A LIFE IN BALANCE
AUTUMN ⁄ WINTER 2024
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Contents
WATCHES & JEWELLERY AUTUMN ⁄ WINTER 2024
NEWS 28 32 34
35 36 42
GLITTER BALL The latest jewellery news from Kim Parker SINUOUS SHAPES Carol Woolton on our love affair with snake jewellery
COMMON THREADS
Pippa Small’s latest project empowering Afghan women OUT OF AFRICA Thrilling tales of the African gem rush WHAT’S TICKING? Watch news from Tim Barber
CATCHING THE WIND
All aboard with Richard Mille
SHOPPING 38 40 44 46 48 50
GOLD FEVER A rush for your wrist STYLISH STEALS The best watches under £5,000 ANIMAL KINGDOM Nature-inspired gems STONE BY STONE Hardstones in every hue HIGH TECH Innovative new designs LOVE MATCH Grand-slam tennis bracelets
ON THE COVER Model wears FOPE Panorama Flex’it rings in white gold and black diamond; FOPE Super Eka diamond necklace; FOPE Luna Full Moon Flex’it choker in white and black gold with diamond pavé roundel; FOPE Super Eka diamond earrings; Michael Kors dress
54
TEAM Fashion director: Nicole Smallwood; Photographer: Rachell Smith; Videographer: Tracer Ital; Make-up: Lan Nguyen Grealis @ Eighteen Management using YSL Beauty; Hair: Yoshitaka Miyazaki using Oribe; Manicure: Christie Huseyin using Dior Vernis in Nude Look and Le Baume Model: Jena Goldsack @ Models 1; Casting Director: Dean Goodman; Photographer’s Assistant: Klaudija Avotina
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Contents
WATCHES & JEWELLERY AUTUMN ⁄ WINTER 2024
FEATURES 54
63
68
70
74 78
80
PHOTO: MATTHEW SHAVE
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UP CLOSE Getting personal with this season’s most spectacular gemstones BEHIND THE SCENES Avril Groom goes behind the curtain to reveal how luxury brands treat their Very Important Clients LOCK IT DOWN Amy Wakeham on how to keep your watch safe CHAIN REACTION What are the industry innovations that make it easier to trace your gemstone’s past? asks Joanna Hardy DIAL IT DOWN Smaller is mightier, says Shane C. Kurup WATCH WIZARDRY These independents are making great changes in the watch world, says James Gurney SCIENCE OF TIME This year’s most technical watch innovations JEWELLERY BY NUMBERS Gucci does coloured gems
REGULARS 20 22
EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS
80
CHANEL Haute Horlogerie Première Camélia X-Ray watch in 18ct white gold and diamonds, with a technically challenging sapphire crystal case
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY
63
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jewellery expert Joanna Hardy explaining the innovative ways in which coloured gemstones are becoming traceable (p70), former jewellery editor, author and podcaster Carol Woolton unveiling the secrets of our long fascination with serpentine jewellery motifs (p32), or authoritative watch writer James Gurney revealing the independent gurus of mechanics whose tiny inventions 54 power new models for their own and major brands (p78). Shane C. Kurup lightheartedly goes where relatively few men have – into the world of smaller watches, some originally intended for women, to explore early adopters’ latest passion (p74), and we also meet two remarkable women. Richa Goyal Sikri became so obsessed with gems and their origins that she went from the travel industry to gemmology and has written a book about adventures in the African gem-mining industry (p35), while much-loved British jeweller Pippa Small talks about her latest charitable project in Afghanistan, supporting women jewellers to market their own designs, with the Taliban’s permission (p34). We delve on your behalf into private ways to access top pieces as a client, from glamorous fashion and sporting events to semi-private club settings, exclusive meetings at top retailers or auction houses, and entering the magical world of bespoke (p63). And we explore how to prevent access, with advice on keeping your watch safe, as thefts rise in many cities (p68). In addition, we have the latest news, a wealth of on-trend objects in our shopping pages, and two exquisite shoots – the best of new high jewellery in close-up (p54) and technically extraordinary watches appropriately photographed in the lab (p80). Plunder these riches 74 mindfully, and enjoy!
Editor’s LETTER
oday we lift the curtain on areas of the jewellery and watch industry where you may not have had the chance to go, or even thought about. For every dazzling piece of jewellery or impressive timepiece there is the tale of how it got like that, often involving far-flung countries and intensive skills learnt over decades, and increasingly the owners of such beautiful objects want to know these background stories. In the words of the estimable Patrick Grant, of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee and Savile Row, from his recent book Less: ‘we buy so much, we have so much, and yet we enjoy so little’, a view that many of us now share. A good watch or jewel that someone has worked to achieve or been lucky enough to receive should last more than a lifetime, its current owner part of a story that can be passed on with the piece. So we access all areas, such as how inside information about a valued piece adds to the pleasure it gives, whether it is the Antiques Roadshow’s 20 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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CONTRIBUTORS
Watch Wizardry, p78
Glitter Ball, p28
Dialing Down, p74
Chain Reaction, p70
JAMES GURNEY
KIM PARKER
SHANE C. KURUP
JOANNA HARDY
Most amazing behind-thescenes experience with a watch or jewellery brand? The workshop of automaton maker François Junod, a regular Geppetto's workshop full of puppets, cine cameras, jukeboxes and one-arm bandits all of which provide parts and ideas for creations such as Van Cleef & Arpels' Fée Ondine table clock. Brand you're currently most excited about? Toledano & Chan and its B/1, which takes its form from a window in Marcel Breuer’s brutalist Whitney Museum building in New York – an Instagram-propelled sellout that shows a new direction for watch design. What's on your wishlist right now? Louis Vuitton's Daniel Roth revival – namely the rose gold Tourbillon model. In my opinion, sheer perfection in every detail.
Most amazing behind-thescenes experience with a watch or jewellery brand? There have been many ‘pinch me’ moments over the years, I’m very fortunate. Perhaps one of the most recent was having a trackside view of the Men’s 100m final at the Olympics this summer with Omega. I’ve never witnessed an entire stadium come to an absolute, breathless standstill before. It was incredible. And to see exactly how the timekeepers were able to determine that Noah Lyles won the race – by just 5/1000 of a second – was astonishing. Brand you're currently most excited about? I met so many brilliant jewellery designers at The Couture Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, and there’s plenty of amazing UK talent now, too – look out for Jade Trau, Ellis Mhairi Cameron, Kavant & Sharart. I also love Kia Schwan.
Most amazing behind-thescenes experience with a watch or jewellery brand? Some years ago, I visited the LVMH School of Watchmaking in Switzerland, where I got to assemble my own movement. As you patiently put together a myriad of inanimate cogs and springs, the movement whirrs into life just like a beating heart without an obvious source of energy. It gave me the feeling I'd just created Frankenstein's monster and really made me understand the mechanical wonder of watches. Brand you're currently most excited about? NivadaGrenchen is a heritage brand that was recently revived after decades of dormancy. It offers some of the most stunning and faithful 60s and 70s watches, from handsome mid-century chronographs to fun and flirty divers inspired by the arcade game classic, Pac-Man. I'd happily bag the entire range.
Most amazing behind-thescenes experience with a watch or jewellery brand? I absolutely love visiting workshops such as Cartier’s or Van Cleef & Arpels in Place Vendôme, Paris, or up winding Dickensian staircases in Soho, London, where you can witness amazing jewels being created. I will always be in awe of goldsmiths. Brand you're currently most excited about? I like how Castro Smith has turned the signet ring into a contemporary work of art. What's on your wishlist right now? I have always admired 60s and 70s jewellery for its bold asymmetric designs, often set with rough uncut crystals that had not been done before. Andrew Grima pioneered this look and his jewels are highly sought after by collectors and jewellery connoisseurs. I would not say no to a Grima necklace.
