With this limited edition of just some 12 pieces, the manufacture plays on its own codes. Here, métiers d’art and virtuoso craftspeople deliver us from fall-time gloom.

24 Faubourg Saint Honoré, much more than just an address in Paris, is an invitation to throw open the door into a fascinating imaginary realm where unbridled creativity exalted by exclusive know-how reigns. To celebrate this iconic building overflowing with tales and passions, Dimitri Rybaltchenko imagined an original design which, in the past, was used on one of the brand’s silk scarves. Now, as 2024 comes to a close, the Slim d’Hermès Flagship tailors this dreamlike creation to its own size.

Its aventurine dial dazzles with a delicate miniature painting and engraving set off with flamboyant colors. The Parisian house’s flagship, all sails unfurled, cruises through a starry sky whilst the can’t-do-without duo of hands whirls around this scenescape. A free-spinning shooting star, adding a dash of fantasy, sits at 4 o’clock. Need we remind you, at Hermès, time is never boring. Each piece in this series features a 39.5 mm-diameter yellow gold case, which reiterates the streamlined, timeless style of the one designed back in 2015 by Philippe Delhotal, Creative Director at Hermès Horloger. This elegant piece is complemented by an abyss blue alligator strap, harmoniously matching the scenography tones. It protects the slimline H1950 caliber beating at 21,600 vibrations an hour. This Swiss-made selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 48 hours to the Slim d’Hermès Flagship. In a nutshell, you can be playful and still be ever-so rigorous!

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The independent brand presents a unique piece that will be auctioned by Philips Auctioneers during the TimeForArt charity event, which will be held on December 7 this year.

From Frank Sinatra to Jay-Z, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, as well as Taylor Swift, the Big Apple was, is, and always will be a source of inspiration. Every generation can think of the lyrics of a song that go with New York. Strolling along the paths and trails of Central Park also forges lasting memories like the ones sparked by Christelle Rosnoblet, Speake Marin‘s CEO’s wanderings. These recollections guided her brand’s compass to métiers d’art and to imagining a spectacular masterpiece. This one-piece creation going under the name of Promenade à New York will be up for sale during the next TimeForArt charity auction.

A miniature scenescape painted by hand on its mother-of-pearl dial illustrates a fall-time view of the well-known Gapstow Bridge. Vibrant colors bring this incredibly-delicate detailed setting to life. On top, the duo of hands, including the heart-shaped hour one, hover gently. The small seconds hand, in the shape of a watchmaker’s lathe from bygone days, off-set at 1:30, ticks by steadily, driven by the SMA03 caliber equipped with a micro-rotor. This selfwinding movement with outstanding finishes offers the watch a power reserve of 52 hours. This device, assembled using some 147 components, nestles inside a 42 mm-diameter titanium case attached by a tawny leather strap clasped by a pin buckle. A perfect match, an invitation to explore all the side streets and alleyways of New York, or elsewhere, at your own pace, in your own way. Be yourself, no matter what they say…

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As the Friends wished to celebrate adventures that have forever fueled our imaginative minds, they once again called on the dexterity of one of the world’s most talented modern-day engravers.

After having diffused his incomparable virtuosity over a series of eight Legacy Machine Split Escapement dials depicting Jules Verne’s dreamlike realm, Eddy Jaquet reiterates this artistic achievement with creations nourished by can’t-do-without young fiction category novels. The Three Musketeers, The Last of the Mohicans, The Jungle Book, The Call of the Wild, Moby Dick, Treasure Island, and Robin Hood were the source of inspiration for these new incredibly-delicate masterpieces. Each engraving whisks us back through our childhood reading souvenirs and exalts the eight unique LM Split Escapement Eddy Jaquet 2024 pieces signed by MB&F.

