SIHH 2014: 5 Best Women’s Watches

Ladies’ watches are no longer an afterthought, but have become the ideal venue for the elaborate craftsmanship that is now expected from the top-tier brands of high watchmaking.

These five timepieces, introduced at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, combine fine craftsmanship with advanced technology in a beautiful package that epitomizes the modern craft of watchmaking…

Richard Mille
Tourbillon RM 19-01 Natalie Portman
Co-designed with brand ambassador Natalie Portman, this watch is based on the image of a spider, with its abdomen supporting the bridges of the tourbillon and the legs supporting the barrels. It is set with diamonds in 18K white gold. The caseback reveals a baseplate cut away to resemble a spider’s web, set with black sapphires. The watch is limited to 20 pieces.

Vacheron Constantin
Fabuleux Ornements Ott oman Architecture
The latest additions to Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art collection were inspired by the decorative arts of four distinct cultures: Ottoman architecture, Chinese embroidery, Indian manuscripts and French lacework. The Fabuleux Ornements Ottoman Architecture model features a dial of chamfered pink gold, mother-of-pearl and half-pearl beads, with a coin-edge inner bezel. It also showcases the hand-engraved skeletonized Caliber 1003.

Piaget
Limelight Blooming Rose
The latest in this brand’s ongoing tribute to the world’s most beautiful flower has an upper case that swivels 45º to unfurl the rose, producing two new diamond-set petals for a total of four. It is set with 269 diamonds totaling 2.5 carats, and has a black lacquered dial. The movement is the Piaget quartz Caliber 56P.

Van Cleef & Arpels
Lady Arpels Zodiac Virgo
From the Poetic Astronomy Extraordinary Dials collection, the Lady Arpels Zodiac Virgo is part of a series of 12 limited edition watches inspired by the signs of the zodiac. The Virgo features a background of translucent green enamel, mother-of-pearl marquetry and diamonds. It contains a manual-wound mechanical movement and is limited to 22 pieces.

Cartier
Ballon Blanc de Cartier
Cartier’s Ballon Bleu, with its signature sapphire crown, is now followed by the Ballon Blanc, which features a 0.20 carat diamond crown. The bracelet of this jewelry watch also contains 9.35 carats of
diamonds. The mother-of-pearl flinqué dial has blued-steel sword-shaped hands. The 30mm case is rhodium-plated 18K white gold. The movement is the Cartier quartz Caliber 056.