L. A Magazine 14 by LES AMBASSADEURS

L E S A M B A S S A D E U R S / M A G A Z I N E N 째 14

LES AMBASSADEURS PRESENT:

50 A N N I V E R SA RY S P EC I A L

VO LUM E 2 / 2

Joachim Ziegler CEO Les Ambassadeurs

Edito rial

1964. the year the Summer Olympics took place in Japan and their Winter counterparts in Austria; Spain became the European football champion; the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Martin Luther King; and the New York World’s Fair opened its doors. 1964 was also the year in which Les Ambassadeurs was born in Geneva. Since then, we have made a point of maintaining extremely high standards. The Leading House of Leading Names is a promise that entails a number of commitments. We consider ourselves to be the ambassadors of the most reputed watch and jewellery brands, each unique in its sector. And our standards are just as high when it comes to the quality of our advice and our service. That is why our four boutiques are sparkling more brightly than ever on the occasion of our 50th anniversary in order to provide our clients with the welcome they deserve. We have also grasped this opportunity to install a new workshop for our watchmakers in each of our boutiques. These workshops are visible for our clients so that they can admire the complex tasks performed on-site. Our “watch doctors” as we like to call them almost always find a solution to every problem and for every watch brand – a service that we feel we owe you. Geneva is the centre of Swiss watchmaking. It is therefore not by chance that in 1964, Les Ambassadeurs opened its first boutique in a café bearing the same name on the famous Rue du Rhône. This was the first step towards the progressive opening of a shop in every linguistic region. With the new transformation and refurbishment of our boutique in Zurich, we haven taken the opportunity of making the secrets of watchmaking accessible to a wider audience. Enthusiasts now enjoy a chance to discover a new exhibition on the first floor of the boutique every month. Specialists and collectors for their part will be presented with selected Haute Horlogerie pieces that are amongst the finest watchmakers could dream of in the Espace Connaisseur. 2014. This is the year we celebrate our 50 years of existence. Thanks to you and in your company.

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Contents |

issue 14

Editorial

Space Time

And there was colour!

Unmissable anniversaries in 2014!

Wa t c h T r e n d s :

Jewellery Trends: How to spend it?:

Collectors corner: 12

50th anniversary limited editions

Precious B’day

Zurich

Exceptional auction

Rendezvous with watch lovers

Zurich & Geneva

Geneva 30 Zurich 31 Lugano 32 St. Moritz

From simple Café to Boutique In its customers’ service Jasmine Audemars interview Corporate Story Rolf Richner’s classic watches Symbol of love

A whole different take on time

Shooting: Bou tique: Auctions:

E s pac e C o n na i s s e u r : Events: People:

Historical section:

34 38 40 44

D i s p l ay m o d e s :

Wa t c h e s & M o r e : 52 80

Best of the watch models

Next issue preview and credits

Text: Marie de Pimodan-Bugnon

From moon phases to other astronomical complications, watchmakers have always kept a close eye on space. Despite its mysteries, celestial infinity can nonetheless be tamed by ingenious mechanisms.

oon phases are doubtless one of the most popular current horological complications. Some models give it a starring role, such as on the 50s Presidents’ Moonphase Gold by Vulcain which combines it with the date, day and month within a classic and refined aesthetic. At Cartier, the interaction of various displays gets even more complex in the Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon unveiled at the start of the year. It features a tourbillon, as well as a moon phase on demand. Activating the pusher brings a disc across to partially cover tourbillon, as the cres1 cent thus formed

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exactly reproduces the shape of the moon in the sky. At Breguet, the daily dance of the sun and moon is portrayed on a supremely elegant stage with the Reine de Naples Jour Nuit, appearing in a new High Jewellery version featuring sparkling diamonds vying with the

stars. A titanium moon is set on a lapis lazuli disc, while the path of the sun is depicted by the balance rim, which is faceted to reflect the sunlight and evoke its glowing beams. The sun thus embarks on a daylong tour in step with the motion of the balance. The motherof-pearl inlays adorning the disc represent the clouds, matched by the glow of golden stars. From the perpetual calendar… The moon phase is however often only one of the many indications driven by a perpetual calendar movement. One naturally thinks of the Monégasque Perpetual Calendar by Roger Dubuis, a prodigious feat of miniaturisation bringing the dance of

WATCH TRENDS_ L.A

8 4 6

earth and sky to the wrist by showing the day of the week, the month, the date, the leap year and of course moon phases. Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony Contemporaine Perpetual Calendar also comes to mind, a model displaying the week, the date, the month and the leap year, as well as the moon phase embodied by a gold star against a lapis lazuli sky. Jaeger-LeCoultre also distinguishes itself in the universe of calendar watches, with the Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire émail Grand Feu which highlights the spectacular work accomplished by the Manufacture in its quest for performance. Thanks to the Dual-Wing system, the watch reaches new peaks of precision with its jumping seconds hand, its date and its moon phase appearing on a separate subdial. A technical feat housed within a pure, uncluttered model featuring a Grand Feu enamel dial.

… to astronomical watches In the realm of astronomical watches, the famous Moonstruck naturally deserves a mention. This model offering its wearer the chance to revel in a ‘heavenly’ miniature show portrays the motion of the moon around the earth and the sun while reproducing the exact duration of their respective revolutions. Impressive indeed, as too is one of the most striking models presented at the 2014 Salon de la Haute Horlogerie: the Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar “Terraluna” by A. Lange & Söhne. On its movement side, this model provides an orbital moon-phase display – an innovation offering the first wristwatch depiction of the position of the moon in relation to the earth and the sun. This array of complications raises the fascinating question: could the distance from earth to moon be no greater than the jump of a hand? The swing of

a balance? Or a simple press on a watch pusher? By placing the sun, moon and stars – and indeed the vast expanses of space – on our wrist, watchmakers have opened up an infinite range of possibilities that enable humankind to cultivate its most precious state: the ability to dream.

1 A. Lange & Söhne, Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar “Terraluna” 2 Cartier, Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon watch 3 Roger Dubuis, La Monégasque Perpetual Calendar 4 Vulcain, 50s Presidents’ Moonphase 5 Vacheron Constantin, Patrimony Contemporaine Perpetual Calendar 6 Jaeger-LeCoultre, Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire émail Grand Feu 7 Breguet, Reine de Naples Jour Nuit 8 Ulysse Nardin, Moonstruck

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Text: Marie de Pimodan-Bugnon

And there was colour!

The colour spectrum is a never-ending playground on which jewellers provide an idea of the measure – or lack thereof – of their creativity. This spring, the news is that jewellery will be bright, light, and colourful.

right or tangy, exuberant or discreet, lively or pastel… colours are often the foundation on which jewellery designers express their ever fertile imagination. Bursting with light to give them a special glow, the colours provided by nature reinvent themselves under the masterful touch of jewellery craftsmen. They are the cornerstones of precious jewellery creations on which colourful gems and pigments shimmer and shine. Pomellato has made colourful stones the emblematic signature of its Nudo collection. This is a name that is wellchosen for this line which gives pride of place to a delicate kaleidoscope of tangy hues. Mounted on an elegant combination of white and pink gold, the semiprecious stones appear in their simplest possible form: nude – or very nearly so. This season, in an unprecedented manner, azure blue topaz, amethyst and lemon quartz in maxi format pulsate with new light under the fire of diamonds which, for the first time in the Nudo collection, drape their sparkle over the golden setting. This is a means of enhancing the beauty of these streamlined rings, which also exist as vividly coloured earrings.

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Pomellato, Nudo collection

JEWELLERY TRENDS_ L.A

Pasquale Bruni, Bon Ton collection

Wellendorff, The Genuine Delight collection

Stones and pigments At Pasquale Bruni, the softness of nuances blends with exuberant shapes. The rounded volumes characteristic of the Bon Ton collection are adorned with semi-precious stones whose special cut brings to mind a stylised flower displaying its voluptuous petals. The velvet touch of rose quartz, smoked quartz and milky quartz are enhanced by an attractive diamond setting which illuminates the finely chased and engraved pink gold. Necklaces, rings and earrings appear in pastel for discreet, timeless elegance. At Wellendorff, colours explode with all their strength. Romantic turquoise, electric blue, orange red, fuchsia pinkâ&#x20AC;Ś A raft of rings blaze in the light of diamonds and enamel applied in delicate touches on the finely chased surface of the ring. Especially developed in the Wellendorff workshops, the technique of cold enamelling used to make these rings gives the colours incomparable shine and sparkle as well as excellent shock resistance. The pigments fizz. The contrasts are striking. Colourful jewellery captures hearts without any need for additional artifice.

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Text: Gaëlle Sinnassamy-Chaar

UNMISSABLE ANNIVERSARIES IN 2014!

“L

uxury is only luxury if it achieves legendary status” wrote philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky. At the opposite end of the spectrum from planned obsolescence, it sets out to be eternal, raising sustainability to a cardinal virtue. Its enduring value increases with the passing of years. For this reason, the great luxury companies make their way through the centuries, as sprightly as ever, generation after generation, sailing serenely from one birthday to another. They draw nourishment from the History that pervades them, perpetuating ancestral traditions while remaining strongly anchored in the present. And while today, as for the past 50 years, Les Ambassadeurs promotes the art of counting off time, the 2014 vintage includes some prestigious jubilees. A brief survey of some anniversaries that are well worth a closer look.

15th anniversary of the Louis Vuitton City Guides

In 1998, Louis Vuitton was ahead of its time when it published its City Guides, enlight-

ened travel guide books which deliver a

carefully selective array of addresses seen

through the eyes of guests, local figures or personalities, experts or residents in each

of the target destinations. To salute in due

style the 15th anniversary of its insider

guides, the Parisian trunk maker travels across all continents with stop-offs in

15 towns, from Paris to Beijing, via Sao

Paulo, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Venice,

Moscow, Los Angeles, London, Cape Town and Miami and is issuing 3,000 numbered

boxed sets. New metropolises and cities revisited are thus united in a precious lacquered wooden case available in five bright, flashy colours. www.louisvuitton.com

Wally’s 20th anniversary

Gianni Agnelli, Juan Carlos I of Spain, Marco Tronchetti Provera and Lindsay Owen-Jones are amongst the yacht-builder’s VIP clients. For the

past 20 years, Wally, founded by Italian multi

medal-wining skipper, Luca Bassani Antivari, has been building exceptional sail boats and yachts

with a futuristic, ultra-sophisticated design, each more luxurious and elegant than the next. The cre-

ations by this designer-builder who is a native of Monaco and currently based in Monte Carlo include

the legendary 118 Wally Power with its stealth-jet

profile and which notably appeared in the 2005 sci-

fi film, The Island, as well as the amazing WHY, the

super-sized cooncept yacht designed in collaboration with Hermès. www.wally.com

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Maserati’s 100th anniversary

Centenaries call for celebration. From September 19th to 21st 2014, fans

of the label from Bologna, launched on December 1st 1914 by Alfieri

Maserati and his two brothers, Ettore and Ernesto, will gather in Modena to admire more than 250 cars from the four corners of the planet

and to attend rallies and track races organised for this event. In parallel, the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari will host an exhibition devoted to

emblematic models belonging to the brand with the Trident emblem,

from its very first car, the Tipo 26 to the Quattroporte, Ghibli, GranTurismo, GranCabrio and other commercial successes that have

marked its history. Last but not least, a book and dedicated website will also contribute throughout the year to celebrating the centenary of this amazing manufacturer. www.maserati.com

30th anniversary of the Birkin bag

It is a supremely confiden-

tial anniversary. The master

saddler on the Faubourg Saint-

Honoré dœs not in fact wish to

comment on the 30 springtimes

seen by its it-bag. No need to feed the

buzz. The Hermès bag inspired by Serge

Gainsbourg’s muse, Jane Birkin, is only

made in ultra-small quantities, stamped by the artisan who crafts it

50th anniversary of Padrón Cigars

In 1962, Cuban José Orlando Padrón emigrated to Miami without a cent. Working hard as a gardener by day and a carpenter at night, two years later he achieved his dream

and created Padrón Cigars which is today known all over

the world. The family company which is celebrating its

50th anniversary this year with due pomp and ceremony is

from A to Z in the workshops of the prestigious leather manufacturer.

completely verticalised, integrating the production pro-

ionistas fight over, sometimes accepting to spend several years on the

of this success story? Exceptional cigars made in Nicaragua

A rare and precious must-have, just like the essential Kelly that fash-

waiting list before finally being able to hold the much desired object

in their hands. Devout Birkin fans include Victoria Beckham, an

inveterate collector who accumulates the various sizes and colours of the model turned icon. www.hermes.com

cess, tobacco growing, rolling and distribution. The secret that fans fight over, and small commemorative series such

as the Padrón 1964 Anniversary and the 1926 Anniversary models, honouring the birth year of the pater familias and made of tobacco aged for at least five years. www.padron.com

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UNMISSABLE ANNIVERSARIES IN 2014! Lanvin’s 125th anniversary

Created by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889, the fashion house by the same name is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2014. The Parisian fashion brand now under Alber Elbaz’ artistic direction is taking the

opportunity to dip back into its archives and throughout the

year will be revealing photos of its heritage on social networks,

as well as videos from the

archives and unique and as yet

unpublished paintings from yes-

teryear, retracing the saga of this archetype of French ele-

gance. The kick-off for the festiv-

ities took place symbolically on Facebook on January 1st, a nod to

the founder who was born in Paris on January 1st 1867.

www.lanvin.com

Gibson’s 120th anniversary

Rock wouldn’t be what it is without Gibson. The cult gui-

tar manufacturer has impressed the greatest stars in the history of music, from Keith Richards to Eric Clapton as

well as Chuck Berry, Bob Marley and even Angus Young

of AC/DC, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and Joe Perry

from Aerosmith. Behind the legend is a young American gui-

tar-maker, Orville Gibson, who in 1894 assembled mandolins in his workshop in Kalamazoo in the State of Michigan. 120 years later, the brand has become an international reference for the

most demanding musicians. So it is no coincidence that 2014 is

witnessing the arrival of 28 new models, branded with the “120th anniversary” logo next to the 12th string and equipped with

Min-ETune™ technology, a third-generation automatic or ‘robotic’ tuning system. www.gibson.com

Mariage Frères’ 160th anniversary

Behind an elegant wooden façade in the Marais district of Paris lies a place that can easily make an observer feel dizzy.

