Business

17 December 2017

“Time is feminine” the french jewelry post editorial

It is with great pleasure that we present the editorial for this Artcurial catalogue, which pays tribute to the vintage watches gathered for this exceptional auction at the Monaco Yacht Club on 18 January 2017.

We all know of men’s passion for watches. Most collectors, like watchmakers, are men. But paradoxically, women’s watches are the most creative. To pay them the tribute they deserve, Marie Sanna-Legrand, director of Artcurial’s collection watchmaking department, came up with the idea that “Time is feminine” – a first in the world of watch auctions.

Women’s watches are not paragons of mindboggling sophistication. They do not boast complications for complications’ sake: tourbillons, perpetual calendars and moon phases are rarely featured. Displays of power through mechanics or technique are few and far between. Neither is there an obsession with dial diameter, metal weight and performance. But less is more … Unshackled from such utilitarian ends, women’s watches are not locked in combat with time. Rather they devote their energies to the enchantment of appearance and transform themselves into tiny boxes of happiness.

Let’s take the most creative, the craziest, the most emblematic, the most beautifully represented period in this sale: the years 1960-1970. At Bulgari, the dial becomes the head of a snake wrapped around its wrist. The case is hidden in a sapphire pendant worn as a necklace by Patek Philippe, the male brand par excellence. Piaget is the master in this matter … Gold is transformed into ribbon, braid, mesh. The cuffs juxtapose nephritis, lapis lazuli, malachite, diamond, and tiger’s eye. On these gems, the chromatic explosions are so beautiful that they seem capable of stopping time in its tracks.

Of course it’s true that women sometimes prefer watches originally intended for men. Some are miniaturized and paved with diamonds. They also form part of the exceptional selection of Marie Sanna-Legrand. It’s time to enjoy this femininity in all its majesty.

Most popular articles

Getting authentication for your jewelry

Amid exponential increases in the prices of old and second-hand jewelry, buyers on the other side of the world and a booming counterfeit industry, the...

The low-down on Castafiore

Launched last year by two jewelry world insiders, Castafiore is the leading platform in the second-hand jewelry market.

Thomas Torroni-Levene and the René Boivin archives

The René Boivin archives have experienced many adventures since 1985. Miraculously, they have remained intact!

Patrick Schein: the voice of responsibly mined gold

“This so-called responsible choice is actually irresponsible: recycled gold must be mixed with ethical mining gold”, explains Patrick Schein.

Gold Service’s recycled gold: an interview with Yann Bouillonnec

A consortium of investors has just bought Gold Service, a Franco-Swiss company specializing in the purchase and resale of precious metals.

5 things you need to know about the impact of gold mining on nature

L’or du Monde, the pioneering jeweler in the use of recycled gold, invited me to a lecture given by Aurore Stéphant, expert mining geologist and co-founder...