Over the years, haute horlogerie, haute joaillerie, and haute couture have frequently joined forces. The addition of haute parfumerie to this prestigious list is a new and exciting development. This year at Watches & Wonders, the world’s most esteemed watch fair, the air was filled with the scents of lavender and orange blossom.
Tekst Anja Van Der Borght
Since 2018, Vacheron Constantin’s ‘One of Not Many’ mentorship program has united talents whose worldviews align with the values dear to the Swiss watch brand. Committed to skill transmission, this partnership thrives on a quest for excellence. Alongside musician Benjamin Clementine, designer Ora Ito, and artist Zaria Forman, haute couture designer Yiqing Yin from China, now based in Paris, is among these gifted individuals. Their creative collaboration gave birth to two extraordinary watches: Égérie – The Pleats of Time, a concept timepiece that seamlessly blends haute horlogerie, haute couture, and haute parfumerie.
This innovative automatic watch features a 37mm diamond-set rose gold case, a lilac mother-of-pearl dial adorned with Yiqing Yin’s signature pleats pattern, and a unique haute couture strap woven with embroidery and mother-of-pearl fragments. The highlight of this timepiece is its collaboration with French master perfumer Dominique Ropion, who crafted a special fragrance. Encapsulated in the watch band, the perfume is released randomly with wrist movements.
Alchemist of Emotions
Dominique Ropion is renowned for his iconic perfumes, including Amor Amor by Cacharel, Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf, La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme, and Alien by Thierry Mugler. “Dominique is an alchemist of emotions,” says Yiqing Yin. “Our primary idea was to create a watch offering a unique and sensory perception of time. We aimed to develop a scent as universal as time itself,” Ropion explains. “A mineral fragrance with pastel, wintery, powdery, and iridescent notes, a play of sun and smoke plumes.”
Encapsulated within the watch band, the perfume is released randomly, activated by wrist movements.
Ropion’s creation combines a mineral and maritime accord of ozone notes and galbanum with lavender and orange blossom, wintery freshness from honeysuckle and immortelle, iridescent accents from tuberose and ylang-ylang, sunshine through orange and lemon, and fleeting moments marked by incense, myrrh, and oud. Through an innovative process, fragrance droplets are encapsulated in every component of the watch band (lining, loop, embroidery). The perfume in the nanocapsules is released randomly, activated by the band’s friction against the skin in sync with wrist movements. Additionally, Vacheron Constantin introduces the Égérie moon phase in rose gold (37mm), reflecting Yiqing Yin’s creative universe with three interchangeable straps in shades designed by the haute couture designer. This automatic watch is limited edition, only 100 were made.
Haute Joaillerie
Cartier’s Animal Jewellery watch (34.29 x 38.85 mm) showcases haute joaillerie techniques, creating a mesmerizing chimera, a blend of zebra and crocodile, instead of the usual panther. Each dark stripe is hand-lacquered, forming a graphic and organic pattern. Quartz movement. www.cartier.com
Couture O’Clock
Chanel’s Couture O’Clock collection pays homage to the house’s heritage by translating haute couture tools into horology: pins, thimbles, and buttons become exceptional watches. The Sautoir Dé Couture in yellow gold (15mm) features a quartz movement, allowing you to discreetly check the time whenever you wish. Limited edition of 20 pieces. www.chanel.com
Mesh Style
Patek Philippe’s large Golden Ellipse Reference 5738 (34.5 x 39.5 mm) is now available with a metal bracelet for the first time. The chain-style bracelet, with links set in fine rows reminiscent of chain bracelets, is a beautiful tribute to the 1970s. The polished bracelet, composed of 363 rose gold elements with over 300 individually hand-assembled links, upholds the tradition of specialized jewelers. The engraved folding clasp offers three adjustable positions. Automatic movement. www.patek.com