All the watches embrace a 44.5 mm-diameter steel case and a split escapement caliber. The balance wheel suspended from its arches hovers over the graceful scenography. This spectacularly-constructed manual-winding movement developed by watchmaker Stephen McDonnell is nonetheless a great performer. It boasts double barrels that store a power reserve of some 72 hours. The indicator set at 5 o’clock lets the wearer know how much energy remains. The subdial nestling at 7 o’clock displays the date, whilst the hours and minutes are read in a dedicated space offset at 12 o’clock. These LM Split Escapement Eddy Jaquet 2024 center stage the finesse of the engraver’s touch. The frozen scenes overflow with details. The texture obtained gifts each portrayal with deep relief. Thanks to this amazing feat, casting your eye over them conjures up the pleasure we’d get as kids when we turned over the pages of fascinating tales that we devoured late into the night.

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The manufacture unveils an astounding three-piece limited edition bringing together the elegant design imagined by Philippe Delhotal in 2015 and an incredibly-exacting enameling technique.

Effervescent creativity enjoys the fertile expressive playground of the Parisian firm’s silk scarves. Dutch illustrator Viktor Hachmang’s futuristic world was honored during the Grand Prix du Carré Hermès international scarf design competition.

His graphic fusion inspired by elegant Japanese art and comic-book pop culture has brought a mysterious rider to life astride a flamboyant motorbike set off with geometric patterns enhanced by vibrant colors. The backdrop depicts a storefront conjuring up Hermès legendary and historic flagship boutique in Paris on 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré. This composition is center staged this year on the champlevé enamel cover of the Slim d’Hermès Pocket Mysterious Rider. And, as Hermès reminds us, “this demanding métier d’art involves carving small cells into the metal, filling them with colored glass powders mixed with natural oils and firing them several times in a kiln at over 800ºC to fix the pigments”.

This pocket watch boasting a 45 mm-diameter case crafted in white gold embraces an ever-so pure enamel dial. Cut-outs highlight stylish numerals and the logo created using exquisite typography. Their vermilion hues go wonderfully well with this watch’s overall tone.

On top, the pair of hour and minute hands is driven by a selfwinding movement. The ultra-slim H1950 caliber delivers a power reserve of some 42 hours. And, to ensure visual harmony, the Slim d’Hermès Pocket Mysterious Rider is complemented by a matte red alligator strand.

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Faithful to its attachment to the ocean since its first marine chronometers created nearly two centuries ago, the Le Locle-based watchmaker turns to the land to borrow a mineral with bluish, verdant hues to dress the face of a watch.

At the end of each summer, when the sun’s rays become less intense, temperatures drop gently and the sky is covered with graying clouds, vacation nostalgia resurfaces. We swap our bathing suits for fluffy sweaters, replace our beach sandals for closed-toe shoes, and yet, for Ulysse Nardin, the ocean is never far away. The Le Locle-based watchmaker, which built its reputation by developing marine chronometers right from its foundation, continues to solidify its powerful link with nautical and underwater activities, as demonstrated by the new Diver [Atoll] watch to be worn on the wrist 365 days a year.

The fascinating dial of this limited edition of 100 pieces is covered with a disc of chrysocolla, a mineral discovered in antiquity and richly pigmented in intense hues. Streaked with ochre marbling resembling sandbars, these turquoise, marine and emerald hues evoke the waters bordering a coral reef. Eleven brilliants illuminate this oceanic face, swept by a trio of central, silvered, luminescent hands, while a porthole at 6 o’clock reveals the date in black on a white background.

The hours, minutes and seconds are driven by the UN-816 caliber, a 4hz automatic movement that delivers a 42-hour power reserve when fully wound. It is housed in a case that is water-resistant to 300m, measures 39mm in diameter and is machined from steel, 80% of which is recycled. A unidirectional rotating bezel trimmed with diamonds and blue-engraved Arabic numerals indicating the quarters tops this set. Depending on the adventures for which the Diver [Atoll] is destined, Ulysse Nardin suggests wearing it with a textured white rubber strap or a subtly pearly alligator leather strap.

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The spirit of excellence reigns supreme in this 100-piece limited series. Each watch has been granted the certification issued following the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500.

