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Citizen adds two watches with textured ‘washi’ paper dials to its The CITIZEN Collection, specifically within the Iconic Nature series inspired by natural beauty.

Two new The CITIZEN Collection watches boast textured paper dials.

Both new Eco-Drive-powered 38.3mm titanium watches feature the eye-catching colorful paper dials created to display patterns and color gradations that appear to shift as the ambient light changes.

One model,  AQ-4100-22W, is cased in ‘Duratect Platinum’-colored Super Titanium and presents a green dial that combines traditional cloisonné patterns of intersecting circles as seen in many flowers.

The more luxurious-looking brown-dialed model, AQ4106-00W, is cased in ‘Duratect Sakura Pink’ Super Titanium. Both watches depict a golden eagle (a Citizen symbol) in flight on the dial and on the solid caseback..

As they are very thin, the ‘washi’ dials allow light to pass through, which makes them a material perfect for pairing with light-powered Eco-Drive watches. Washi has long been used to make paper room screens in Japan.

Citizen powers both watches with its Eco Drive Cal.A060, a perpetual calendar that boasts accuracy of ±5 seconds per year and will operate for eighteen months on a full charge (in power save mode). In addition, each perpetual calendar automatically adjusts the end of each month, including in leap years, until February 28, 2100. 

Prices: $3,295 (green dial) and $4,125 (brown dial). Each model is a limited edition of 300 worldwide.

Girard-Perregaux adds diamonds to the bezel of its Laureato 38mm Copper, a 38mm steel watch that features a beautiful copper-hued Clous de Paris dial.

The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Copper Diamond Bezel.

The best-selling watch, which debuted in 2022, now newly glows along its octagonal bezel with eight larger diamonds and fifty-six smaller diamonds. The bezel echoes those seen on a few smaller 34mm Laureato models, though none also include this watch’s unique copper dial.

The new Laureato 38mm Copper Diamond Bezel is still the only 38mm model in the ongoing Laureato steel collection, though Girard-Perregaux launched a special 38mm green ceramic Aston Martin edition last year. Most models in the Laureato steel-cased collection measure 42mm in diameter.

The newly set bezel reflects and refracts light in a manner that complements the light-play from the deeply cut Clous de Paris dial. This classic dial pattern is built on multiple pyramids that can alter the shade of the dial depending on the ambient light. The dial can seem copper hued from some angles, but can change to appear ochre or dark brown as the viewing angle and light source changes.

Girard-Perregaux places luminescent-lined, baton-shaped hour and minute hands atop the dial, each matching the shape of the indexes. A gold central seconds hand matches the G-P logo at the 12 o’clock position while the date appears in white text on a copper-toned disc.

Inside, Girard-Perregaux fits its excellent automatic Caliber GP03300, made visible via a clear sapphire caseback. Like the watch’s finely finished dial, the movement also benefits from Girard-Perregaux’s artisanal expertise with details that include Côtes de Genève finishes, a main plate adorned with circular graining and other components finished with beveling, mirror-polishing and satin or sunray finishes.

Price: $20,100. 

Accutron adds two models to its Spaceview 2020 collection. The new editions add strap variations to the existing green-dialed model while retaining the watch’s 43.5mm polished stainless-steel case, green transparent open-work dial, clear outer ring, white hands and orange seconds hand.

Now offered on a choice of a matte black or green American alligator strap, the watch continues to flaunt Accutron’s unique elecrostatic-enhanced proprietary movement.

The movement utilizes electrostatic energy as created by rotating twin ‘turbines’ highlighted on the dial. That energy, stored in an accumulator, powers two motors. One is an electrostatic motor to power the seconds hand and the other is a step motor powering the hour and minute hands.

Accutron explains that the movement is accurate to plus or minus five seconds per month.

Accutron cases the openwork movement in a domed double box sapphire crystal and protects the movement with a water resistance rating of 50 meters. 

Price: $3,850.

Louis Vuitton dresses its already impressive in-house flying tourbillon with stunning ‘stained glass’ artisanal enamel to create the new 41mm platinum and white gold Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour. 

The new 41mm platinum and white gold Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour.

By pairing a modern flying tourbillon movement developed within the La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshop with a traditional enameling technique, Louis Vuitton draws attention to its wide-ranging mastery of artistic craftsmanship, which for this model focuses on plique-à-jour, a  technique pioneered by Byzantine artisans in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Essentially, the technique consists of depositing enamel into open cells and allowing it to color the space in a ‘capillary action fill.’

The artisan must apply the enamel in multiple layers and kiln fire it each time in order to achieve the correct transparency that, when completed, echoes a stained glass window. More than 100 hours of artisanal work are required to complete each dial.

The blue hue that dominates the new watch was particularly difficult to create, according to Louis Vuitton, which adds that “many months of research were needed to obtain this blue gradient.

To achieve this, the Maison worked with several master enamelers within its atelier at La Fabrique des Arts.”

The transparent enamel panes are set within a white gold dial created with repeated interlocking Vs (for Vuitton).

This pattern pairs perfectly with the skeletonized LV 104 Caliber, a beautifully finished manual-wind movement also developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. 

Note that the watch’s Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève) certification is visible both on the front of the watch and in border on the caseback.

Echoing the workmanship required to construct the enamel work here, the flying tourbillon movement also requires painstaking watchmaking and design technique. Louis Vuitton explains that more than 120 hours of work are required to assemble all 168 parts of the caliber, which boasts a strong 80-hour power reserve.

Price: Upon request. 

 

Specifications: Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève” Plique-à-jour 

Movement: LV 104 Calibre: mechanical movement with manual winding developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, “Poinçon de Genève” certification, visible on the face and back. Functions: Skeleton flying tourbillon, hours and minutes, V tourbillon cage fully rotating in one minute. Eighty hours of power reserve, 21,600 oscillations per hour.

Case: 41mm by 11.68mm platinum 950 and 18-karat white gold with polished and brushed finishes, anti-reflection sapphire crystal, transparent caseback, water-resistant to 50 meters.

Dial: Handmade plique-à-jour enamel dial crafted within the in-house workshop of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Strap: Navy blue calf strap with platinum buckle.

Hermès re-interprets a shawl by artist Tong Ren to create the Arceau Mon Premier Galop, a limited edition 38mm white gold watch with an multi-media artisanal dial made made from enamel, leather marquetry and silk-threads.

The new Hermès Arceau Mon Premier Galop

Multiple skills are on display within this singular hand-crafted dial. The top of the dial depicts the sun and sky, both crafted in enamel.

 

Against the blue background is a horse made of silk threads and finely cut leather measuring a thin 0.5mm thick and set one-by-one.

 

Finally, note the small hand-painted gold mobile applique butterfly and star. 

Hermès is making the Arceau Mon Premier Galop as a 24-piece limited in a white gold case sporting a diamond bezel.

Inside Hermès fits its own H1912 automatic movement adorned with the H motif of the brand on its rotor.  All this hand-wrought beauty is held to the wrist with a matching blue calfskin strap.

Price: $91,530.