Homes & Estates

MEETS HAND MACHINE BY ROGER GRODY WITH PRICE TAGS RIVALING THOSE OF ITALIAN SPORTS CARS, BUYERS OF SUPER-LUXURY TIMEPIECES ARE PAYING FOR THE LABOR OF SKILLED ARTISANS. T hroughout history, watches have always incorporated innovative technologies, but the finest of those miniature machines showcase craftsmanship, through meticulous movement assembly or exquisite decorative enhancements. “When you want to buy exclusivity, you want something that requires the labor of true artists,” reports timepiece authority Ariel Adams, whose “A Blog to Watch” is an industry standard. Precision craftsmanship is the foundation of watchmaking and premiummanufacturers continue to emulate techniques perfected hundreds of years ago. Hand-painted dials are currently popular and watchmaker Bovet is known for remarkably detailed illustrations on lacquered mother-of-pearl surfaces, while Jaquet Droz’s Les Ateliers d’Art series reflects various techniques: painting, enameling, engraving, bas-relief, and mosaic. Blancpain is one of several manufacturers that exploits the current trend of see-through cases by engraving or hand-painting freshly revealed surfaces. Widely acclaimed Greubel Forsey — its limited-edition watches average about $500,000 — is renowned for its hand-finishing of every white gold, nickel-palladium or platinum component. Adams, who reports Greubel Forsey artisans can spend an entire day or more polishing a single part, states, “The finish looks as perfect when viewed under a magnifier as it does to the naked eye.” With the complexity of today’s watches, assembly of those components can be very

Grande Seconde Paillonnee

PHOTOS COURTESY JAQUET DROZ

The Pocket Watch Paillonnee

98 | Homes & Estates