Round-UpStarry, Starry Night: Presenting Watches With Ethereal Aventurine Dials
A rare material when it comes to watchmaking, dials crafted out of aventurine glass make their mark on the horological world with their glittering, shimmering beauty. We explore some of the brands that dared to look above and beyond the ordinary and presented the world with some classics that awe and delight
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Imagine being able to look down at your wrist, and having a tiny piece of the night sky in all its brilliance snugly nestled there. From Van Gogh’s seminal work to Chopin’s nocturnes, the night sky has always stirred something within us; excitement, wonder and wistfulness. The night has a sense of mystery and intrigue that makes us look beyond, and we’ve come a long way from merely marvelling at the twinkling lights to knowing almost everything about the stars themselves. An aventurine dial is a small slice of the great beyond in the palm of your hand. Not a commonly used material in watchmaking, aventurine was discovered accidentally by Italian glassblowers in Venice in the 17th century, although some experts believe that its history is rooted in more ancient times.
Red copper ruby glass, along with purpurin glass, is used to make this exquisite material. When cobalt is added to the glass, which is originally brown or red in colour, the glass magically turns to a beautiful shade of blue. Flecks of copper are then added, which shimmer like stars in the sky. Aventurine is notoriously difficult to work with, especially considering how delicate the material is—for every dial that the watchmaker manages to create, there are at least five that end up breaking. Harbouring the mystique and splendour of the cosmos, many luxury brands have tried their hand at this material, which has resulted in some gorgeous watches that have the horological world’s attention. Let’s discover some brands that have mastered this material, and the horological beauties they have consequently released.
Girard-Perregaux: The Cat’s Eye Collection And The Orion Trilogy
Perhaps one of the best examples of the aventurine dial comes from the maison who is also responsible for some of the most recognisable women’s timepieces in the world—Girard-Perregaux’s Cat’s Eye watches. Aventurine makes a sparkling interior for these cat’s eye-shaped timepieces in Girard-Perregaux’s repertoire. Boundlessly poetic, both cats and outer space are themes of interminable intrigue, evoking both curiosity and wonder in the observers. And so, aventurine and cat’s eye-shaped cases make for the greatest of companions. Perhaps the brand realised this, as there are many wondrous variants in the collection, which feature this evocative material.
To read more about the Girard-Perregaux’s exquisite Cat’s Eye collection, click here
The Girard-Perregaux Orion Trilogy is yet another pertinent example, drawing its inspiration from the heavenly leanings of the material. The watches are a tribute to the mythological creation of the Orion constellation, which contains ten of the brightest stars in our night sky. Orion was a handsome man, the son of the sea god Poseidon and Euryale, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. He fell in love with the Pleiades, the seven sisters, daughters of Atlas and Pleione. The Greek god Zeus placed the giant hunter Orion amidst the stars, forever chasing after the star cluster that was the Pleiades. The aventurine dial gives the dress watches an enchanting presence on the wrist, perfectly complementing the elegance of the 1966 collection and giving it a measure of otherworldly charm.
Click here to discover more about the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Orion Trilogy
H. Moser & Cie.: The Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept
The moon has always been a source of fascination for humankind. Earth’s only satellite has mystified and inspired scores of civilisations over the course of our history on the planet. From epics and myths to poems and art, culminating with us finally walking on its surface, our ever-present lunar companion has been the impetus to some of our greatest achievements. Aventurine makes quite the perfect backdrop for the moon phase indication. A fine example of this is by none other than H. Moser & Cie, who have created a watch that will make you fall in love to the moon and back. The brand has been known for pushing boundaries in the ever-changing world of horology, introducing unused materials to watch faces, such as Vantablack, or design schemes that are a perfect combination of the past and the future, like the steampunk spectacle called Streamliner, or even collaborating with other path-breaking brands such as MB&F. From their ingenious manufacture comes the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept, whose aventurine dial will always remind you to keep your eyes heavenwards.
The minimalist, glittering dial has nothing but time-telling hands and a simple moon phase indication at six o’clock and, ensuring that the indication is the hero of the timepiece. The cherry on top of the horological cake, the ‘Perpetual Moon’ interpretation of the complication means that the moon phase indicator will work with flawless precision. Most moon phase indicators show significant deviations every few years, owing to the difference between the daily movement of the moon in the indicator and the actual lunar cycle. This watch though has a more complex mechanism, which promises that it will compile one complete day’s deviation only once in a staggering 1,027 years. This is made possible by the manual-winding H. Moser calibre HMC 801, which promises a minimum power reserve of seven days when fully wound. The 42mm 18-karat red gold case and black alligator leather strap complete the luxurious look of this classy watch.
