What is glamour?
According to the dictionary, the first meaning of glamour is “fascination, charm, elegance”. The aspect of “brilliance” and “sparkle” come afterwards and are only manifestations of the first meaning, which is the fascination that a person, lifestyle, or an object can emanate. With this in mind, we would be completely wrong to reduce watchmaking glam to the simple presence of diamonds on a timepiece.
As Dorothy Parker said, “Well, there are always those who cannot distinguish between glitter and glamour...” Glamour is so much more than only glitter. For an object to be truly categorized as glamorous, it is not enough to be beautiful and elegant. It must have a particular aura. It must symbolize a way of life. It must evoke a lifestyle. It must fascinate.
It is only the union between the object itself and the “values” that it expresses that can create the magnetism, and confer upon the object the particular prestige, which is the mark of true glamour.




Raymond Weil


In fact, there are as many different kinds of glamour as there are feelings, and the search for prestige can take many different paths. Let’s take two very opposed examples: on one side is Chopard, a brand that is undeniably glam, and on the other side, Rolex, a brand that is also undeniably prestigious. Both fascinate, but in vastly different ways. In the case of Chopard, the brand is surrounded by a brilliant aura made up of movie stars, show business tycoons, and international super models united in a universe of permanent parties and champagne bubbles. At Rolex, however, the brand’s universe has been constructed on very specific testimonials coming from personalities from all walks of life (art, science, culture, and sport), who are known for their serious work and great professionalism. Rolex’s discreet strategy in this respect has involved a veritable patronage through two initiatives: the Rolex Awards for Enterprise and The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.
These two examples clearly show that an aura of glamour can be created by the spotlights on festivities and permanent media attention, or by the profound and nearly anonymous work by commissions that gather behind closed doors.
In the end, glamour can take many forms, and this issue of Europa Star will explore its many aspects as it pertains to the world of watches. The quest for glamour is a powerful driving force in watchmaking, whether in creation and design (see the section, CREATIVE GLAM), in Haute Horlogerie (see the section, HAUTE HORLOGERIE GLAM), in the many sponsoring activities by watch brands (see the section, ARTS & GLAM), in daily life (see the section, EVERYDAY GLAM), or even in commercial practices (see the section, GLAM & TRADE).
And, let’s never forget that achieving glamour involves, in all cases, a great deal of work behind the scenes that is anything but glamorous. As an actress once remarked about her work, “It's the most unglamorous glamour business in the world.”


Source: Europa Star October-November 2006 Magazine Issue