Chanel, Dior, Cartier and luxury watch maisons whose ingenuity and craftsmanship constantly surprise
Many of the creations are a masterclass in the ancient crafts and preserving these skills for future generations is being encouraged
Apart from using diamonds, luxury watch maisons delight in other surprises, as craftsmanship and seductive timepiece designs take centre stage. The crowds gasped at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) Genève when Cartier unveiled its latest haute horlogerie pieces, in particular the Cartier Révélation d’Une Panthère, where the panther’s face – 650 minuscule round brilliant-cut diamonds – dissolves with a tilt of the dial. Tilt it again and the panther’s face reappears.
How did Cartier do it? While the secret remains safe, it is a nod to the skill and ingenuity of the artisans at the brand’s Maison des Métiers d’Art in the valley of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. It was there the technique was developed for the first incarnation of the Révélation d’Une Panthère; gold bead granulation was used for the panther’s disappearing act.