Hundreds of lined-up black and yellow boxes house innu-

merable varieties of delicate, particular teas, sourced from all over the world and sold loose, in pots or in muslin. Experienced connoisseurs naturally know the address and the

famous Marco Polo, a stellar flower and fruit blend from China. Since 1854, meaning for the past 160 years, Mariage

Frères has scoured the world in search of rare vintages and

stocks more than 650 references from 36 country producers in its various stores. In honour of its jubilee, this quintes-

sentially chic establishment devoted to tea is producing a

collection bearing its 160th anniversary seal, and different for every one of the 12 months of this year of the horse. www.mariagefreres.com

Baccarat celebrates 250 years

Founded in Lorraine in 1764 at the decree of King Louis XV, the world’s most illustrious manufacturer of fine crystal glass-

ware is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. For the occasion, the luxury glassmaker, a monument to French designer

living, is publishing a work illustrated with previously unpub-

lished photographs and drawings from the company archives

and is organising an exhibition at its Gallery-Museum in Paris

retracing its long history. It is also marking the jubilee with the production of an exceptional chess set in collaboration

with prestigious Japanese design studio, Nendo. Issued in a run of just 50, the Harcourt chest set consists of handmade pieces inspired by the legendary Harcourt stemware, the

fabled chalice-shaped glass with the hexagonal Baccarat base and a design icon for more than 170 years. www.baccarat.com

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L.A _BIRTHDAY _ANNIVERSAIRE

A 50th anniversary deserves a celebration!

2014 is the golden jubilee year for Les Ambassadeurs. 50 years of existence since its birth in 1964, and a story of shared passions and powerful, indestructible links between the brands and one of their finest showcases. To toast this important landmark, six brands have associated in paying tribute to Les Ambassadeurs group, with each offering passionate watch enthusiasts a limited series designed to celebrate this unforgettable milestone.

While the common denominator of all these models lies in the “1964/2014” engraving, reprised along with the Les Ambassadeurs pictogram and featured on the back of their respective cases, all of them are different and yet united by the same love of fine workmanship. Let’s take a closer look.

Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain one-off edition The tourbillon geniuses treat Les Ambassadeurs to one of their finest creations. This one-of-a-kind Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain features a dial adorned with a pattern exquisitely depicting the Les Ambassadeurs pictogram. This distinctive guilloché motif – along with the complexity of the dial – contributes to accentuating the sense of depth pervading this model. The timepiece is equipped with the now famous tourbillon inclined at a 25-degree angle that performs a complete turn in 24 seconds. CHF 459,000.– (including VAT)

Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement one-off edition Meanwhile, Girard-Perregaux has created an equally appealing unique piece with an exceptional blue-dial version of its famous Constant Escapement model. Girard-Perregaux offers an interpretation of future time through a model featuring a revolutionary calibre. The Constant Escapement is the missing link in watchmakers’ historical quest for precision. With this horological complication, Girard-Perregaux displays its impressive mastery of constant force and contributes to the advancement of watchmaking technology. CHF 124,200.– (including VAT)

Bovet AMADEO Fleurier 43 mm five-piece limited edition Bovet offers a highly distinctive version of its star model: the AMADEO Fleurier 43 mm. The exceptional nature of the AMADEO Fleurier lies in its construction, enabling the user to switch smoothly from a wristworn watch to a small table clock and even a pocket-watch. This model is a gold interpretation available in a five-piece limited series graced with a Botticino marble dial echoing the discreet luxury of Les Ambassadeurs boutiques. The watch proposed by Bovet is particularly subtle and delicate in terms of both its colours and the craftsmanship of the dial, featuring a discreet power-reserve indicator and the delightfully rounded signature hands. Turning the model over affords a chance to admire the motion of the gold oscillating weight engraved with the Les Ambassadeurs pictogram and visible through a sapphire case-back. CHF 49,500.– (including VAT)

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ANNIVERSAIRE_ BIRTHDAY_ L.A

Ulysse Nardin Sonata Streamline eight-piece limited edition To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Les Ambassadeurs, the Ulysse Nardin teams have opted for an interpretation of the Sonata Streamline, a fine tribute to this name that embodies refinement as well as connotations of travel – ranging from an innovative alarm function to a dual-time display. The Sonata is equipped with a sophisticated, beautiful and high-performance Manufacture-made movement. The charm of this model also lies in its deliberately contemporary, edgy design clad in black titanium and enhanced by red gold accents that define the character of this limited series. CHF 41,800.– (including VAT)

Breitling Navitimer 15-piece limited edition Breitling is dedicating to Les Ambassadeurs a limited edition of its most legendary model: the Navitimer. Interpreted in a gold/steel version with a black dial, this model is powered by the famous Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01, considered by aficionados to be one of the finest chronograph calibres currently available. Thus equipped, the Navitimer Les Ambassadeurs limited edition combines historical charm with a unique look and a high-tech movement. The back of the case is engraved with the Les Ambassadeurs logo and the anniversary date: 1964/2014, while the limited edition number will appear on the side. CHF 12,580.– (including VAT)

Panerai PAM 565 50-piece limited edition Panerai enjoys longstanding ties with Les Ambassadeurs. The Luminor with its sturdy 44 mm case set what was to become a strong and enduring trend. The brand that originated in Florence has created a 50-piece limited edition of its Luminor 1950 for Les Ambassadeurs. This PAM 565 model featuring a dial with Arabic numerals is driven by a Manufacture P 9000 movement and fitted with a sapphire case-back. It is teamed with an Assolutamente strap and engraved with the Les Ambassadeurs pictogram and the anniversary date: 1964/2014. CHF 7,700.– (including VAT)

(All prices indicated are subject to change)

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PRECIOUS B’DAY

Photographer: Richard Frémont Assistant: Gregoire Machavoine Production: Opus Magnum Art Director: Nicolas Zentner Hair & Make-up: Julie Monot Styling: Pascale Hug Model: Anastasia & Martin

Her:

Him:

Breguet watch | Reine de Naples – Ref. 8918BR/58/864D00D – CHF 34,200.– Pomellato jewellery Victoria Collection | Earrings – Ref. OB103O7WA – CHF 4,500.– / Necklace – Ref. CB103O761 – CHF 6,900.– Pendant – Ref. MB103O7WA – CHF 2,320.– / Arabesque Collection | Bracelet – Ref. BB305WO619 – CHF 10,700.– Ring – Ref. AA905WO7 – CHF 3,250.– / Ring – Ref. AA905WO7OJ – CHF 4,070.– Dress – Dsquared (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva); Shœs – Steve Madden (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva)

Ulysse Nardin watch | Marine Chronometer Manufacture – Ref. 1183-122/42 – CHF 9,900.–

Her:

Him:

Breitling watch | Galactic 36 Automatic – Ref. A3733012/A717/376A – CHF 6,170.– Pasquale Bruni jewellery Mandala Collection | Earrings – Ref. 14461RN – CHF 4,120.– / Necklace – Ref. 14232RN – CHF 15,170.– Necklace – Ref. 14486RN – CHF 6,870.– / Ring – Ref. 14150RN – CHF 6,140.–

Top – Balenciaga (Drake Store, Geneva); Trousers – Stella McCartney (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva); Sunglasses – Mykita by Beth Ditto (Fouchault Opticien, Geneva)

Vulcain watch | 50s Presidents’ Classic – Ref. 560156.303M – CHF 2,980.– Shirt – Dries Van Noten (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva)

Her:

Cartier watch | Tank Anglaise watch, medium model – Ref. WT100025 – CHF 10,300.– Ole Lynggaard jewellery “Lotus” Earrings – Ref. OL01-A2658-412 – CHF 3,150.– Necklace – Ref. OL02-C2008-401 – CHF 1,650.– “Lotus” Pendant – Ref. OL09-A2655-412 – CHF 5,300.– “Silk” Bracelet – Ref. OL04-A2537-001 – CHF 225.– “Silk” Bracelet – Ref. OL04-A2540-001 – CHF 225.– “Dew Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-A2666-401 – CHF 1,100.– “Sweet Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-A2559-512 – CHF 1,250.–

“Silk String” Necklace – Ref. OL02-A1907-312 – CHF 70.– “Sweet Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-2551-504 – CHF 1,950.– “Silk String” Necklace and Leaf – Ref. OL02-A2613-501 – CHF 1,750.– “Dew Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-A2635-511 – CHF 2,150.– “Lotus 1” Ring – Ref. OL03-A2650-423 – CHF 3,150.– “Love Bracelet” Bracelet – Ref. OL09-A1731-302 – CHF 2,450.– “Lotus 2” Ring – Ref. OL03-A2657-423 – CHF 3,750.– Short jumpsuit – Alexander Wang (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva) “Lotus 2” Ring – Ref. OL03-A2651-409 – CHF 3,350.– Him: “Lotus 3” Ring – Ref. OL03-A2652-406 – CHF 5,250.– “Lotus” pavé Ring – Ref. OL03-A2710-401 – CHF 3,000.– Roger Dubuis watch | Excalibur 42 Automatic “Dew Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-A2633-403 – CHF 1,250.– Ref. RDDBEX0385 – CHF 18,400.– “Dew Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-A2635-407 – CHF 2,900.– Suit and shirt – Lanvin (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva) “Sweet Drop” Pendant – Ref. OL09-2554-502 – CHF 2,650.–

Her:

Him:

Audemars Piguet watch | Selfwinding Royal Oak – Ref. 15451ST.ZZ.D011CR.01 – CHF 22,500.– Mikimoto jewellery “New Classic” Earrings – Ref. OSW874B2 – CHF 9,750.– / “Akoya” Sautoir necklace – Ref. OPMK1IT-7-7.5 – CHF 11,100.– “Akoya” Bracelet – Ref. BMRTR1420712 – CHF 6,350.– / “Calipso” Ring with white pearl – Ref. ABK60WH – CHF 5,650.– “Calipso” Ring with black pearl – Ref. ARK60BGX1 – CHF 6,250.– / “New Classic” Ring with white pearl – Ref. ASW864H2 – CHF 3,500.– Dress – Fendi (Fendi Boutique, Geneva)

Panerai watch | Radiomir 1940 3 Days 47 MM – Ref. PAM00514 – CHF 7,500.–

Jacket and trousers – Dsquared (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva); Shirt – Dries Van Noten (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva)

Her:

Longines watch | The Longines Saint-Imier Collection – Ref. L2.563.5.88.7 – CHF 2,990.– Wellendorff jewellery “Temptation” Earrings – Ref. 8.8589 – CHF 14,840.– / “Wings of the Sun” Necklace – Ref. 4.6720 – CHF 87,980.– “Comptesse Trio” Bracelet – Ref. 3.4628 – CHF 20,100.– / “Angel’s Hair” Ring – Ref. 6.6995 – CHF 30,300.– “White Angel” Ring – Ref. 6.6976 – CHF 22,740.–

Him:

Jaquet Droz watch | Grande Seconde Quantième – Ref. J007030242 – CHF 9,400.–

Dress – Stella McCartney (Drake Store, Geneva)

Suit – Neil Barrett (Drake Store, Geneva); Shirt – Dries Van Noten (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva)

Her:

Jaeger-LeCoultre watch | Grande Reverso Lady Ultra Thin in steel – Ref. 3308421 – CHF 11,000.– Les Ambassadeurs jewellery Earings – Ref. DG03-2-13090 – CHF 5,450.– / Sautoir necklace – Ref. 13271-CO-002 – CHF 100,500.– Ring with sapphires – Ref. DG03-8-10559 – CHF 3,400.– / Ring set with black diamonds – Ref. DG03-8-10951 – CHF 6,400.– Bracelet – Ref. 15599-BR-001 – CHF 19,630.– / Ring set with black and white diamonds – Ref. DG03-2-13089-53 – CHF 6,300.–

Him:

Dress – Alex Perry (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva)

A. Lange & Söhne watch | Saxonia Automatic – Ref. 380.032 – CHF 24,400.– Suit – Dsquared (Bongénie-Grieder, Geneva); Shirt – Dior (Drake Store, Geneva)

Text: Marie Le Berre

Les Ambassadeurs boutique in Zurich gets a facelift

and is now

more spacious, light

and luxurious than ever

naugurated in November 2013, the new Les Ambassadeurs boutique in Zurich is the last of the group’s four shops to enjoy the benefit of highly refined premises designed and developed by Lucerne architects Bollinger Architektur & Design. The entire boutique, aftersales service and Espace Connaisseur

now occupies a surface area of more than 700 square metres spread over three levels. The tone is already set from the outside, on the listed façade highlighting remarkably luminous display windows. Each brand has its own, forming an harmonious whole in keeping with the

retailer’s custom. Watches are displayed on light backgrounds, in front of streamlined symbolic doors, interspersed with jewellery appearing on brown wooden columns set at regular intervals. Enlightened connoisseurs can also enjoy a glimpse of the exceptional watches that they will be able to discover in more details in the Espace Connaisseur.

