Personalisation is the name of the game today in luxury goods – we monogram our handbags and iPhone cases, even customise our Netflix watch-lists – and timepieces are no exception. Engraved messages, customised dial colours and strap materials are di rigueur, while some connoisseurs even go the distance to get the movement’s bridges and baseplates, hidden deep within and completely out of sight, engraved and specially finished. After all, the idea with bespoke is that’s it’s uniquely yours, but equally that you, and only you, know.
Fabergé has embraced this philosophy most sumptuously in its Lady Levity watch, a 36mm beauty whose centre design motif can be completely customised (the standard version is a most delightful, cheekily smiling moon, which was inspired by an early-1900 Fabergé rock crystal desk clock). The main image is crafted from carved mother of pearl, giving it an ethereal, iridescent sheen – but what’s more, it rests on a special sapphire crystal that’s been further engraved with layers of platinum for a kind of veiled effect. The layers can be customised to make the image as prominent or as hidden as one likes – and visible only to the wearer.
“It’s more for yourself,” says Aurélie Picaud, timepieces director at Fabergé. “From far away people just see mother of pearl, so this is something of a surprise watch, which is what Fabergé – and the surprise egg – is all about.” The image, after all, is unique and personal to the wearer. Past clients, says Picaud, have chosen the likes of portraits and landscapes (a spot in Paris where one met their partner, for example) and text is also popular too, for special messages or dates.
The process begins with the client contacting Faberge’s Geneva boutique, where the chosen image is discussed and hashed out. Some clients, says Picaud, bring along an exact image of their’s, while others may only have an idea or concept, whereby a specialist will work with the client to ensure the design is just right. A sketch of the final design is then prepared for the client’s approval, including discussing the layers of engraved platinum for either a more subtle or highlighted design.
The piece is then sent to a specialist in Switzerland with delivery taking around two months (from $25,000). The strap can also be customised (“It completely changes the look of the watch,” says Picaud) while the other specifications remain the same, such as the Lady Levity’s signature hands, in wonderful moon and sun cut-outs that radiate from the dial’s centre, 50 hour power reserve and 30m water resistance. Fabergé is currently developing the use of a special yellow mother-of-pearl, which should add an enticing new spec to this highly bespoke connoisseur’s watch.
