Tag Archives: WomensWatches

Vacheron Constantin Égérie Moon Phase Spring Blossom Debuts in Pink Gold

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Vacheron Constantin Égérie Moon Phase Spring Blossom: A Poetic Celebration of Haute Couture and Horology

Swiss luxury watchmaker Vacheron Constantin has unveiled the Égérie Moon Phase Spring Blossom, a limited edition timepiece that captures the fleeting beauty of springtime blossoms through artisanal craftsmanship and refined watchmaking. Limited to just 100 pieces worldwide, the new creation combines Haute Horlogerie with the poetic codes of Haute Couture.

Presented in a 37mm 18K 5N pink gold case, the Égérie Moon Phase Spring Blossom features a luminous pink mother-of-pearl dial paired with a hand-painted calfskin strap adorned with delicate floral motifs. The Maison describes this as the first time miniature painting has been applied directly to a watch strap in this manner.

Inspired by the Poetry of Spring

The latest addition to the Égérie collection draws inspiration from the soft pink and white blossoms that define springtime landscapes. The watch embraces an entirely pink palette, with tonal variations enhancing its romantic and feminine aesthetic.

Its moon phase display sits between 1 and 3 o’clock within a diamond-set circular aperture aligned with the winding crown, itself set with a moonstone. Gold moons emerge from mother-of-pearl clouds against a dusky pink sky, adding depth and visual poetry to the composition.

Each piece in the limited edition is subtly unique due to the natural variations of mother-of-pearl and the hand-painted artistry of the strap.

Haute Couture Meets Haute Horlogerie

Since its launch in 2020, the Égérie collection has drawn heavily from the world of Haute Couture, translating textile-inspired details into horological design. Pleated textures on the dial evoke the movement of fabric, while the asymmetrical display and intertwined circles reflect the elegance of couture tailoring.

The Spring Blossom edition deepens this connection through its interchangeable strap system. Alongside the hand-painted calfskin strap, the watch is delivered with two additional options: a shiny raspberry-pink alligator strap and a blush-pink grosgrain fabric strap, each fitted with its own pink gold buckle.

Vacheron Constantin’s Product & Innovation Director, Sandrine Donguy, explained that the project was conceived as a fusion of traditional decorative crafts and modern experimentation. By applying miniature painting to the strap rather than the dial or case, the Maison sought to evolve métiers d’art in new directions while preserving artisanal know-how.

A Floral Legacy Spanning More Than Two Centuries

Flowers have long played a role in Vacheron Constantin’s design language. The Maison traces this botanical inspiration back over 200 years, referencing historical pocket watches and pendant watches embellished with floral engravings, enamel work, pearls, and precious stones.

The influence of Art Nouveau during the early 20th century also played a role in shaping these creations, with organic forms and floral motifs transforming timepieces into wearable works of art.

TECHNICAL DATA

ÉGÉRIE MOON PHASE SPRING BLOSSOM
Reference 8005F/000R – H157
Calibre 1088 L

Manufacture calibre Mechanical, self-winding
30 mm (9’’’) in diameter, 5.03 mm thick
Approximately 40-hour power reserve
4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
164 components
24 jewels

Indications Hours, minutes, seconds, moon phases
Case 18K 5N pink gold

37 mm in diameter; 10.08 mm thick
Bezel set with 58 diamonds
Crown set with a moonstone
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 metres)

Dial Light pink mother-of pearl dial, ‘Pleats’ pattern
18K 5N pink gold sub-dial, 36 brilliant-cut diamonds
Circular track with applied 18K gold ‘pearls’
18K gold moons behind mother-of-pearl clouds
18K 5N pink gold Arabic numerals
18K 5N pink gold leaf-shaped hours and minutes hands
5N gold-plated seconds hand
Strap Pink calfskin with hand-painted blossoms

Interchangeable system
18K 5N pink gold pin buckle

Additional straps Shiny pink alligator with18K 5N pink gold pin buckle
Light pink ‘grosgrain’ textile with 18K 5N pink gold pin buckle

 

Watch presentation pouch and strap case

Pink calfskin watch presentation pouch with printed blossom motif and pink calfskin strap case
Total diamond-setting 94 diamonds, for a total weight of approx. 1.10 carats (guaranteed minimum carats)

Limited and numbered edition of 100 pieces

Available exclusively through Vacheron Constantin boutiques, the Égérie Moon Phase Spring Blossom stands as a poetic expression of femininity, craftsmanship, and the enduring dialogue between Haute Couture and Haute Horlogerie.

Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase

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In August 2024 Frederique Constant unveiled its Classics Moneta Moonphase, a timepiece on which the traditional fluted bezel motif was moved to the flange, giving the case the appearance of a coin – hence the ‘Moneta’ moniker. Now the Geneva-based manufacture has added further style flourishes, giving two of the original models with blue or silver dials a new look that takes them into a whole other aesthetic dimension.