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BOUTIQUE_ L.A

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The new ground floor sales area with its warm and refined atmosphere. The first-floor Espace Connaisseur, an intimate and luxurious cocoon. The listed faĂ§ade gives pride of place to splendid display windows. A majestic spiral staircase connects the three floors of the boutique. The sophisticated crystal chandelier construction hangs from the central stairwell and may be admired from all floors.

Inside, a warm atmosphere is created with Botticino marble floors, walls covered in fabric or Venetian stucco, rosewood furniture and leather armchairs. Watches and jewellery are perfectly enhanced by state-of-the-art LED lighting. Specially crafted for the Zurich boutique by a manufacturer in Bologna, a metal and crystal chandelier construction hangs from the central spiral stairwell. Modules composed of mobile rings go all the way up and the monumental work can be admired from every floor.

The after-sales service in the basement can be easily accessed from the huge ground floor reserved for the sale of watches and jewellery from more than 30 prestigious brands. The four watchmakers, capable of handling most repairs, even on especially complicated pieces, work in daylight streaming in from the broad workshop windows. They welcome clients personally and sit comfortably with them to discuss their issues. The various accessories are also exhibited on this level, while in an adjacent room sales personnel take part in training courses on innovations that are regularly organised for them. The more intimate first floor is devoted to the Espace Connaisseur, which has become an essential feature of Les Ambassadeurs boutiques. In Zurich, it is completely modular thanks to panels and bookshelves mounted on rails. This is an intimate, resolutely masculine room with club chairs in polished brown leather, and was designed for collectors and other

watchmaking enthusiasts interested in rare items stored in a high security wall safe. It exrtends into a larger, more brightly-lit room, in which themed evenings are organised and hosted by experts. A bar and cloakroom complete this social space. Lastly, the first floor also accommodates an exhibition space with windows, screen and light wall that partner brands take turns to occupy according to the timepieces and events that they wish to share with their devotees. The Zurich boutique is the only one with this feature, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to stop by any time you are on the Bahnhofstrasse: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely worth a visit!

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L.A _AUCTIONS

Exceptional auction As part of its 50th anniversary festivities, Les Ambassadeurs will be organising at the end of the year an exceptional auction works based on the theme of watchmaking.

Manuel Rebollo, Salamanca (Spain) Manuel Rebello is a young illustrator whose original and refined touch has enabled him to establish himself among the great players in the fashion and publishing worlds. His works intermingle drawings and texts, with the artist endowing typography with an aesthetic dimension and premier symbolic importance. His watchmaking creations are brimming with a pure, uncluttered approach that merrily combines art and technique.

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t a gala dinner celebrated in a prestigious Geneva luxury hotel, and in collaboration with famous auctioneers Sotheby’s, 14 illustrations, autographed by their authors, will be sold and the proceeds donated to charity. The auction will be orchestrated by Geoffrey Ader, European Head of Watches, to whom Les Ambassadeurs extend their warm thanks, as well as to Sotheby’s, for joining them in this exceptional event. The illustrations are part of a series regularly appearing in the form of portfolios in the L.A Magazine published by Les Ambassadeurs group. Bringing together works by international artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, they all share certain fundamentals: a personal, distinctive view of watchmaking; a willingness to share emotions; an interpretation of the watchmaking art through traditional art… These are the ties that Les Ambassadeurs have explored in ways venturing well off the beaten track and giving free rein to artists’ creativity. So, take a look at these exceptional works depicted below and fell free to ask Stéphanie des Arts-Loup (s.desartsloup@ lesambassadeurs.ch) for further information on the auction, since places are limited!

Text: Anne-Caroline Dunet

David Curchod, Lausanne (Switzerland) For David Curchod, paper is at the heart of the artistic process. Perforated, often raw and partially coloured with gouache, his research hovers between painting and light, and between what is visible and what is suggested. A virtuoso in the realm of paper-cutting, the artist creates airy, pĹ&#x201C;tic tri-dimensional compositions. His works for Les Ambassadeurs plunge the spectator into a dream world that is both subtly offbeat and profoundly human.

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L.A _AUCTIONS

Anna Anjos, Sao Paulo (Brazil) Anna Anjos is what one might term an artist with her feet on the ground and her head in the stars. She admits to a boundless passion for colour, shapes and fantasy. Her enchanted universe is consistently imbued with authenticity and joie de vivre. Above all, Anna loves people and lives life to the full! With her, enchantment is instilled into the very heart of watch movements. Bruce Emmett, New York (USA) p An accomplished artist, Bruce Emmet holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He is well versed in the full range of artistic techniques, yet his true strength lies in his ability to handle irony and a quirky touch involving different layers of meaning. His American heritage, combined with his classical training, makes him a direct descendant of the glamorous imagery typical of the great Hollywood era of the 1940s and 50s. He loves pin-ups, the chiaroscuro of German expressionist films and nurtures a true passion for Orson Welles.

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AUCTIONS_ L.A

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Text: Eva-Maria Lindner

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ESPACE CONNAISSEUR_L.A

longside its existing range of prestigious watches, Les Ambassadeurs has a number of exclusive and limited-edition collectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s items presented only in the Espace Connaisseur. Here, Fine Watchmaking enthusiasts can indulge in their passion and admire the collections of rare timepieces from peak brands presented in Buben&ZĂśrweg luxury safes. The Espace Connaisseur also regularly welcomes connoisseurs and aficIonados for informative evenings devoted to Haute Horlogerie and to exchanges with experts. Within a cosy, intimate setting, guests can thus enjoy a variety of presentations on specific topics given by well-known horology specialists as well as experts from renowned brands. A programme featuring some particularly interesting themes has been put in place within the framework of the Les Ambassadeurs 50th anniversary celebrations in 2014. Definitely worth attending!

RENDEZVOUS WITH WATCH LOVERS 50 years of professional watches: sports watches Geneva: Tuesday, 23.9.2014

Watches today are indispensable companions in the most

Zurich: Thursday, 25.9.2014

off with you to discover the world of professional watches

Lugano: Wednesday, 24.9.2014

varied aspects of our daily lives. This evening, we are setting designed for divers, pilots or top-class sportsmen and women. At the same time, we will be presenting avant-garde models that look as if they come from another dimension.

50 years of extraordinary horological complications: striking mechanisms Geneva: Tuesday, 18.11.2014

In an age when there was no electricity or artifical lighting,

Zurich: Thursday, 20.11.2014

chime out the time at the press of a pusher is a complex task,

Lugano: Wednesday, 19.11.2014 people depended on audible signals. Enabling a wristwatch to and we are delighted to examine this mechanism in more detail with you this evening.

More detailed information on the evenings organised in the Espace Connaisseur is available on the http://www.lesambassadeurs.ch/en/connaisseurs.html website, and can also be obtained from our teams in Geneva, Lugano and Zurich.

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L.A _EVENTS

i Inauguration of the new Zurich boutique. s Press conference for the launch of the special 50th anniversary models

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PEOPLE_ L.A

Eli May-Koshiyama Les Ambassadeurs Geneva

What position do you hold at Les Ambassadeurs? I am a Sales Advisor and I am responsible for the Cartier brand. How long have you worked for Les Ambassadeurs? I have been with Les Ambassadeurs for 11 years. What have been the three most important phases in your professional career? I worked for the three biggest multi-brand jewellers in Switzerland. But I have really blossomed at Les Ambassadeurs.

What do you do in your spare time? I devote my time to art. My husband, Tobias May performs in concerts all over the world. He is a musician, writer and composer.

What is your dream watch? The Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious watch because of its mysterious display which hypnotises one with its hands that appear to be floating in mid-air.

What was your first watch? When I turned 18, my parents gave me a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual.

What would your ideal travel destination be? Japan because of my roots. The United States for my friends.

In terms of watchmaking, what is your favourite complication, and why? It is the Tourbillon because it requires true know-how and true meticulousness. This complication which is often positioned on a dial adds an incredible touch to the overall design of a piece.

Lastly, do you have a motto and if so, what? Be at peace with yourself.

Address of the Geneva boutique: Rue du RhĂ´ne 62 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1204 Geneva T. +41 (0)22 318 62 22 geneve@lesambassadeurs.ch

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Paolo Ciurcina Les Ambassadeurs Zurich

What position do you hold at Les Ambassadeurs? I am a watchmaker repairer, employed by the after-sales service in order to ensure daily contact with clients. How long have you worked for Les Ambassadeurs? I have been with Les Ambassadeurs since April 2011. What have been the three most important phases in your professional career? My apprenticeship certificate after four years of training as a watchmaker repairer. When I started my first job at the Bahnhofstrasse. And lastly, when I joined the team at Les Ambassadeurs.

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What do you do in your spare time? I spend it with my family and friends. When I have some spare time, I love going to the movies or eating in a good restaurant. What was your first watch? It was a Swatch that I was given as a gift when I was a child. The first watch I bought myself was a Zenith El Primero Chronomaster – a magnificent chronograph and very interesting. In terms of watchmaking, what is your favourite complication, and why? The perpetual calendar, because of the mechanical interaction within such a small space and a calendar display that doesn’t require the bearer of the watch to make any adjustments whatsoever for decades.

What is your dream watch? I can’t focus on any specific watch, because there are many magnificent models. My dream watch currently is a Breitling Navitimer which I am also wearing. What would your ideal travel destination be? I would love to go back and do a trip to Sardinia. I have already been several times. The island has many very different facets. My personal preference is for beaches and good food. Lastly, do you have a motto and if so, what? Sometimes we think too much and forget to live. Address of the Zurich boutique: Bahnhofstrasse 64 – 8001 Zurich T. +41 (0)44 227 17 17 zuerich@lesambassadeurs.ch

PEOPLE_ L.A

Nadine Spinedi Les Ambassadeurs Lugano

What position do you hold at Les Ambassadeurs? I am doing the second year of my apprenticeship. How long have you worked for Les Ambassadeurs? I have been with Les Ambassadeurs for a year and a half. I started in September 2012. What have been the three most important phases in your professional career? As my professional career didn’t start very long ago, I can safely say that one of the most important phases is having been hired by Les Ambassadeurs. I work and I give my best because I have another important objective which is to pass my business diploma.

What do you do in your spare time? I love skiing and spending my spare time with my family and friends. What was your first watch? At the moment I am wearing a Longines Dolce Vita. In terms of watchmaking, what is your favourite complication, and why? I find moon phases fascinating and it was one of the first complications that I studied. I am intrigued by the world of astronomy. What is your dream watch? My dream is of one day wearing a gem-set Saxonia model by A. Lange & Söhne.

What would your ideal travel destination be? There are so many ideal destinations! I would like to go back to the USA and also to visit Australia. Lastly, do you have a motto and if so, what? A calm sea never made a good sailor.

Address of the Lugano boutique: Via Nassa 5 – 6900 Lugano T. +41 (0)91 923 51 56 lugano@lesambassadeurs.ch

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Martina Sklenarova Les Ambassadeurs St. Moritz

What position do you hold at Les Ambassadeurs? I am a Sales Advisor. But as we are a small team, I am also involved in other things such as administration and decoration. All this contributes to making me feel at home in my working environment. How long have you worked for Les Ambassadeurs? I haven’t been here long – I started in October 2013. I think that given the number of brands we represent, I will always have new things to learn and this is a fascinating job. What have been the three most important phases in your professional career? The first was my university degree which I obtained in the Czech Republic. That certainly helped me to get my career off the ground. The second was a study grant abroad, without which I would never have

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come to Switzerland. The third phase started with Les Ambassadeurs! What do you do in your spare time? My favourite thing is being with my children or exercising. What was your first watch? It was a watch by a Russian brand called Tschaika that I was given when I was still a child. There wasn’t much available at the time in the Czech Republic. In terms of watchmaking, what is your favourite complication, and why? It is definitely the minute repeater. Why? Because the sound enables you to attain another dimension. Suddenly, the watch also appears to have a “voice”. And just knowing that this important complication was invented several hundred years ago is more than fascinating.

What is your dream watch? There are so many beautiful watches. Sadly I can’t make up my mind. A typically feminine reaction! What would your ideal travel destination be? That depends more on who I am travelling with. There are so many places that I would like to see. I am very attracted to Thailand, Vietnam and Peru. Lastly, do you have a motto and if so, what? What does not kill you, makes you stronger.

Address of the St. Moritz boutique: Palace Galerie – 7500 St. Moritz T. +41 (0)81 833 51 77 stmoritz@lesambassadeurs.ch

Foreword

From simple Café to Boutique

es Ambassadeurs was founded in 1964. In 2014, the company is celebrating its 50th birthday. By coincidence, the year it was founded, the Café “Les Ambassadeurs” on Geneva’s Rue du Rhône closed down. This was a famous bistro, which was regarded as one of the most sought-after meeting places among diplomatic circles for 20 years. The founder of the company turned out to be a true visionary when he decided to adopt this name which was both nice sounding and meaningful and which clearly expressed the corporate philosophy. It was in the building formerly housing the café that the first Boutique – now one of four – opened. And as has been the case throughout the past 50 years, being cutting-edge ambassadors for its longterm loyal partners is still a great honour for Les Ambassadeurs’ employees – be it in the realm of luxury watches or high-quality jewellery. As in the preceding L.A Magazine, the second 50th anniversary portfolio will be an opportunity to present fascinating and decisive moments in the history of Les Ambassadeurs. Some of the key elements in the history of the development of Les Ambassadeurs can be traced from client services through the steady development of the brand to the final slogan “The Leading House of Leading Names”. But in this edition, as a house of brands, Les Ambassadeurs also remains true to one overriding aspiration: a passion for beautiful watches and unique jewellery. Café Les Ambassadeurs in the 1950s

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In its customers’ service A mechanical watch needs to be taken care of and Les Ambassadeurs’ after-sales service is one of its strong points. At Les Ambassadeurs, clients can depend on highly qualified watchmakers, who are there to cater to their every need in every establishment. This has been the case for the past five decades. And naturally will continue to be in the future.

