Elite Traveler Spring 2019

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elite traveler SPRING 2019

D I A L D E C O R AT I O N Most watch dials are flat (even

engraved dials have an even height), so that the hands can easily move above it. Guenat wanted to play with volume and use different planes on the dials, which required employing jewelry techniques and dial specialists. The specialist dial makers claimed they had never used this number of artistic crafts in one piece before, requiring diamond setting, inlaying of mother-of-pearl and onyx, 3D micromachining, polishing and sandblasting. If an error was made at any point in the process, the complete dial was scrapped and the artisans began again.

C A S E S E T T I N G Each of the 10 designs has a different diamond pattern, ranging from circles to triangles and stripes, some alternating polished gold with pavé and snow-set diamonds. The designs are so intricate that it took nine months for a full-time team to finish five pieces. In the Geneva workshop, each 18K white or pink gold case was marked by machine, then the diamonds were set and adjusted by hand, with artisans reworking the machined metal to secure the stones and achieve the perfect look.

T H E M A S T E R P I E C E Looking at the 10 designs together, it’s almost as if you’re seeing a new high-jewelry collection that happens to have a superb movement within. Each version is limited to five pieces, so they have the exclusivity of haute couture as well. $425,000, Richard Mille in Beverly Hills, California, +1 310 285 9898, richardmille.com