For the first variation, Frederique Constant has opted for a PVD case done out in yellow gold with matching hands and hour markers – a classic prestige livery. For the first time ever, the second timepiece features a Milanese mesh bracelet, beautifully offsetting the steel colour of the case, externals and Moon display at six o’clock and resulting in a more vintage look. Both watches retain the 37-millimetre diameter case and are powered by a quartz movement that makes the Classics Moneta Moonphase that bit more affordable – and desirable.

One of Frederique Constant’s most foundational style principles is timelessness, characterised by a vintage look coupled with discreet modernity – and both new variations of the Classics Moneta Moonphase take the expression of that principle to new heights. Are they vintage, contemporary, urban, Sixties, or Seventies? At the end of the day the answer is very much in the eye of the beholder; the one thing that’s not up for debate is the thoroughly horological nature of the two timepieces.

In the best traditions of fine watchmaking, the dials sport a meticulous sunray finish, softly diffusing light towards the twelve applique hour markers above which hand-polished dauphine hands glide effortlessly. The decision not to include a seconds hand blurs the boundary between quartz and mechanical movements: at first glance, it’s impossible to tell which powers the Classics Moneta Moonphase. The calm, peaceful atmosphere exuded by the dial is further highlighted by the moonphase at six o’clock. Earth’s closest neighbour cycles through its phases in 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes and 12 seconds at a rate invisible to the naked eye. Housed in a 37-millimetre case, the restrained and elegant Classics Moneta Moonphase embodies the canons of watchmaking etiquette, be it on men’s or ladies’ wrists.

The style signature of the Classics Moneta Moonphase is its flange, crafted to resemble the edge of a coin. Here, this hallmark of Geneva watchmaking has been moved from its original location on the bezel, instead adding grooved relief to the dial. Frederique Constant’s creativity delights in these clever, sophisticated new takes on convention – giving the brand its very own design ethos in the process.

On the first new variation, the brilliant yellow gold colour adds a further sense of prestige to the piece; the finish is a first for a Classics Moneta Moonphase. The Moon, stars and all the externals (the case, hour markers, hands, and crown) are done out in the same hue, underscoring the philosophy of affordable luxury so dear to Frederique Constant.

The second version offers a steel colour scheme to complement its gold counterpart. Instead of a calfskin strap, the watch sports a Milanese mesh bracelet – another first in the Classics Moneta Moonphase collection. The flexible bracelet fits snugly around the wrist almost like a second skin, giving the piece both a daringly relaxed air and a vintage look; Milanese mesh was all the rage in the 1970s. The steel bracelet beautifully offsets the colour of the applique hour markers and dauphine hands (another icon of vintage watches), as well as the lunar grey of the Moon and stars. The complication is encircled by a thin gold line matching the lettering of the brand’s ‘Frederique Constant, Genève’ signature at twelve o’clock.

 

 

Montblanc Bohème Perpetual Calendar

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Montblanc captures the elegant, artistic spirit of la femme bohème in every detail of its new Perpetual Calendar timepiece.

In Montblanc’s storied manufactures in Le Locle and Villeret, master watchmakers and artisans bring together traditional Swiss horology with modern decorative techniques to create the new 36mm Montblanc Bohème Perpetual Calendar. From the printed watercolour moon phase disc, to the machine-stamped “star trail” (filé d’étoiles) outer dial, and the highly technical field of micro-diamonds that forms the inner dial, the Bohème Perpetual Calendar represents Montblanc’s dedication to both traditional handcrafts and state-of-the-art material processes that define Swiss watchmaking in the 21st century.

An Elegantly Feminine Visage

The fully mechanical perpetual calendar complication is presented in a flattering 36mm case in either solid rose gold 750/1000 (18 karats) or in a striking bi-metal construction combining stainless steel and rose gold 750/1000 (18 karats). The size has been selected to suit women’s wrists while also offering the appropriate proportions for the perpetual calendar’s various functions to express themselves on the complex, yet very legible dial.

Bringing form and function together like this requires for Montblanc’s designers to carefully place each mechanical function on the dial in order to achieve visual harmony. Discerning collectors will note the thoughtful placement of the four sub dials, as well as the way they gently overlap the outer hour track, a small intrusion that subtly transforms this typically technical and masculine dial configuration into an organic and feminine visage.