Tapping on the only pusher starts short-cycle time measurement. A second touch stops it. A third resets the device. Yet, complexity and the outstanding know-how of Montblanc‘s watchmakers are the name of the game behind the ease of use of the 1858 Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph. 291 components bring the MB M17.26 caliber to life. Its one-of-a-kind inverted architecture offers incredible insight into every detail of this device. Its blued German silver baseplate serves as the backdrop for a mechanical maze where nothing is left to chance. The chronograph bridge, positioned above, consorts with the column wheel and horizontal clutch. Warm-hued workings complete their respective rotations and arabesque-styled elements remind us that soft curves promote visual harmony and boost its dynamism.

The luminescent white hour and minute hands, as well as the small seconds at 9 o’clock tick over in time to the beat inside the 43 mm-diameter, 14.78 mm-high steel case, decorated with a satin-brushed and polished, white gold fluted bezel. The azure-tinged central direct-drive and the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock take advantage of the 50 hour power reserve to rigorously perform their jittery choreography. Five sapphire-crystal openings on the caseband invite to admire the layered movement in action from every perspective. The most elegant watchmaking tradition takes pride of place with this monopusher chronograph.

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With two pairs of timepieces, Vacheron Constantin celebrates Japanese folk graphics and draws on its tradition of craftsmanship to offer two interpretations, one classic and the other modern, of a motif rich in symbolism.

Once again, Vacheron Constantin transcends its role as watchmaker to take on those of artist, explorer and historian. In fact, the Geneva-based manufacture is traveling back in time to the rich folkloric culture of Japan, which it translates and transcribes onto its watches, as with Eternal flow and Moonlight slivers, the models that make up the Métiers d’Art Tribute to traditional symbols series. These two pairs of timepieces, each produced in white or pink gold and limited to 15 pieces per reference, reinterpret the Seawater Cliff motif, a design long reserved for the Japanese imperial family and today synonymous with good luck.

Seawater Cliff, representing a tide-beaten mountain rising to the sky, embodies the stability of territorial strength. For the more classical Eternal flow, the Vacheron Constantin workshops used cloisonné enamel (on the dial) and engraving (on the 38mm-diameter case), while for the more modern Moonlight slivers, they used Grand Feu enamel, enamel engraving and gem-setting. At the center of these Geneva Hallmark-approved miniature paintings, a pair of leaf-style hands discreetly display the hours and minutes under the impulse of caliber 2460, a 4hz movement that winds itself automatically by the to-and-fro motion of its engraved gold oscillating weight and delivers a power reserve of around 40 hours.

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Because time has a philosophical dimension to it, depending on the sensibility of each individual, the Parisian maison turns it into a reflection of the self, a new thought to be deepened to the rhythm of the hours.

Providing new arguments to stimulate cogitation, to build thought, to philosophize on the inexorable passage of time, is a sweet hobby horse for Cartier. However, with the Reflection watch, the Parisian maison is combining another of its specialties: shapes. This combination not only develops the mind, but also awakens the senses, like a game that links imagination and touch, brain and fingertips.

At Watches and Wonders, in Geneva, a few months ago, the French jeweler-watchmaker presented five fine cuffs that display the time, two versions in colored gold, yellow or rose, and three in white gold lined with diamonds, alone or accompanied by stones in elegant hues (emerald, chrysoprase, turquoise tourmaline, obsidian, opal, spessartite garnets, amethyst and tiger’s eye).

Each of these thick rods freely reinterprets the rigid vocabulary of geometry, offering a body that’s at once full and openworked, angular and rounded, smooth and rough. One end reveals a clear dial with black Roman numerals or covered in brilliants, and a duo of small sword-style hands, while the other is covered with a highly polished surface. Time is thus reflected in this mirror, upsetting landmarks and suggesting that we follow its normal course or, if we’re feeling poetic, rewind it. The Reflection watch measures 18.4 x 17.5mm for a height of 8.9mm and houses a quartz movement that powers the hours and minutes indication.

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In this zodiacal year center staging the mysterious, protective mythical animal, the manufacture enhances collections with three exceptional watches showcasing métiers d’art.

