Is jewellery watch a jewel or a timepiece? It normally ends up in an either-or situation, depending on which side our emotion is connected more. The birth of De Tournemire from France calls for a rethink on the answer.
Jean-Jérôme Marteau, third generation of the Marteau family who owns the jewellery business Georland in Paris, fuses the family’s knowledge of fine jewellery and the art of watchmaking, and launched two lines of disruptive wristwatches in 2017 redefining the bond between fine jewellery and luxury watches.
Setting a diamond over the centre of the sapphire crystal is one-of-a-kind; running beneath is the bi-retrograde tourbillon with jumping hours and sweeping minutes developed by Concepto especially for De Tournemire. “I was really surprised that no one had thought about it before,” said Jean-Jérôme Marteau when mentioning the patented stone-setting technique.
Fascination is the DNA of De Tournemire, according to Marteau. “Don’t forget that we are in possession of a diamond from five to seven carats around which the tourbillon mechanism in constant motion comes to life. For the first time, ladies and men can appropriate themselves a diamond and find the ultimate pleasure of wearing an important centre stone on their wrist,” he elaborated.
Besides the tourbillon edition, De Tournemire has introduced a line powered by self-winding movement with a stronger personal touch on the dial. To enhance the signature centre stone, a wide array of shades and materials are employed to turn the dial into a world of self-expression. Inhibiting the dial are delicate creatures such as a resting leopard, a cloud of butterflies, bewitching flowers, a soaring falcon, a flamboyant peacock, etc. Time is shown either by a turning disc or the hour/minute windows.
At present, De Tournemire has created 20 different models. Marteau said the watches target an exclusive clientele so that a close relationship with the collectors can be kept. “Owing to the exceptional quality of the diamonds we select, only a few watches will be manufactured per year,” he said. “One distributor will be selected by country to keep the exclusive spirit of our brand.”
De Tournemire marked its maiden launch at the Baselworld 2017. “It was an interesting and promising experience to finally see the reactions of the watch connoisseurs, really receptive and enthusiast about the concept,” commented Marteau.
← Back