Showing posts with label lapis lazuli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lapis lazuli. Show all posts

Friday, November 13, 2015

Faubourg Lapis Lazuli, Onyx or Malachite

From HERMÈS -
 

Here is the scoop, straight from the source -
Faubourg Lapis Lazuli, Onyx or Malachite Expertise engraved 
in stone 

The Lapis lazuli is available in either white or rose gold, bracelet or strap, diamond or smooth bezel.

 Lapis lazuli, onyx or malachite: the Faubourg watch adorns its dial in semi-precious stones playing on a blue colour palette, a deep black hue or variations on the theme of green. Expertly shaped by the artisan’s nimble fingers, the stones reveal various subtle and unique nuances. They are framed by a precious 15.5 mm-diameter case in white gold, rose gold, or rose gold set with 48 diamonds for the lapis lazuli version; in white gold or rose gold gem- set versions for the onyx model; or in non-set rose gold to accentuate the subtle shades of the malachite dial.

Well before the stones become dials, the artisan selects them with in nite care while keeping only the most beautiful. He then cuts out the material to the desired diameter and gets an initial idea of the volume before profile-turning to fine-tune the result and then setting the final touch with a hand-crafted polishing operation. 
In moving from the rough stone to the dial with its countless subtle features, the artisan implements a variety of time-honoured skills often handed down in the workshops from generation to generation. In working with malachite, he pays particularly close attention to the cutting direction in order to avoid any splintering of this particularly brittle stone. Conversely, the hardness of onyx implies other challenges, such as polishing that might make the stone look grey or reveal certain undesirably little white ‘clouds’. Lapis lazuli is easier to work with but requires a very discerning eye to pinpoint the rare stones of absolutely perfect colour midway between azure and sea-blue.
The Malachite is available in rose gold with matching bracelet.
 The Onyx is available in rose or white gold, with a diamond set bezel and finished with a black strap.



Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The UR-106 "Lotus"

From URWERK -

Courtesy of URWERK

A first for URWERK, a decidedly feminine watch, the UR-106 "Lotus"!

Available in two different versions - 

Courtesy of URWERK

The first is of titanium and steel with diamonds gracing the bezel, the crown and the buckle.

Courtesy of URWERK
The second option is also of titanium and steel but treated with black pvd, and featuring black diamonds.  The two pieces strike the perfect balance - day and night, darkness and light.

The movement for both versions is URWERK's Self-winding UR 6.01 boasting 48 hours of power reserve to power the "satellite" hours, minutes and phases of the moon.  The dial is satin-finished plate in ARCAP revealing the hours which are displayed in URWERK's satellite configuration.  The minutes are indicated by a serrated minutes scale.

The moon phase is of lapis lazuli.  The hours and minute markers have been hand-painted in SuperLuminova. 

The case measures 35 mm in diameter, and 49.4 mm in length with a height of 14.45 mm