The jumping hour reigns supreme this summer at Chopard through three exclusive limited series each rolled out in just eight pieces. All boast a 40 mm-diameter, 10.30 mm-high case inside which nestles the slim L.U.C 98.06-L caliber. Thanks to its four barrels and almost two meters of coiled mainspring, this high-performing manual-winding movement delivers a power reserve of 192 hours, i.e. eight days. Over this long lapse of time, it drives the instantaneous jumping-hour display which features in its dial at 6 o’clock as well as the large Dauphine-type minute hand. An indicator on the back specifies how much energy remains. What’s more, the sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire the engravings on the components and the delicate Côtes de Genève patterns adorning the bridges.

This L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Years of the Dragon trio stands out with its ethical gold used for the case and the decorations on the dial. Each of these creations places the accent on the manufacture’s multifaceted craftsmanship. One brings together white gold and a hand-painted depiction of a dragon, crafted by hand on streamlined Grand Feu enamel. The second timepiece combines rose gold and an ever-so elaborate engraving of the mythological animal. The final L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Years of the Dragon model positions the chimerical creature in a misty sky using a yellow-gold applique technique. The precious metal breathes life into the mane and mustache. The dragon clutches a mother-of-pearl bead in its claws which adds dazzle to its eyes. And, the whole ensemble dazzles ours.

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The ever-so demanding world of equitation embraces a natural creative extension embodied by the Parisian saddler, as illustrated through these two precious and elegant newcomers.

To try and harness time that’s galloping by, Hermès infuses the watches in its collection with a dash of fantasy. Its latest-to-date Arceau Grand Tralala brides et mors models showcase this desire for lightness. Inside a 34 mm-diameter rose gold case, encircled with a bezel set with 64 diamonds, a one-of-a-kind, elaborate time-display scenography invites our imagination to break free from convention, through details inspired by the equestrian world. 110 diamonds add dazzle to a graphical portrayal of a bridle and the circle fringing the small seconds on a glittering white or galvanic black dial. This feature’s hand is shaped like a loop, a twin for the bit hooked at 1 o’clock.

This composition takes its cue from the Grand Tralala silk scarf designed by French artist Virginie Jamin, which in turn was inspired by the mounts of Royal Hungarian Bodyguards who protected Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria back in the 19^th century. Here, the ensemble is center staged through the signature case created by Henry d’Origny in 1978, complemented by an alligator strap in a shade that matches the dial. The delicate hour and minute hands adjusted via a stone-set crown are driven by the in-house H1912 caliber. This selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 50 hours to this reference which straddles everyday life stylishly and gracefully.

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In keeping with the delicate poetry of its timepieces, the Parisian company breathes a light summer zephyr out into the blooming garden and the butterflies on the dial of one of its timepieces.

Reawakening a childhood memory, of a walk in a clearing, bare feet sunk in the mossy green carpet, eyes riveted to the sky, capturing it as one would with a camera and then transcribing it, with unprecedented delicacy, onto the face of a watch. Van Cleef & Arpels doesn’t just create timepieces: it keeps hold of time, infusing it with the poetry of a moment to be preserved like a sacred treasure, a moment borrowed from nature like the light breath of a zephyr inviting itself into a garden to make tall grasses quiver, wild flowers dance and butterflies twirl. The exceptional Lady Arpels Brise d’Été bears witness to the beauty of a landscape in motion.

To create this marvelous rural tableau, the Parisian company drew on the talent of the craftsmen and women who work in its Geneva workshops, combining different enameling techniques – plique-à-jour, vallonné and champlevé – with miniature painting and gem-setting, which, in addition to rich hues, confer translucency, brilliance and relief for a striking realism. Two lepidopterans, with blue or yellow wings, follow a graduated arc to indicate the hours. A simple press on the lever located at 8 o’clock on the 38mm-diameter white gold case middle stimulates them to perform a circular movement, while the blue flowers undulate in an imaginary wind. This spectacular animation is made possible by an automaton module grafted onto the self-winding movement responsible for setting the rhythm of the time display.

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Halfway between talisman and muse, the Parisian fashion house’s little mascot continues her exploration of the world’s treasures, venturing to Japanese lands to discover the cherry blossom season.