Editor Avril Groom Editorial Director Lucy Cleland Deputy Editor Amy Wakeham Assistant Editor & Sub Editor Tessa Dunthorne Sub Editor Andrew Brassleay Fashion Director Nicole Smallwood Beauty Director Nathalie Eleni Online Content Director Rebecca Cox Deputy Online Editor Ellie Smith Online Writers Charlie Colville, Olivia Emily Online Assistant Martha Davies Social Media Manager Daniella Laxton Creative & Production Director Parm Bhamra Design & Production Mia Biagioni Associate Publisher Ellie Rix Head Of Fashion Emma Marsh Senior Account Director Pandora Lewis Account Director Serena Knight Digital Commercial Director Adam Dean Digitial Business Development Director Joey Goldsmith Senior Account Manager Sabrina Raven Account Manager Honor Pheysey B Corp and Projects Manager Xa Rodger Technical Director Mark Pearson Finance Director Gareth Morris Finance Controller Lauren Hartley Finance Administrator Ria Harrison Human Resources Consultant Zoe Jones Chief Commercial Officer Tia Graham Chief Operating Officer James Thrower Managing Director Jeremy Isaac Copyright © 2024 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. While every care is taken to ensure all information is correct at the time of going to press, it is subject to change, and Country & Town House Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. Country & Town House, Studio 2, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL, +44 (0)20 7384 9011
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News
GLITTER BALL Kim Parker brings you the latest sparkling stories
LIKE A FEATHER
NEIGHBOURLY LOVE
Good neighbours can become good friends. In the case of Danish jeweller Sarah Müllertz (founder of Kinraden) and fashion designers Julie and Marie Skall (the sisters behind label du jour, Skall Studio), they can also become brilliant collaborators. Having met in 2022, when their studios faced each other in Copenhagen, the women bonded over responsible sourcing. The Kinraden x Skall ‘Levitas’ collection is the result of that bond, with sculptural pieces made from recycled metals and a name derived from the Latin for ‘lightness’ – a testament to the trio’s hope for a sustainable future. From £190. kinraden.com
Model wears the Boghossian Queen’s Papyrus set, £POA
Buccellati ‘Hawaii’ oval necklace in yellow white and pink gold, £14,000
WINNING STREAK
My Dior Cannage lacquer cuff, £POA
ODE TO THE BIG APPLE
Kinraden x Skall Floris brooch, £580
Unveiled earlier this year with a lavish event at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boghossian’s 2024 high jewellery line, ‘Palace Voyages’, is a riot of spectacular diamonds, emeralds, rubellites and precious jadeite arranged in bold, mosaic-like motifs as an homage to the world’s most sumptuous palaces, including the Qianlong in Beijing and Iran’s legendary Persepolis. boghossianjewels.com
To mark the 25th anniversary of its exclusive partnership with New York’s renowned Goldberg family, the inventors of the Ashokacut diamond, Boodles has created a collection inspired by the city’s skyline. With coloured diamonds, several Ashoka-cut stones, and bright enamel detailing, the ‘Fifth Avenue’ pieces are a Boodles Fifth Avenue dazzling way to celebrate Ashoka diamond and their special connection. platinum ring, £80,000
Olympic fever may have subsided, but major jewellery houses are still clearly going for gold. Chanel’s signature ‘Coco Crush’ collection, a riff on the brand’s iconic quilted handbags, Dior’s new gold and lacquer version of the Cannage cuff and Buccellati’s historic ‘Hawaii’ line, a speciality of the maison since the 1930s, will all receive gleaming additions in 18ct pink, white and yellow gold for autumn. chanel.com; dior.com; buccellati.com
PHOTO: @ BRIGITTE NIEDERMAIR FOR DIOR
Diamond, rock crystal, titanium, six feathers earrings, £POA
A PALATIAL JOURNEY
Asprey has teamed up with Princess Nourah Al-Faisal of Nuun Jewels on a glorious new capsule inspired by the brand’s signature Art Deco Feather collection. Princess Nourah has reimagined it with innovative materials – such as coloured titanium – and vibrant gemstones. Available at Asprey, 36 Bruton Street, London, W1. asprey.com
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News The Andre necklace, £14,966; The Clara necklace, £16,072; The Maze ring, £3,531; The Édith ring, £2,687
MODERN GIRLS’ PEARLS
Tasaki is celebrating 70 years of pearl artistry with a new book, Balance (Rizzoli, £65). Named for its modern icon collection and penned by seasoned editor Maria Doulton, it explores Tasaki’s journey from family-run pearl farm to international luxury house, plus the evolution of its contemporary creations. Meanwhile, French maker Repossi marks the 10th anniversary of its sculptural Serti Sur Vide high jewellery with a graphic, limited-edition ring featuring grey Tahitian pearls, a blackened gold bead and almost 200 white diamonds. tasaki.com; repossi.com
SO IN LÖF
Fresh from Los Angeles, new brand Löf has accountability and sustainability at the heart of its stackable, Art Deco-like designs, which are crafted solely from recycled metal and set with both ethically sourced natural and lab-grown gemstones (created in solarpowered foundries). lofjewellery.com
Repossi Limited Edition No.5 ‘Pearl Variation’ ring, $14,500
Blanche gold nuance earrings, white agate flowers, diamonds, drop-cut peridot stones, £13,500
ENGAGEMENT RINGS WITH ATTITUDE
Thanks to the ongoing trend for personalisation, jewellers have noticed a distinct shift towards unconventional engagement rings. ‘This isn’t just about style – it’s about finding a one-of-a-kind piece that truly reflects your own love story,’ says goldsmith Cece Fein-Hughes, whose brightly enamelled ‘Extraordinary Lovers’ rings are customisable and accompanied by a matching locket. Meanwhile, Rachel Boston is launching a capsule collection of 15 rings with pre-loved diamonds sourced from auction or from antique jewels – ensuring no two are ever alike. cecejewellery.com. rachelboston.co.uk
Cece Jewellery Apple of My Eye ring, £POA
PETAL PERFECT
Rachel Boston Fancy Grey antique diamond ring, £POA
Revered across Asia, sambac jasmine has played a part in beauty rituals for centuries. Giorgio Armani has reimagined the blooms in milky agate for a new fine jewellery range, ‘Blanche’. Embellished with delicate diamond stamens and peridot leaves, the stud earrings, ear cuffs, collar necklace and stackable rings pair elegantly with everything from denim to duchesse satin. From £3,000. giorgioarmani.com
STRAIGHT TO THE ART
Head to Selfridges to experience Tiffany & Co.’s wonderous window displays
‘When someone looks at a Tiffany window, I want them to do a double – even a triple – take,’ said Gene Moore, Tiffany & Co.’s artistic director in the 1950s. He created over 5,000 lavish and witty window displays for the house, which transfixed onlookers and transcended retail, becoming as esteemed as art installations. To mark its newly reimagined space within Selfridges, Tiffany continues the grand tradition with ‘Windows of Wonders’ – creative installations by British contemporary artists interspersed with dazzling Tiffany jewels and Moore’s archival window schemes, displayed to an estimated 130,000 passers-by. Until 20 October. selfridges.com; tiffany.com
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BACK TO BLACK
The dramatic, fern-like veins of iron oxide or manganese naturally found within dendritic agate have long fascinated Venyx’s creative director, Eugenie Niarchos. This season, she has framed slices of the stone in 18ct gold, black rhodium and inky enamel, like miniature paintings, for a noir-ish selection of pendants, earrings and signet rings inspired by Rorschach tests. venyxworld.com
ROCK STEADY
Noir tablet necklace, yellow gold, black rhodium, black enamel, diamonds, £6,000
In the 1950s, the jeweller Robert Goossens (AKA ‘Monsieur Bijou’) was tasked by Gabrielle Chanel to craft Byzantinelike accessories and objets with translucent rock crystal (many of which still decorate her Parisian apartment). For AW24, his eponymous maison is going back to its roots, with carved rock crystal hearts, chunky crystal baguettes and faceted, pear-cut crystals featuring throughout its ‘Coeur Precieux’, ‘Stones’ and ‘Cachemire’ lines. goossens-paris.com
Mosu ring, 18ct yellow gold, black rhodium, black enamel, diamonds, dentritic agate £8,880
Cachemire necklace, £615; Coeur Précieux oversized necklace, £880
WEARABLE ART
Elegant design exhibition PAD London is becoming the spot for unique jewellery that blurs boundaries with contemporary art. On display is Hemmerle, who mix extraordinary gems with beautifully treated, yet humble, materials like aluminium and olive wood. Glenn Spiro’s ancient stones often set in titanium, vie with newcomers like Parisian Elie Top’s precious modern versions of myth and legend, or Belgian avant gardist Dries Criel. 8-13 October. padesignart.com
Hemmerle earrings, dendritic agate, diamonds, bronze, white gold, £POA. hemmerle.com
A FAMILY AFFAIR
David Morris Ribbon earrings and necklace, £POA
Destined to be a coffee table staple, The World of David Morris (Rizzoli, £90) is a fascinating glimpse into one of Bond Street’s most esteemed family-run houses. Written by jewellery editor Annabel Davidson, the 256-page tome showcases the glittering work of David Morris’s master craftspeople over six decades, the sweeping vision of its creative director Jeremy Morris, and the voices of his daughters Cecily and Phoebe, who represent the next generation of the business. davidmorris.com n Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 31
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SINUOUS SHAPES Carol Woolton reflects on the eternal allure of snake jewellery
Q
ueen Victoria set a fashion for serpent rings in motion when Prince Albert presented her with an emerald and diamond engagement ring of a snake with ruby eyes. A coiled snake biting its tail is called an ouroboros – ‘tail-devourer’ in Greek – and represents an eternal circle. The gemstones would have also reinforced the message of eternal love, since rubies represent passion and diamonds are forever. The Victorians’ love of sentimentality meant many snake rings were set with turquoise, the colour of the forget-me-not, so wearing a serpent that is a symbol of eternity, coupled with the turquoise, sent the plea ‘don’t forget to love me’. Variations included two snakes intertwined, one made from yellow gold and the other from diamonds, with a miniature version of a padlock declaring the wearer was a captive of love. Queen Victoria may have renewed interest in the snake, but it is actually one of the oldest symbols in the world. Ancient Egyptians believed that the first living creature to come out of primeval earth was the serpent, and as such it represented the beginning of life. A snake’s ability to shed its skin also made it a symbol of death, rebirth, transformation and immortality. Throughout Christian history, however, the serpent has been associated with the devil, sin and temptation. Since the Old Testament Bible story in the Book of Genesis,
where the serpent appears in the Garden of Eden and convinces Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, snakes symbolically signal evil or danger. The snake can physically shed its own skin, but never its deadly symbolism. The serpent has appeared in every culture, civilisation and religion, carrying with it rich yet ambiguous symbolism. These intriguing creatures evoke fear and venom but are also associated with wisdom and healing. Jewellers have long been fascinated with the snake’s serpentine line in sinuous forms wrapped around fingers, its shape providing a technical challenge and decorative possibilities, as well as with interpreting the many facets of its meaning. In statues from Imperial Rome, women are depicted wearing up to five gold serpent bracelets and rings, high on the arm and coiled around fingers and wrists. Recent archaeological excavations have also revealed a great number of golden snake jewels. The snake was fully embraced as a motif in the art nouveau period at the end of the 19th century, and by the 1960s, a whole new form of snake with a seductive allure redolent of the Cleopatra syndrome emerged at Bulgari. In 1962, when actress Elizabeth Taylor was filming Cleopatra in Rome, she was photographed wearing a gold-anddiamond Serpenti bracelet, comprising a coiled gold band with the head of the snake concealing the dial of a tiny, pear-shaped watch. From that moment, the image of the snake rose to new heights of desirability, in tune with the new female attitude in the 1960s whereby women were no longer afraid to fl aunt their allure and wear a symbol often associated with sin and seduction. By 1968, Diana Vreeland, the legendary fashion editor of Vogue, wrote in a memo to her staff, ‘Don’t forget the serpent . . . it should be on every finger and all wrists; the serpent is the motif of the hour in jewellery. We cannot see enough of them’. Extract from If Jewels Could Talk – out now (Simon & Schuster, £18.99) n CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Antique 18ct yellow gold and gem-set snake bracelet, £POA (hancocks-london. com); Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra – the actress wears a snake-adorned bangle; Anne Hathaway wears Bulgari Serpenti earrings to the premiere of The Idea of You; Robinson Pelham 14ct gold and diamond orb hoop with 14ct yellow gold snake diamond EarWish with Onyx Wish Dish, £1,020 (robinsonpelham.com); If Jewels Could Talk; Giovanni Raspini Eden snake ring, £220 (giovanniraspini.com)
PHOTOS: © SHUTTERSTOCK; © 20TH CENTURY FOX / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Good Reads
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News
COMMON THREADS
Avril Groom talks to Pippa Small about her latest project working with Afghan women jewellers
P
ippa Small has two reasons to celebrate. It is 30 years since she started her business, on sustainable and Fair Trade principles long before most people thought about them, creating her distinctive and much-loved style based on natural stones in gold settings that follow their sometimes irregular lines. And she has launched perhaps the biggest triumph in her long history of working with disadvantaged craftspeople round the world: Zindagi Now, an NGO that gives women in Kabul a workshop to design and create jewellery, which will be sold under their own names, for their livelihoods. It’s inspired by the work of Turquoise Mountain, which was founded by the-then Prince of Wales in 2006, the former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, and ex-MP Rory Stewart, to revive traditional crafts, provide jobs, skills and a renewed sense of pride in the places (Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and the Levant) where it operates. When Pippa was a little girl she kept beach pebbles in her pocket. As a teenager she bought a drill so she could string them
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Afghan jeweller Zujal Majid; Asma Zindagi necklace; Zujal Majid Agate drop earrings; jeweller Pippa Small; Full stone bracelet in amethyst, rose quartz and kunzite; rutilated quartz ring
as beads. She was drawn to them, ‘because they came from the earth and to me represented calm and quietness, which you don’t get in a large family.’ Yet instead of following up with art college or an apprenticeship she did anthropology and conservation for her degree partly because her mother, ‘felt that as I’d had the privilege of a good education, I should use it to help others,’ she says. It proved the making of her as she combined her two interests when researching for a masters’, working on human rights with NGOs and remote indigenous groups in Borneo and Thailand. Each had its own jewellery with symbols and purpose, and she found that the inhabitants were as interested in the pieces she made with natural materials as she was in theirs. ‘It became a form of communication,’ she says. ‘They would ask if my jewellery was protective, which was their purpose alongside providing family income. Jewellery-making has a deep place in many cultures – the goldsmiths in Myanmar always meditate before they start work.’ She also saw how uplifting it was to troubled communities. ‘I worked with disabled people in Kenya who revelled in making beautiful items from scrap metal, and Syrian refugees in Jordan who said creating jewellery made them the happiest they’d been since they were displaced.’ In the mid-Noughties she started working with Turquoise Mountain. She felt the jewellery produced in many areas would appeal in western markets if designs were tweaked and materials refined. Apart from Afghanistan, which was her first, she has worked on projects in Burma, the West Bank, Colombia, Panama and Myanmar. She has returned to Kabul for her Zindagi Now project, where, she says, ‘we have been sharing knowledge and mentoring for 15 years, but it’s not formal education, which is banned. We can work tactfully with the Taliban but there is a long way to go.’ pippasmall.com n
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Good Reads | C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY A liddicoatite tourmaline; emeralds found by Kagem Mining Ltd in Zambia; a Zambian rough emerald
Out of AFRICA
Avril Groom talks to Richa Goyal Sikri, author of a book of gripping real-life stories about the African gem rush
PHOTOS: © RG SIKRI; © GEMFIELDS
E
ven well-connected jewellery collectors rarely get to visit a mine. It’s ironic, considering that this is where every natural gem starts its journey – but mining is a notoriously tough and sometimes lawless world that few jewellery retailers would recommend visiting. Yet seeing gems in their natural state, within the walls of a well-managed mine, is a world-class thrill. So found Richa Goyal Sikri, author of an unusual book about gem mining in Africa, No Stone Unturned. After 20 years in her family’s South Asian travel and tourism business, almost by accident she became obsessed with gemstones. ‘In 2010 I was nearly cheated over a ruby necklace and I resolved to learn about gems so I would not be conned,’ she says. After a gemmology course she decided to visit a Sri Lankan sapphire mine, with no trade links. She used her travel contacts instead and finally, ten years ago, she started a gem tours business with one trip and 12 guests.