Omega: The Constellation Collection
There’s just nothing better than when beauty and utmost precision collide—you are presented with timepieces that not just look stunning but work seamlessly as well. When you invest in an Omega watch, that’s ‘precisely’ what you get. And perhaps the perfect example of this is the brand’s Constellation collection. Launched in 1952, the Constellation watches are visually distinct, especially since the Manhattan line was launched in 1982. These watches were presented with an iconic bezel, which comes with four distinctive griffes or claws located at three and nine o’clock. These claws were not just a signature feature, they served a purpose too. Historically, these claws allowed the bezel to become thinner and more secured to the sapphire crystal—in turn, improving the watch’s water resistance. Today, they, along with the Constellation star at six o’clock, mark a unique visual identity for the collection, which has become one of the darlings of horologists the world over.
Aventurine dials and the Constellation collection, then, are a match made in heaven. We’ve picked the Constellation Co-axial Master Chronometer for women, which not only comes with an aventurine dial but also has 11 diamonds serving as hour markers—the perfect analogy for glittering stars dotting our night sky. Adding to the luxurious look are the open-worked leaf-shaped hands, the Omega emblem at 12, the Constellation star at six and diamond holders—all in 18-karat white gold. Another great example of Omega’s dexterity with the craft is the aventurine dial of the Constellation Quartz. The 29mm steel case has a bezel made from Omega’s patented 18-karat Sedna gold, and the bracelet is also a mix of the two materials. The 12 diamond hour markers, also set in Sedna gold, glitter and bedazzle. The blue of the aventurine dial and the rose gold of the Sedna bezel complement each other beautifully.
Parmigiani Fleurier: The Tonda And Kalpa Collections
Parmigiani Fleurier has always been the brand that comes to mind when one talks about watchmaking savoir faire and interesting interpretations of haute horlogerie. Is it any wonder then that they’ve also used aventurine dials to ensure that their watches stand in a league of their own? With many variations upon the theme, a collection that has best adapted the aventurine dial is the Tonda collection. One of the finest examples of their aventurine watches, which are more akin to art, is the Tonda Selene Ø36 Aventurine ‘Galaxy’. Not only does this watch have the poetic moon phase indication, with a realistic depiction of our lunar companion, on a glittering setting of aventurine glass, the bezel on its 18-karat rose gold case is encrusted with 46 diamonds, totalling a glorious 1.84 carats. The dial also boasts a small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock, within which lies the date window displaying odd-numbered dates. 18-karat rose gold appliques are used for the Arabic numerals at three and nine o’clock, along with the hour markers. Leaf-shaped, open-worked hands keep the focus on the shimmering dial. Even with so much functionality, Parmigiani Fleurier, as always, ensures that the dial does not appear cluttered.
The Tonda Metropolitaine Ø36 Aventurine ‘Galaxy’ is for those who want their watch’s dial to be more simplistic. Here, Parmigiani does away with the moon phase indication altogether and replaces the small seconds sub-dial with a more minimalist version without the date window.
The rarity of the aventurine dial ensures that whenever a brand releases a timepiece featuring the material, it gets the attention it deserves. So, for horologists looking to add a bit of the dazzling night to their collections, we highly recommend you embrace the dark side, full of mystery and intrigue, in all its shimmering glory.
If you’d like to read about other fascinating materials used in dials, click here
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H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour
1801-0402
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Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye
80496D52A451-CK4A
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Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye
80488D52A451-CK4A
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Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye
80488D53M4D1-CK4A
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Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye
80488D52A401-CK4A
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Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye
80484D52A401-CK4E
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Girard-Perregaux 1966
49555-52-431-BB4A
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Girard-Perregaux 1966
49555-11-435-BB4A
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Girard-Perregaux 1966
49555-11-631-BB6D
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Omega Constellation
131.10.29.20.53.001
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Omega Constellation
131.20.25.60.53.002
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Parmigiani Tonda
PFC811-1510320-HA3181
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Parmigiani Tonda
PFC273-1062500-B10002
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Parmigiani Tonda
PFC273-0060601-XA3121
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Parmigiani Kalpa
PFC123-1022500-HA3131
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Parmigiani Tonda
PFC801-1510320-HA3181
