Crazy Critters- Marc by Marc Jacobs

I’m not a huge fan of Marc by Marc Jacobs watches. Not really my style and nothing to really differentiate them from any other mid-range fashion watch brands out there. I do however love the playful, quirkiness of the brand itself and I’m pleased to see this perfectly embodied in the new Critters watches.

The Critters are a comically sad collection of animals including an owl, a sad little bull dog and what appears to be a stoned zebra. They all look a little morose but there is something very charming about the simple cases and bright, plain leather straps. They feature throughout Jacobs’ diffusion line, appearing on IPhone cases, bags and shoes.

Animal motifs have been quite popular this year. Olivia Burton demonstrated this in a more sophisticated, vintage style and ASOS picked up on this too with some own brand lines.

My favourite is the gold case cat with white leather strap. The colour combination is quite classic, making the Critter design  a lot more wearable for every day. I love Zebras, but I don’t think I could look at that glazed over face every time I want to check the time. 

The Critters are so much more exciting that previous offerings form the watch brand and follow the DNA of the MBMJ clothing and accessories range: fun, quirky, a little weird. 

All are £165 and can be purchased here. I love them and hope to see more Critters next season. Maybe a giraffe. Everyone loves a giraffe. 

Dial Detail- Ebel Onde

 Eve’s Watch is a recently launched online site offering an excellent source of commentary for women’s watches and one I regularly check for interesting product launches and opinions on the industry in general. 

Clicking through this morning I noticed an article on Ebel’s Onde Blue which features a stone dial, similar to the type I wrote about yesterday. It’s lovely to see that this is a technique that is being noted, especially when so much focus of women’s watch commentary is on appearance over craftsmanship.

Like Piaget’s Altiplano range, the Ebel makes use of lapis lazuli, matching the rich blue tones of the stone to semi-matte croc strap

According to the article, the Arabic numeral at 6 o’clock is a reference to the semi-precious stones North African roots, an intricate touch of detail that shows the amount of care that has gone into this watches design.

 The blue stone sits beautifully next to the gold case, the diamond set bezel really adding a touch of glamour to the case.

Lapis is also  December birth stone which is maybe why I’m so drawn to it. Either way, this is a beautiful contemporary classic from Ebel and certainly wins a place on the wish list.

Dial Detail

During every round of product development there are always new techniques that I trial to see what can be achieved for my brands. Becoming bored with the same old textures on my watch dials (sunray, sand blast, same old), I attempted to try a few different techniques to liven things up. Mother of Pearl is a favourite and this worked well however an endeavor to use different types of stones was trickier.

After much back and forth with various factories and designers I decided to research the technique myself. It turns out that the use of stone dials is difficult to implement due to the high level of skill involved and the subsequent cost of labour. The process of creating a stone dial is tricky: the piece of stone used must be perfect with no inclusions and then cut to the exact shape and thickness required, watch dials are so thin that this can be a very difficult and time consuming. Searching for watches that use stone dials, it became apparent that it is really only the big luxury brands that have this type of product on offer.

Dior’s La D Dior and Mini La D ranges both offer a beautifully bright  interpretation of a stone dial. The ultimate in feminine cocktail watches.

My favourite though comes from Piaget’s Altiplano collection which was apparently a favourite of Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor. Featuring  malachite,  lapiz lazuli and jade expertly crafted into dials, each of these watches represents hours of labour and love.

 Having turquoise as my birth stone may make be slightly biased but the 24mm turquoise dial rose gold version, set with 48 brilliant diamonds is particularly striking. The contrast of the bright dial with the black satin strap really makes the colour of the stone glow. If anyone wants to get me a Birthday present, you don’t need to look any further.

At a high street level, DKNY’s champagne glitter dial is a more wallet friendly option and for a different slant on traditional MOP, the Marc by Marc Jacobs Amy offers a rich use of coloured Mother of Pearl.

                                        DKNY Champagne Glitter dial ladies watch- £145 here

                        Marc by Marc Jacobs Amy- I can only seem to find this in the US- $175

 

Although the High Street will never be able to replicate the expertise and quality that goes into a luxury brands pieces, it’s always good to be inspired by something that is the focus of so much care and attention. Something i'll certainly be working hard to replicate in future collections.  

If Elizabeth Taylor approves, I’m in.