Diamonds Like a Night Sky

The four sub dials, indicating the day, date, month, leap year cycle and phases of the moon, float in a dazzling field formed from thousands of micro-diamonds. Rather than using traditional “diamond powder”, Montblanc has elected to deploy a highly technical process by which the tiny diamonds are set side-by-side to create a uniform surface that is then covered with a bright metallic PVD coating. The result is a completely flat, sparkling, dark grey surface. Reminiscent of the countless stars in the night sky, this treatment creates the backdrop for this perpetual calendar complication that tracks the elaborate movements of our solar system with precision.

A Trail of Stars to Tell the Time

Around that inner dial is the white-silver hour track. This is created using a specific stamping method to create a pattern called filé d’étoiles – trail of stars. The pattern was inspired by long-exposure photographs of the night sky, often called Astro photographs, that reveal the stars as streaks of light. The stars, of course, aren’t moving; rather, these stunning photographs document the Earth’s daily rotation, the same planetary dance that has fascinated watchmakers for centuries and which forms the underlying logic of the perpetual calendar complication.

The Long Cycles of Time

While deeply complicated and elaborately decorated, the dial remains highly legible. Hours are highlighted by Floral Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12, while traditional trapezoidal indicators occupy the intermediary positions. Elegant rose gold-coated leaf hands reach just far enough to make at-a-glance time-telling intuitive.

Indications in Handwritten Style

In its form, the Bohème Perpetual Calendar also pays subtle homage to the beauty of handwriting. A closer look at the three upper-sub dials reveals the indications in a font reminiscent of handwriting, celebrating Montblanc’s writing culture heritage.

A Watercolour Moon in a Watercolour Sky

All of this sets the scene for the moon-phase complication. Located within the 6 o’clock sub dial, the phases of the moon are indicated along with the long-range calendar that will remain accurate until the year 2100 (when the Gregorian calendar will ignore a leap year to compensate for accumulated annual deviations).

The moon-phase disc found on the Montblanc Bohème Perpetual Calendar has been crafted using serigraphy, with the pattern and colours based on an interpretation of watercolours that adds a further romantic touch to this central feature.

A Bezel Full of Choice Diamonds

Whether choosing the rose-gold 750/1000 (18 karats) model or the bi-metal version, the rose gold 750/1000 (18 karats) bezel of the Bohème Perpetual Calendar is fitted with 60 brilliant-cut diamonds. Each diamond meets or exceeds the V. S. rating for clarity as well as the inclusion in at least the Top Wesselton category for whiteness.

It is worth noting that the 60 diamonds surrounding the dial also act as a precise minute-track. While every aesthetic feature of the Bohème Perpetual Calendar is sophisticated and highly decorative, precision timekeeping is always at the heart of the timepiece.

Achieving High Complication With Calibre MB 29.15

Montblanc’s calibre MB 29.15 offers the full suite of perpetual calendar features, including the hour and minutes, the day of the week, the month, a leap year indicator and the watercolour interpretation moon-phase. This watch will not need to be reset until March 2100, and it holds 42-hours’ worth of mechanical power when fully wound. Adjustments, when needed, are activated intuitively using correctors on mid-case.

Each MB 29.15 movement undergoes rigorous Montblanc laboratory test in the manufacture of Le Locle in order to ensure the ultimate in precision timekeeping.

Three Straps for Every Mood

The Bohème Perpetual Calendar comes with three interchangeable straps: a beige calfskin strap with alligator print, a smooth black calfskin strap, and a burgundy-tone calfskin strap, rounding out the versatility of the timepiece.

Montblanc Bohème Perpetual Calendar 36mm

Movement Calibre MB 29.15
Type of movement Mechanical movement with automatic winding mechanism
Number of jewels 25
Power reserve Approx. 42 hours
Balance Flat hoop
Frequency 28,800 A/h (4 Hz)
Hairspring Flat
Displays Hours, minutes from the center
Perpetual calendar with month by hand and leap year cycle by disc at 12 o’clock
Day by hand at 9 o’clock
Date by hand at 3 o’clock
Moon phase in a window at 6 o’clock

Habillage
Case Stainless steel case with a rose gold 750/1000 (18 karats) bezel set with 60 brillant-cut diamonds (approx.0.9carat)
Crystal Scratch-resistant, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Back Stainless steel with inset pane of sapphire crystal
Dimensions Diameter = 36 mm; height = 10.05 mm
Water-resistance 3 bar (30 m)
Crown rose gold 750/1000 (18 karats) with Montblanc emblem
Dial Silver-white dial adorned with rose gold-coated Arabic numerals, indexes and leaf-shaped hands
Micro diamonds surface (approx. 0.14 carat) in the center, filet sauté pattern and filé d ’étoiles effect on the outside of the dial.

Wristband* Delivered with 3 straps:
Beige interchangeable calf leather strap with alligator print
Black interchangeable calf leather strap
Burgundy-tone interchangeable calf leather strap with alligator print, shiny finish
With stainless steel pin buckle

Limited Edition No