MACAU. DFS this weekend launched its sixth annual Masters of Time, an event that it claims to be the world’s largest retail exhibition of fine watches, supported for the first time by a high-end jewellery selection.
The collection, this year themed around space and astronomy, comprises 400 timepieces and jewellery items from over 40 of the world’s most prestigious brands. Masters of Time was unveiled at a media conference and dinner on Friday evening, followed by a public showing and Gala Dinner attended by around 400 guests on Saturday at T Galleria by DFS, located at Shoppes at Four Seasons in Macau.
The collection will remain for public sale and viewing until 28 February [look out for this week’s edition of The Moodie e-Zine, whose cover story will examine in detail the unprecedented product line-up at the 2014 event].
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Harold Brooks: “Our responsibility is to provide to our customers something that they cannot find anywhere else in the world” |
The media conference commenced with a question and answer session with DFS President, Global Merchandising Harold Brooks followed by a panel discussion on the latest watch and jewellery trends involving watch industry veteran and LVMH Group – Watches Division President Jean-Claude Biver; US watch commentator and Hodinkee.com founder Benjamin Clymer; renowned UK jewellery historian Vivienne Becker and DFS Group Merchandise Manager Watchmakers Matthew Green.
The panel highlighted trends in new movements and materials, the enduring popularity of classic watches, and the growing sophistication of women’s watches (details to follow in this week’s e-Zine).
Brooks told guests: “We pioneered this event six years ago. The purpose was to truly explain T Galleria by DFS to the world; to show what we’re capable of bringing to all of you – the true collectors as well as the journalists – and to explain how we at DFS curated an assortment that is truly second to none.”
He described the product selection for Masters of Time as “truly a labour of love, probably one of the most exciting things our teams do throughout the year. It takes them over a year to curate the assortment that you see tonight. We work with our brand partners to find something that is unique. Our responsibility is to provide to our customers something that they cannot find anywhere else in the world.”
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(Left to right with compere:) LVMH Group – Watches Division President, the legendary Jean-Claude Biver; DFS Group Merchandise Manager Watchmakers Matthew Green; renowned UK jewellery historian Vivienne Becker and US watch commentator and Hodinkee.com founder Benjamin Clymer |
A key trend this year, Brooks noted, was “a return to classics and a return to vintage. You’ll see new materials, new complications, new shapes – we are really looking to redefine what “˜classic’ really means. The collection to us represents the pinnacle of creativity, engineering and craftsmanship – and that is what watchmaking is really all about.”
In line with this year’s theme, DFS has curated a special exhibition of astrophotography by award-winning New Zealand-based astronomy photographer Mark Gee, whose recent short film Full Moon Silhouettes won him international acclaim.
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An eye for precision: Several watch houses, including Glashütte Original (pictured) brought their watchmakers and technicians along to showcase the craftsmanship that goes into the timepieces; Picture: Martin Moodie |
Asked about the link between Masters of Time and space, Brooks replied: “The art of horologie was developed from astronomy. Earliest man created the first time-keeping instruments when he looked at the sky and saw the passage of time. At the same time they discovered gems and developed beautiful jewellery-making capabilities to try to recreate that beauty. Space and the universe are metaphors for the spirit of pioneering design and craftsmanship which we bring together today for Masters of Time. They represent the pushing of the boundaries”¦ and making the impossible possible.”
Brands within the collection include Arnold & Son, Blancpain, Breguet, Breitling, Bvlgari, Chopard, Chaumet, Christophe Claret, Corum, De Beers, Franck Muller, Girard-Perregaux, Glashütte Original, Greubel Forsey, H. Moser & Cie, Hermès, Hublot, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jaquet Droz, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Vuitton, Manufacture Royale, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Omega, Roger Dubuis, Tiffany & Co., Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith and more.
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(Left) Omega’s giant spherical display neatly embraces the thems of space and astronomy; (Right) Intricate adornoment of a watch face by a Jaquet Droz craftsman |
Highlight pieces among the collection’s watch range include Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Tourbillon; Jaquet Droz’s Bird Repeater Openwork; Van Cleef & Arpels’ Midnight Planétarium Poetic Complication; Christophe Claret’s Margot; and Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Florilége Collection.
Standout jewellery pieces include Bvlgari’s illuminating Diva collection necklace, bracelet and earrings in 18kt white gold with pavé diamonds; Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie cinema-inspired Red Carpet collection; and Tiffany’s brilliant Marquise Diamond Cluster necklace set with 325 diamonds, and bracelet set with 135 diamonds in platinum.
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DFS has curated a special exhibition of astrophotography by award-winning New Zealand-based astronomy photographer Mark Gee, whose recent short film Full Moon Silhouettes won him international acclaim. This image is taken from that film and shows people watching a full moon rising over the Mount Victoria Lookout in Wellington, New Zealand. Gee captured the video 2.1km away from the assembled crowd. |
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Arguably the stand-out piece of the exhibition is the exquisite Margot, Christophe Claret’s first ladies’ watch complication. It features an ingenious mechanism that helps to ‘predict’, or at least try to, one of humanity’s perennial questions: “Does he love me?” A simple press of the pusher at 2 o’clock brings the watch to life. With each press, a petal (sometimes a pair of petals, it is impossible to foresee) subtly disappears under the dial in a smooth action, perfectly depicting the delicate undressing of the flower. The answer appears at random in calligraphic letters (in French) on the dial at 4 o’clock: ‘Un peu’ (a little), ‘beaucoup’ (a lot), ‘passionnément’ (passionately), ‘Ã la folie’ (madly) or, alas, ‘pas du tout’ (not at all). At each press of the pusher, a distinct crystalline chime resonates. |
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A lovely festive touch from Van Cleef & Arpels as special Christmas jewellery baubles are personalised for shoppers |
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Bvlgari’s Diva Collection: Necklace, bracelet & earrings in 18kt white gold with Pavé diamonds. The collection’s design takes inspiration from an ancient form of beauty, the intricate patterns of Roman mosaics. |
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Chopard High Jewellery Red Carpet Collection: This creation was chosen by French actress Isabelle Adjani to wear while walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. |
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Chopard’s Happy Sport Watch (left) and Imperiale Watch (right) |
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(Left) Hublot’s Classic Fusion Tourbillon Skull; (Right) Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition a Quantieme Perpetuel 8 Jours SQ |
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Van Cleef & Arpels tells its own poetic story |
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Tiffany & Co Marquise Diamond Cluster necklace (above) and bracelet (below) |
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The sublime, simple beauty of Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers d’Art Florilege Collection – China Limodoron (left) and the same brand’s Metiers d’Art Florilege Collection – White Lily |
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(Left) Vacheron Constantin’s Metiers d’Art Florilege Collection – Queen; (Right) The extraordinary Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planetarium Poetic Complication, which pays homage to the emotion instilled by the heavens and stars. The complication provides a miniature representation of the movement of six planets around the sun and their position at any given time. |
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(Left) Girard-Perregaux’s lovely Cat’s Eye Anniversary; (Right) Jaquet Droz’s delicate Bird Repeater Openwork may look simple. It isn’t. Available as a limited edition of eight pieces, each is equipped with 508 components. This stunning story within a watch merges historic watchmaking tradition and avant-garde design. |
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(Left) UK house Arnold & Son celebrates its 250th anniversary with DTE, a superb Double Tourbillon Escapement watch; (Right) Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Toubillon features the world’s thinnest tourbillon movement, a mere 1.95mm |
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(Above and below) Guests enter the private exhibition area at Masters of Time. A magnificent array of fine watches and high jewellery was on show both within the exhibition space and the T Galleria by DFS store |
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