Mother’s Day is just around the corner (psst, its May 10!). If you have forgotten, here are some recommendations of watches for that great lady in your life. Even though for some of us, stores are closed in these strange times, pick up that phone and call her. Tell her you love her. And take her shopping for one of these beauties once the restrictions are lifted. Happy Mother’s Day.
Some of our favourites, in no particular order. As usual, click on the subtitle link for full review and more photographs.
Chopard Happy Sport Oval
We loved the Chopard Happy Sport, now available in a bracelet. The watch leverages on Chopard’s iconic free dancing diamonds on the double walled crystal, with an oval case, and a mechanical movement. The bracelet is made of small, polished beads assembled to make a pliable and comfortable wrap around the wrist.
This series has RPPs ranging from S$10,800 for the SS case in crocodile strap, upwards to $44,3000 for the rose gold bracelet with diamond bezel. In between are options for case material, straps or bracelets, and the option of diamond bezel. We dare say the stainless steel bracelet variant has good value for money.
Our pick? The pictured Happy Sport Oval in two tone gold and stainless steel, clean gold bezel with the matching bracelet. S$19,500.
Jaquet Droz Lady 9 Petite Mother-of-Pearl
Another beauty from the house of Jaquet Droz. This watch has an unusual shape which makes a figure of 8 – the hour-minute hands set over a mother of pearl dial sits above an extension to the case to form a captive vessel for a rather large, eyecatching, Akoya pearl. The pearl is encased, but free to rotate in a special construction which remains a trade secret.
The watch is equipped with a very small automatic movement – the smallest in Jaquet Droz’s current caliber lineup, and is supplied by sister company – Breguet.
The Lady 8 is priced at S$ 23,000, which makes it a premium product. But it is difficult to peg a price on aesthetics, more so for ladies watches where the emphasis is on the design. For ladies in search for a petite package that has both good automatic movement and an excellent design, perhaps this watch is at the right spot.
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Embrace
For perhaps a larger wrist, but a lower budget, we have the Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Embrace. The design is a bit whimsical, with two rotating hearts, in constant motion, and in perpetual contact with each other. Many idiomatic symbolisms may be drawn by these two hearts, which also offer a rather refreshing take on the dial aesthetics, which is especially feminine. Available in two 40mm stainless steel cased versions, one with a white mother-of-pearl dial and a blue aventurine dial on another.
The small seconds display is a reinterpretation of Maurice Lacroix’s patented Square Wheel indication. Every tooth has a unique profile, engaging with its adjacent counterpart. Both versions of the Masterpiece Embrace feature their own interpretation of the heart’s appearance.
At S$9.700, the Masterpiece Embrace is quite an approachable price for a great looking watch with a fun and unique complication on the dial.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Sonatina
From Jaeger-LeCoultre, an older, but no less as beautiful is the Rendez-Vous Sonatina. The Rendez-Vous collection is a line dedicated to the ladies, and carry interesting and useful complications aimed particularly at feminine tastes.
The Rendez-Vous Sonatina is an elegant watch featuring a special alarm. Instead of the ringing of the Memovox to remind one of an appointment, the Sonatina features one with a delicate single strike. A melodious tone emerges at the appointed time to remind one of one’s impending rendezvous. We like the idea tie-in between the collection name and this complication. and we also loved the visual design of the watch.
We like this approach taken by Jaeger LeCoultre of mixing the elegant and feminine with a robust, haute horlogie movement with a complication. And priced at S$ 42,500 for the pink gold and S$ 59.500 for the white gold version, we are persuaded that this represents reasonable value, given the beautiful design, the thoughtful complication, and the high mech movement. Our pick is the white gold version with the intense guilloche purple dial in the background of the photograph above.
Harry Winston Premier Precious Micromosaic Automatic 36mm
From the dazzling house of diamonds, we pick not a watch not totally encrusted in stones, but one which feature a special dial made of gorgeous kaleidoscopic patterns that are handcrafted by piecing tiny bits of coloured glass together to form a micromosaic.
The Harry Winston Premier Precious Micromosaic Automatic 36mm is a very elegant, and stunningly beautiful watch, which will attract those who have an eye for handwork, traditional crafts set with gemstones in a wristwatch. And with colour variants and case metal options, I guess the ladies will be spoilt for choice. As usual for Harry Winston, prices are not published, and a visit to the boutique, when the time comes will be an interesting experience to discover. Our pick from Premier Precious Micromosaic collection is as pictured in a rose gold case with the dial in a red, pink and white theme. The dial is set with 14 brilliant cut diamonds.
Breguet Reine de Naples
And for that queen of a mother, the queen of watchmaking with the watch of queens. The Breguet Reine de Naples is the unmistakable breath of elegance. The reine is available in many variants, based on the egg shaped case, and the clever use of brilliants and gemstones to either dress up or dress down.
Our pick is the Reference 8928, at S$ 50 400, cased in 18k rose gold, with the bezel, dial flange and lug set with 139 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.255 ct). Crown set with a briolette diamond (approx. 0.26 ct). Sapphire-crystal caseback. Dimensions 33 x 24.95mm. Water-resistant to 3 bar (30m).
Dial in natural white mother-of-pearl. Can you say “magnificent”? Well, maybe “Happy Mother’s Day”.
Concluding thoughts
And there you have it. Our take on what would make your mom a very happy woman on Mother’s Day. But if during these hard times, you prefer to save money and still make her happy, don’t fret. If we know moms, just pick up the phone and give her a call. Better yet, make that a video call. Or if you live in the same household, go over and give her a big hug and a kiss. Say its from us here at Deployant. Happy Mother’s Day!
Photo note: The title background features the Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-vous Ivy Repeater on a bed of flowers.
