Delaneau is a relatively small company, too big to be considered an artisan brand, yet too small to be a member of the league of major Swiss manufacturers. Consequently, the brand created its own niche whereby outlandish designs, created from noble metals and exquisite precious stones, were the standard. To complete the timepieces only the finest goldsmiths and stone-setters were used, which by definition means that the series of watches are small and, in many cases, unique pieces.




THE SUN
18 carat white gold polished Dôme Tourbillon case with polished stirrup attachment set with 58 brilliant cut diamonds (0.84 carats), diamond cabochon at each end (0.29 carats) and a crown set with a diamond cabochon (0.10 carats). Claret DEL 97 tourbillon movement, guilloché bottom plate with ‘Clou de Paris’ decoration, tourbillon bridge set with 24 brilliant cut diamonds (0.18 carats), guilloché blue mother-of-pearl dial with ‘Sun’ decoration, leather strap with white gold folding clasp.

LEAVES AND RED BERRIES
18 carat red gold polished Dôme Tourbillon case, with polished stirrup attachment embellished with a ruby cabochon at each end (0.46 carats) and crown set with a ruby cabochon (0.16 carats). Claret DEL 97 tourbillon movement, guilloché bottom plate with ‘Sun’ decoration, tourbillon bridge with ‘Leaf’ engraving, mother-of-pearl dial with ‘Leaf’ and ruby ‘Berries’ engraving, leather strap with red gold folding clasp.

IRIS
18 carat white gold polished Dôme Tourbillon case with polished stirrup attachment, embellished with a diamond cabochon at each end (0.29 carats) and a crown set with a diamond cabochon (0.10 carats). Claret DEL 97 tourbillon movement, with guilloché bottom plate with ‘Sun’ decoration, tourbillon bridge set with 24 brilliant cut diamonds (0.18 carats). Hard cloisonné enamel dial engraved with Iris design, leather strap with white gold folding clasp.

THE SUN AND THE EAGLE
18 carat red gold polished Dôme Tourbillon case with polished stirrup attachment embellished with a diamond cabochon at each end (0.29 carats) and a crown set with a diamond cabochon (0.10 carats). Claret DEL 97 tourbillon movement, guilloché bottom plate with Clou de Paris decoration, tourbillon bridge with miniature ‘Eagle’ engraving, hard cloisonné enamel dial with engraving and ‘Sun’ décor, leather strap with red gold folding clasp.



Designed by a woman for women
“Delaneau is a brand for women,” explains Cristina Thévenaz, the brand’s Creative Director. “So when we decided to create a tourbillon, it wasn’t simply a question of taking the smallest tourbillon we could find and then placing it in a case embellished with precious stones. It had to be something uniquely feminine with a visual appearance as delicate as the tourbillon itself.”
“I’m not a watchmaker, I’m a designer,” Thévenaz continues, “and the ideas that I had for the tourbillon meant that I had to sit with someone who could explain what could or couldn’t be done – and in some instances what technical features could be changed or adapted to achieve the look I wanted. The result was that I spent a lot of time with Christophe Claret in order to get the project underway. Since I was creating a tourbillion for women, it also necessitated foreseeing space for the decoration. In this case I wanted the plate of the watch to be uncluttered in order to achieve the visual effects I was looking for, which included techniques such as enamelling, engraving and elaborate stone-setting.”
The tourbillons have an unusually shaped dec-orated dial that appears to be floating above the movement since it is freed from the insides of the case. In order to counterbalance the cut-away dial, a specially designed tourbillon bridge, suitable for decorating, has been conceived.




RINGS OF TIME AND MATTER – in 18 carat gold set with various precious stones and equipped with quartz movements.


Positive reaction
The results are as surprising as they are pleasing. The first series of 12 tourbillons is now sold and the brand is about to prepare a second series. Asked if the tourbillon was the end of Delaneau’s foray into the world of the mechanical watch, Cristina Thévenaz offered a brief catalogue of a woman’s needs based on both her biological constitution and her emotional needs. The horological results will be there for all to see in the not too distant future, but you can rest assured that the moon will be playing an important role.
Given the quality of the Claret movements and the exquisite aesthetics of Delaneau’s latest de luxe collections, it may well be worth popping into the neighbouring cathedral to ask for some divine help in obtaining one of these mechanical marvels.


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