Claude Meylan strikes again. The independent brand continues to demonstrate its mastery of skeletonisation with three finely spun creations. They join the Lionne collection, named not after the big cat but for the river that runs past the Manufacture in L’Abbaye, Vallée de Joux.
An Indian summer in Geneva
All three were unveiled at the recent Geneva Watch Days, during the last, lingering days of summer, among good company in a relaxed, lakeside setting. The ideal time and place to reveal not a sunkissed shoulder but a gear, a bridge or an escapement, all draped in magnificent lacey colours.
Triplets
On a Peseux 7001 base, these Lionne Dentelle come in three delicate and subtle pastel shades: blue, pink and lilac. The blue is the most vibrant of the three, reminiscent of the blued screws often seen in a traditional watch movement. The pink is soft and subdued, a delicate blush far removed from the bubblegum Barbie pink that is everywhere these days and which, as “fun” as it may be, is hardly the epitome of discretion.
Royal approval
Possibly the most interesting of the three is the lilac or, to give it its proper name, Marie-Antoinette grey, named after the last queen of the Ancien Régime. The consort of Louis XVI was particularly fond of a shade of pastel white obtained from lead white, a pigment whose high lead content caused it to gradually turn a pale grey (lead was an immensely popular substance in the late eighteenth century, before its lethal legacy became known). Examples abound on the furniture of this period, as can be seen in the galleries at Château de Versailles.
Claude Meylan has used this particular shade, more akin to a natural patina, for the third Lionne Dentelle, in a tone that edges more towards lilac than grey. The result is feminine to the extreme and wins hands-down for originality.
Three watches, three bracelets
All three watches are cased in a 35mm diameter - a welcome choice for a women’s watch- with three bracelet options: steel mesh, satin or Alcantara.
The combination of the steel mesh bracelet on a case also in steel gives slightly too much prominence to this cold metal, and overshadows the warmth and softness of the pastel lace.
Satin remains the most obvious and safest choice, particularly this satin with its modern finish. The winner, however, has to be the Marie-Antoinette grey paired with Alcantara. The muted tones of the movement complement the soft texture of the strap, creating a continuity that is pleasing both to the eye and the touch.
