Julien Coudray : Patented city of Geneva

Ville de Genève

Case : 2N 18K solid yellow gold set with 399 Top Wesselton diamonds, sapphire crystal case-back Diameter : 39mm Movement : mechanical hand-wound (in-house made, 55h power reserve), made of gold and set with 12 diamonds, protected by several patents and featuring Renaissance-inspired decoration Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, secret service indicator a 12 o’clock Dial : gold and Grand Feu enamel encrusted with diamonds, blued hands Water resistance : 30m Strap : hand-sewn rolled-edge alligator leather with alligator lining, 2N 18K solid gold pin buckle set with 143 diamonds Limited edition : 1/1 unique piece

The Swiss town often referred to as “Calvin’s city” is an exhaustible source of inspiration for watchmakers. Doubtless as a provocative nod to Calvinism that aspired to eliminate external signs of wealth, the founder of the Julien Coudray brand has adorned this one-of-a-kind Ville de Genève watch with 570 rare and perfectly-cut white Top Wesselton diamonds, including the movement which is set with 12 diamonds. The latter, as well as the surrounding dial and case, are almost exclusively carved from a kilogram of 2N 18-carat gold. The solid gold dial is topped by domed cartouches in traditional Grand Feu enamelling, around a third of which are also encrusted with diamonds. The resplendent coat-of-arms of the city of Geneva appears in the centre, immortalised by a Grand Feu enamel miniature painting using the ancestral “point by point” technique developed by Petitot in the 17th century. Transparency, depth and radiant colours all stem from the unpredictable fusion of enamel and determine the unique nature of each dial. While the seconds hand sweeping over them is entirely blued, only the angles of the hours and minutes hands are thus adorned. This extraordinary concern for details permeates every intricate detail of the hand-engraved and decorated calibre that has earned a number of patents. Mechanical complexity and artistic sophistication converge after four long years, when the enamelled service indicator shaped like a golden drop of oil appears at 12 o’clock – embodying a degree of patience that only great collectors will appreciate in full.


Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

Review overview
})(jQuery)