As it grew she became known in the industry and made the acquaintance of Gemfields’ CEO, who helped her arrange visits to mines in Africa and Asia, and asked her to help with a book Gemfields was planning on coloured-gem mines in Africa, about the history and characters of the industry as well as the gems themselves. ‘I had visited many mines by then and knew some of the personalities involved when coloured gemstones mining in Africa took off in the 1980s, and Gemfields entrusted me with writing it,’ says Richa. It’s a ripping good read, like a series of short Boy’s Own tales of bravery and skulduggery in wild landscapes, yet she did many of the interviews remotely and was not able to visit all the mines round which the stories are woven because the pandemic struck as she started researching. ‘In normal circumstances I couldn’t have done it,’ she says. ‘But everyone was isolating, with the time to give me their memories, in great detail. Many of them were elderly and several have since died.’ The book ranges widely, from rubies in Mozambique and sapphires in Madagascar to artisanal mines and politics in Nigeria. Such was the free-for-all 40 years ago that she has changed or anonymised names to protect those still at risk and she has fictionalised a few scenes, ‘to make it edutainment, to tell the story of the incredible people who discovered the gems we enjoy.’ All events portrayed, including murder and expensively failed projects, are true. So is today’s industry better regulated? ‘Mining is still hazardous,’ she says. ‘It’s not a Disney world and I wanted to show the reality. Corruption and security are the biggest challenges and to create transparency from mine to market requires institutional mining and government policies and tax regimes that support the industry. Getting returns is risky and even Gemfields says that over 70 percent of its revenue comes from five percent of its production.’ No Stone Unturned by Richa Goyal Sikri (Austin Macauley, £13.99) is out now n Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 35
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News
WHAT’S TICKING? Timothy Barber has your update from the world of watches
ID Genève ‘Elements’ Earth watch, approx. £2,862
ELEMENTAL THINKING
PERPETUAL MOTION
Breitling is marking 140 years with a golden trio of perpetual calendar chronographs, all boasting the firm’s new B19 movement. With a rose gold ID Genève 5th and black colour scheme, there’s one each for Breitling’s three major collections, Element watch, Navitimer, Premier and Chronomat. Each approx. £3,188 comes in a suede-lined wooden box that can be MB&F x CHANEL configured for up to three watches (evidently MB&F has for 20 years been encouraging completists), along with a deluxe one of the most creative and edition of a book Breitling: 140 Years in 140 groundbreaking names in independent Stories (Rizzoli, £75), personalised with the watchmaking, albeit one whose haute horlogerie ‘wrist-sculptures’, inspired by pop owner’s chosen watch on the cover. Each watch culture and sci-fi, seemed destined to keep is £48,000. breitling.com it pretty niche. Not so: Chanel has taken a 25 percent stake in MB&F, confirming the brand’s exploding popularity. It joins fellow top-tier indies FP Journe and Romain Gauthier within the Chanel family – a stunning turn of events for a brand as known for its impish sense of fun as for its stunning watchmaking. That’s exemplified by the ‘Minimilians’: a new collection of cute (and very collectible) alienlike figurines, each with a head modelled after MB&F watch designs: these are now being given to owners who sign up to the brand’s collectors’ club, The Tribe. mbandf.com
BLACK OUT
Tissot has given its popular PRX model the black-out treatment with a case in forged carbon, the charcoaltoned composite typically reserved for much higherpriced brands. Lightweight and strong, the material’s unique mottled texture carries over to the dial as well. It’s a distinctly modernistic update for this 1978 favourite. tissotwatches.com
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Forged Carbon, £960.
ID Genève is a name to know – if you don’t believe us, ask Leonardo di Caprio, who has invested in the Swiss start-up. It has made promoting sustainable practices through watchmaking its raison d’etre, and is the first Swiss watch company to achieve B Corp certification. Its latest release fuses organic with high-tech: the ‘Elements’ collection uses a patented nanoengraving technique (similar to passports and banknotes) to create a holographic dial effect in fluid, shape-shifting patterns, on a dynamic sports-luxe bracelet in locally recycled stainless steel. idwatch.ch
BULGARI HITS THE RIGHT CHORD
Not to take anything away from the accomplished, high complication watches that Bulgari announced this autumn, it was this tie-up with guitar maker Fender that took our eye. The Aluminium, a groovy, compact sports watch, is a sleeper favourite, and it Bulgari The reaches new heights of Aluminium GMT x Fender, £4,600 chic in GMT form with a vintage-influenced brown bezel and strap, and sunburst-effect dial reminiscent of a classic Strat. It crowned Geneva Watch Days with a banging set from Johnny Marr, once of the Smiths, on his own Fender. bulgari.com
36 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News
POLO PREP FROM ACROSS THE POND
Watch aficionados generally connect the ‘Polo’ moniker with Piaget, but of course elsewhere in the world of style it’s associated with Ralph Lauren. The American brand – which, incidentally, used to use Piaget movements for some of its high-end watches – has now raised the stakes with a chic new line of automatic, all-purpose sports watches that it’s simply calling The Polo Watch. In lively colours with a classic aluminium diving bezel and bold rubber strap, it’s as Ralph Lauren peppy and preppy Polo Sport Steel as you’d expect. Watch, £1,790 ralphlauren.co.uk
MINDFUL MID-TONES
The recent past has seen plenty of watch dials in funky, high-saturation colours – but is the chromatic frenzy softening into something more, dare we say… mindful? So it would seem, if a slew of dials in tasteful, sandy tones is anything to go by. Parmigiani is calling the dial of its exquisite, platinumcased Toric Petite Seconde ‘Celadon Grey’, but ‘Cotswold Front Door’ gives a better idea of its Farrow & Ball nuance. From Laurent Ferrier, the independent specialist in high-end understatement, the Classic Auto ‘Sandstone’ speaks for itself, while IWC is offering the revamped version of its elegant classic, the Portugieser, in sheeny, satined tones of soft blue or gentle beige.
