DIAMOND LIFE

Patek Philippe leaves no (precious) stone unturned with this trilogy of high-sparkle timepieces

- TAN SIOK HOON

It is wonderful to note that a Swiss watchmaker as revered as Patek Philippe pays an inordinate amount of attention to ladies’ watches, an often-overlooked category in serious watchmaking. Alongside a trove of revamped Nautilus iterations in rose gold and diamond-set stainless steel for women, Patek Philippe also presented, at the 2019 Baselworld fair, a delightful trio of haute joaillerie wristwatches, exemplifying the height of elegance and femininity.

CALATRAVA HAUTE JOAILLERIE REF. 4899/901G

For this showstopper, Patek unleashes its technical and artistic know-how to achieve the finest example of a high jewellery watch. Ultra refined and feminine, Ref. 4899 was first launched in 2017 in a soothing pink hue, replete with white gold, engraved mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. This year’s serene blue version is no less luminous, if not more.

A soft, rounded white gold case of 35.8 mm provides an unassuming canvas on which to set rows upon rows of brilliant-cut diamonds. These are interjected with blue sapphires, also in brilliant cut, of different hue gradations. On the lower portion of the dial are more diamonds and sapphires, but which are now set in random fashion, often referred to as “snow-setting.” The upper part of the dial displays a hand-engraved feather motif in gentle shades of blue.

Putting its handcraftsmanship to the utmost test, the white gold leaf-shaped hour and minute hands come finely engraved. More diamonds and blue sapphires are called upon to decorate the crown and prong buckle. In total, a final count of 702 precious stones — 348 diamonds (1.66 ct) and 354 blue sapphires (2.69 ct) — embellish the timepiece.