WORLDTEMPUS - 14 February 2012
Elizabeth Doerr
If not any other day, then today! The watch world has rediscovered the female connoisseur as a potentially solvent market segment. Have a look here at what the woman in your life may just find irresistible — particularly if she loves mechanical watches.
From Blacksand's Continuity Collection, the automatic White Sea Turtle boasts a dusting of diamonds and eleven turtles surrounding a jump hour indication, disk-displayed minutes and a moon phase. Look for it at the upcoming Baselworld.
Backes & Strauss' quartz Victoria collection debuted in January: a 35 mm timepiece with mother-of-pearl dial boasting a delightful pattern of interlocking hearts created using 240 of this brand's own ideal-cut diamonds.
Pierre Kunz's hand-wound Cupidon timepiece will charm any female with its diamond-studded rectangular gold case, heart-shaped cutout revealing some of the mechanical beauty underneath and lacquer-over-guilloché dial.
Century does it again: the most stunning element of the quartz Ballerina model officially launching at Baselworld is of course the hand-cut and polished sapphire with 50 individual facets fluidly enveloping the dial.
Celebrating women and romanticism, DeWitt's automatic Golden Afternoon comes in a variety of soft colors and 39 mm case materials to perfectly fit the wrist it is meant to adorn. With hour and minute hands shaped like angel wings against a mother-of-pearl background sky and mother-of-pearl flowers of different sizes and hues, it will be easy to lose the time in beauty.
The automatic Corum Mystery Moon is based on the brand's iconic Admiral's Cup and presented in a 38 mm stainless steel case studded with 72 diamonds and outfitted with a jumping date and a jumping moon phase.
A 27 mm case, a mother-of-pearl dial and discrete sparkle: Omega's Constellation debuting at Baselworld will bring joy to female connoisseurs – particularly because of the automatic co-axial movement with silicon balance spring inside.
Bulgari's Serpenti is a historical figure for this original jewelry brand; and this year the slithering 18-karat gold bracelet is available in two colors and brilliant-cut diamonds culminating in the serpent's head, which is really the quartz timepiece.
Mido's Baroncelli III Lady Chronometer is what its name promises: a C.O.S.C.-certified automatic movement housed inside a 33 mm stainless steel case and discreetly embellished by a low-key black or silver dial.
At Baselworld, Graff will delight women with a delicate 16 mm quartz jewelry watch: 170 sparkling Graff diamonds weighing a total of 43 ct ensure exclusivity: this comes in a limited edition of only 20 pieces.
Though this is not a watch, it might as well be one as far as the clever mechanics are concerned. Reglisse offers women the opportunity to wardrobe their rings by use of a bezel system: just unscrew, add or take away, screw back together and you have a brand new look every day.
