Thank goodness for the SIHH 2013: with the likes of our own SalonQP and other watch shows of recent years, one can be forgiven for thinking that the world of high-end timepieces is dominated by men's models. But, as it does every year, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie puts that maxim firmly to rest. When you've got brands such as Cartier in one exclusive show, you can be sure that a seductive mix of high jewellery and fine watchmaking is never far away.
If the men come to this show expecting to see a slew of familiar faces, we can do one better. Cartier's Panthere Divine watch, with its enamel-spotted diamond pelt and brilliant-cut diamonds, was a wonder to behold. But this lunar watch wasn't the only eye-catcher. Montblanc managed to turn my head twice with a pair of floral wonders from the Princess Grace de Monaco collection, while Piaget reinvigorated its classic cuff design with the Couture Précieuse watch in rose gold, set with 400 brilliant-cut diamonds. The cuff is so elegantly put together that it seems to ripple and shimmer, clinging close to your wrist with alluring ease.
There's something truly classical about Vacheron Constantin's Malte Lady watches, the hexagonal face of which harks back to a more glamorous age. Equally at home on a flapper's wrist as a Hayworth or a Dietrich, the Malte Lady design is ageless, its face a reminder of why Vacheron Constantin was one of the first watch manufacturers to produce the tonneau case over a century ago.