In the 1970s, Les Ambassadeurs Boutiques made an almost futuristic impression. The chromed steel and the long sales counters with their lightcoloured, white and modern design were inspired by the aesthetics in the sci-fi films of the time. The Boutiques represented far more than simple points of sale; they were a tribute to luxury watches in a “high-tech” environment. Depots filled with a wide variety of supplies, spare parts and other elements provided an indispensable complement to the customised display. Already at that time, these parts formed the basis of a reliable, exhaustive after-sales service that top movers and shakers appreciated to the full. Amongst them was Sean Connery alias James Bond, who entrusted his watch to the Geneva boutique for repair.

To this day, with its Boutiques featuring a new design and streamlined style, Les Ambassadeurs considers its after-sales service to be its number one priority. On the lower floor of each shop, the in-house specialists take charge of watches requiring repairs. The literal transparency of the workshops enables Les Ambassadeurs’ clients to have an idea of the maintenance required by a watch. In this respect, the watchmakers’ professional, specialised advice is a key value amongst the after-sales services offered.

from the workshops of its brand partners. This encompasses various events, notably including watch and jewellery presentations. As both intermediary and emissary, Les Ambassadeurs hopes through these occasions to encourage direct contact between clients and brand partners: “creating a connection between people and brands” is indeed the mantra of the company philosophy. With its Espace Connaisseur, a meeting place for watch admirers and devotees, Les Ambassadeurs has created a setting in which clients can relax and admire impressive collector’s items in peace and quiet. Evenings devoted to connoisseurs and fans are organised in the Espace Connaisseur on select themes, with talks given by well recognised guest speakers in the world of watchmaking and experts from the most renowned watch brands.

1. Excerpt from Les Ambassadeurs’ gazette, June 1979 2. Regular Swiss customers in the 1970s 3. After-sales service reception counters in Zurich in the 1970s 4. Goldsmithing and watch movement workshop at 64 Bahnhofstrasse, in the 1970s 5. Modern watchmaking workshop behind a transparent glass façade, 2014 6. Depot with spare parts, 1970s

Les Ambassadeurs traditionally offers a first-class sales platform for products

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1 All Les Ambassadeursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; employees have always been trained on the different models and collections. They benefit from ongoing further training in the form of specialised workshops. Les Ambassadeurs owns a perfectly equipped training centre at the main headquarters in Zurich for this purpose. Clients can thus be sure that sales advisors have the appropriate experience, even given the wide choice of brands.

Ever since its foundation, Les Ambassadeurs has always focused on the wishes of both its national and international clients. Still today, much of the clientele is Swiss and local roots have always been regarded as very important and are still amongst its basic values. This element has played a key role in its choice of location with boutiques located in town centres near prestigious hotels, banks and shopping areas, and thus close to clients and loyal or potential clients. In earlier times, one could still reach the doors of the shops and Boutiques by bus, even the prestigious addresses such as on Zurichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bahnhofstrasse. The above picture taken during summer 1971 shows three buses parked in front of the Boutique on the Bahnhofstrasse. The Japanese tourists they brought to Les Ambassadeurs were part of the first Asian groups to have joined the circle of the most significant clients during the following years. Today, the Boutiques are more focused on individual clients and small groups.

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1. Training centre in Zurich, 1970s 2. Les Ambassadeurs present at watchmaking events, 1960s 3. Every year, Les Ambassadeurs organises a number of events 4. The first tour buses with groups of Japanese tourists parked in front of the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, 1971 5. Sales advice for Japanese clientele 6. Serving the Japanese clientele: Les Ambassadeurs, 1980s

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Jasmine Audemars Partner to many famous brands, it is however with Audemars Piguet that Les Ambassadeurs has nurtured its longest collaboration. From its beginnings, it has offered the prestigious watches made by the only Swiss watchmaker still owned by its founding family. Jasmine Audemars, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Manufacture, explains this longevity and describes the future of the sector.

For how long have you known Les Ambassadeurs? It gœs back to the foundation of the company. For us, Les Ambassadeurs has been an important partner in Switzerland since the beginning. In a family of watchmakers, it is quite usual to talk about partners. It has been like that since my childhood and when I was growing up. As a result, I was introduced to this world very early on. Since I have been chairing Audemars Piguet, I visit Les Ambassadeurs boutiques whenever I am travelling. Certain brands prefer to be represented in mono-brand boutiques. What is your stance on this development? It is undoubtedly an important development in which we have participated by opening our own boutiques. That dœsn’t prevent us from continuing to work extensively with partners with a multi-brand strategy. Les Ambassadeurs maintains essential contacts with our ever-increasing number of end clients. That applies just as much to the after-sales service as it dœs to sales themselves. In both these domains we need the know-how of partners such as Les Ambassadeurs. During the past few years, we have nevertheless had to reduce our too extensive sales network and focus on solid partners. What is the relevance of the after-sales service in this new strategy? It is a key issue for the entire watchmaking industry, and in fact one of the most important challenges facing of all us. This is particularly true of luxury brands, since clients want global information on their watch and on possible repairs. The same thing gœs for watchmaking around the world. When a part breaks, the client wants to know exactly which element it was and when he or she will get the watch back. Has that not always been the case? Unfortunately not! There were many recurrent mistakes. Today, more than ever we need well-trained people.

Currently, we are also training watchmakers from Singapore with this in mind. In fact, Asia represents an important developing market for us. We send watchmakers to Asia and train Asian watchmakers here in Le Brassus. This cultural exchange has immense importance and value for both sides. A young watchmaker from our valley can acquire a great deal of experience by working in Singapore for a year or two. What are the keys to selling watchmaking and jewellery when it comes to meeting clients’ requirements? Les Ambassadeurs is a model in this respect and its Espace Connaisseur is an exceptional concept. This global customer service creates a close relationship with buyers and provides important and essential information. These are indispensable elements these days, when it comes to luxury watches. All watchmaking salespeople should follow this path. This corresponds to the true needs of our sector. In interviews, you always talk about the “genuine experience” that Audemars Piguet represents. Can you explain what this is about? We enjoy talking about it, since this concept is linked to our history. When they come to us, watchmaking clients and sales advisors must know our history. They need to discover the origins of our watch brand in the Vallée de Joux, in Le Brassus. It is not enough just to see the Manufacture, one also needs to understand that our valley’s art of Haute Horlogerie has a history that dates back to well before the founding of Audemars Piguet. The watchmaking expertise in our valley is unique in the world. It is up to us to preserve it and to move it forward.

Display of Audemars Piguet watches in the 1960s.

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What are the markets of tomorrow in your opinion? Europe and Switzerland remain the priority, even though Asia is a strong market and South America represents a substantial market for our watches. We are convinced that if local demand is high, it will be elsewhere too. This

1964-2014

is an aspect that we must not forget. In future we must continually maintain and develop a certain balance between the markets that will help prevent us from becoming dependent on the economic development of a particular region of the world.

How has Audemars Piguet developed in the past 50 years? In the 1960s, we were a small brand that employed a maximum of 150 people in Le Brassus. Most of our watches were dispatched by local post. Like all the other brands, we were part of the distribution revolution and have built up a solid sales network, especially over the past ten or 15 years. Since then, a lot has changed. Our workforce used to be mainly composed of watchmakers, whereas today we have specialists in all domains, from marketing to finance through to the legal department. Previously, an outside lawyer looked after a few cases, but this would no longer be possible today. You worked in journalism for a long time, notably as the editor of the Journal de GenĂ¨ve. Were you also involved in the watchmaking industry then? I was involved in this sector when I was a journalist in the economic department. After becoming editor-in-chief, it was no longer my beat. I maintained a certain distance while holding this position, so as to avoid any conflict of interest. But I have always had watchmaking in my blood because I grew up in a family of watchmakers here in Le Brassus. In my family conversations were almost exclusively about watches and our sector. I clearly remember the launch of the Royal Oak, as well as all the discussions with my father about the issues of that period.

Photo: Marvin Zilm

How do you view the long-term prospects for the Swiss watchmaking industry? The Swiss watchmaking industry needs to protect the exceptional position it holds. It will achieve this by making the right decisions. One of the key issues currently facing the sector is that all its stakeholders want to be part of the luxury segment, whereas we must nonetheless not neglect the mid-range and entry-level segments, because the watchmaking industry is a pyramid. If the base is fragile, the entire pyramid runs the risk of collapsing. But fortunately, we have Swatch. This brand has given our industry solid foundations and I hope things will continue in this vein.

Jasmine Audemars has been the Chairwoman of the Audemars Piguet Board of Directors since 1992. A graduate in social science and economic history, she served as editor of the Journal de GenĂ¨ve from 1980 to 1992, and was one of the first women to hold a position of this nature. She is the great-granddaughter of Jules-Louis Audemars, founder of the company. Audemars Piguet is the only major luxury watchmaking manufacturer to have remained in the hands of the family. Jasmine Audemars is the co-founder of the Cultural Council of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie.

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Corporate story The strong visibility of the brand is due as much to the door symbol as to the Les Ambassadeurs’ slogan. Both are a representation of the multi-brand concept that has proven its worth. Since it was founded, Les Ambassadeurs has placed a high premium on having a suitable visual identity.

Longstanding employees at Les Ambassadeurs enjoy telling the tale that a long time ago already, it was almost impossible for a pedestrian to walk past the windows of one of Les Ambassadeurs’ boutiques without looking at them. Right from the day they opened, the designs that were consistently unusual and indeed sometimes radical, contributed to attracting attention. Display windows have always been designed in line with the inside decoration, and both are resolutely up to date. Designer Joël Racine, who served

for many years as head decorator for Les Ambassadeurs, played a key role in this regard. He had a definite gift for capturing the aesthetic trends of his time and skilfully transforming them. The display windows were redone four times a year – at each change of season – with the most recent collections, and enhanced with festive decorations before Christmas. Futuristic interior design from the 1970s, with detail

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No pedestrian could walk past the windows without having a look

At the end of the 1970s, Les Ambassadeurs began to work on a new visual identity for its media image. The coloured squares on a plain background swiftly became a distinctive mark with extensive visibility â&#x20AC;&#x201C; despite it being abstract. The CEO at the time, Heinz O. Weber, invested heavily in advertising in the print media. His aim was to develop the Swiss client base. Catalogues and luxury magazines were produced in collaboration with Weber. A vinyl record with Swiss folk music, intended as a corporate gift, was also created at this time and became something of a curiosity in the history of Les Ambassadeurs. The summary appearing on the cover mainly sought to familiarise foreign

clients with the panorama of the Swiss Alps, and was entirely in Japanese and English. The catalogues of the period were the predecessors of the L.A Magazine, which today is right up there with them from an aesthetic point of view.

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Les Ambassadeurs’ record with folk music and a panoramic picture of the Alps, circa 1981

Bag from the 1980s

Title page from a Les Ambassadeurs’ catalogue, 1978

Les Ambassadeurs has always been a benchmark in terms of the graphic quality of its publications: catalogues and gazettes from 1978-1982

Additionally, it was under Heinz O. Weber that the slogan “The Leading House for Leading Names” was introduced. At the end of the 1990s, the CEO at the time, Patrick Frischknecht, took over this mantra and transformed it to “The Leading House of Leading Names”. The visual identity in 1995 was also revamped accordingly, and slightly adapted. At the time, the advertising agency and graphic designer Frédéric Dubois very enthusiastically developed a concept that proved to be a huge success in the long term. Behind this concept was the idea of the doors symbol. This was intended to attribute a door to each brand specially designed for it, with the doors presented together in alphabetical order. The graphic design of the image continued to develop until it reached the current form in 2013. The united doors of the brands ended up forming a whole house and became the distinguishing mark of Les Ambassadeurs. The slogan and the symbolism of the doors continue to make a key contribution to promoting the brand’s extensive visibility.

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Les Ambassadeurs launched a luxury publication in 2007 with its own magazine, L.A Magazine, which presents both the most recent creations from the partner brands and information regarding the values and development of watchmaking. Its clear, completely independent concept laid the first stone of a magazine that is still playing a frontrunner role in the world of watchmaking. Published every six months in a run of 80,000 copies, it unites information, interviews and specific corporate advertising within a perfectly coherent whole. The magazine has become Les Ambassadeurs’ most important “ambassador” with the media. In the same way as the design of the boutiques, the aesthetics are central to the design of the magazine.

First visual identity, 1995

Colour interpretation circa 2000 G EN ÈV E

ZÜ R I C H

+41 22 318 62 22

+41 44-227 17 17

RUE DU RHÔNE 62

BAHNHOFSTRASSE 64

APP LES AMBASSADEURS AVAILABLE ON TABLETS FOR IOS AND ANDROID W W W. L E S A M B A S S A D E U R S . C H

LU GA N O

ST-M ORITZ

VIA NASSA 5

PALACE GALERIE

+41 91-923 51 56

+41 81-833 51 77

Current visual identity, 2013

Visual identity circa 2007

RUE DU RHÔNE 39, 12 04 GENÈVE +41 22 318 62 22

Long-serving head decorator at Les Ambassadeurs, Joël Racine learnt his trade at OMEGA. One of his most famous works at the time was the legendary “Uhrzeitfenster” produced for Swiss television. The logo represented an image that was dear to Swiss households for several decades. Today its charming sobriety still wins hearts.

