On the runway to success - MCH Group

JEWELLERY PAGE 24
■ NEWS.TRENDS
Happy Mickey necklace by Chopard.
The famous miniature Mickey Mouse
has crept into the workshop of jewellery
manufacturer Chopard. A
humorous collection of playfully elegant
jewellery and watches has been
created by merging Chopard with
Walt Disney’s fictional characters. The
original version of the famous Happy
Diamonds range with its Happy
Mickey is perfect for both Disney fans
and retro vintage fashion enthusiasts.
(ahe) 1.0, D07
Exquisite Paraiba
tourmaline
necklace
by Harry Winston.
If you are looking for that special
something to pick you right out of the
blues, head for Harry Winston;
with their gorgeous combination of
an exquisite Paraïba tourmaline and
diamond clusters, the signature of the
‘king of diamonds’ lives on – and with
that irresistible splash of colour, who
can possibly resist? So no matter if
the baubles are intended for spring,
summer, fall or winter, Harry Winston
is sure to make the lucky ladies feel
like a million bucks. (nh) 1.1, A 03
Ring Dolce Vita by Al Coro.
With its new Dolce Vita range, the
Italian jewellery manufacturer Al
Coro appears even more exclusive
than ever before. Diamonds flow into
one another in their fine nuances
of white and brown. The resultant
soft pavé design resembles a sparkling
surface of water, reflecting the
evening rays of sunshine. A crystalclear
smoky quartz is surrounded by
this sea of diamonds with heart and
star ornamentation. (ahe) 2.1, G86
Germany’s oldest porcelain manufacturory
is presenting for the
second time at BASELWORLD
and has moved to a new spot on
First Avenue where it is exhibiting
a brand new watch collection.
And of course, the watch faces
are made from porcelain. “We
are presenting seven feminine
watch models in Basel which all
have the same basic form but
differ in terms of their decoration,”
says Dr. Christian Kurtzke,
chairman of the Meissen management
board. The watch faces
are hand-painted and incorporate
various typical Meissen designs
with the colours being picked
up in the leather straps. When
it comes to the design of the
watches, the traditional German
company has again entrusted this
task to Italian designer Ornella
Pasquetti who is also responsible
for the Meissen Joaillerie Collection.
“One of the watch faces
depicts a dragon − but not the
great Ming dragon of 1746 or the
classic court dragon. We adopt a
playful approach to the dragon
motif and have added dragon
images to individual numerals,”
explains Kurtzke. Famous motifs
from the porcelain industry such
SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 2012
It’s porcelain time
The feminine timepieces by Meissen incorporate high craftsmanship
as 1001 Nights and the floral
‘forget-me-not’ theme have also
been applied and are immediately
recognisable as such to collectors
across the world.
And when it comes to collectors:
a limited edition series of 300
watches was developed to mark
Blossoms all over: A model is wearing
the brand new Royal Blossom Col-
lection, which perfectly fits the ‘Forget
me not’ watch with handpainted dials
made of Meissen porcelain, 18 kt rose
gold, with 0.52 ct white diamonds and a
crocodile leather strap.
Extravagant quest for perfection
How Picchiotti conquers the high-end jewellery market
VIPs in emerging countries are
also turning their attention to
Giuseppe Picchiotti’s to die for
jewellery, the gem sets of stunning
beauty and carats, set with
elegance and infinite care.
BWDN: How was 2011?
Giuseppe Picchiotti: Ours is a
true niche and we have excellent,
established sources of procurement.
Often consolidated relationships
with suppliers mean
they call us first to view gemstones
unique in their genre.
Spectacular matching pairs and
threes of rubies, sapphires and
diamonds, cut into extremely rare
shapes, which we can then offer
the customer in absolutely superb
sets at a reasonable price, if you’ll
allow me this expression. This
may help to explain why even
2011 was a good year for us.
BWDN: You create masterpieces
that only a few, lucky people can
afford. Where in the world is
your clientele located?
Picchiotti: The United States have
always been the home of VIP customers,
but in recent years have
lost some of their polish. There
has been only a partial recovery
in 2011. At this moment in time,
high jewellery is also in demand
Unique Art Collection. Earrings graced by a pair
of Burma oval rubies encircled by diamonds.
in Hong Kong and South East
Asia. We’re proud to have admirers
even in countries where the
local goldsmithing is very competitive,
and for our part we have
high hopes for this year.
BWDN: You mention the importance
of having privileged access
to gemstone supply. What other
requisites are there for being successful
in the luxury sector?
Giuseppe Picchiotti.
The Starfish Brooch. Set with round diamonds and dotted with pear-shaped rubies.
The centrepiece is made up of 13 pear-shaped rubies set in a yellow gold
diamond flower.
the 300-year anniversary
of the porcelain manufacturory.
Here every
watch face is unique and
represents one of seven
key years in the history,
including the year it was
founded and six other
Picchiotti: Style,
without a doubt. In
our world, taste isn’t really
influenced by trends and
is exquisitely international,
yet it still demands a certain
degree of innovation, and consumers
are not indifferent to an
Italian touch that is perceived as
an added value. It goes without
saying that items must be produced
only by skilled artisans. In
anniversary years. The motifs
reflect exceptional events or
people who have influenced
the history of the manufactory
during these special
years. The managing director
is convinced that these
items will be particularly
sought-after among international
collectors.
Meissen has spent many years
cooperating with Glashütte
Original in the men’s watches
sector and decorates watch faces
for the company. Meissen is
not planning to release a men’s
watch range of its own, however,
because men’s watches are
largely defined by technology
rather than decoration. “Our aim
is to produce filigree, feminine
jewellery watches,” says Kurtzke.
He sees significant potential for
growth in this sector over the
next few years. (cete) ■ 2.2, A92
our case we are able to reach a
perfect standard of finish simply
thanks to our 45 years of experience
of doing business in the
heart of the Valenza Po jewellery
district. Our craft is an infinite
exercise in style, and an extravagant
quest for perfection.
BWDN: You have a privileged
position for your stand, on First
Avenue. Do you think that ongoing
restructuring will increase the
prestige of jewellers at BASEL-
WORLD?
Picchiotti: It’s a great project and
conceptually very ambitious:
the organizers haven’t
aimed to increase the surface
area and the number
of exhibitors, but to
enhance prestige,
elegance
and image.
We’ll see the
results in a year’s
time, but I’m sure
that the show will
further consolidate its world
leadership and that jewellers,
especially the smarter ones, will
reap significant benefits, even for
the image of high watchmaking,
which is already stellar.
Interview by Roberto Chilleri ■