GB-F001
- Category
- Artistic Crafts
- Case
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Manual-winding mechanical Power reserve: 72 h, 21600 vph
- Functions
- Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Size
- 60 x 55 mm
- Thickness
- 15 mm
- Reference
- Chinese calibers
- Price
- 121,700 CHF
Description
This watch was conceived during a memorable trip to The Forbidden City in China. At first sight of the glazed tilework at Chonghua Gate, the design’s twelve nodal points seemed tailor-made for a timepiece, sparking an ingenious creative inspiration right away. We engineered this irregular sapphire watch case pre-set with twelve hour positions, among which the markers for 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock stand out prominently. This setup eliminates separate hour indices and frees up more display space on the dial.
As our gaze wandered toward the Qianlong Garden, we drew inspiration from flowers beloved by imperial dynasties across history and picked peony, rose, orchid, chrysanthemum, lotus and wintersweet. These blossoms, all blooming toward sunlight with vibrant vitality, are hand-painted onto the dial via miniature enamel craftsmanship.
A visit to the Museum of Clocks and Watches brought to mind words from Jiao Dayu, a renowned independent Chinese watchmaker: Chinese market pocket watches “represent an unparalleled milestone and marvel in horological history, boasting exquisite craftsmanship, elegant silhouettes, remarkable structural diversity, vast production volumes and extensive global reach.”
We reimagined the movement architecture of classic Chinese market watches, namely the Eight-Part Movement. The case back exposes the barrel and balance wheel arranged in symmetrical configuration; the barrel is fitted with a Maltese cross stop-work to prevent reverse winding and regulate the release of mainspring power. The base plate’s reverse side bears hand-engraved patterns replicated from the ceiling of the Ancient Splendid Pavilion in the Palace Museum’s Qianlong Garden, crafted by young Chinese master gold carvers for an elegant, ornate finish.
The strap is crafted from cowhide, with off-white leather paired with green stitching that complements the sapphire case and enamel dial to unify the overall design aesthetic.
Drawing design cues from imperial Chinese architecture and royal gardens and refined with contemporary aesthetics, this timepiece encapsulates traditional Chinese beauty and the nation’s profound cultural heritage within wearable watch art.
Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.