Crafting Time

French jeweller Chaumet’s take on a modern timepiece is a platform to showcase its exquisite jewellery craftsmanship, as well as a decisive move to define its horological icon.

- Caroline Suganda

THERE’S AN UNSPOKEN PRIDE that comes with wearing a piece of jewellery from Chaumet — thanks to the charming tale that christens every piece. For example, the Joséphine ring is a simple eternity band with a V-notch that is widely copied by both fashion and fine jewellers alike. This design is particularly illustrative of Chaumet’s prestigious past as a jeweller to royalty. It pays homage to the maison’s first muse, Empress Joséphine, with a tiara that worked its way into a ring design that “crowns” the finger. Then there’s the Liens collection where precious metal is fashioned into a casual knot or a link that mimics the bond of a relationship.

The worlds of jewellery and horology have always gone hand-in-hand, perhaps due to the meticulous craftsmanship that could easily be applied to both departments such as the delicately executed visual details of both a jewellery piece and a watch. Hence, horology is not new to the 239-year-old French jeweller. In fact, one of the earliest timepieces that the house owns in its archives dates all the way back to 1811 — it was ordered by Empress Joséphine’s son, Eugène de Beauharnais for his wife. Throughout the years, timepieces have always been a complementing feature to the core jewellery collection — there’s the Hortensia cocktail watch that is more like a piece of jewellery with a time-telling feature or the more classic Liens watch for everyday wear that bears a cross-like link, connecting the watch to its strap.

What’s missing at Chaumet is, however, a watch that tells its own story, one that is as compelling as the rest of its jewellery icons.