Vieren Black Stereo Diamond
Vieren Now! The Toronto-Based Brand Has Just Launched Three New Novelties
Inspired by the energy and excellence of 1970s music and design, the Diamond Stereo collection is topping our charts.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Not to brag too much, but Watchonista is super proud of the continuing accomplishments of our inaugural “30 Under 30ish” class. Especially in the micro-brand category.
This week, 2022 alumni Jessica Chow, founder of the Toronto-based independent luxury watchmaker Vieren, introduced three new diamond-studded timepieces – Gold (18k PVD-plated), Steel (316L stainless steel), and Black (DLC-plated) – at a sparkling event in New York. And we are loving the moves the brand is making.
We’re not the only ones taking note of the Diamond Stereo collection. The rapper Saweetie teased the Gold Diamond novelty in her latest music video “Birthday.”
For the Record
To recap, Chow comes from a family of watchmakers and, after a stint as a management consultant, used her direct access to a watchmaking studio in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland to build Vieren and release a series of high-quality, limited-edition collections.
The three-year-old brand has been especially busy this year, first launching the Stereo collection of skeletonized automatic timepieces inspired by the opulence of Studio 54 in March with the launch of the Gold Mirror. The dial and the bracelet featured a myriad of polished surfaces that sparkled like a disco ball.
But this family of rectangular timepieces goes deeper than disco-era decadence. Vieren’s design director Sunny Fong, of Project Runway Allstars fame, is a huge fan of architecture so the Stereo Collection is also a reflection of that era’s design trends.
Following the success of the Gold Mirror, the brand launched the Gold Sunray – two gold-on-gold, textured timepieces – that also captured the spirit of 1970s experimental watch designers such as Gérald Genta, Jörg Hysek, Jacqueline Dimier, Serges Mazon, and Andrew Grima. While each individual's work was distinctive, they all shared a willingness to play around with shapes, materials, and textures.
With the Diamond Stereo, Chow and Fong continue the tradition of creating modernist watches that challenge conventional aesthetics while conveying a sense of movement and light. Because nothing delights quite like a dusting of diamonds.
Long Players
Many enthusiasts have found their way to Vieren via the renewed interest in the now seemingly unattainable examples of the works of Genta, Hysek, Dimier, et al.
We’ve said this many times before, but in music, you need a strong understanding of scales, keys and progressions to be able to improvise within the form. Likewise, Vieren had established a readily identifiable design that comes straight out of the gate, thanks to its architectural 27mm-wide by 41.5mm-long and 9.2mm-thick case. This is how the brand has been successful in adding a touch of maximalism and glamor to its original minimalist aesthetic.
Music is another major influence on Vieren’s 2023 offerings. So far, this decade has been challenging, so the feeling of community and release that comes from getting lost in good music is a welcome relief for the spirit.
“A live concert is exciting to me because it exudes timeless confidence while embracing the electrifying energy of being center stage,” says Fong, “I’ve always been inspired by powerful performers looking to step into the spotlight, so we created three metallic styles with totally different vibes that all demand attention.”
Shimmy Across the Dial
Each Diamond Stereo timepiece is hand-set with 93 diamonds (totaling 0.335 carats) that shimmy across the dial, highlighting the signature 18K gold rehaut ring with an engraved minute scale. The new Diamond novelties also feature a unique semi-skeletonized design with a specially engineered date disc that recalls an analog stereo’s volume control.
Keeping the time inside every Vieren timepiece is an ETA 2671 automatic movement, carrying a 44-hour power reserve with a 28,800 vph rate, revealed by an exhibition caseback made of sapphire crystal. And each edition has been meticulously put together by hand in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Vieren’s watches are of-the-moment because they are timeless, not trendy. We fully expect to see Chow on our 60 Over 60 list in the future! The Diamond Stereo collection is available now and is priced at $7,250.
Please visit the brand’s website for more information.
Introducing Vieren: A Modernist Brand With A Regard For The Past
By Jessica “J.J.” Owens
, Contributor
Founded by Jessica Chow and Sunny Fong, up-and-coming watch brand Vieren celebrates the power of time in the past, present, and future.