Omega Seamaster Regatta, £7,000
OMEGA RULES THE WAVES
As the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup reaches its conclusion in Barcelona this month, competition sponsor Omega has released one of the most hardcore sailing watches ever made. The new Seamaster Regatta is a 46.75mm, titaniumcased powerhouse. The latest variant on Omega’s series of high-spec digital tool watches, it’s equipped with a moonphase indicator, a chronograph, a sailing logbook, temperature gauge, accelerometer, three alarms, and a regatta race function. omegawatches.com
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde in rose gold, £44,460. harrods.com
Grand Seiko Calibre 9R 20th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGY035, £7,550
SPRING DRIVE, AUTUMN HUES
If there’s one thing Grand Seiko can do, it’s making watch dials of the most alluring and subtle beauty. As it happens it can do a lot else: it’s the 20th anniversary of the hugely innovative ‘Spring Drive’ movement, which offers precise timekeeping through a mechanical movement combined with a tiny electronic oscillator, characterised by the unique gliding motion of the seconds hand. The manually wound ‘Morning Glow of Hotaka Peaks’ is the latest model to feature this, with a smoulderingly beautiful dial of autumnal red. grand-seiko.com
IWC Portugieser Automatic, £23,500. iwc.com
Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto ‘Sandstone’, approx. £44,160. laurentferrier.ch
A DEEP DIVE INTO ROLEX HISTORY
The Rolex Submariner is one of the most famous and influential watches ever made, having defined the dive watch blueprint since the moment of its inception, 60 years ago – an anniversary being marked with the first ever authorised biography of a Rolex wristwatch. Authored by revered watch writer Nicholas Foulkes, Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep is a handsome, detailed look into the history of the ‘Sub’ from its innovative origins to the present day. An under-thetree banker for watchophiles this Christmas. Future Publishing, £100 Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 37
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Shopping
GOLD FEVER Feel the rush
1 Buccellati Macri Classica diamond watch, yellow gold, £20,000, buccellati.com. 2 Gucci Horsebit watch, yellow gold, sunbrushed brass dial, £POA, gucci.com. 3 Tudor Black Bay 58, 18ct gold, £27,610, tudorwatch.com. 4 Chanel Haute Horlogerie Bobbin cuff couture watch, 18ct yellow gold, yellow sapphire and diamonds, £POA, chanel.com. 5 Piaget Polo 79, £69,000, piaget.com. 6 Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic in yellow gold plate, £2,395, frederiqueconstant.com. 7 Cartier Santos de Cartier, large model, yellow gold, £35,100, cartier.com. 8 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding, pink gold, £58,500, vacheron-constantin.com. BY AMY WAKEHAM 38 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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RADO.COM
MASTER OF MATERIALS
CENTRIX OPEN HEART
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Shopping
STYLISH STEALS The best watches under £5,000
T’S LO PI
ART DIAL
SKELETON
MOO NPH A SE
DIVER’S
ST Y ONDS L SEC SMAL
DA YDA TE
PH GRA ONO CHR
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1 Rado True Square Automatic Skeleton, £2,350, rado.com. 2 Doxa Sub 300T in Sea Emerald, £1,890, doxawatches.com. 3 Junghans Meister Pilot Chronoscope, €2,490, junghans.de. 4 Accurist x The Dial Artist Origin watch (out 21 Oct), £340, accurist.com. 5 Orient Star M45 F7 Mechanical Moonphase, £2,199, orientwatch.co.uk. 6 Maurice Lacroix Aikon Quartx Chronograph, €1,350, mauricelacroix.com. 7 TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT, £3,650, tagheuer.com. 8 Raymond Weil Millesime Men’s Automatic Small Seconds Watch, £1,775, raymond-weil.co.uk. 9 Herbelin Newport Carbon Titanium, £1,799, herbelin.com. BY AMY WAKEHAM 40 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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CAP CAMARAT
Cap Camarat defines Herbelin 70s trends with its iconic collection. The new square shape and refined design ensures a sporty and elegant look. Available at exclusive retailers around the country
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News The crew aboard Moonbeam
CHASING theWIND
Fee Drummond joins the yachts sailing through the Solent in the Richard Mille Cup
standard. And that’s not to mention the highly skilled crews, working together to master these incredible yachts in all conditions. To live, breathe and capture this unique experience to the maximum, I climbed my ship’s mast, all 45 metres of the famous schooner Atlantic, which was built in 1903. Never looking down as I climbed to the top with my juggle of cameras, the crew ant-sized below my dangling legs, I’m held in just a harness as I sway with her in the swell. The experience is so exhilarating, I wake up the following morning and do the same on Elena (a replica of a yacht built for the 1928 Transatlantic Race) clutching on to the very top of her mast while the rope holding me creaks unnervingly. In a world where we are all trying to belong, this unforgettable experience was all about belonging to a real team, on an authentic adventure, where everyone is committed to the same end game. I am smitten with being part of the morning briefing with the race team, awaiting the day’s conditions in the moment, instead of the constant forward planning of our daily lives. Once on board our glorious yachts, we adapt and change tack as wind and tides shift. I find there is such therapy to be taken from living in the acceptance of unpredictable motion, with wind, rain, or sunshine on my face. Experiencing this is the greatest luxury of all. Fee is Country & Town House Editor-at-Wild n
W
hen Benoit Couturier bought the classic Fife yacht Mariquita, his friend Richard Mille swiftly followed suit, restoring the elegant 1914 vessel Moonbeam IV. The watchmaker and co-founder of the eponymous brand thereafter chose to create the Richard Mille Cup, which met for its second iteration over the summer, beginning in Falmouth and coming to a thrilling conclusion in Le Havre. I was lucky enough to join the crew for the fourth stage, as they sailed past my home on the Solent, en route to the French finish line. A regatta by yachtsmen for yachtsmen, the Richard Mille Cup brings together generations of heritage, handicraft, and traditional sailing methods in the epitome of authentic, boundary-pushing sport. It’s a fitting match for the watchmaker, which likes to both achieve incredible feats, and also uplift its own values of craftsmanship and heritage. Yachts taking part in the Cup have to be built or designed before 1939 or be faithful replicas, with a minimum length of ten metres. These requirements mean the race is a true return to the golden age of yachting, with an emphasis on sport, community and collaboration. Prepping one boat alone can take the support of up to 300 craftspeople: mast-makers, sail-makers, foundries, riggers, all working to an exceptionally high
Fee wore an RM 07-01 Automatic in white gold.
42 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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ANY WHERE, ANYTIME.
FOPE PHOTOGRAPHED BY THOMAS LOHR FOPE.COM
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Shopping
s ke
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Jew elle ry
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1 Tiffany & Co. Céleste peacock brooch in platinum, 18ct yellow gold, tanzanite, rubellite, green tourmalines, sapphires and diamonds, £POA, tiffany.co.uk. 2 Theo Fennell Queen Bee ‘Art medium pendant and chain, 18ct yellow gold, diamond, yellow sapphire, orange sapphire, £9,100, theofennell.com. 3 L’Atelier Nawbar Lounge Like A Cat pendant, 18ct yellow gold, hand-painted enamel, $1,350, lateliernawbar.com. 4 Samantha Siu Eternity necklace, 925 silver-plate, 18ct gold and green jasper stones, £1,319, samanthasiu.com. 5 Chaumet Bee My Love pendant, yellow gold, diamonds, £4,130, chaumet.com. 6 NVW Day to Night Raven earrings, 18ct yellow gold, £7,000, nvwjewel.com. 7 Yoko London 18ct gold, baroque South Sea pearl and diamond crab brooch, £8,500, yokolondon.com. 8 Annoushka Bert dolphin charm, 18ct yellow gold, blue sapphire and black diamonds, £4,500, annoushka.com. 9 De Beers Forces of Nature Magnetism jacket ring, 18ct white gold, rhodium plated gold, white and olive-green diamonds, £POA, debeers.co.uk. 10 Bibi Van Der Velden scarab cocktail ring, 18ct yellow gold, white diamonds, tsavorites, malachite, green tourmaline, £15,074, bibivandervelden.com. 11 Giovanni Raspini Crocodile big necklace, sterling silver, £570, giovanniraspini.com. 12 Humphrey Butler antique frog brooch, 18ct yellow gold, ruby eyes, diamonds and silver, £3,250, humphreybutler.com. BY MARY SANDERSON 44 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Shopping
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1 Repossi Antifer earring in 18ct pink gold, turquoise and diamonds, £2,030, repossi.com. 2 Matilde Jewellery Astra beaded necklace, recycled 10ct white gold, green aventurine, £350, matildejewellery.com. 3 Bulgari Divas’ Dream ring, 18ct rose gold, carnelian and pavé diamonds, £3,840, bulgari.com. 4 Hermès Supracolor necklace, white gold and platinum, triangle-cut rutilated quartz, triangular-cut diamond, moonstones, pearls, spinels, chalcedony, chrysoprase, pink tourmalines, rose quartz and diamonds, £POA, hermes.com. 5 Dior Joaillerie Rose des Vents convertible belt/necklace in yellow, pink and white gold, diamonds and gemstones, £35,500, dior.com. 6 Fernando Jorge Comet earrings, 18ct rose gold, lapis lazuli and diamonds, £POA, fernandojorge.co.uk. 7 Robinson Pelham Rebel Rose quartz bead necklace, 18ct yellow gold, £2,165; Stereo pendant in 18ct yellow gold, morganite and pink tourmalines, £3,880, robinsonpelham.com. 8 Otiumberg Lapillus moonstone earrings, 14ct gold vermeil, £195, otiumberg.com. 9 Tamara Taichman Cubix Hope necklace, £2,482, tamarataichman.com. 10 Anoona Lunar chrysoprase and pink sapphire cocktail ring, 18ct white gold, £5,800, anoonajewels.com. 11 Carolina Bucci Soho Downtown semi-precious stone and enamel necklace, £2,840, carolinabucci.com. 12 Asprey Cosmic Sputnik Eclipse cufflinks, 18ct white gold, onyx, £7,750, asprey.com. BY MARY SANDERSON 46 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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Collezione ANNIVERSARY LOVE
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Inn ova tiv e
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Shopping
1 Stephen Webster Vertigo Rubix hoop earrings, pink anodised light titanium and white diamonds, £40,000, stephenwebster.com. 2 Kavant & Sharart Talay Dancing Wave ring, blue sapphires, in 18ct yellow gold, £5,300, kavantandsharart.com. 3 David Morris Riviera Sprung bangle with titanium alloy flexible core, white diamonds, pink sapphires, 18ct white gold, £POA, davidmorris.com. 4 AtelierVM Jacaranda earrings, 3ct yellow gold alloy, 0.45 mm with specialist laser-cut detail. £305, ateliervm.com. 5 Chopard Red Carpet Collection Lily of the Valley earrings, 18ct yellow and white Fairmined gold, ultra-lightweight titanium, diamonds and tsavorites, £POA, chopard.com. 6 Glenn Spiro Reverso fishbone earrings, turquoise, diamonds and titanium, £POA, glennspiro.com. 7 Messika So Move Max choker, 18ct white gold, sliding diamonds, £POA, messika.com. 8 Bucherer Fine Jewellery Stretchy bracelet in 18ct white gold with 88 brilliant round cut blue sapphires and internal titanium springs, £5,200. bucherer.com 9 Tasaki Danger Fang earphones, Akoya pearl, 18ct yellow gold vermeil brass and aluminium, £1,750, tasaki.co.uk. 10 Adler Electric Titanium earrings, 18ct white gold, pear-shaped tanzanites set in curved blue titanium with diamonds, £27,000, adler.ch. 11 Piaget Possession ring with spinning middle diamond bands, 18ct rose gold and rhodium, 18ct white gold and diamonds, £29,600, piaget.com. BY MARY SANDERSON 48 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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A S P R E Y. C O M
THE CHAOS JE WELLERY COLLEC TION
3 6 B R U T O N S T R E E T , M AY F A I R , L O N D O N , W 1 J 6 Q X A S P R E Y AT T H E L O N D O N P E N I N S U L A H O T E L , 1 G R O S V E N O R P L A C E , L O N D O N , S W 1 X 7 H J
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Shopping
r ajo
s oint p le sty
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Sc or em
ATCH M E V O L
