardinal point is represented on her watch by a sparkling diamond, she explains, illustrating her point with a few sketches on a notepad.
The Delance cases adopt a diamond shape—a figure of life—a square (the masculine) softened by arcs (the feminine). "It's a square circle," she smiles, also evoking water, shells, and spirals, emblems of femininity.
Female Collaborations
At Delance, the message is also expressed through the creative process. "To symbolize women's talent, you have to work with women. I wanted to create an ideal company where women would have their place. So I developed everything with them." Stone setters, miniaturists, artists, jewelers, photographers: each watch is the result of a dialogue between female talents.
Another form of collaboration, Giselle offers to personalize the pieces. Each detail arises from an exchange with the person for whom the watch is intended. Thus, two blue gems will symbolize children's birth dates; a diamond, an important moment in life; a miniature painting on the mother-of-pearl dial will evoke a unique theme.
Expertise and Sensuality
The prototype of the case was hand-sculpted by a talented young jeweler. From sculpture to stamping, it takes 41 operations to transform a metal block into a Delance case. The glass is set inside—without protruding—to enhance the volumes. This deliberate voluptuousness appeals to both men and women. "I wanted to make a generous and sensual watch, with tension in the lines," continues its creator.
Designed by Giselle Rufer to embody universal values, Delance's approach has won over women from all over the world. Among them, renowned ambassadors like the screenwriter Coline Serreau, the singer Stacey King, or the violinist Isabelle Meyer.
