Watches
The Flower Of The Hour
Ateliers deMonaco La Sirène Ladies Watch
Just a few years old now, Ateliers deMonaco is a fresh brand, and what we particularly enjoy about their watches is their dedication to design and finishing. These are truly handmade, hand-loved watches that offer an artisanal experience – a highpoint of the pieces being the incredibly ornate engravings on the rotors of the in-house made automatic movements.
With this eight piece limited edition La Sirène ladies timepiece, deMonaco presents their first watch for women. Made in honour of the royal wedding of Prince Albert II to Charlene Wittstock, the watch's name is based on a local Monaco nickname for the new princess, and the pattern on its dial is inspired by the King Protea flower common to the princess's homeland of South Africa.
It is widely agreed that most high-end ladies watches should incorporate precious or semi-precious stones. The difference between good designs and great designs is how brands utilize said stones. Too often a watch maker simply incorporates, for example, diamonds into an existing design and suddenly calls it a high-end women’s watch. A more sophisticated route is to actually create a design using the stones – which is what deMonaco did with the La Sirène.
The pattern of blue baguette-cut topaz stones on the dial is the result of calculated engraving and gem placement, signifying not only good taste, but admirable technique as well. The center of the dial contains a cushion-shaped section of mother-of-pearl that pleasantly contrasts with the roundness of the 39mm wide 18k white gold case. More blue topaz baguette-cut stones adorn the bezel, and the mixture of light blue and white gold is refreshing and luxurious – and fit for royalty.
