Ladies’ watches: fluttering butterfly dials new for 2015

By Rebecca Doulton

Nature is always a bountiful source of inspiration for watchmakers and jewellers, and flowers and insects are becoming more and more frequent in the world of horology. As reviewed recently, animating the dials of some of the most sophisticated ladies' watches is proving to be a recurrent theme, such as the red-winged butterfly automaton from Jaquet Droz watches.

Read more about nature-inspired watches

Following the success of the award-winning, high jewellery butterfly extravaganza of 2014 from Graff watches, butterflies have flown back into Graff's universe, winging their way around the dial of these ladies' watches. Graff 's new 38mm Disco Butterfly features sparkling pavé dials adorned with six butterflies. The wings of the butterflies in mid-flight are set with marquise and pear-shaped sapphires, rubies, emeralds or diamonds to contrast with the pavé background. The minute the watch is on, the butterflies start to dance, magically rotating around the dial in time with your wrist - a perfect companion for a night out on the dance floor. This year's dancing butterflies are presented on blue, green and red crocodile straps or a more elegant black satin strap.

The Premier Precious Butterfly timepiece from Harry Winston traps the ephemeral beauty of a butterfly's wing. However, instead of using the real wing of a butterfly, as it did with the Midnight Feathers men's watches, artisans created the dial with the microscopic iridescent powder found on a butterfly's wings. A painstaking task, which took three years to perfect, the final effect is astonishing and the dial glows like an emerald gemstone. These new Harry Winston watches in 36mm white gold with 57 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel were created using the powder harvested from the Chrysiridia Madagascariensis sunset moth, and set delicately grain by grain, so no two watches can ever be the same. Presented on a black satin strap, there are a further 17 brilliant-cut diamonds on the buckle.

DeLaneau watches has forged an impeccable reputation for crafting extravagant high jewellery ladies' watches and for its impressive miniature enamel paintings. Now devoted exclusively to creating bespoke pieces in collaboration with the client, the sky is the limit in terms of design and choice of coloured gemstones. A recent commission includes this unique Dôme Tourbillon Butterfly Le Flambé with a miniature Grand Feu enamelled dial, housed in a white gold case, set with 7.73 carats of baguette-cut blue sapphires, amethysts and rubellites, and 4.92 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds. That's what I call flying in style.

Watch how DeLaneau watches makes its enamel dials in our exclusive video

Jaquet Droz watches is a master at painting scenes on tiny canvases and The Butterfly Journey, a limited collection of just eight pieces, evokes the delicate, ephemeral nature of butterflies. On each dial of the eight ladies' watches, the artist has captured the butterfly in different positions as it flutters over pale pink peonies. The champlevé enamelled wings of the butterfly and the realistic rendering of its sculpted body are frozen for eternity in the 43mm white gold case, illuminated by the 264 diamonds set on the bezel and lugs.

The Disco Butterfly is the third generation of Graff's high jewellery watches and comes with a pavé dial and six butterflies in contrasting gemstones, which rotate around the dial in time to your movement.
The Disco Butterfly from Graff watches, the newest member of Graff's Butterfly collection, features six rotating emerald butterflies on a gorgeous pavé dial. All three Disco models come with a Swiss quartz movement and matching crocodile straps.
The new Disco Butterfly collection of Graff watches includes this model set with rubies and diamonds on a red crocodile strap - a colourful companion that sets the butterflies spinning in time with your wrist.
Butterflies have flown back into Graff's universe, winging their way around the dial of these ladies' watches. This Graff Disco Butterfly watch comes in a 38mm white gold case and features a pavé dial and lugs with sapphire butterflies and bezel.
The technique to place the butterfly wing powder on the dial of the Premier Precious Butterfly took Harry Winston three years to perfect.
This model of the Harry Winston Premier Precious Butterfly ladies' watch comes in a 36mm white gold case with a flurry of 57 brilliant-cut diamonds set on the bezel and lugs. The iridescent dial is crafted using powder harvested from different species of butterflies.
Premier Precious Butterfly ladies' watch from Harry Winston, featuring a green dial made from the powder found on a butterfly's wing.
Jaquet Droz watches presented The Butterfly Journey collection at Baselworld earlier this year. A limited collection of just eight pieces, the dials of each watch evoke the delicate, ephemeral nature of butterflies.
The Jaquet Droz watches in The Butterfly Journey collection are housed in Petite Heure Minute models. The enamelled wings of the butterfly and the realistic rendering of its sculpted body are frozen for eternity on the dial protected by a white gold case with 264 diamonds on the bezel and lugs.
DeLaneau Dôme Tourbillon Butterfly Le Flambé watch with a miniature butterfly on the dial, surrounded by gemstones.