Graff Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon
Graff Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon
2017 GPHG Ladies High-Mech Category Finalist
With a flourish of diamonds and a colourful animated floral array, the Graff Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon embodies the standards of uncompromising luxury from the famed jewellery house in an exuberant piece of horological art.
Bearing in mind that last year's winner in this GPHG Ladies High-Mech category featured a tourbillon (the Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye Tourbillon with Gold Bridge), it's a little surprising that only one of this year's six finalists have chosen to go the same route. However, in the MasterGraff Floral Tourbillon, Graff have embraced the challenge of integrating the grail complication into a piece which intwines artisan watchmaking craftsmanship with exquisite hand painted enamels and the gentle gloss of mother of pearl.
At 38mm the Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon is not exactly what you'd call dainty, but within the diamond set white gold case there is a lot of activity and intricate detailing for the eye to absorb. The tourbillon is decorated with a skeletonised sunflower-like cage and as the mechanism revolves through its sixty second cycle, two of the enamel flowers are always rotating in harmony, creating a constantly moving spectacle.
It's a simple point of fact to say that in the 2017 High-Mech category, only the Mastergraff Floral Tourbillon and the Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpel Papillon Automate actually feature complications which are exceptions, rather than the familiar time, date and moonphase functions which can be found anywhere. There is no question that this year's contestants have largely shied away from the horological exotica of these two, and so it would seem strange if the winner was not one of them. However, trends change quickly, and perhaps the jury will find for a less elaborate piece this time, although when I think 'High-Mech', I think of watches like this.
The Watch Press prediction
In the spirit of the category, it should come down to Graff or Van Cleef and Arpels.
The pertinents
REFERENCE: MGF38WGSLDMPP
CASE: White gold
BRACELET/STRAP: Satin
BUCKLE: Pin buckle
MOVEMENT: Manual winding mechanical. Power reserve: 68 h, 21'600 vph
FUNCTIONS: Hours, Minutes, Tourbillon
SIZE: ø 38 mm
THICKNESS: 10.7 mm
WATERPROOFNESS: 30 m
PRICE EXCL.VAT: CHF 195'000
In the frivolity of the beating wings of a little butterfly amid stained sapphire meadow grass, the Lady Arpels Papillon Automate by elite jewellery maison Van Cleef and Arpels is a colourful, technical and welcome finalist in the 2017 GPHG Ladies High-Mech category.