Graff, the best of both worlds

From High Jewelry to Haute Horlogerie, from London workbenches to Geneva workshops, the same spirit of hand-crafted perfection shines in each and every creation.

Since 2016, the Princess Butterfly has set hearts soaring among the women who have come in contact with it, just like those of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève jury members who chose it from the finalists in the Jewelry Watch category. The world’s most precious butterfly unfurls its white, yellow and gold diamond wings beneath the adoring gaze of women in love with all that is exceptional, while revealing its secret only to ‘the one’. Thanks to an invisible and ingenious mechanism, a simple press is enough to part its wings and unveil the temporal dance of the hands across the motherof- pearl dial. Literally caught and held among precious stones by means of extraordinary gemsetting expertise renowned for decades, light dances around this symbol of liberty. A satin strap – or a diamond-set bracelet in the most fairytale version – gently clasps this magical butterfly to the wrist.

At Baselworld 2017, the new interpretation of the Princess Butterfly gently alights on dainty wrists with an invisible setting adorning its domed wings, powerfully accentuating its visual effect. Reflecting a vast body of know-how teamed with extremely rare mastery, the invisible setting is interpreted in four variations featuring diamonds, sapphires and rubies.

MGF38WGD2_WThe impressive symbiosis between the watch and jewelry teams is also illustrated in the Floral Tourbillon collection, graced with a fascinatingly colorful trilogy of new models presented at Baselworld. Although diamonds are omnipresent on the white gold case, the bezel and lugs, it is not they that immediately catch the eye, despite their purity and the extreme care lavished on setting them. Grand Feu enamel, mother-of-pearl and hand painting provide a stunning wealth of colors and silky soft shades that inevitably draw attention to the floral dial motifs. The traditional hand-crafted technique used to color the gold petals by hand is both ancient and delicate, naturally rendering each watch unique. More than a week’s work is required for each dial. What the photo does not show, and which makes the Floral Tourbillon watches all the more appealing, is that the flowers spin on their axis (at 8, 9 and 12 o’clock). This floral waltz elegantly accompanies that of the tourbillon, the mechanical heart displaying a degree of sophistication intended for the most demanding women.

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
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