These intricate and colourful watches can spirit you back to the glittering world of King Louis XIV of France, known as the “Sun King”, and add a touch of Rococo flair to your wrist. The word “Rococo” comes from the French word “rocaille”, a reference to its followers’ love for natural and floral motifs and landscapes, often in pastel colours, with plenty of gilding. It was a time when ostentatious displays of wealth were not considered in poor taste for royalty and the nobility. Rococo painting, sculpture and architecture provided a suitably extravagant backdrop.
Let yourself be enchanted by the intricate details and opulent charm of these Rococo-inspired watches.
OMEGA - Mini Trésor Quartz 26mm X Marie-Antoinette's boudoir
Marie-Antoinette would have adored the Mini Trésor by Omega. Featuring applied Roman numerals in pink, its domed dial is crafted in creamy white grand feu enamel. The rhodium-plated hands are diamond-polished. The double-wrapped Toile de Jouy strap echoes the patterns found in the Queen’s private boudoir at the Palace of Versailles.
In fact, Toile de Jouy was inspired by Indian chintz fabrics, whose vivid colours and floral designs became very popular. Up to 1686 these textiles, often hand printed using wood blocks, were imported from trading posts in India, after which they started being produced in French factories.
Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R X Madame de Pompadour by Maurice-Quentin de La Tour
This watch by Patek Philippe worthy of the “rocaille” style would certainly have captivated Madame de Pompadour. The red-ochre diamonds bring lustre to the dark brown satin-finished calf leather strap. The lighter tone of the lacquered dial, adorned with a matte floral motif in a chocolate shade, makes the watch appear to glow from within.
In 1755 Maurice-Quentin de La Tour painted a portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour, lavishing close attention on her satin gown with its embroidered ochre foliage motifs, much like the Gondolo 4962/200R. The painting depicts Louis XV’s mistress as both elegant and educated, surrounded by art and books. The French marquise was known for her love of literature, and she also wrote poetry and plays. The philosopher Voltaire dubbed her the “Star of the North” in recognition of her intellect and elegance. Madame de Pompadour was a fashion icon in her time, popularising a bouffant hairstyle later named the “pompadour” in her honour.
Van Cleef & Arpels - Le Pont des Amoureux Automne X Jean-Honoré Fragonard – The Swing
Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s iconic 1767 painting “The Swing” allegorises a love triangle. It depicts a young woman elegantly swinging, her salmon-coloured dress revealing her legs to her lover, while avoiding the gaze of her older husband, who stands in the shadows. The orange tones in the centre of the painting are echoed in Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Pont des Amoureux watch, whose dial features two lovers standing on a golden bridge on a beautiful autumn day. The retrograde minute hand appears to count down the time remaining until they can be together again.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatique X Catherine Palace
Located in Pushkin near Saint Petersburg, Catherine Palace served as the summer residence of Empress Catherine I from 1724. In 1752, her daughter Elizabeth asked architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli to renovate it in the Baroque style in her mother’s honour. Four years later, a palace of azure blue, white and gold was revealed.
These colours are mirrored in the elegant turquoise and gold Royal Oak Automatic.
Another thing the modern watch and the 18th-century Russian palace have in common is their extravagant use of precious materials. Audemars Piguet’s creation features a turquoise dial and 18-karat gold bracelet, while over 100 kg of gold went into the opulent renovation of Catherine Palace.
Jacob & Co. Fleurs de Jardin Pink Sapphires X Zwiefalten Abbey
Since its 2019 debut, Jacob & Co.’s Fleurs de Jardin collection has expanded into eight colour variations. The Pink Sapphires White Gold model is adorned with eleven colourful flowers and a gold butterfly. The citrine, tsavorite, amethyst, orange garnet and ruby gemstones are protected by a sapphire crystal, like delicate flowers in a greenhouse. A small dial marked out with Roman numerals shows the time spent in the garden, whose elements appear to dance gracefully as the time passes. This exquisite watch parallels the intricate decor of Germany’s Zwiefalten Abbey: the mauve jewelled border around the case is reminiscent of the abbey’s pink marble columns, rising up to its incredibly detailed, colourful gilded ceiling.
Breguet - Reine de Naples X Caroline and Her Children by François Gérard
Did you know that the Queen of Naples (Napoleon’s sister) was a loyal patron of Abraham-Louis Breguet? Caroline Murat purchased 34 timepieces from him between 1808 and 1814. The watchmaker reinvented the ladies’ watch, placing the mechanism inside a classic but strikingly modern case, creating history’s first wristwatch in 1810. In response to a commission from his noble client, the master watchmaker made a revolutionary innovation, creating a flat, oblong repeater watch that included a thermometer. This new timepiece is mounted on a bracelet made from braided gold wire. The natural mother-of-pearl dial is decorated with handcrafted guillochage, and features the renowned Breguet hands and a moon phase indicator.
The love letter par François Boucher X Lady Serenade by Glashütte Original
Glashütte Original’s latest Lady Serenade model exudes glamour with its pink Louisiana alligator strap, reminiscent of the blushing cheeks of the damsels in François Boucher’s “The Love Letter.” The eight heart-shaped pink sapphire indices, mother-of-pearl dial and bezel set with 52 diamonds capture the essence of love. This graceful and feminine watch, in a limited series of 100, would make the ideal Valentine’s gift – ideally accompanied by a love letter, in line with the romantic spirit of François Boucher’s painting.