1 Fabergé x Gemfields Colours Of Love Cosmic Curve rainbow bracelet, 18ct rose gold, multi-coloured sapphires, diamonds, rubies and tsavorites, £15,360, faberge.com. 2 Lylie Auxo tennis bracelet,18ct yellow gold and diamonds, £9,750, lylies.com. 3 Harry Winston Oval Diamond Line Bracelet in platinum, £POA. harrywinston.com. 4 Maya Brenner Down The Line bracelet, 14ct gold, 85 lab-grown diamonds, £2,200, mayabrenner.co.uk. 5 Recarlo Anniversary Love tennis bracelet, 18ct white gold with brilliant-cut heart and round diamonds, £11,960, james-porter.co.uk. 6 The Diamond Store natural ruby and lab-grown diamond bracelet, 925 sterling silver, £299, thediamondstore.co.uk. 7 Crystal Haze Serena Bracelet in champagne, 18ct gold plated brass, cubic zirconia, £151, crystalhazejewelry.eu 8 Kiki McDonough Signatures green amethyst and pink tourmaline bracelet, £5,500, kiki.co.uk. 9 Eva Fehren Rattlesnake bracelet, 18ct blackened white gold, trillion and lozenge-shaped diamonds, £14,250, harrods.com. 10 Vrai V tennis bracelet in recycled 14ct yellow-gold, £8,762, vrai.com. BY MARY SANDERSON 50 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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PHOTOS: FÉDÉRAL STUDIO
C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | News
Bella Hadid models the two new Haute Joaillerie additions to the Ice Cube collection
52 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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Shining BRIGHT Bella Hadid glimmers as the new face of Chopard – and her career reaches new heights
PHOTOS: FÉDÉRAL STUDIO
F
rench jewellery maison Chopard has announced that girl of the moment, Bella Hadid, is its newest ambassador. The supermodel follows another iconic beauty, Julia Roberts, as the face of the brand. It’s the latest global campaign signed by the model, who started her career back in 2014, aged just 18, when she was signed by IMG Models. In the decade since she has graced the catwalk for all the biggest names in fashion, and has appeared on the cover of 26 international editions of Vogue. In 2022, she was named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council and, in 2023, was selected as one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world on its annual list. Now, she appears in a dazzling debut campaign for Chopard’s Ice Cube collection, shot by British fashion photographer and director Charlotte Wales. In the images, the supermodel is captured surrounded by an urban scene and set against the backdrop of a night skyline, in which lit-up windows echo Ice Cube’s brilliant, geometric design cues. The campaign plays with ideas of light and dark, which serve to emphasise the collection’s striking lines and shapes. This theme has been central to the Ice Cube collection ever since Chopard’s Co-President and Artistic Director Caroline Scheufele introduced the motif in 1999 through a watch that ditched flashy artifice to focus instead on pure shapes accentuated by light. She was, in turn, inspired by the Bauhaus movement, and its values of simplicity and functionality. Chopard has added two new Haute Joaillerie pieces to its Ice Cube collection, as modelled by Bella in the new campaign. They comprise a choker and a bracelet, which blend the iconic cube shape with the brilliance of added diamonds. Crafted from 18-carat ethical rose gold, the two pieces feature cubes cunningly woven into a flexible mesh, which follow the body’s movements once placed on the skin. The cubes and diamonds work together to constantly reflect and refract the light, evoking the sense of a metropolis skyline during the golden hour. The pieces find an apt model in Bella, who encapsulates the sense of timeless beauty inherent to the designs. There couldn’t be a more fitting next step in her glittering modelling career. chopard.com n Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 53
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UP CLOSE
Getting personal with the latest sumptuous fine jewellery pieces FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER RACHELL SMITH
FOPE Flex’it Eka necklace and Flex’it bracelets
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GRAFF Pear-shape emerald and white diamond necklace and emerald and white diamond earrings Dress Dolce & Gabbana
Autumn /Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 55
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CARTIER Libre Polymorph ring in 18ct white gold, set with seven onyx and 154 brilliant-cut diamonds
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DE BEERS The Alchemist of Light Midnight Aura necklace in white gold, black rhodium and cabochon cut chrysoprase, set with diamonds, and The Alchemist of Light Midnight Aura Climber earrings in white gold and cabochon cut chrysoprase, set with diamonds Dress Emilia Wickstead
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DIOR JOAILLERIE Dior Délicat necklace, ring and head jewel in white gold and diamonds Dress Dior
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HARRY WINSTON Manhattan Adornments necklace and earrings with diamonds, emeralds, tsavorites, sapphires and yellow diamonds set in platinum
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BOODLES National Gallery collection Play of Light ring and drop earrings in 18ct SMO yellow gold
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TIFFANY & CO. Tiffany Edge earrings in platinum and 18ct yellow gold with two cushion-cut Fancy Yellow diamonds; pendant in platinum and 18ct yellow gold with a pear-shape cut Fancy Intense Yellow diamond and 192 round brilliant white diamonds, and ring in platinum with cushion-cut unenhanced yellow sapphire and 137 round brilliant diamonds Dress Prada TEAM Make-up: Lan Nguyen Grealis @ Eighteen Management using YSL Beauty Hair: Yoshitaka Miyazaki using Oribe Nails: Christie Huseyinusing Dior Vernis in Nude Look and Le Baume Photographer’s Assistant: Klaudija Avotina Model: Jena Goldsack @ Models 1 Casting Director: Dean Goodman
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MAKE IT PERSONAL MADE IN LONDON, L O V E D B Y G E N E R AT I O N S
T H E P H O E B E R I N G B Y P H I L I P PA H E R B E RT
By appointment only | Battersea Power Station, London | enquiries@philippaherbert.co.uk philippaherbert.co.uk
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Feature | C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY Boucheron’s ‘Ondes’ necklace was inspired by the ripples made when a droplet hits water. It’s reimagined by the maison in sculpted and polished rock crystal and diamonds
Behind the
SCENES Avril Groom peeks into luxury watch and jewellery brands’ exclusive experiences for their very best clients
Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 63
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Feature
ow almost everything can be bought online, brands want to engage ever more personally, to offer a truly memorable client experience for which a computer screen is no substitute. Naturally it works both ways. If you have a passion for a brand and can ask informed questions out of genuine interest, doors will unlock. The greater your interest, the better the result, with the best invitations passed to the few by word-ofmouth. Here are some ways you can join them.
THE EXCLUSIVE EVENT
Few invitations are more coveted than that to Dolce & Gabbana’s annual five-day summer extravaganza in a choice corner of Italy that highlights a particular craft – Sardinia this year, home of the delicate gold filigree that graces much of the latest high jewellery collection, which was showcased for 400 guests (clients, collectors and celebrities) perusing the vitrines before a performance by Christina Aguilera, and a sumptuous dinner. Potential purchasers make their choices of daringly baroque pieces with bold-coloured gems and handcrafted Italian gold work, and wear them at the subsequent nights’ alta moda (haute couture) and men’s bespoke tailoring shows. Boy, is there competition – items will be purchased and gone by the event’s end. Many guests are regulars who catch up with each other, show the ropes to the newbies and enjoy the company of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and the ‘family’ atmosphere where everyone is treated the same (exceedingly well). Imagine the earlier summer parties where the query ‘will I see you at Dolce & Gabbana?’ has only one meaning. In Paris, you can bed down in one of its most venerable high-jewellery houses, which makes A Night at the Museum look pretty second rate. Above Boucheron’s gilded, historic salons with their own stories, including the 19th-century secret door through which mistresses were ushered should a client’s wife arrive, is a beautiful apartment where special clients can stay, entertain their friends to bespoke dinners or just enjoy the ever-entrancing view of the Place Vendôme.
The exclusive Dolce & Gabbana Alta Gioielleria event in Sardinia; one of its incredible high jewellery necklaces from the collection
One of Boucheron’s beautiful salons
Grand watch events tend to the sporting, and Formula 1 is a favourite for both sponsorship and entertainment, from IWC’s celebrity-studded bashes (everyone at this year’s British Grand Prix was trying to infiltrate their trackside palace for a glimpse of Brad Pitt) to the less formal hot ticket from independent H Moser et Cie. Founder Edouard Meylan admits that Moser’s style is more dress watch than gung-ho dive timer but an invitation to sponsor from the CEO of Renault’s Alpine F1 team (a keen Moser owner) was too tempting to resist. The client experience is highly personal. Alpine’s F1 cars are built near Silverstone and guests spend a day at the factory, watching the processes, handling the latest super-light, strong materials, spotting synergies with watchmaking, and even attempting the two-second pitstop tyre change – few get near even three. At dinner (top gastro-pub rather than grand hotel), Edouard and his team swap anecdotes with knowledgeable clients over a large tray of the latest models to try and choose, to wear for the duration of the event – an instant icebreaker as opinions fly. The new aventurine-dialled, steel-cased tourbillon got my vote. Next day is based in Alpine’s mobile trackside HQ, before the circus is packed away to appear at the next F1 venue. All-day delicious catering, a peak position to view the race, visits to the special family and friends area where the team’s young drivers hang out, and viewing the pitstop-side garage to watch perfectly synchronised changes to maximise the car’s chances make this another experience that money really can’t buy.
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ABOVE & RIGHT: Audemars Piguet {RE]Master02 Self-Winding; the watchmaker’s London club house
THE CLUB HOUSE
A watch-industry speciality is the purposebuilt area for clients, to which access may or may not be free. Audemars Piguet has 20 AP Houses, many in architecturally significant sites, which are off-street retail outlets as it reduces store numbers to promote exclusivity. The newest, in Milan, is in a renovated 1960s multi-storey car park, in modish mid-century style with exhibition spaces and a wraparound roof terrace. London’s is in an Art Nouveau Mayfair house with a discreet door at street level. Upstairs is an elegant space subtly Breitling Chronomat B01 42 Giannis divided into areas – sofas, books and wide screen, Antetokounmpo, a bar, a big dining table, a grand piano often played limited to 2,000 pieces by familiar names who are also clients, and private meeting areas, with showcases as part of the décor. There is no membership but to discuss timepieces an appointment is preferable. Anyone can call the entry phone, but if staff are busy a relaxing wait is part of the treat. Travelling regulars meet each other or friends, seek advice, even catch up with work. For the company it is crucial for sales, entertaining and getting to know clients personally. This summer, Vacheron Constantin opened Club 1755 (after the brand’s founding year) in London, an intimate, cleverly designed space with room for soirées and art exhibitions, drinks and cigars on tap – smoke them on the outdoor terrace. Membership here is by invitation; more democratically, Breitling ABOVE: creates a sports-club atmosphere in its Sabine Roemer bespoke earrings bigger stores, in brick-walled loft style with BELOW: Annoushka sporting equipment props, bars and even charm bracelet cafés, open to all. Meanwhile, Bucherer is expanding its Masterworks network with blue-walled in-store areas for themed high horology models from established and niche brands. Free access, with evening events and dinners by invitation for clients.