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Photo: Marvin Zilm

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Rolf Richner’s classic watches

Clients and young sales staff have enjoyed the benefit of his huge experience and vast knowledge of watches and jewellery for the past 40 years. Part 2

Rolf Richner joined Les Ambassadeurs in 1973 as a sales consultant. After training as a chef (his parents owned a restaurant in Zurich) he sought a challenge in a different domain – something that would fulfil his desire for interpersonal contact and his love of high-end products with convincing quality. For Les Ambassadeurs, recruiting him was a lucky break. For many years, amongst other things, he was Branch Manager of the Zurich boutique. For this jubilee, Rolf Richner

presents his ten most precious and most appreciated objects from the great art of watchmaking (in two parts). Watchfinder helps you find the watch of your dreams in just a few clicks. You have the choice of more than 2,000 models from 20 brands selected according to different criteria: http://www.lesambassadeurs.ch/watchfinder/. This tool is also available as an app for tablets and android devices.

The Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre “Polo players always came up against the same problem: the glass of their wristwatches was repeatedly scratched or broken after an intense match. Famous manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre developed the Reverso with its reversible case at the request of British officers deployed in India. The back of the watch was generally engraved with a coat-of-arms. This model was launched in 1931 and the Reverso is a true icon of the Art Deco movement, with the cult still very much alive. This watch is characterised by a space that may be completely personalised – and anything is possible, from engraving to precious stones. Most clients choose a monogram. Jaeger-LeCoultre also has the particularity of manufacturing the world’s smallest mechanical watch movement. It is used for specific models made by the brand.”

Reverso Classique – Ref. 270 84 10

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1964-2014

Calibre 6395

The moon phase watch by Blancpain “When moon phase watches were fashionable 30 years ago, many brands made them. While not many have lasted, one of them is a Blancpain watch that has become a great classic: an authentic and enduring legend displaying the calendar, moon phases and leap years. Blancpain has opted to focus on just such precious details and reintroduced the traditional classic to the market, with a modern new look. Moreover, Blancpain produces watch movements that are amongst the thinnest and most complex in the world!”

White ceramic J12, Ref. H2570

Coco Chanel

The J12 by Chanel “Some time ago I attended an event organised by a watch brand. What struck me was that a third of the women present were wearing a Chanel watch on their wrists – which is not surprising given the watch. Chanel began to manufacture the J12 in 2000, the idea at the time being to create a sporty, elegant ceramic watch! The white version was added to the black version in 2003. The J12 is produced in Switzerland. It is designed for women of the world. Despite its youth, it is amongst my great classics.”

Villeret Complete moon phase calendar Single push-button chronograph – Ref. 6685-3642-55 B

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1964-2014

Pocket-watch Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges model, circa 1860

Cintrée Curvex Classic, Ref. 8880 SC DT Curvex by Franck Muller “The launch of an exceptional Curvex design in the 1980s came at exactly the right time. Franck Muller’s watches became an overnight sensation. The best known amongst them are models with barrel or “tonneau” shaped cases giving them an aesthetically harmonious appearance. Franck Muller is distinguished by its precious dials. Like the dial, the glass is also convex. The perfect shape is sheer extravagance. We love showing off what we have.”

Cat’s Eye – Ref. 8048 4D52 A761-BK7A

Assembling the watch movement

Cat’s Eye by Girard-Perregaux “Whenever one mentions Girard-Perregaux, many people immediately think of the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges. But my opinion is that one should also pay particular attention to the Cat’s Eye, one of the most beautiful ladies’ watches on the market. The case is oval and positioned horizontally, as implied by the name of the watch. This is the perfect watch for a slim wrist. It can be very restrained, covered in diamonds or equipped with complications that will undoubtedly fascinate the women who wear it.”

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1964-2014

Symbol of love

o mention only the most famous performers, Marilyn Monroe extolled its virtues and the same gœs for Madonna and Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé and Rihanna. They have brought us timeless songs, from Diamonds are a girl’s best friend to Shine bright like a diamond. And Sean Connery alias James Bond is not the only hero to have given diamonds a place in movie heritage thanks to the unforgettable film Diamonds are forever. Movie stars and musical greats enabled the most precious of all stones to experience an unprecedented rise in the latter half of the 20th century to become the most moving of all gifts. Diamonds have become the symbol of a stable relationship. The fashion did not only start in the United States in musical form, but diamonds swiftly also became synonymous with marriage proposals in North America. Japan took over this tradition during the 1970s, and men in Switzerland in turn discovered that in the eyes of their beloved, a diamond ring represented a declaration of eternal trust and love. As the king of precious stones, the diamond with its unique aura became the number one symbol for lovers. With “Diamonds of Excellence” Les Ambassadeurs meets extremely high standards with regard to this rare, much sought-after gem. Each stone is selected according to its beauty and its unique character in terms of clarity, carat weight or colour, expressed in all shapes and sizes. In particular, Les Ambassadeurs is the only jeweller in the whole world to whom the great English jeweller Graff entrusts its unique diamond creations outside of its own boutiques.

Portfolio by: Public History Research (Zürich, Switzerland), Agency devoted to research and historical publications.

Marilyn Monroe

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DISPLAY MODES_ L.A Text: David Chokron

Must-have features on watches and clocks since Medieval times, hands are nonetheless sometimes replaced by alternative solutions. Horological creativity is expressed in the quest for other types of display.

n o e

tim

hile pointing may be considered impolite, there’s no better way of telling the time. Hands pointing towards the periphery of a dial are the most obvious possible display mode – whether it comes to seconds, minutes, hours or longer time-frames. Despite this, a number of experiments have sought to supersede the apparently inescapable dauphine, dagger, open-tipped, gothic and other types of hands. Over the past 50 years, three major revolutions in particular have attempted to erase the past and offer innovative solutions. Discs become the new cool The first revolution took place in the 1960s. Buoyed up a wave of freedom, radical ideas and the fresh breeze blowing through the field of design, discs began popping up all over the place. The concept is quite simple: instead of having a hand turn around a dial, why not give the information directly and instantly? A large disc bearing the required scales is fitted beneath the dial, which features an opening. The concept had in fact been around for decades in the form of jumping hours – a classic watchmaking feature, but confined to showing the hours in alphanumerical form, with the minutes still displayed with a hand. Audemars Piguet continues to use jumping hours in models such as its Jules Audemars Minute Repeater with Jumping Hours, as too does Cartier with the Rotonde de Cartier Jumping Hours watch with index. Bovet also interprets this horological complication in a number of more or less complex models, the latest of which is the Collection Dimier Récital 15. The radical step taken in the 1960s was that of putting everything on discs, a concept now picked up by Bell&Ross on its BR 01 Red Radar in a dragging or trailing version, meaning with constantly

Vacheron Constantin, Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

Cartier, Rotonde de Cartier Jumping Hour watch with index

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L.A _DISPLAY MODES

A. Lange & Söhne, Zeitwerk

moving discs. The Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac series by Vacheron Constantin model uses four discs surrounding a microsculpture on the theme of the 12 animals of the Chinese calendar. One far more complex variation consists of having all the numerals jump – hours, tens of minutes and individual minutes. Such is the case with the Zeitwerk by A. Lange & Söhne, powered by an extremely complex mechanism that has to handle the significant accelerations and decelerations induced by each disc jump.

Bovet, Collection Dimier Récital 15

Audemars Piguet, Jules Audemars Minute Repeater with Jumping Hours

Page 50 | L.A 14 |

Bell&Ross, BR 01 Red Radar

Electroshock The second revolution was almost concurrent with the first, but this time it meant no more hands, no dial, no mechanism… The quartz-driven digital watch invented a whole new form of display. Full, lit-up numerals sped across a narrow black screen. Surrounded until the 1980s by an almost sci-fi aura of technical progress, the electronic watch ended up being considered as commonplace, after a period when it represented the height of luxury and the epitome of the future. 30 years later, a fringe movement of inventive watchmakers began ‘updating’ the digital revolution, which in fact meant infusing it with the current taste for historical watchmaking. They thus adapted it to the world of mechanical horology, earning them great renown… and severe headaches. Displaying digital numerals using gear wheels is an incredibly complex feat and a challenge successfully taken up by the teams of the Renaud&Papi complications workshop for the Harry Winston Opus project. Opus 8 displays on demand hours formed by tiny segments similar to those of our digital alarm clocks. In this respect, the project embodied the third revolution in displays. Driven by a gener-

DISPLAY MODES_ L.A

Jaquet Droz, Grande Heure Onyx

Ulysse Nardin, Freak Diavolo

Hublot, MP-02 Key Of Time

ation of innovative, disruptive and entertaining watchmakers, it transcended the traditional boundaries of their art. Readaptations This generation emerged in the 2000s and is still evolving. It sets no limits other than to remain within realm of mechanical watchmaking. These watchmakers divert the hand from its traditional usage, since it remains a fascinating working basis and far more adaptable than one might think. One can stick to just one, as in the Grande Heure by Jaquet Droz. The hour thus becomes more vague, less important and less dramatic. More complex and even crazy hand shapes have also appeared. Instead of a cut-out and painted piece of metal, some models use a functional ‘load-bearing’ element of the movement itself. Such is the idea behind the Freak by Ulysse Nardin, in which the movement is the hand, and vice versa. The regular rotation of the mechanism also serves to tell the time. It’s all a matter of synchronising form and function. For Urwerk, a rotating carrousel carries cubes inscribed with the hours and moving across a graduated time scale. The next hour takes up its appointed place while the previous one travels inside the watch where it undergœs successive rotations and transformations. There is nothing conventional about this display principle, and that can certainly be viewed as positive, since conventions are made to be flouted. Indeed, the most fundamental of them all has been shattered by Hublot. The MP-02 Key of Time gives a deliberately irregular time. The wearer can choose the speed at which it moves, thus transforming scientific and objective time into subjective and deliberately chosen time. This other time is possible… at least in your dreams!

Urwerk, UR-210

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+ + + =

23 WATCHES

TRY OUR NEW WATCHFINDER ON W W W. L E SA M BA S SA D EU RS .C H A N D O N TA B L E TS (available for IOS & Android)

WAT C H E S A .La nge & Söhne A udem a rs Piguet Bell & Ros s Bla ncpa in Bov et Breguet Breit ling Ca rt ier Cha nel Fra nck Muller Gira rd- Perregaux Greubel Fors ey Ha rry Wins t on Hublot Ja eger- LeCoult re Ja erm a nn & St übi Jaquet Droz Longines Pa nera i Roger Dubuis Ulys s e Na rdin Urwerk Vacheron Cons ta nt in Vulca in Buben& Zörweg Vert u All prices indicated are subject to change.

& M O R E Texts: Olivier Müller & Soraia Glarner

L.A _NEW MODELS

A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 Moonphase & 1815

Lange & Söhne has reached for the moon and given it centre-stage on the Grand Lange 1. Its intense blue colour stems from an unusual chromatic composition studded with more than 300 stars. Its 41 mm pink gold case houses a hand-wound Manufacture movement with an exceptional 72-hour power reserve. In parallel, the whole spirit of Ferdinand A. Lange is echoed in the new 1815: a timeless design; a Manufacture movement; the discretion of a new 38.50 millimetre case. By inviting the essence of Saxony watchmaking to grace a silver dial in a pure, uncluttered style, A. Lange & Söhne has created a timepiece vividly echoing its historical pocketwatches.

Ref. 139.032

Grand Lange 1 Moonphase Movement mechanical hand-wound, Manufacture Calibre L095.3. Power reserve: 72 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds with stop seconds, large date. Power-reserve indication. Moon-phase indication. Case 18K pink gold. Diameter: 41 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Dial solid silver. Strap hand-sewn crocodile leather. Price CHF 45,600.– Ref. 235.026

1815

Movement Functions Case Dial Strap Price

mechanical hand-wound, Manufacture Calibre L051.1. Power reserve: 55 hours. hours, minutes, small seconds with stop seconds. 18K white gold. Diameter: 38.50 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. solid silver. hand-sewn crocodile leather. CHF 24,600.–

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Audemars Piguet

Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph & Quartz Royal Oak Offshore

ith its “Méga Tapisserie” motif, 42 mm diameter and octagonal bezel, the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph remains true to its sporting chic origins. In 2014, Audemars Piguet treats it to an intense blue interpretation, while its chronograph counters feature an orange hand denoting its athletic nature. This model is driven by a selfwinding Manufacture movement that may be admired through the sapphire case-back. The ladies’ version maintains the same taut lines, crown guard and “Méga Tapisserie” motif framed by the famous octagonal bezel – which now appears set with 32 diamonds lending unprecedented sparkle. Audemars Piguet has clothed this model in white so as to accentuate its pristine design.

