MTF
[PuristS]
13383
SIHH 2014 Preview: Ballon Bleu de Cartier - Parrot watch
Ballon Bleu de Cartier Floral-Marquetry Parrot Watch
When you first see this watch, it is obviously a pretty timepiece. The case shape is familiar and now a favourite Cartier icon that encourages tactile response. The colours are vibrant and when you discover the dial is a product of marquetry technique, the artistry is sharply brought to the fore. The colours are too bright for dyed wood or straw.......
Since Cartier decided to set up the Haute Horlogerie division, they have tried new techniques in both future technology and ancient skills to explore the possibilities of craftsmanship. On one hand, they are pushing the frontiers of mechanical engineering and on the other hand, they are reviving forgotten decorative arts including wood and straw marquetry.
We have seen Cartier build up a formidable collection of exquisite timepieces in their Métiers d’Art series.
Wood Marquetry
Straw Marquetry
A key phrase used at Cartier is "Shaking up tradition with creativity and innovation while reviving rare and forgotten crafts"
To this end, Cartier has ventured into a new craft in watchmaking: floral marquetry, to bring vivid colour and life to the dial of this Ballon Bleu de Cartier with a parrot motif. It is a marvel how they preserved the evanescent beauty of flowers but re-purposed with artistic flair into another thing of beauty - the parrot.
The juxtaposition of precious gems and delicate flower petals relied on a combined effort from two crafts never before employed in watchmaking: gem-setting and floral-marquetry. I ask the rhetorical question : Are there even flower petal marquetry experts? Such a concept does not seem plausible and yet the proof is to be seen at SIHH 2014 exhibition.
When the Japanese watch falling cherry blossoms (hanami ), it is with admiration for the fleeting nature of Life. Flowers are at their peak of beauty when they die. The allegory is to samurai who wish to die at their peak.
Yet, the floral-marquetry strives to preserve that ephemeral beauty and the jeweller attempts to enhance the preciousness of the dial. it is an intriguing venture of Man working with Nature.
There is an explosion of colour that symbolises the raucous spirit of parrots: there is blue and orange-yellow of plumage, the deep black of the beak, the emerald green of the eye and the sparkling white diamonds in the background of the dial and on the crown.
Cartier tell us that never has a Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch contained such a palette of colours.
I can almost hear the cacophony of whirling wings and parrot calls!
The work took an inordinate passage of time.
"Oh! Sweet irony it is that Time is what it takes to make time exquisite".
There were a series of minute operations.......
Flower petals are gathered and coloured.
Petals are cut
Designs to follow
Each petal is stuck onto a thin piece of wood and cut into the desired shape using a marquetry saw.
Those shapes are transformed into feathers and plumage: vibrant, sensual and fragile, with a volume and texture that contrast with the shiny black onyx beak and emerald green eye.
Surrounding the eye, the grey and black feathers are created with miniature painting.
Although the focus has been on the floral-marquetry and gem-setting, we must not forget the painter as well.
The dial base plate is solid gold.
The watch is 42mm in diameter with a mechanical Cartier 049 MC movement (ETA 2892-2).
Did you ever imagine floral-marquetry could realise a watch dial?
Cartier Métiers d’Art Series
Cartier Métiers d’Art part 1 - Grisaille Enamel: CLICK the following URL link:
cartier.watchprosite.com
Cartier Métiers d’Art part 2 - Miniature Painting and Plique-à-jour Enamel: CLICK the following URL link:
cartier.watchprosite.com
Cartier Métiers d’Art part 3 - Engraving and Champlevé Enamel: CLICK the following URL link:
cartier.watchprosite.com
Cartier Métiers d’Art part 4 - Gold Granulation: CLICK the following URL link:
cartier.watchprosite.com
Cartier Métiers d’Art part 5 - Agate Cameo Carving: CLICK the following URL link:
cartier.watchprosite.com
Cartier Métiers d’Art part 6 - Straw Marquetry: CLICK the following URL link:
cartier.watchprosite.com
Dr M. Teillol-Foo (2013) PuristSPro
This message has been edited by MTF on 2013-12-06 19:30:34
SIHH 2014 Preview: Ballon Bleu de Cartier - Parrot watch
Incredible technique
The Cartier copywriters described "preserved for eternity"
Wow very cool. A dial made from flower petals!
