Dior watches have been a fashion accessory for over 15 years. Christian Dior, the French designer who revolutionized the feminine silhouette with his New Look, was an expert at creating volumes and shapes from fabric. It is not easy to translate his haute couture designs’ textures, fall and architecture into watches. Dior is a respected brand in high-end watchmaking due to its Swiss movements, unique market and beautiful haute couture appeal.
We saw some of the most beautiful dials on the haute couture Dior watches we saw at Baselworld. The Dior VIII Grand Bal family was created to evoke the soft, flowing gown that drapes over the dance floor. Christian Dior said, back in the days when balls were still common, that a ball gown should be the dress of your dreams and make you a dream-like being.
The Dior VIII Grand Bal Piece Unique Envol watches were not only beautiful, but also captivated us with their vivid geometry and iridescent dials. The delicate technique of marquetry decoration was used to create the phosphorescent green dials.
These one-of-a kind Dior Grand Bal Envol watches pay homage to Monsieur Dior’s 1948 couture collection, when his highly sculptural, geometric Envol line was launched. Christian Dior confided that he wanted to be an architect and that he had to follow the rules and principles of architecture as a couturier. It is clear that both his passions would have been possible given his ability to create volume, movement, and striking silhouettes.
To enhance the Envol watch’s rotor, the spiralling gold staircase (or fan) is decorated with mother-of pearl inserts and ribbons made of diamonds. The rotor moves to and fro across the bright green scarab beetle wings background as it passes through the mother-of-pearl. This stunning piece of art is frame by a gorgeous green tsavorite garnet and cool diamond bezel on Envol No.5.
These two Dior VIII Grand Bal Cancan ladies watches are exquisitely feminine. They have dreamy feather skirts that adorn the dials of these ceramic and rose gold beauties. The delicate technique of feather marting has been used by Dior artisans to decorate the watch’s swinging rotor and the dial beneath it with different layers of colored feathers. The feathers’ hems are reminiscent of a haute couture ball gown.
The Dior VIII Grand Bal fil d’Or watch is black ceramic and rose gold. It features a filigree-gold thread and a diamond rotor, set against a black lacquered dial that sparkles with diamonds. The Grand Bal Resille can also be dressed up in a black, white or steel case with a diamond studded rotating rotor that gleams like a delicate fishnet above the inky black dial or the snowy white mother of pearl dial.
The innovative automatic movement, the Dior Inverse, that was developed in Switzerland with Soprod, makes all the Dior VIII Grand Bal watches dance to the music. The rotor, which responds to wearer’s movements and transmits energy through the barrels, is no longer placed underneath the dial. Instead it is placed on the dial and decorated using exotic materials and precious gemstones.