Ref. 26470ST.OO.A027CA.01

Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Movement mechanical self-winding, Manufacture Calibre 3126/3840. Power reserve: 55 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. Chronograph with sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Case steel. Diameter: 42 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial blue with “Méga Tapisserie” motif. Strap rubber. Price CHF 24,400.– Ref. 67540SK.ZZ.A010CA.01

Quartz Royal Oak Offshore Movement quartz, Manufacture Calibre 2714. Functions hours, minutes, date. Case steel with rubber-clad gem-set bezel and crown. Diameter: 37 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 50 m. Dial light silver-toned with central “Méga Tapisserie” motif. Strap rubber. Price CHF 15,300.– Total carat weight: 1.02 cts. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year. | L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Bell & Ross

BR03-90 B-Rocket & BR03-94 Carbon Orange

lack for its non-reflective properties, white for readability, orange to echo aviation controls: the aptly named BR03-94 Carbon Orange is every inch a topflight model! Bell & Ross has infused these 42 mm with the full force of its aviation expertise – from the square case echoing aircraft instrument panels to the broad and sturdy fabric strap, as well as the oversized 12 and 6 o’clock numerals guaranteeing optimal readability. Meanwhile, the BR03-90 B-Rocket keeps its wheels firmly on the ground and its hands on the steering wheel. This model born of a partnership between Bell & Ross and Harley Davidson features a large date at 12 o’clock that echoes the gauge… displaying its 42-hour power reserve. The trailblazing, rebellious Rocket carries the scent of hot tarmac reminiscent of the legendary 1960s races! Ref. BR0390-B-Rocket

BR03-90 B-Rocket Movement mechanical self-winding, Soprod Calibre 9090 on ETA 2892 base movement. Functions hours, minutes, seconds. Large date at 12 o’clock. Power-reserve indication at 6 o’clock. Case satin-brushed and polished steel. Diameter: 42 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial matt black with photoluminescent openworked hands. Strap leather and synthetic canvas. Price CHF 5,300.– Limited edition of 500. Ref. BR0394-O-CA

BR03-94 Carbon Orange Movement mechanical self-winding, ETA Calibre 2894. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Chronograph with central sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute and 60-second counters. Case steel with black PVD finish. Diameter: 42 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial matt black with photoluminescent numerals, hour-markers and hands. Strap orange canvas and black rubber. Price CHF 5,800.– Limited edition of 500.

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Blancpain

Villeret 8 Jours & Women Heure Décentrée

he embodiment of pure elegance, the new Villeret gives pride of place to Grand Feu enamel. A fullfledged watchmaking art, it instils inalterable purity into an absolute white subtly highlighted by a domed dial. Its Manufacture-made beating heart has an unusually generous eight-day power reserve. For ladies, the Women Heure Décentrée model plays on originality conveyed through deceptive appearances: its 152 diamonds are all of a different size; its small seconds is of the retrograde type; its mother-of-pearl dial is not smooth but finely chased; and its hour-markers place a generous “6” in the dial centre. With the Women Heure Décentrée, Fine Watchmaking is more playful than ever.

Ref. 6630-3631-55B

Villeret 8 Jours Movement mechanical self-winding, Blancpain Calibre 1335. Power reserve: 8 days. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Case 18K red gold. Diameter: 42 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial domed in white Grand Feu enamel. Strap alligator leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 27,000.– Ref. 3650A-3754-58B

Women Heure Décentrée Movement mechanical self-winding, Blancpain Calibre 2663SR. Power reserve: 72 hours. Functions offset hours and minutes. Retrograde small seconds. Case 18K red gold set with diamonds. Diameter: 36.80 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial white mother-of-pearl set with diamonds. Strap leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 30,800.– Total carat weight: 1.24 cts.

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Bovet

AMADEO® Fleurier Tourbillon Virtuoso III & Récital 12 “Monsieur DIMIER”

ith the AMADEO® Fleurier Tourbillon Virtuoso III, the House gives a new spurt of momentum to its Grande Complication models. The design of this model features the same central time display, while the perpetual calendar as well as the 12 o’clock leap-year and powerreserve indicators are mounted on sapphire discs, and the tourbillon is majestically enthroned at 6 o’clock. The AMADEO® case serves to transform the timepiece into a reversible wristwatch, a table clock or a pocket-watch with no need for tools. The Récital 12 “Monsieur DIMIER” is fitted with a hand-wound movement stemming from a full five years of development. Dial-makers, case-makers and watchmakers have worked together to achieve an impeccable degree of manual finishing, for this watch equipped with a 42 mm case in 18K red gold.

Ref. AIQPR003

AMADEO® Fleurier Tourbillon Virtuoso III Movement mechanical hand-wound, Calibre Virtuoso III Spécialité Horlogère DIMIER 1738. Power reserve: 5 days. Functions hours, minutes, retrograde calendar with indication of the date, day, month and leap year, tourbillon with seconds indication, power-reserve indication, reversed hand-fitting. Case 18K red gold. Diameter: 46 mm. Convertible into a wristwatch, a pocket-watch, a table clock (AMADEO® system). Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Strap alligator leather. Price CHF 324,000.– Delivered with an 18K red gold chain.

Limited edition of 39.

Ref. DTR12-42RG-000-W1-01

Récital 12 “Monsieur DIMIER” Movement mechanical hand-wound, Calibre Virtuoso II Spécialité Horlogère DIMIER 1738. Power reserve: 7 days. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, power-reserve indication. Case 18K red gold. Diameter: 42 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Strap alligator leather. Price CHF 41,100.– Limited edition of 100. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Breguet

Classique Dame 9068 & Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797

ourbillon, Perpetual Calendar: these attributes alone sum up the horological excellence of this new Breguet Classique. The full attention of the Manufacture has been devoted to the aesthetic harmony of the dial, thus ensuring that the reading of the day, date and month is immediate and intuitive. For the very first time on this model, the legendary hollow-tipped hands sweep over an offset sapphire disc, echoing the tourbillon positioned at 6 o’clock and enlivening a delicately curved architecture. On the ladies’ side, the same classicism pervades the finely gem-set 9068. This white gold version creates subtle light effects thanks to the multiple variations of its hand-guilloché patterns. Ref. 9068BB/12/976 DD00

Classique Dame 9068 Movement mechanical self-winding, Breguet Calibre 591A. Power reserve: 38 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Case 18K white gold with bezel and lugs set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Diameter: 33.50 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial hand-guilloché silvered 18K gold. Individually numbered. Strap leather. Price CHF 25,900.– Total carat weight: 0.61 cts. Ref. 3797BR/1E/9WU

Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel 3797 Movement mechanical hand-wound, Breguet Calibre 558QP2. Power reserve: 50 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon. Retrograde perpetual calendar indicating the date, day of the week, month and leap year. Case 18K pink gold. Diameter: 41 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial silvered 18K gold adorned with four different hand-guilloché motifs. Individually numbered. Strap leather with triple folding clasp. Price CHF 161,000.– These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Breitling

Chronomat 44 Airborne & Navitimer GMT

irborne is the name given to this edition celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Chronomat, the aviation icon by Breitling. This was the model that in 1984 replaced precision timekeeping front and centre of the watchmaking stage. Its 44 mm case frames a black dial with ivory-coloured displays, powered by a Manufacture Breitling calibre chronometer-certified by the COSC. The Navitimer, another iconic model created in 1952, returns in a 48 mm version. This generous diameter ensures perfect readability of the second timezone in 24-hour mode, adjustable via a single crown. This timepiece has all the elements that have forged its success – the black background, aviation slide rule and rotating bezel – now enhanced by a Manufacture calibre with an over 70-hour power reserve. Ref. AB01154G/BD13/101W/A20D.1

Chronomat 44 Airborne Movement mechanical self-winding, Manufacture Breitling Calibre 01. Chronometer-certified by the COSC. Power reserve: 70 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. 1/4th of a second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Case steel. Diameter: 44 mm. Unidirectional ratcheted rotating bezel. Cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both sides. Water-resistant to 500 m. Dial Onyx Black. Strap Military with folding clasp. Price CHF 7,715.– Ref. AB044121/BD24/441X/A20BA.1

Navitimer GMT Movement mechanical self-winding, Manufacture Breitling Calibre B04. Chronometer-certified by the COSC. Power reserve: 70 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. 24-hour second time zone display. 1/4th of a second chronograph, 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Case steel. Diameter: 48 mm. Rotating bezel with circular slide rule. Cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both sides. Sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial black. Strap leather. Price CHF 8,370.– These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Cartier

Ballon Blanc de Cartier watch & Calibre de Cartier Diver watch

he Calibre de Cartier Diver watch is Cartier’s first diver’s watch. It reprises the brand’s signature aesthetic, notably including the sword-shaped hands and oversized XII numeral. In the darkness, a SuperLumiNovaTM treatment lights up the hours, minutes, small seconds and five-minute markers. The screwin case-back protects a self-winding in-house movement. The refined and mischievous Ballon Blanc de Cartier watch enshrines within a dainty 30 mm diameter the vision of a Maison that embodies elegance and creativity. Cartier displays the wealth of its jewellery and watchmaking expertise through a minute track diverted by the crown, as well as the IIII hour-marker that is the in-house preference over the conventional IV Roman numeral; and a coronet of diamonds surrounding its mother-of-pearl dial adorned with two sword-shaped hands.

Ref. WE902071

Ballon Blanc de Cartier watch Movement quartz, Cartier Calibre 056. Functions hours, minutes. Case diamond-set 18K pink gold. Diameter: 30 mm. Crown adorned with a diamond. Sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial flinqué mother-of-pearl. Strap 18K pink gold. Price CHF 41,800.– Total carat weight: 0.87 cts. Ref. W7100056

Calibre de Cartier Diver watch Movement mechanical self-winding, Manufacture Calibre 1904 MC. Power reserve: 48 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. Case steel. Diameter: 42 mm. ADLC-coated unidirectional bezel. Octagonal crown adorned with a facetted synthetic spinel. Sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 300 m. Dial black. Strap rubber. Price CHF 7,400.–

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Chanel J12-365

65, like the days in a year that this emblematic model intends to accompany its owner, or like the 36.50 mm of its diameter. With this new J12, Chanel enriches its classic with a small date as well as small seconds, both at 6 o’clock. Available in black or white, the reference colours of its legendary ceramic case, the J12-365 appears in its black livery with a bezel and crown in beige gold – an exclusive new alloy introduced by the House. The white version features particularly daring gem-setting of both the inner bezel ring and the small seconds. The bold and subtle new J12-365 enriches its predecessor with charming new assets.

Ref. H3838

J12-365

Movement Functions Case Dial Strap Price

mechanical self-winding. Power reserve: 42 hours. hours, minutes, small seconds, date. black high-tech* ceramic. Diameter: 36.50 mm. 18K beige gold bezel. Sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 100 m. black with guilloché motif. 18K beige gold Arabic numerals and hands. black high-tech* ceramic and steel triple folding clasp. CHF 9,250.–

*extremely scratch-resistant high-technology material. Ref. H3841

J12-365

Movement Functions Case

Dial Strap Price

mechanical self-winding. Power reserve: 42 hours. hours, minutes, small seconds, date. white high-tech* ceramic and steel set with diamonds. Diameter: 36.50 mm. Sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 100 m. opaline with guilloché motif. Diamond-set small seconds counter. white high-tech* ceramic and steel triple folding clasp. CHF 13,050.–

Total carat weight: 0.7 cts. *extremely scratch-resistant high-technology material. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Franck Muller Vanguard & Long Island Quartz

he Vanguard breaks with the brand’s usual design codes, the better to reappropriate them. It picks up the 12 Arabic numerals that have become its aesthetic signature. As if to contain the sheer power of the model, a titanium tonneau-shaped case endows it with soft black curves. On the dial side, the watch bears three luminescent hands and a date window, all driven by a self-winding Manufacture calibre. The Long Island Quartz is one of Franck Muller’s most iconic models. The ladies’ version draws inspiration from the Art Deco movement for its central minute track and its broad numerals that are both straight and generously curved. This timepieces comes in an 18K pink gold outfit teamed with a hand-sewn alligator leather strap.

Ref. 45V SCDT TTBR 5N

Vanguard Movement Functions Case Dial Strap Price

mechanical self-winding, Calibre FM0800. Power reserve: 42 hours. hours, minutes, seconds, date. titanium, cintrée Curvex. Dimensions: 53.70 x 44 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. black. hand-sewn alligator leather with folding clasp. CHF 8,800.–

Ref. 952 QZ RELMOP 5N

Long Island Quartz Movement quartz. Functions hours, minutes. Case 18K pink gold. Dimensions: 44.40 x 25.90 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial white mother-of-pearl, raised gilded numerals. Strap hand-sewn alligator leather. Price CHF 12,800.–

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Girard-Perregaux

Vintage 1945 XXL Small Second & Cat’s Eye Bloom

urrently very much in vogue, blue dials are a finish that Girard-Perregaux was one of the first to introduce as early as the 19th century. The Vintage 1945 XXL Small Second has inherited this feature, lending a subtly iridescent glow to its Art Deco design. The oval shape of the Cat’s Eye Bloom makes it instantly recognisable. For the first time, its motherof-pearl dial is adorned with peony motifs crafted in relief according to an exclusive in-house technique. Their silvertoned surface echoes the brilliance of the 64 diamonds on the bezel of this steel model housing a self-winding movement.

