Watches & Wonders Highlights: Elizabeth Doerr On The Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star
Bazaar’s watch columnist attends the prestigious Watches & Wonders fair in Switzerland and discovers that within the world of women’s timepieces romantic ideas are the order of the day
Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) is upon us, currently the largest and most luxurious watch fair in the world. And from what has so far become apparent at the fair – which is taking place until April 5 in Geneva, Switzerland – romantic notions look to be a likely hot trend in female wristwear this year…
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star
What could possibly be more romantic than a shooting star traveling across a starry sky? That must be what the designers at Jaeger-LeCoultre were thinking when they created a romantic horological complication that randomly shoots a “star” across the exquisite blue aventurine dial of this watch, thereby capturing the unpredictability of the natural phenomenon.
The Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star recreates the enchanting celestial event thanks to an entirely new mechanism that is activated by the movement of the wrist (just like winding the movement). The shooting star appears on the dial at random moments, usually four to six times per hour. Its unpredictability makes it even more enjoyable as the enchanting display will not allow its owner to look away. The star is created by a complex combination of the motion of three aventurine disks and may also be summoned on demand by turning the winding crown several times.
Its 36 mm 18-karat rose gold case is embellished with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds put in place using the prong (griffe) setting. A classical jewellery technique introduced in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous collection in 2019, it remains an exquisite testament to the brand’s gem-setting expertise. Fine gold claws hold the diamonds high, allowing light to pass through them from every angle and maximising the presence of each stone while minimising visible metal. The upper surfaces of the lugs are also set with the dazzling gemstones and an inverted diamond is set into the crown. Despite all the sparkle, it never seems like too much here.
Elizabeth Doerr is the editor-in-chief of QuillAndPad.com, a digital publication that keeps a watch on time.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s April 2022 issue.