The mere mention of the name Louis Vuitton instantly evokes the famous luggage of the prestigious Parisian trunk-maker, which contributed to its worldwide renown in the second half of the 19^th century, and by extension to the sacred art of travel. This desire for escapism applied to the modern era is reflected in the exploration of the world’s treasures by Vivienne, the little half-talisman, half-muse character created in 2017, who has been inviting herself into all the brand’s businesses, including watchmaking for the past four years. The mascot, whose silhouette is inspired by the Monogram Flower, ventures into Japanese lands to discover its famous cherry trees through the Tambour Slim Vivienne Heures Sautantes Sakura watch.

To create this timepiece, the artisans at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton used a variety of decorative and artistic materials and techniques. The polished and sandblasted pink mother-of-pearl dial reveals a floral tapestry dotted with brilliants and hand-painted budding branches. Vivienne stands at the center of this decor, dressed in the traditional kimono and topped with diamonds. The emblematic figure holds a parasol in her right hand, while the fan on her left displays the jumping hour, alternating with the porthole at 8 o’clock. The minutes, meanwhile, are indicated by a central transparent hand finished with a cherry blossom. These functions are provided by caliber LV180, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve housed in a 38mm-diameter white gold case with a gem-covered bezel.

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The allegorical figures recall the inescapable nature of the passing of time and fleeting existence. These symbolic editions are a whimsical reminder of this.

The Chorus Stellarum silk scarf motif designed by Daiske Nomura for Hermès literally comes to life in two limited editions of Arceau Chorus Stellarum , each produced in a series of six. The Japanese artist’s imaginary world of robots and dragons transforms the themes held dear by the Parisian house and transports them into a futuristic universe. Thus, depending on the version, the dials feature the skeleton of a horseman or a horsewoman riding sidesaddle on their noble steeds. The figures, chiseled in 2N yellow gold and hand-painted, come to life by pressing the discreet pusher housed in the body at 9 o’clock. These fanciful representations of Gothic vanities defy time in a decoration of constellations finalized using the delicate technique of champlevé enamel enhanced with lacquer. These colorful depictions are set on the emblematic case designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978 in 750 white gold and 41mm in diameter.

The “on-demand impulse” animation is powered by the H1837 movement. Although requiring a certain amount of energy, the hour and minute hands have a 50-hour power reserve provided by the self-winding movement. To create perfect harmony, the Arceau Chorus Stellarum watch has a matte abyss blue alligator strap. The feminine variation in soft colors with a bezel set with 70 diamonds has a pearl gray strap. The stunning ride remains elegant in every situation.

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Isn’t it about time we reconnected with nature? Well here, every creation, pretty much like one of Arcimboldo’s paintings, links a cycle to a chimerical animal and reminds us that life is a celebration.

The dreamlike Slim d’Hermès Le Sacre des Saisons quartet, a hymn to the incredible wealth and diversity of nature, conjures up the different periods that rhythm our year. Hermès has chosen the watch designed by Philippe Delhotal in 2015 to represent these four variations, issued in just 12 pieces each. The slender 39.5 mm-diameter case becomes a precious casket for extraordinary scenographies fashioned by the expert hands of métiers d’art craftspeople. Spring is portrayed through a rose gold case set with 66 diamonds and a dial featuring a horse adorned with glorious flowers. This scenescape comes to life through a myriad of layers of miniature painting applied on a lemon chrysoprase stone.

The three other versions dazzle with white gold. A beaming lion symbolizes summer. The mischievous feline, engraved in sapphire crystal and painted from the back of the dial, capitalizes on the light emitted by the 66 diamonds. For the fall season, sculpted gold and delicate painting center stage a flamboyant eagle. An ice wolf, imagined in paillonné enameling, encircled by 52 baguette-cut diamonds, depicts winter. Each piece is complemented by a matte or smooth alligator strap in a dial-matching color, fashioned in the Parisian firm’s workshops. These watches’ hour and minute hands are driven by the H1950 caliber which beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations an hour. This extra-slim, 2.6 mm-high, selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 48 hours. Perfect for enjoying the benefits of every season to the full.

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