Ref. 25880-11-421-BB4A

Vintage 1945 XXL Small Second Movement mechanical self-winding, Girard-Perregaux Calibre GP03300-0051. Power reserve: 46 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds. Case steel. Dimensions: 36.20 x 35.25 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial blue. Strap alligator leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 10,700.– Ref. 80476D11A701-CK7A

Cat’s Eye Bloom Movement mechanical self-winding, Girard-Perregaux Calibre GP03300-0097. Power reserve: 46 hours. Functions hours, minutes. Case steel set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Dimensions: 37.84 x 32.84 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial natural white mother-of-pearl. Strap alligator leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 16,100.– Total carat weight: 0.95 cts. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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Greubel Forsey GMT & Double Tourbillon Asymétrique

he GMT by Greubel Forsey lives at the pace of the world’s great cities. The bridges and plates of this platinum version are black chrome treated and echo the 18K gold hours/minutes subdial at 12 o’clock. This extremely technical model also features a 24-second tourbillon at 5 o’clock, as well as a dual-time indication at 11 o’clock. The globe shows the daytime and night-time position of the continents in real time. The same quest for precision drives the Double Tourbillon Asymétrique. This interpretation in 18K 5N red gold with a black dial ensures optimal legibility of its essential functions: hours, minutes and small seconds, backed by a generous 72-hour power reserve. Ref. 9100 3213

GMT

Movement

Functions

Case

Dial Strap Price

mechanical hand-wound, Manufacture Calibre GF05. Tourbillon 24 Secondes inclined at 25o. Power reserve: 72 hours. hours, minutes, small seconds. Indication of the second time zone, of world time by rotation of the titanium globe, and of the power reserve on a sector. Case-back featuring world time disc, summer and winter time. platinum. Diameter: 43.50 mm. Cambered asymmetrical sapphire crystal and case-back. Individual numbering. Water-resistant to 3 bar. 18K gold with black chrome treatment. hand-sewn alligator leather with Greubel Forsey folding clasp. CHF 588,600.–

Ref. 9100 1775

Double Tourbillon Asymétrique Movement mechanical hand-wound, Manufacture Calibre GF02a2. Double Tourbillon 30o. Power reserve: 72 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds. Disc-type power reserve displayed on a sector. Case 18K 5N red gold. Diameter: 43.50 mm. Cambered asymmetrical sapphire crystal and case-back. Individual numbering. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial oxidised 18K black gold. Strap hand-sewn alligator leather with Greubel Forsey folding clasp. Price CHF 529,200.– Limited edition of 11. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year | L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Harry Winston

Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase Automatic 42 mm & Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase 39 mm

an, woman, the moon. For Harry Winston, the latter has inspired two variations of the Harry Winston Midnight Moon. Men are offered a model playing with slate grey and black with a broad snailed motif. Its Moon appears at 6 o’clock and vies with a… sunburst finish! This circularthemed 42 mm model features offset hours and an inverted retrograde date display reading from right to left. For women, the Moon shares the centre with the hours. Exquisitely enhancing the shimmering reflections of its guilloché motif, 161 diamonds subtly accentuate its date and its 39 mm case. In both instances, the models feature the brand’s aesthetic signature in the shape of its triple arches at 3 o’clock and the famous “HW” at noon. Ref. MIDAMP42RR002

Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase Automatic 42 mm mechanical self-winding, Calibre HW3202. Power reserve: 65 hours. Functions offset hours and minutes. Retrograde date. Moon phases. Case 18K pink gold. Diameter: 42.50 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial black with broad snailed motif. Sunburst satin-brushed slate-grey chapter ring and date. Black chapter ring centre with fine snailed motif. Black moon disc with slate-grey décor, set with a brilliant-cut diamond. Strap alligator leather. Price CHF 26,000.– Movement

Ref. MIDQMP39RR002

Harry Winston Midnight Moon Phase 39 mm Movement quartz. Functions hours, minutes, date, moon phases. Case 18K pink gold set with diamonds. Diameter: 39.30 mm. Glace saphir. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial rosé champagne, undulating circular guilloché motif. Hour-markers, chapter ring and date set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Strap taupe alligator leather. Price CHF 25,500.– Total carat weight: 1.16 cts. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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Hublot

Big Bang Ferrari White Ceramic Carbon & Classic Fusion Chrono Aero Pelé

ike the brand with the prancing horse that inspired it, there will not be one for everybody: only 500 Big Bang Ferrari White Ceramic Carbon watches are to be produced. The dial of this model reveals a Manufacture-made UNICO movement framed by a carbon fibre bezel. As immaculate and resistant as it is hard to develop, white ceramic bestows unique radiance on a model designed for devotees of technical horology. Another sport, another universe: that of football makes it way quite literally onto the dial pattern of the Classic Fusion Chrono Aero Pelé. Its 45 mm satin-brushed black ceramic case reveals a skeleton movement with date and chronograph functions. In this World Cup year, 500 of these watches will be issued and doubtless snapped up by King Pelé’s most fervent admirers. Ref. 401.HQ.0121.VR

Big Bang Ferrari White Ceramic Carbon Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre UNICO HUB1241 entirely developed and produced by the Manufacture Hublot. Power reserve: 72 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date at 3 o’clock. Flyback column-wheel chronograph with central sweep-seconds hand. Case white ceramic with carbon fibre bezel. Diameter: 45 mm. Sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides and sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial sapphire. Strap interchangeable, in Schedoni leather and rubber with folding clasp. Price CHF 25,900.– Limited edition of 500. Ref. 525.CM.0179.VR.PEL14

Classic Fusion Chrono Aero Pelé Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre HUB 1155. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, date at 6 o’clock. Chronograph with central sweep-seconds hand, seconds counter at 3 o’clock and 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock. Case Classic Fusion in black polished and satin-brushed ceramic with black PVD-finish titanium bezel. Diameter: 45 mm. Sapphire crystal glareproofed on both sides and sapphire case-back with silver-toned and yellow Pelé signature. Water-resistant to 50 m. Dial sapphire. Strap calfskin with pentagonal football motif and rubber, with folding clasp. Price CHF 16,300.– Limited edition of 500. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

| L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Date in pink gold 40 mm & Rendez-vous Date in pink gold 27.5 mm

chieving harmonious lines is never quite so difficult as on an understated model such as a timepiece displaying hours, minutes, seconds and the date. With the Master Ultra Thin Date in pink gold, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created the quintessence of a timeless watch featuring a 40 mm case and an ultrathin self-winding movement. Its eggshell white dial is swept over by impeccably classical dauphine hands. On the feminine side, the Rendez-Vous Date in pink gold has established itself as a firm ally of refined and elegant women. Despite its dainty 27.50 mm diameter, generous Arabic numerals clad in black on a guilloché dial ensure perfect readability. Its 18K pink gold case is topped by a subtly radiant bezel set with 60 diamonds.

Ref. 128 25 10

Master Ultra Thin Date in pink gold 40 mm Movement mechanical self-winding, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 899. Power reserve: 43 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Case 18K pink gold. Diameter: 40 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 5 bar. Dial eggshell white. Strap alligator leather. Price CHF 14,800.– Ref. 351 25 20

Rendez-vous Date in pink gold 27.5 mm Movement mechanical self-winding, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 966. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Case diamond-set 18K pink gold. Diameter: 27.50 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial guilloché silver-toned. Strap alligator leather. Price CHF 18,400.– Total carat weight: 0.42 cts.

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Jaermann & Stübi Stroke Play Skeleton & Trans Atlantic

aermann & Stübi is the only watch brand 100% dedicated to golf. For the very first time, its new Stroke Play Skeleton unveils a glimpse of its unique movement capable of counting strokes and keeping score during a round of golf. This skeleton-worked model is clothed in a deep black of which the sporting nature is accentuated by a number of red accents. As accurate as a 9-iron golf club, the Trans Atlantic is equipped with a COSC-certified movement. Its champagne finish endows it with an elegance that will be entirely at home in the clubhouse when the time comes to tot up the strokes recorded by its patented calibre.

Ref. SK1

Stroke Play Skeleton Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre A10. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds. JS02 mechanical golf counter. Retrograde display of holes played. Indication of the number of strokes per hole, the total number of strokes and a handicap comparison. Case titanium with integrated shock-absorber. Diameter: 44 mm. Rotating bezel. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial openworked. Strap alligator leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 7,900.– Ref. TA4

Trans Atlantic Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre A10. COSC-certified chronometer. COSC. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds. JS02 mechanical golf counter. Retrograde display of holes played. Indication of the number of strokes per hole, the total number of strokes and a handicap comparison. Metre-yard conversion. Case steel with integrated shock-absorber. Diameter: 44 mm. Rotating bezel. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial engraved with guilloché motif. Strap rubber with folding clasp. Price CHF 8,000.– These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

| L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Jaquet Droz

Petite Heure Minute 35 MM Aventurine & Grande Seconde Quantième Ivory Enamel

ysterious, deep, sparkling: the Petite Heure Minute 35 MM Aventurine is all this and more. The shimmering reflections of its aventurine dial combine with those of its bezel set with 160 diamonds. Its discreet 35 mm case frames the gracefully and elegantly offset hours and minutes displays, driven by a movement with an almost three-day power reserve. The Grande Seconde Quantième Email Ivoire complements this distinctive off-centred layout with a seconds subdial with date indication, appearing on an engraved and recessed disc on the Grand Feu enamel dial. For the first time, the movement has undergone a significant evolution with the integration of a silicon balance-spring guaranteeing even greater precision.

Ref. J005000271

Petite Heure Minute 35 MM Aventurine Movement mechanical self-winding, Jaquet Droz Calibre 2653. Power reserve: 68 hours. Functions offset hours and minutes. Case steel set with diamonds. Diameter: 35 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Individually numbered. Dial aventurine. Strap hand rolled-edge alligator leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 15,700.– Total carat weight: 1.02 cts. Ref. J007033200

Grande Seconde Quantième Ivory Enamel mechanical self-winding, Jaquet Droz Calibre 2660Q2.P. Power reserve: 68 hours. Functions offset hours and minutes. Large seconds. Pointer-type date display at 6 o’clock. Case 18K red gold. Diameter: 43 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Individually numbered. Dial ivory-toned Grand Feu enamel. Strap hand rolled-edge alligator leather. Price CHF 20,550.– Movement

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Longines

The Longines Heritage 1935 & The Longines Master Collection

ongines welcomes back a grand classic – one of those on which it has built its reputation for reliability. The Longines Heritage 1935 faithfully reprises the characteristics of the watch produced in 1935 for Czech air force pilots, and rapidly adopted thereafter by the public at large because of its perfect readability and robustness. This 42 mm self-winding reinterpretation, which retains the original cushion-shaped steel case with fluted crown, pays vibrant tribute to the original vintage model. The new 38.50 mm-diameter Longines Master Collection exudes the same timeless nature as ever. Its 12 hour-markers create a striking contrast with the intense black dial enriched with a 6 o’clock date window giving it a natural day-to-day elegance.

Ref. L2.794.4.53.0

The Longines Heritage 1935 Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre L615. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. Case steel. Diameter: 42 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial matt black with 11 SuperLumiNova® Arabic numerals. Strap alligator leather with bucklet. Price CHF 1,900.– Ref. L2.628.4.57.6

The Longines Master Collection Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre L619. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Case steel. Diameter: 38.50 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial black lacquered, set with 12 diamond hour-markers. Strap steel with triple folding clasp. Price CHF 2,210.– Total carat weight: 0.052 cts.

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

| L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Panerai

Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio – 42 MM & Luminor Marina 8 Days Titanio

n Italian heart and a dial bearing a Clous de Paris hobnail motif: the Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio – 42 MM is a born traveller. Its dual-time display and its date will accompany it everywhere. Its soft polished case middle accentuates its timeless, cosmopolitan profile, while its selfwinding movement ensures a 72-hour power reserve. Sporty, easily readable in all circumstances and endowed with an 8-day power reserve: the new Luminor Marina 8 Days Titanio is ready to face all kinds of daily circumstances. Its titanium case gives it an exceptionally light feel, while its satin-brushed finish ensures a discreetly understated elegance. Its 44 mm encapsulate the very essence of the Panerai spirit.

Ref. PAM00537

Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio – 42 MM Movement mechanical self-winding, Panerai Calibre P.9002. Power reserve: 72 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. GMT. Power-reserve indication. Seconds reset function. Case polished steel. Diameter: 42 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 10 bar. Dial black with luminescent hour-markers, Arabic numerals and hands. Strap Assolutamente calfskin with Panerai buckle. Price CHF 8,700.– Ref. PAM00564

Luminor Marina 8 Days Titanio Movement mechanical hand-wound, Panerai Calibre P.5000. Power reserve: 8 days. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds. Case satin-brushed titanium. Diameter: 44 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 30 bar. Dial brown with luminescent hour-markers, Arabic numerals and hands. Strap alligator leather with Panerai buckle. Price CHF 7,200.– These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year Page 72 | L.A 14 |

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Roger Dubuis

Hommage Automatic in white gold & Velvet Automatic

he newly reinvigorated Hommage collection, first launched by the man after whom the Manufacture is named, celebrates the proud ancestral traditions of mechanical watchmaking. The 42 mm Hommage Automatic in 18K white gold is equipped with a Manufacture movement bearing the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Its guilloché dial playing with subtle shades of grey embodies a blend of historical and contemporary inspiration, and its sapphire case-back bears the signature of Mr Roger Dubuis. The Velvet Automatic features a classic round shape enlivened by the collection’s distinctive ‘third lug’ transformed into a decorative feature and lit up by diamonds. Roman numerals grace a shimmering mother-of-pearl dial mirroring the champagne shade of its satin-finish fabric strap. This dainty 36 mm model clothed in 18K pink gold catches the light for an inimitably radiant effect.

