CHF 182, Laps
This pretty and affordable “Made in France” watch is produced and assembled in Paris. Its clean lines focus all attention on the dial, which is reminiscent of a modern art work. The unique central hands float above a feather from a Lady Amherst pheasant, a magnificent bird found in south-west China and Burma.
CHF 20,300, Corum
This reissue of a Corum model from the 1970s is given a majestic makeover with the addition of peacock feather dial. The engaging pop art aesthetic is created by a master feather worker or “plumassier”. Feathers are rigorously selected for their stability, density and fineness, then steam cleaned and shaped by hand.
CHF 29,900, Bulgari
This ultra-feminine watch, whose fan-shaped lugs define the transition between case and strap, is part of the Animali Fantastici universe, Bulgari’s mythical bestiary. The dial is crafted from feather marquetry – the feathers in this case being blue peacock feathers.
CHF 37,000, Dior Horlogerie
The originality of this watch lies in its inverted automatic movement, whose oscillating weight lies not on the back of the movement but at the front. This transforms the rotor into a new field for creative expression as it twirls around the mother-of-pearl dial. Here, the rose gold rotor is decorated with cockerel feathers and set with diamonds, sapphires, amethysts and tsavorites.
CHF 51,200, Harry Winston
A magnificent stylised peacock, probably the favourite bird of jewellery watchmakers, dominates the gold dial decorated with a hand-made glass micromosaic in tones of blue, green and turquoise, enhanced with diamonds and blue sapphires. The scene is inspired by Ravenna, the Italian city known for its stunning mosaics.
CHF 67,500, Cartier
Cartier has chosen to showcase not feathers, but the birds themselves on this colourful watch. Set against a grained enamel background, two macaws pose on the branch of an exotic tree. The scene is conjured out of champlevé enamel, a technique in which each different colour of enamel is separated from the others by a tiny gold wall. The elements combine in a complex jigsaw puzzle, producing an eye-catching effect.
CHF 81,000, Hermès
Hermès pays tribute to the seasons, in this case, autumn, with a scene inspired by the pattern of one of its famous silk squares. The dial, in micro-engraved gold with miniature painting, opens the doors on a fantastical animal kingdom. The central figure is a dancer with an eagle’s head and outspread wings.
CHF 106,000, Van Cleef & Arpels
This beautifully evocative dial is crafted from stone marquetry on a white gold base, featuring larimar, jade, jasper, jadeite and variscite, enhanced with lines of diamonds. In the centre is a captivating red cardinal in flight, made from white gold covered in feathers, with an enamel-painted beak and an onyx cabochon eye.
CHF 177,000, Bovet
For this reversible watch, which can be converted from a wristwatch into a table clock or pendant, Bovet has chosen to decorate the back with a charming miniature-painted scene on mother-of-pearl, representing two doves against a floral background that took the artist over 100 hours to create.
