Belle Of The Bal: Dior's Chinese New Year Watch Collection
Much more than an accessory, each timepiece from Dior is a work of art in its own right, which sits at the crossroads of haute couture, high jewellery, and horology. Like the petites mains of the maison’s ateliers, who weave their magic on satin, faille, and taffeta, so the brand’s watchmakers spin metals and mechanics into the stuff of dreams. And the latest Dior creations are just as exceptional as the rest. In celebration of the forthcoming Chinese New Year, the luxury house has reworked two of its most distinctive designs – the Dior Grand Bal Plume and La Mini D de Dior Satine – in flamboyant and fortuitous shades of red.
Drawing on Monsieur Dior’s love for the masquerades of post-war Paris, the Grand Bal collection interprets the elegance and opulence of ball gowns in horological terms. The use of the “Dior Inversé 11½” calibre, wherein the oscillating weight is located on the dial side rather than the back, allows the rotor to be as beautifully decorated as the dial, with embellishments ranging from gold threads and precious stones to flower petals and butterfly wings.
The new Grand Bal Plume features a pink gold oscillating weight, elaborately adorned with a delicate fan of feathers and round-cut diamonds, which imitates the sweep of a ball gown as it twirls across the red mother-of-pearl dial. The 36mm case is haloed with a diamond-set bezel, while the case-back is rendered in red sapphire crystal, and the stainless steel crown is etched with the initials ‘CD’ (for Christian Dior, naturally). A red alligator strap and gem-encrusted buckle complete the exquisite timepiece, which is available in a limited edition of 88 pieces.
Striking the perfect balance between masculine and feminine codes, La Mini D de Dior Satine is distinguished by the supple Milanese mesh bracelet that twines around the wrist like a fluid satin ribbon (hence the name). A pink gold bezel and crown, fully paved with precious stones, frames a vivid red lacquer dial, with four diamond hour markers and polished gold Dauphine hands. Powered by quartz, the watch is proof that good things really do come in small packages.