Ref. RDDBHO0564

Hommage Automatic in white gold Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre RD620, Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Power reserve: 52 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds. Case 18K white gold. Diameter: 42 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal. Glareproofed sapphire back metallised with the signature of Mr Roger Dubuis. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial guilloché silver-toned and anthracite. Strap hand-sewn alligator leather. Price CHF 29,700.– Ref. RDDBVE0006

Velvet Automatic Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre RD821, Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Power reserve: 48 hours. Functions hours, minutes. Case 18K pink gold. Diamond-set bezel, lugs and décors. Diameter: 36 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial white mother-of-pearl. Strap satin-finish beige fabric with diamond-set folding clasp. Price CHF 39,700.– Total carat weight: 1.77 cts. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year | L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronograph Manufacture & Marine Diver

he 43 mm Marine Chronograph Manufacture model is a concentrated blend of the Ulysse Nardin spirit. This is expressed through its aesthetic enhanced by a white dial guaranteeing the perfect readability required by maritime instruments; as well as through its movement – a Manufacture-made chronograph calibre equipped with a silicon escapement ensuring peerless precision. The Marine Diver reinterprets these nautical attributes in its own way: an anchor at 2 o’clock, a blue dial adorned with a wave motif; and a solid case-back engraved with the inscription “Conquer the ocean” – all housed within a 44 mm model ready to explore great depths thanks to its 300-metre water resistance.

Ref. 1503-150/60

Marine Chronograph Manufacture Movement mechanical self-winding, Manufacture Calibre UN-150. Power reserve: 48 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. Chronograph with central sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Case stainless steel. Diameter: 43 mm. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial white. Strap alligator leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 11,900.– Ref. 263-10-3/93

Marine Diver Movement mechanical self-winding, Calibre UN-26. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds, date. Power-reserve indication. Case stainless steel. Diameter: 44 mm. Unidirectional rotating bezel. Glareproofed sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 300 m. Dial blue. Strap rubber with titanium elements and folding clasp. Price CHF 7,900.–

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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URWERK

EMC & UR-105M

ts catchy acronym hides a revolution enabling the wearer to adjust his watch himself. The EMC is equipped with a sensor that compares the precision of the balance with a benchmark frequency. This model picks up the signature Urwerk design codes, including the combination of steel and titanium in a case with an edgy, futuristic design. The UR-105M reprises the brand fundamentals: an analogue time display, satellite hours and a 12 o’clock crown. The back displays the maintenance and power-reserve indicators as well as the movement timing adjustment screw. Urwerk has enriched this model with a highly original complication in the shape of a double seconds display: digital on the dial side and on a laterally visible disc.

Ref. EMC

EMC

Movement Functions

Case Dial Strap Price

Manufacture mechanical hand-wound, Calibre UR-EMC. Power reserve: 80 hours. hours, minutes, small seconds, δ performance indicator and power-reserve indicator. Movement timing adjustment screw on the back. titanium and steel. Dimensions: 43 x 51 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. anthracite. leather. CHF 116,640.– Limited edition of 55.

Ref. UR-105

UR-105M Movement Functions

Case Dial Strap Price

mechanical hand-wound, Calibre UR-5.01. Power reserve: 42 hours. satellite hours, minutes and seconds. Control Board with “Oil Change” indication. Power reserve and timing adjustment screw. titanium with steel bezel. Dimensions: 39.50 x 53 mm. Sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 30 m. black. leather. CHF 62,640.–

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year | L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Vacheron Constantin Malte Small Seconds & Patrimony Contemporaine

alte is an historical Vacheron Constantin collection and one of the rare models on the market to be equipped with a 100% Manufacture-made shaped movement. The men’s version now appears in an 18K white gold version with a silver-toned dial and 18K white gold hour-markers. Stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva, the mechanical hand-wound movement has a 65-hour power reserve. The Patrimony Contemporaine with its slate-grey dial exudes an air that is both modern and classic. It embodies the essence of Vacheron Constantin with a dial pared down to essentials: two hands sweeping over 18K white gold baton-type hour-markers. The platinum case and crown lend a subtle glow to this 40 mm model playing on subtle shades of grey.

Ref. 82230/000G-9962

Malte Small Seconds Movement mechanical hand-wound, Manufacture Calibre 4400 AS, Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Power reserve: 65 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds. Case 18K white gold. Dimension: 36.70 x 47.60 mm. Sapphire crystal and case-back. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial sandblasted silver-toned. Strap hand-sewn alligator leather. Price CHF 26,200.– Ref. 81180/000P-9539

Patrimony Contemporaine Movement mechanical hand-wound, Manufacture Calibre 1400, Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Power reserve: 40 hours. Functions hours, minutes. Case platinum. Diameter: 40 mm. Sapphire crystal. Water-resistant to 3 bar. Dial slate grey. Strap hand-sewn alligator leather. Price CHF 32,900.–

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Vulcain

Aviator Instrument Chronograph & First Lady Automatic

ulcain’s neo-vintage Aviator Instrument Chronograph definitely combines the best of both worlds. From its forerunners that reigned supreme on the first aircraft, the model has retained the broad, flared hands, the retro hour-markers and the almost 45 mm diameter that was useful for pilots who could easily wear them over their flying suits. Meanwhile, the 21st century has inspired the rhodiumed finish, the precision of a self-winding calibre offering a two-day power reserve, and the beautifully graded shades of blue. With ladies in mind, Vulcain reaffirms its presidential stature with its First Lady Automatic, a steel oval watch with a mother-of-pearl dial. This combination has given rise to a timeless model radiating an aura of elegant discretion and ideally suited to the daily life of all first ladies.

Ref. 590163A37.BFC010

Aviator Instrument Chronograph Movement mechanical self-winding, Vulcain Calibre V-59. Power reserve: 48 hours. Functions hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, date. Chronograph with central sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Case steel. Diameter: 44.60 mm. Glareproofed cambered sapphire crystal and sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 100 m. Dial blue. Strap leather with folding clasp. Price CHF 3,750.– Ref. 610164N2S.BA.S412

First Lady Automatic Movement mechanical self-winding, Vulcain Calibre V-61. Power reserve: 42 hours. Functions hours, minutes, seconds, date. Case steel. Dimensions: 37.60 x 32.10 mm. Crown adorned with a blue cabochon. Glareproofed cambered sapphire crystal and sapphire case-back. Water-resistant to 30 m. Dial silver-toned mother-of-pearl set with diamonds. Strap satin. Price CHF 3,750.– Total carat weight: 0.056 cts. These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

| L.A 14 |

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L.A _NEW MODELS

Buben&Zörweg

Solitaire World Time Tourbillon & Mirage Ebony Grigio

his is probably one of the world’s most sophisticated watch boxes. The Solitaire World Time Tourbillon, standing two metres high and weighing in at 350 kilos, features 46 watch winders including eight enclosed in a safe. The entire high-security ensemble is equipped with an alarm system as well as a cigar humidor, a Bluetooth high-fi system as well as a flying tourbillon specially designed for Buben&Zörweg. The more elegantly streamlined Mirage Ebony Grigio houses 30 watch-winder spots. Alternating between matt and shiny surfaces, its heavy high-security glass, wood and alligatorcovered door results in a timeless creation with a fascinating design.

Ref. 160520017

Solitaire World Time Tourbillon • 46 TIME MOVER® (8 of them in the safe) • One TIME MOVER® Handwound • BUBEN&ZÖRWEG Safe SI-60 • Additional storage for watches and jewellery in 2 drawers • Humidor with a German electronic humidifying system and a bar/presentation module • 16 mm bullet-proof glass doors, robust stainless steel hinges • BUBEN&ZÖRWEG safety lock mechanism • Alarm system • German Hi-Fi system with Bluetooth and iPhone/iPod docking station • Integrated thermometer and hygrometer displays • State-of-the-art LED lighting technology with fading function • With bulletproof two-way mirror spy glass • Finest German craftsmanship • Mains operation • Dimensions: 1905 x 1060 x 540 mm • Weight: 350 kg Fine timepiece • Flying minute tourbillon with incorporated BUBEN&ZÖRWEG initials • Swiss escapement with screw balance wheel and 11 jewel bearings • 15 day German precision movement with constant power • Indication of world time, date and power reserve • Exquisite, ruthenium-coated dial with sunray-brush, goldstone bezel and glass chapter ring • 500 hours BUBEN&ZÖRWEG “Excellence Control” • Price: CHF 202,900.– Limited edition of 75. Ref. 150072802

Mirage Ebony Grigio • 30 TIME MOVER® (16 of them in the safe) • BUBEN&ZÖRWEG Safe SI-80 with Safety Class VdS I (German Security Certification) • BUBEN&ZÖRWEG signature clock with a stainless steel bezel • Storage drawer (Gentleman Insert) • Interior in finest velour • Viewing window made of two-way mirror spy glass • State-of-the-art LED lighting technology with fading function • Integrated thermometer and hygrometer displays • Swiss security lock • Height-adjustable stainless steel feet on a pedestal • Finest German craftsmanship • Dimensions: 1540 x 560 x 540 mm • Mains Operation • Price: CHF 90,200.– These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

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NEW MODELS_L.A

Vertu

Constellation, Pure Plum Alligator & Signature Touch Pure Navy

ts 179 grams comprise a perfect blend of sophisticated technology and fine craftsmanship. The new Vertu Constellation, Pure Plum Alligator is a limited edition hand-assembled in England and bearing the signature of the artisan who created it. Featuring a titanium chassis clad in alligator leather in seasonal colours, it offers a selection of the exclusive privileges and services for which Vertu is renowned. The Signature Touch picks up the same design, combined with the best of high-tech functions: Hasselbad camera, stereo system created in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, data protection service, access to 2.2 million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world… And of course the must-have Vertu concierge service available 24/7 at a press of a key.

Constellation, Pure Plum Alligator PHYSICAL SPECIFICATION • Length: 142,2 mm. Width: 70,4 mm. Depth: 11,2 mm • Weight: 179 g TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION • Operating System Android™ 4.2 (Jelly Bean) TECHNOLOGY • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 1.7GHz Dual-core processor • 4.3” 720p, brilliant, high contrast display, protected by sapphire crystal • 13 MP main camera with autofocus and twin LED flash • 1.3 MP Skype™ compliant front camera • 32 GB of internal memory • Stereo High-fidelity 11 x 15 mm loudspeaker • A-GPS + Compass • Gyro and accelerometer for orientation and game play EXCLUSIVE SERVICES • Vertu Live • Vertu Certainty • Price: CHF 8,600.– Signature Touch Pure Navy PHYSICAL SPECIFICATION • Length: 145 mm. Width: 69 mm. Depth: 10.65 mm • Weight: 192 g TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION • Operating System Android™ 4.4 (KitKat) TECHNOLOGY • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 2.3 GHz Quad-core processor • 4.7” 1080p, brilliant, high contrast display, protected by sapphire crystal • 13 MP main camera with autofocus and twin LED flash • 2.1 MP Skype™ compliant front camera • 64 GB of internal memory • Stereo High-fidelity 11mm x 15mm loudspeakers with Dolby® Digital Plus and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound decoding support • A-GPS + Compass • Gyro and accelerometer for orientation and game play • Qi Compatible Wireless Charging • Tunes in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen • Imaging certified by Hasselblad EXCLUSIVE SERVICES • Vertu Live • Vertu Certainty • Vertu Concierge • Price: CHF 14,000.–

These new models will be available at Les Ambassadeurs boutiques in the course of the year.

| L.A 14 |

Page 79

CREDITS

L.A Magazine

The twice-yearly magazine for clients of Les Ambassadeurs.

An exclusive reflection of the must-have watch and jewellery creations, the next issue of L.A will be published in November 2014. Have it delivered directly to your door by using the form below, or check out the online version at www.lesambassadeurs.ch [ ] Mr

[ ] Mrs

Age

[ ] Miss

[ ] 25-35

[ ] 36-45

Date of birth (optional):

[ ] 46-55

[ ] 56-65

Marital status: First name:

Postal code:

Type of address

E-mail:

Publisher

Les Ambassadeurs AG

Project director

Philippe Meyer

(p.meyer@lesambassadeurs.ch)

Editorial & production management Opus Magnum, Geneva (www.opusmagnum.ch)

Copy editing Soraia Glarner (sg@opusmagnum.ch)

[ ] 66 and over

Contributors (By order of appearance) Joachim Ziegler, Marie de Pimodan-Bugnon, Gaëlle Sinnassamy-Chaar, Serge Panczuk, Anne-Caroline Dunet, Marie Le Berre, Eva-Maria Lindner, David Chokron, Olivier Müller, Soraia Glarner

Family name:

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A Swiss magazine published by Les Ambassadeurs with a 80,000 copy run in German, English, French, Italian, Russian and Chinese.

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[ ] Liechtenstein

[ ] professional

[ ] private

Photographer

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Watch or jewellery brands owned:

Richard Frémont

Shooting

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[ ] english

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Studio Yves Ryncky

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Please send to: Les Ambassadeurs – Marketing & Communication – Bahnhofstrasse 64 – 8001 Zurich – fax: +41 44 227 17 27 – magazine@lesambassadeurs.ch

50th Anniversary portfolio

Public History Research,

Zürich (www.publichistory.ch)

Design Mélanie & Nicolas Zentner, Lausanne (www.enzed.ch)

Translation

Susan Jacquet (English), Lapsus Linguae Sàrl (German), Silvano Daniele (Italian), Lapsus Linguae Sàrl (Russian), Lapsus Linguae Sàrl (Chinese)

Proofreading Christiane Lalieu (French), Transcribe (English), Lapsus Linguae Sàrl (German), Gabriella Daniele (Italian), Lapsus Linguae Sàrl (Russian), Lapsus Linguae Sàrl (Chinese)

22 WATCHES

Photolithography

Images 3, Lausanne

Printing

Daneels

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