THE BESPOKE DESIGNER
A bespoke designer’s task to crystallise the customer’s dream makes for an ultra-close relationship. How to find the right designer? Often by word-of-mouth – a friend whose jewellery you admire may whisper a closely guarded name like a shared mantra. Sabine Roemer, who became an apprentice jeweller in Germany aged 15 and was the youngest female master goldsmith at 23, has both a designer’s eye and a craftswoman’s hand, has many clients to whom she has been introduced by mutual friends. She gets to know them so she can add personal symbols to her fantastical designs with specially sought rare stones. In a well-hidden Mayfair studio, Francesca Grima keeps the venerated family name alive with her mother, Jojo. Displays mix originals with their own designs and it takes a practised eye to tell the difference. ‘We are always influenced by my father’s work but with a contemporary twist’, she says. ‘Some clients are collectors who have originals and now want a modern equivalent. Others come with a stone, such as a bold, natural gem that they want set in our style, or they love our look and ask for our interpretation of their inspiration. Every time, those initial discussions and sketches are key.’ Designers whose bread and butter is fine jewellery often also have a strong bespoke following. Annoushka Ducas is known for customisable production ranges but up a step are her personal clients, who often become friends. A generous host, her convivial launch parties and dinners at home result in many a special order, such as a friend’s request for a dolphin charm after her son was nudged out of a fierce current by one near an Australian beach and it is now in her main range, with the owner’s permission. Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 65
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Pragnell Masterpiece Dune necklace with a lagoon tourmaline in 18ct gold
THE FAMILY JEWELLER
Family jewellers have lost out to luxury flagships. Old-style stores with a traditional range no longer create excitement even if they’ve supplied your family with good pearl necklaces for generations. But some are now taking the fight to the big names in their West End enclaves. Boodles, which originated in Liverpool six generations ago, has a prime site in Bond Street; on Mount Street, Pragnell, the family behind which has been making and selling jewellery for almost 180 years, opened in 2017 and has doubled in size since. MD Charlie Pragnell’s grandfather bought a small jewellers in Stratford-upon-Avon and set up shop in 1954 to serve wellheeled international tourists ABOVE & BELOW: Lugano’s Mayfair salon; and locals. Manufacturing Lugano titanium chandelier was in London but the firm earrings, and rose-cut remained Midlands-based until diamond and rubber bracelet the Mount Street move. It is quietly ritzy, with de Gournay silk wallpaper, a spectacular caged vault and private rooms with artwork by Frank Auerbach and Bridget Riley. Clients linger, learning about Pragnell’s odyssey towards sustainability, with aquamarines from a partnership with an artisanal mine in Zambia, antique Burma rubies and Golconda diamonds bought from clients who wish to upgrade, and gold from a single African mine, made into house-designed Masterpieces – the new Dune range, inspired by the Skeleton Coast, includes rare, lagoon-coloured Namibian tourmalines. Pragnell offers services to rival the global competition, from bespoke and remodelling work to valuations and repairs on jewellery and watches – it sells Patek Philippe and Rolex and is one of the only British stockists of rarefied Greubel Forsey. Its word for client relations is ‘collaborative’, anything from working together on a design to personal deliveries. Family jeweller attitudes, superbrand standards. 66 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
THE PHILANTHROPIST
With a swish London salon opened this summer, Lugano is social in every sense, the social responsibility of philanthropy linked to a community enjoying launches, events and dinners, as well as private appointments to view and buy jewels. These are one-off pieces with exemplary gemstones and craftsmanship, in a variety of styles to please different tastes. The object is interaction, between clients and between clients and experts. The brand supports the arts, education and healthcare areas, and some charities at the instigation of clients. ‘By integrating philanthropy into our business we highlight values we find we share with our clients,’ says Ferder. ‘This strengthens our connection with them and enhances their experience with us’. It’s early days but the idea is intriguing.
Feature | C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY
THE AUCTION HOUSE
ABOVE & BELOW: Bonhams on New Bond Street; a Marcus & Co Art Nouveau brooch it recently auctioned
Auction houses are throwing off their reputation for secrecy and setting out to encourage new, younger clients. Sotheby’s has a Bond Street shop window where rare Hermès handbags and stupendous diamonds stop passers-by in their tracks. Pre-sale exhibitions of property from Freddie Mercury (Sotheby’s) or Vivienne Westwood (Christies) create queues round the block. ‘Online sales, with prices starting from £500, have brought in new clients who we hope will graduate to live sales,’ says Bonhams’ global head of jewellery Jean Ghika. Expert staff treat everyone equally courteously, ‘from the enthusiastic novice to someone whose collection we know because we do regular valuations of it. Our curators hold private viewings on request, of selected items from upcoming jewellery or watch sales which may interest that collector, or alert them to suitable pieces, which they can view at leisure here.’ Evening events, talks with lunch or dinners, for professional groups or invited clients, help cement the relationship, but no auction house can give advice on likely prices beyond general information on the item’s condition and state of the market.
THE LUXURY RETAILER
ABOVE & RIGHT: Bulgari Serpenti Pallini secret watch; the maison’s spectacular Bond Street salon
Watch shopping today is not all dour, black-suited security. As luxury brands woo clients, atmospheres are lighter, less formal - up to a point. At Patek Philippe’s Geneva flagship, security is unobtrusive, the door never locked. Everyone is welcome to enter the subtly golden ground floor atrium, which showcases examples from all the house’s ranges. But to access the opulent Victorian salon behind, or the relaxing lounge above with its peerless view down the Lake, you need an appointment. Show an informed interest in a selection of models and you will doubtless get one, even if your PP dream for now remains just that. With a balance between jewellery and watches, Bulgari’s stores are its hub, with elegant launches and travelling exhibitions of high jewellery or watches. The store experience is truly valued, despite the rise of social media. ‘It’s like a dating agency’, says Antoine Pin, the former watch MD, now CEO of Tag Heuer. ‘You can browse online but physical contact, trying the pieces and learning about them, is the real seduction.’ Finding your highly crafted prince or princess may entail kissing a lot of frogs, but if you become a collector more doors open – dinners with like-minded clients and celebrity collectors, or spectacular launches in grand Roman settings. n Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 67
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Watch thefts are on the rise – but there are things you can do to mitigate the risk
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Security | C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY
Lock it Down With watch thefts on the rise, Amy Wakeham speaks to experts about how to keep your timepiece secure
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s it safe to wear a watch out and about in London? A fun, wearing a high-value watch, it is important that people remain vigilant retro Casio – of course. But what about the Rolex Submariner and aware of their surroundings.’ inherited from grandpa? The Patek Philippe you invested in Recently, the Met reported the arrest of ‘prolific thief ’ Mohamed after a lucky windfall? Recent headlines suggest that, actually, Amoyos, who stole £65,000 worth of watches around central London you’d be pretty foolish to flaunt your prized timepiece on the over two months in 2023. He would target lone men at night, talking streets of the UK capital. to them about football before grabbing the victim’s watch once their There was the woman robbed of her £185,000 Richard Mille at guard was down. He has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years for his King’s Cross, in front of her children. The man who had his Rolex crimes. Other tactics used by watch thieves include drive-by muggings on mopeds, and ‘honey traps’, where young women act as spotters in taken from his wrist as he dined on the outside terrace of an upscale bars and nightclubs, with victims targeted on the street once they leave. Chelsea restaurant. And, saddest of all, another that was stabbed to High-end restaurants in central London are also common targets. death for his watch on the street after his birthday dinner in St Paul’s. Celebrities, too, have been attacked, with boxer Amir Khan held at Although some thieves are simply opportunists, others are wellgunpoint over his £70,000 Franck Muller, and Mark Cavendish relieved educated on the watches with the highest value, and target discontinued of £700,000 worth of watches and jewellery during a break-in to his models and ones with long waiting lists – often these have exceptional values in the second-hand watch market. home by knifepoint. A thief reportedly threatened to cut off the arm Watch brands themselves are also taking matters into their own of Aled Jones as he relieved him of his £17,000 Rolex. The Watch Registry, a global watch theft database, reported in March hands. Audemars Piguet is now guaranteeing, through its coverage that the number of watches recorded as lost or stolen has more than service, to replace, refund or repair any stolen or damaged watch bought tripled over the last year, making a total of £1.5bn. Three-hundred were since 2022 for two years after the purchase. reported as lifted in central London alone. Our capital has a serious Meanwhile, Richemont, which owns luxury watch brands such as IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, and Vacheron Constantin, problem with watch thefts – so much so that many of India’s business has started its own database, Enquirus, of stolen watches and jewellery elite have said that they consider it safer to walk around New Delhi so that they can be identified if they appear for sale. than London. ‘The international nature of the market for luxury watches means that ‘By providing free access for customers and industry partners, the stolen items can quickly be moved across borders, opportunity to sell stolen watches becomes more prohibitive, with the ultimate objective of reducing distancing the thieves from the goods,’ says Katya the incentive to steal watches in the first place,’ says Hills, managing director at The Watch Register. Jérôme Lambert, CEO of Richemont. ‘Law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to counter these crimes, but the combination of high But how to make sure your watch never has to end rewards and relatively low risks for thieves means up on the ‘stolen’ list? The Met Police advises that Wear it – just robberies usually occur in upscale neighbourhoods that luxury watch thefts remain a persistent issue don’t flaunt it between 11pm and 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays, in global cities.’ So what’s being done about it? And how do and that thieves typically target wealthy individuals 1 Don’t have it on display at night – most you keep your watch collection safe from the hands wearing timepieces by Swiss watchmakers. robberies usually occur of muggers? ‘The first hour after a robbery is critical to between 11pm-4am on Back in January 2024, it was reported that a identify suspects and where possible, reuniting Fridays and Saturdays. covert police operation in London had reduced victims with their belongings,’ says Ben Russell, 2 Beware honey traps. watch thefts by 50 percent. However, in the months head of intelligence at the Met. ‘Reporting a robbery 3 Register your watch since then, we’ve seen some of the worst reports of in this time helps to secure evidence within “the with an established watch thefts. golden hour”.’ database. Katya adds her own advice to owners of valuable ‘Our officers are working with local businesses 4 Never post your and partners to prevent and raise awareness of watch timepieces: ‘We advise owners to make sure that watch on social media. robberies within central London,’ says the Met they have adequate insurance for their watch, to keep 5 Don’t post your live Police in a statement to C&TH. ‘Uniform and plain photographs of their watch and to make a note of location on social media clothes officers proactively patrol robbery hotspots their watch’s unique serial number, which will aid – wait until you’re home. in order to identify offences taking place, but more its recovery in the event of it being lost or stolen.’ 6 Stay alert while importantly they help prevent and deter offenders So be prepared, do the paperwork, and stay out and about. vigilant while out in public – especially while letting from committing robberies in the first place.’ Advice from your hair down. Maybe even consider leaving your It continues: ‘The Met is keen to educate the streetwisedefence.com public to minimise their chance of becoming a treasured timepiece in its safe on a big night out, and victim of robbery. When carrying valuables, or swap it for a less valuable – and desirable – option. n
