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DeLaneau: Feminine Timepiece Art for the Wrist
DeLaneau holds a special place in the world of haute horlogerie. They are the only brand dedicated to making ladies’ watches and only ladies’ watches.
By Meehna Goldsmith
Because a woman knows best what women desire, DeLaneau chose Brigitte Morina as both the Creative Director and CEO. She understands that a watch isn’t just a timekeeping device but an object of beauty and self-expression. Moreover, because every woman is unique, so is each watch. DeLaneau not only creates exclusively original pieces where no two are ever alike, but also accepts commissions for a woman to capture her dream on a dial.
“Every woman is different and every woman deserves to have her own timepiece interpreting her own desires,” Morina says, explaining why pieces unique form one of the foundations of DeLaneau’s values.
Another of the keys to a woman’s heart is exclusivity. There is satisfaction in being entrusted with a rare object. DeLaneau makes less than 200 watches per year. This isn’t a marketing ploy to foster yearning — though it most certainly does — but the reality of crafting original watches at this level, which limits the production.
DeLaneau adheres to the theme of beauty, treating every watch as a miniature canvas. They specialize in Grand Feu enameling, which is essentially painting with glass on a gold watch dial, and DeLaneau uses only 18K. One of the most difficult techniques to master, Grand Feu enameling consists of using a fine brush or needle to apply the enamel in layers. The surface area is so small and the work so detailed that the enameller must use a binocular microscope. After each layer of application, the dial is then placed in an extremely hot kiln—a precarious process because there is the risk of the dial cracking or the enamel bubbling with each firing. There is no way to fix any damage so the enameller must start over if the dial doesn’t cooperate. Without any complications, each painting takes 2-3 months to complete.
Enamels aren’t like traditional paints either, they can’t be mixed to get different colors. It’s through adjustments in temperatures and firing times that the enameller brings out delicacies of shading. There is no science involved, only experience and finesse. Like a clairvoyant, the enameller must “see the future” before even beginning to apply the enamel. Though the designer can set out a plan, absolute trust plays a huge part in the entire process.
“In Grand Feu enameling, only the enameller truly knows her vision for the design and it is she who uses her skills to interpret it,” says Morina. “The enameller paints blindfolded to the fire that determines the final outcome, and, as we are blindfolded too, we trust her,” she says, a reference to the fact that the applied enamel colors only reveal themselves in the firing process.
As testament to their commitment, DeLaneau established its own enameling atelier in 2001 with three fulltime women enamellers. Each dial bears the signature of the artiste, yet another personal touch provided by the brand and proof of the craftsmanship.
Delaneau watches collections
DeLaneau divides its watch line into three main collections: Strength celebrates the earth’s precious stones and gems, Movement captures the grace of the animal kingdom and Origin takes inspiration from nature and light.
The Couture Timepieces deserve a separate category. Glittering marvels of craft and aesthetics, these jewelry timepieces are showstoppers, combining vibrant colored gems into daring yet elegant timepiece art. These modern interpretations are in homage to DeLaneau’s heritage from the 1940’s in jewelry watches that earned them the title “The jeweler of watches”.
DeLaneau has also earned the respect of its peers. The company recently won the 2013 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix for Ladies Watch with its Rondo Translucent, competing with entries from such better-known brands as Chopard and Hermès. The winning watch dial reflects the pattern of light from the hand-engraved guilloche — the pattern of engraving on the dial — through the prism of translucent enamel, the first time these two artistic techniques have been combined. At the 12 o’clock position sits the signature DeLaneau navette gem which, in this watch model, is a diamond.
At DeLaneau beauty isn’t just skin deep. Using a quartz (battery-powered) movement would be a betrayal to the timepieces as well as the brand. Therefore, the lifeblood of each watch is a first-class movement, the beating heart. DeLaneau also incorporates high complications, enlisting the partnership Christophe Claret, one of the masters of tourbillons. In 2002 they presented the first ever tourbillon designed specifically for a woman’s watch—instead of implanting an existing one from a men’s movement, which is common practice.
In the modern haute horlogerie world, women have been virtually ignored. And, while several of the brands have turned their attention to the fairer sex with a few models in the lineup, their attention remains on men. DeLaneau has filled an important niche, focusing on women as they deserve.
