With Baselworld 2016 just around the corner, here is a mini appetizer of ladies' watches tempting us with their very attractive prices.
It might be the year of the monkey in Chinese lore, but for Bulgari, the year 2016 will be charmed with snakes as the iconic house mascot slithers back into our lives. Before we let all the gorgeous Bulgari watches out of the bag, there are two new Serpenti Tubogas models whose bite won’t break the bank. The famous coiled bracelet - christened Tubogas because of its similarity to a flexible, woven, metal hosepipe used in industry and incorporated into jewellery in the Art Deco period - was adopted by Bulgari’s designers in 1932 to capture the coiling essence of a snake’s movements. More understated and abstract in nature than their opulent high jewellery sisters, these 35mm ladies’ watches, with their double-coiled, two-tone pink gold and steel Tubogas bracelet, cobra-headed case and violet lacquered dial, are perfect for the modern-day Cleopatra.
Reliable, masculine and always on time, the Chanel Boy.Friend watch is back in town this year, with its handsome rectangular case offset with a delightfully feminine dial covered in diamonds. True to the spirit of their founder, these Chanel watches blend masculine elements with feminine touches for a relaxed and glamorous look. The beige gold case - an exclusive alloy that honours Coco Chanel’s passion for the colour beige - features an entirely pavéd dial and diamond-set bezel and crown, and is equipped with a high-precision quartz movement.
If Op Art is your thing, the Corum Bubble watch will transfix you with its groovy personality. Conceived by industrial designer Nicolas Le Moigne in 2015, these oversized Corum watches give an impression of movement and continually changing perspective, thanks to the 8mm high sapphire crystal - the largest on any watch - which acts as a lens, distorting and magnifying the dial. This 47mm chocolate brown, PVD, stainless steel model features a brass dial with spherical grooves, and is equipped with an in-house Corum automatic movement. If you visit the Corum stand, don’t miss the new high jewellery Bubble Dazzle watch collection fizzing with precious gemstones.
The ever-popular La Mini D de Dior watches are revisited in 2016 with a slinky Milanese mesh bracelet designed to emulate the touch of a satin ribbon. The new La Mini D de Dior Satine collection features this delightful 19mm model with a soft pink mother-of-pearl dial surrounded by a halo of diamonds, and the super supple Milanese mesh bracelet woven from stainless steel.
The pure lines and elegant presence of the Slim d’Hermès watch collection captures the essence of this grand Maison to perfection. For 2016, the 39.5mm Slim d’Hermès will be available for women and equipped with an ultra-thin automatic movement, enlivened by alligator straps in vibrant colours, such as this delicious blackcurrant strap. The opaline silver dial features the exclusive stencil-style font for the numerals, designed specifically for Hermès by Philippe Apeloig, and is available with a sprinkling of 66 white diamonds on the bezel. Understated, slim and elegant, these ladies’ watches have attributes any woman would admire.