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TOP TIPS
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FROM TOP LEFT: EC One sapphire pendants; a wall of peridots in the Fuli mine in north-eastern China, which uses blockchain technolgy so customers can trace the provenance of gems; Sunchin peridot brooch, made from stones from Fuli
Chain REACTION Joanna Hardy reports on how new technology and industry advances are bringing greater clarity and assurance to customers about gems’ provenance
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Gemstones | C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY
W
hen I first started working in auction houses 35 years ago, the vocabulary surrounding the diamond and coloured-gemstone market was completely void of terms such as ‘sustainability’, ‘ethical’, ‘Fairtrade’, and ‘responsible sourcing’, which were not remotely considered when talking about precious gemstones and metals. It wasn’t really until 2008 that these words started to infiltrate discussion of the coloured-gemstone market. Roll on 16 years and, along with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, they are integral to modern-day business. Sustainability is not just a contemporary dilemma. Ethical and sociopolitical concerns are relevant for antique jewellery as much as contemporary jewels. Historically, mining gemstones and precious metals has been fraught with difficulties and challenges. Many gemstones are found in countries with changeable and challenging political situations, along with unreliable or spartan infrastructure. Determining a gemstone’s origin is therefore of increasing importance to consumers. Jos Skeates, managing director of the UK’s first certified B-Corp jewellery workshop, EC One (and with an MSc in corporate responsibility and sustainability), confirmed that ‘knowing the bigger picture and what influences our supply chain is essential to being able to advise customers who are concerned about a gemstone’s provenance’. Thanks to the internet, everyone, from miner to end-customer, has more information. Where before the latter never really questioned how these gemstones got to their final destination, now Jos and other jewellers are asked: How were these gemstones found? Are the miners treated fairly? Is the environment being responsibly mined? And are governments and large companies declaring best practice? The same questioning is beginning for precious metals, too. I’ve seen the practical implications of this change through my career. Early in my auction days, there wasn’t a real emphasis on origin (partly because Zambian emeralds and Mozambican rubies were not yet on the market to rival traditional origins). Instead, it was very much about the liveliness and desirability of the individual stones. Awareness then focused more on the disclosure of gemstone treatments that could artificially enhance colour and/or clarity – crucial to know about when the images of gemstones in auction catalogues were printed only in black and white. In the 1990s, gemmological laboratories played catch-up to identify new gemstone treatments and, consequently, emeralds were treated with caution at auction. Prices dropped until the laboratories could determine the treatments, which restored buyers’ confidence. Transparency, traceability and accountability of how gemstones and metals are mined and then treated are concerns, but the other half of the problem lies in the difficulty of giving full proof and concrete responses. Geopolitics is constantly changing and to confirm that a gemstone is conflict-free, or has been handled along the way by companies that have no association with slavery, bribes, or environmental bad practice, is near impossible. Organisations aiming to combat these issues to satisfy media, auditors and consumers, include the Responsible Jewellery Council, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, the World Jewellery Confederation, B-Corp and Fair Luxury. On a technical level, blockchain companies such as Everledger, Gemfair and Aura
Blockchain Consortium are trying to help organisations that want to be accountable for their gemstone supply chains. However, the membership process can sometimes ostracise small businesses that do not have the resources to implement the required changes. Though it can seem like an uphill battle, we are collectively making strides. Stuart Pool from Fair Luxury says that, though the jewellery trade has a complex supply chain and that many countries have their own nuances, there is always someone trying to do good in that country, whether a big company such as Gemfields, the main supplier of emeralds from Zambia and rubies from Mozambique, or a small artisanal miner. In 2017, Raphael Gübelin launched the Provenance Proof Initiative under Gübelin Gem Laboratory. At the launch, the first physical tracers developed using Gemfields Zambian emeralds were introduced to the industry, marking a breakthrough in gemstone transparency. These are nano-sized tags applied to the gemstone by the mine, containing the details of where and when each stone was mined. In 2019, Provenance Proof introduced the world’s first blockchainbased platform that can track the journey of gemstones from rough to finished product. Pia Tonna, CMO and executive director for Fuli Gemstones, part of Provenance Proof’s community, says that the technology allows them to upload proof of peridots originating from their mine: ‘This platform provides a verifiable provenance, traceability and authenticity, resulting in data that will help companies and the consumer make informed and better decisions before purchasing a gemstone.’
EC One sapphire engagement rings
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Gemstones
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Shachee Fine Jewellery x Gemfields earrings, made using emeralds with physical tracers; the Fuli peridot mine; Lugano Paraiba tourmaline and diamond pendant; Lugano sapphire and diamond ring; Joanna checks out the Fuli mine; EC One sapphire engagement rings
This informed demand could have a long-term positive impact on gemstone-bearing nations. The gemstone and jewellery industry employs millions of people all over the world and contributes millions of dollars to a country’s GDP. Botswana’s diamond business, for instance, account for 80 percent of its export revenue, which has helped form the backbone of the nation’s economic strength. Lugano Diamonds’ CEO and founder Moti Ferder says he is proud of how the global diamond industry is contributing to improving the lives of many of the people who work in it today. Lugano Diamonds scours the world looking for the best and the rarest of gemstones, which are then set into original designs that are handmade, keeping the craft of the goldsmith alive too. Crucially, sustainability can encompass many areas of the jewellery business, including education, apprenticeships and the survival of hand skills. With different focuses within sustainability, the consumer must ask what they want to achieve when seeking to buy a gemstone that is ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’. In the past few years, the consumer has heard these terms used prolifically in relation to synthetic diamonds, which are not always a sustainable product. Most production in India and China uses energy from fossil fuels, and the cutting factories are not all adhering to best practice. However, some companies now use renewable energy to create their synthetic diamonds. Vrai’s Diamond Foundry 72 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: LOEV synthetic diamond ring; the Skydiamond manufacturing plant in the UK; Harriet Kelsall sapphire, ruby and diamond ring, and multi-stone rose gold pendant; Julia Lloyd George ruby and Paraiba tourmaline earrings
is powered by hydro-electric energy from the Columbia River in America’s Pacific west, and LOEV in Switzerland uses hydro-electricity supplemented with solar and biomass energy. In the UK, Skydiamond, founded by green-energy industrialist Dale Vince, has pioneered a process that transforms captured atmospheric carbon into synthetic diamonds of many colours. For the gemstone enthusiast searching for other options, there are fairs where beautiful minerals and gems can be found. This February, I went to Tucson, Arizona, which hosts the biggest gemstone and mineral fair in the world. Here, you can buy direct from miners and dealers. I bought two beautiful stones, a bumblebee jasper and a chrysocolla cuprite, costing $300, from a miner who locally sources stones for their ‘picture’ quality, and I have commissioned a jeweller in London, Julia Lloyd George, to make them into a pendant. If Tucson is too far to travel, every year the Goldsmiths’ Company hosts Goldsmiths’ Fair (mark next year’s diary, goldsmithsfair.co.uk), during which goldsmiths and silversmiths sell beautifully hand-crafted work, derived from skills that have taken years of dedicated training, and gems sourced from artisanal miners, including some gems from Tucson, as well as repurposed gems. The independent studio jeweller is where you will discover lesser-known gemstones, such as labradorite, spinels, kunzite, tsavorite, tourmalines and opals, that are equally exciting. The source of these stones will be more
traceable too, only because they are cheaper than a gem-quality diamond, emerald, ruby or sapphire, and therefore have a shorter supply chain. Sustainability is not a database or digital technology. These are part of the solution, but whether you have environmental or social concerns, the pleasure of buying that gemstone or jewel will ultimately come from understanding and trusting the person you are buying from. Harriet Kelsall, who won Ethical Jewellery Business of the Year at the UK Jewellery Awards 2024, is honest about what her company tries to deliver to the customer: ‘The jewellery industry is based on trust but, even with the best intentions, trust can only go so far.’ Harriet and her team spend many hours visiting and talking to suppliers, building those invaluable relationships so they can be more informed of how the materials are sourced. Kelsall stressed that the people to trust are probably those that say ‘it’s not perfect, but we’re trying our best’. A healthy scepticism is important, but whether you are repurposing an heirloom, buying a stunning jewel, choosing a gemstone, or buying a synthetic diamond, it is about what makes you happy, and that is part of the journey too. n Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 73
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Trend
Dinner-plate-sized tickers are so 2005. It’s all about downsizing your wrist presence, says Shane C. Kurup
Austin Butler wears a Cartier on the red carpet at Cannes
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
Dialling O W
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‘S
ize matters’ is a maxim that menfolk have obsessed over for millennia – for various reasons. And it’s no different with watches. Fifteen years or so ago in the early Noughties, the taste for larger timepieces meant 45mm and 47mm models set the tone. But just as the 1990s bust put paid to the flashy gold yuppie watch, in our recession-hit ‘new normal’, there was only one way to go – smaller, less showy. As a small-boned Asian boy, my twig-like wrists are thankful that the vogue for monolithic tickers is largely dead. I’ve long sought pre-1970s vintage timepieces, when 36mm was the male norm – still seen as ‘feminine’, their slighter profiles are more harmonious on my scrawny wrist. Brands that trade on classic elegance – such as Rolex – have always spurned the urge to scale-up case sizes. Its bold younger brother, Tudor, put itself on the map in 2012 with its signature Black Bay, clocking 41mm. However, recent years have seen it dial down the dimensions, with more vintage-sized 36mm and 37mm models, without diminishing its charm. Cartier has followed a similar strategy and recently launched Tanks for all wrists. The Mini looked diminutive even on me but the subtly curved back of the small Tank Américaine gently followed the contours of my wrist like a second skin. Similarly, Boucheron’s Reflet – a skilfully engineered and elegant Deco rectangle – has a timeless profile that transcends gender. It was favoured by both Edith Piaf and Ronnie Kray. Smaller watches aren’t for everyone. Robin Swithinbank, author of The Connoisseur’s Guide to Fine Timepieces – whom I call ‘The Royal Oak’ on account of his strapping stature – struggles with them. ‘I was no fan of the Brobdingnagian proportions 15 years ago, when Omega was craning 49mm Railmasters onto our wrists, but I want a little heft on my wrist in return for my investment,’ he says. ‘I’m reassured by mass and volume, but as a taller man, perhaps I would say that. Nothing about me is dainty, so why would I pair size 13 boots with a 28mm watch, any more than I’d put 14-inch rims on an Aston Martin?’ Having tried on a slew of flagship ‘men’s’ models reduced in size for a ‘unisex’
market, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas (34.5mm), Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini (33mm), Piaget Polo (36mm) and the ‘ladies’ Patek Philippe Nautilus (35.2mm), all feel at home, with no overhanging lugs, comfortably machined bracelets and a softly spoken lightness – yet they still retain the design kudos that made them icons. It’s like slipping into a pair of orthopaedic Crocs after a long day in weighty Goodyear-welted lace-ups. The star definer of genderless appeal is the Hermès Cut. Its captivating shape – not quite circular or oval – makes you look twice, while its 36mm size and soft, sporty curves gives it enough presence to suit most wrists. The trend is making waves in unexpected places. When Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny wore a women’s Patek Philippe 4831J with a minuscule 23mm case last year, it went viral. Bunny might previously have gone for the biggest, blingiest ticker, but the dial has shifted. Even footballers are sporting dainty women’s models. It seems being less predictable in your style is important in our cash-strapped times. ‘I need to dress very conservatively for work so a watch is one of few forms of self-expression’, says Eddie Lam, a collector of eclectic watches and women’s timepieces, who works in financial services in New York. ‘Everyone’s wearing a Sub or something of that variant. Seeing a weird shape or a unique colour peek out from under your sleeve is always a conversation starter’. Beyond the benefit of aesthetic harmony, smaller watches have another advantage: they’re discreet. The Watch Register – the international body which logs and tracks watch thefts – reported a 236 percent increase in stolen watches registered this year, a threefold rise since 2023. Smaller timepieces are slight enough to slip comfortably beneath a cuff so you’re less likely to get jumped for your watch on the street. Some men like a bit of bling on their cuff, with the taste for iced dials growing among Gen-Zers, as Harry Styles and K-poppers legitimise bijouterie for boys. Trying on the 36mm Dior Grand Bal, which went down the runway at the SS25 men’s show in Paris, I was struck by how the materials and overall aesthetic made it fit to a tee (yes, I have expensive taste). Even Omega – known for masculine dive and Nasa-approved watches, now has a 38mm interpretation of its Speedmaster Moonwatch, with a bezel and sub-dials subtly set with diamonds in a shape that nods poetically to the waxing moon. I’ve also heard of men buying the Cartier Baignoire and
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
1 Tudor Black Bay 54 37mm, £3,360, tudorwatch.com. 2 Cartier Tank Américaine Mini, £11,100, cartier.com. 3 Boucheron Reflet medium 35.5mm, £3,890, boucheron.com. 4 Piaget Limelight Gala 32mm, £46,300, piaget. com. 5 Patek Philippe Nautilus 35.2mm, £35,530, patek.com. 6 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold, £29,900. audemars piguet.com
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Trend
7 Hermès Cut 36mm, £12,550. hermes.com 8 Vacheron Constantin Overseas selfwinding 34.5mm, £22,300. vacheronconstantin.com 9 Dior Grand Bal 36mm, £POA. dior.com 10 Unimatic x Mr P U5S-B Limited Edition Automatic 36mm, £730. mrporter.com 11 Omega Speedmaster 38mm, £16,500. omega watches.com
wearing it with the face turned to the inside of the wrist, ‘secret’ watch style. I was also surprised how the lines of the Piaget Limelight Gala – only marketed to women – blended into my wrist seamlessly. But is this all just a fad driven by red carpet regulars on social feeds? If you’re Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler or Henry Golding, you have the charisma to turn even the most sacrilegious trends into a marketing man’s wet dream. According to Daniel Todd, head buyer at luxury e-tailer Mr Porter, which recently launched two exclusive 36mm Unimatic models, it’s a wider movement, driven by an appetite for more understated, timeless accessories. ‘There’s appreciation for classic design, craftsmanship and attention to detail with refined cases and clearer dials,’ he says. ‘Lines are blurring between men’s and women’s watches – luxury maisons increasingly offer fluidity for all.’ The moral of all this? Go small, blingy or big – or go home. Wear what the hell you want. It’s 2024, fellas. n 76 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | Autumn / Winter 2024
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toccata collection
www.raymond-weil.co.uk · 0161 672 0700
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | Feature Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Plique-à-Jour
Watch
WIZARDRY James Gurney introduces us to the independent watchmakers making waves
W
hile the watch world is dominated in terms of numbers and visibility by the likes of Cartier, Rolex and Patek Philippe, there’s a whole constellation of boutique-scale makers that generate interest and engagement out of all proportion to the numbers of watches they make. Loosely known as the independents, these are brands that are producing anything from a few tens to a few thousand watches a year (in contrast, Rolex is thought to make more than a million). As often as not, it’s a space that’s powered by collectors looking to ‘graduate’ beyond the safety of a well-known brand, searching after something that’s a little more individual, a little more daring. It’s a confusing, ever-changing niche that includes some long-established makers, some owned by groups and some, such as Richard Mille, that have grown out of the label. Every year sees new names that catch the eye.
The common factors are a creative freedom that can be seen in terms of design or watchmaking ingenuity, or even the way the business works and, given the concentration of the industry along the arc of valleys running northeast of Geneva, there’s a great deal of interchange of people, suppliers and everything else. Take Louis Vuitton’s much-lauded venture into watchmaking: it was built around Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, who worked together at what is now Audemars Piguet’s movement development studio (APRP) before working for Gérald Genta. They eventually set up their own business, first as BNB Concept and then, one evolution later, La Fabrique du Temps, which LVMH acquired and moved to Geneva. It’s a common development arc that shows how interlinked the business of making high-end watches is. So how to navigate the world beyond familiar big names and what to expect? The established retailers naturally give prominence to the biggest brands, though the likes of Watches of Switzerland are looking to give more
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space to boutique brands. Some of the more established have their own stores and there’s also a handful of retailers (such as The Limited Edition) that specialise in small-scale makers. Most rely on making a direct connection with their clients through events and social media. Dubai Watch Week and the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) watch ‘Oscars’ are useful shop windows here, as is MB&F. Makers are mostly Swiss or Swiss-based but can hail from anywhere including from Britain and Ireland; most of them have experience with established makers and a stint or two at concepteur studios (that supply movements and designs to larger brands) such as Agenhor, APRP and Chronode. Some are start-ups, while there’s an older generation that have become well-established having arrived with the first flourishing of the sector in the late 90s and early 00s. This latter group, including Urwerk, de Bethune, Greubel Forsey and Laurent Ferrier, created the template in the way they used industry experience to get off the ground, and in their use of media, events and partnerships to reach an audience. Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi (APRP), has a fair claim to be watchmaking’s equivalent of Skunk Works, the Lockheed Martin division that gave the world the SR-71 Blackbird and a generation of talented and creative engineers, both for the incredibly complex movements designed there and the legions of watchmakers that honed their talents in the company’s Le Locle workshops. Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey met there, Bart Grönefeld worked there, followed by his brother Tim, as did Andreas Strehler, Stepan Sarpaneva and Peter SpeakeMarin, while Christophe Claret was originally a partner. These are all names that are rightly revered as pioneers in the first flourishing of the independents phenomenon at the end of the 90s, and all are still active and worth your attention now. The legacy goes on as one of the most surprising lots in the last Only Watch auction (itself a good shop window for new talent in this field) demonstrates.
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: MB&F LM Sequential EVO; De Bethune Kind of Grand Complication; Cyrus Klepcys GMT Royal Purple; Furlan Marri Secular Perpetual Calendar, made for the Only Watch charity auction
Dominique Renaud (one of the founders of APRP) and tyro maker Julien Tixier’s Secular Perpetual Calendar for Furlan Marri is a clever simplification of a complex idea (essentially, it’s a calendar watch that can tell which leap years don’t add the extra day). Designed as a module to fit on a base movement, it’s a flexible concept that can be adapted for any sort of calendar and promises to be relatively economic to produce, which is appropriate for a brand that’s staying true to its Kickstarter roots as an affordable, vintage inflected offer. Though this watch, a one-off, went for CHF130,000 at auction! Like APRP, Chronode, founded by Jean-François Mojon in 2005, supply concepts and small-run complication movements to other brands that either don’t have the capacity, such as Czapek & Cie, or, like Hermès, are focused on larger-scale production (other brands have used Chronode on a more ‘discreet’ basis). Typical of so many independents, Mojon had a creative streak that couldn’t be satisfied within a commercial brand, IWC in his case, and set up on his own, using the income from outside projects to fund his own work, principally through Cyrus – whose ultra-technical watches mostly retail in the £25,000-35,000 price range – but also in collaboration with other independents, such as Trilobe, MCT and MB&F. MB&F is the single best starting point for the ‘independent-curious’. Run as a cross between a benevolent autocracy (the MB is for Max Büsser, previously of Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston) and a kibbutz (the F is for friends), the brand produces highly creative and boundary-pushing designs in small runs using an ever-changing constellation of watchmakers, designers, micro-engineers and specialist suppliers. The list of collaborators is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the industry (search any of the watchmakers and designers they list for each project and you’ll find horological gold) and while it looks like a strange model, MB&F reflects how the industry actually works in practice as makers trade capacity and specific expertise all the time. n Autumn / Winter 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 79
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Richard Mille RM 07-04 Automatic Sports Green Quartz TPT® watch, with a case material of fused quartz fibres
Science OF TIME
The most technically innovative new watches ST YLE DIRECTOR URSULA LAKE PHOTOGRAPHER MATTHEW SHAVE
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Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G001 in white gold, 40mm, with a date function that synchronises automatically with local time
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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding, 37mm, made using a technical version of ancient Florentine gold texturing
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Rolex 1908 watch, with platinum 39mm case and an ice blue dial with ricegrain motif guilloché – an engine-turned, technical high-craft dial
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Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25, 40mm, jumping hour with four barrels giving eight days power reserve
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Hermès Cut watch, steel and diamonds, 36mm, with a new hybrid case shape
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Longines Legend Diver, sapphire crystal and stainless steel, 39mm, with a chronometer-certified, internal rotating bezel
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Breguet Type XX flyback chronograph in steel, 42mm, made using high-tech silicon movement components
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C&TH WATCHES & JEWELLERY | The Final Countdown
STYLES Art Deco geometry with classic naturalism
hours of craftwork to complete the piece fancy cushion-cut brown and orange diamonds totalling 7.15 carats
Jewellery by NUMBERS
Gucci’s Labirinti high jewellery necklace boldly mixes styles, crafts and daringly coloured stones
60.89cts one central tanzanite
3.2cts two supporting tanzanites
diamonds totalling 26.70 carats
4.33cts
one pear-shaped Paraiba tourmaline
cushion-cut Paraiba tourmalines totalling 12.68 carats
3.03cts
two round-cut tourmalines
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