Saskia Maaike Bouvier - Rising Star of Independent Watchmaking
Saskia Maaike Bouvier launched her first collection at Baselworld 2010 titled L’Heure d’Eté & d’Hiver - Summer & Winter Time and as the end of daylight saving time is almost upon us this is perhaps the perfect time to introduce her to readers of the WatchPress.
Saskia Maaike Bouvier - ACHI candidate, independent master watchmaker, designer, artist and rising star of the watch industry. Having acquired her watchmaking degree in 1997, Saskia worked for some of the watch industry's major players mainly on research and development of mechanical movements. An independent since 2004, she realised her ambitions to create her own brand of women's mechanical timepieces, a niche often neglected by luxury watch brands, in 2009.
Watch brand research and development departments here is the news....women do have an awareness for mechanical timepieces: women do appreciate complications and the skills involved in their creation: women do want to wear bigger watches: women do not just want a "pinked-up" version of a man's watch - facts which industry savvy Saskia recognised and which inspired her to create a very unique first collection.
The dial of L’Heure d’Eté & d’Hiver collection features two time displays, the top half for summertime, the lower for wintertime. The concept is complex yet playful, technical yet imaginative. Of course there is no specific need for two seasonal time displays - it is a whimsical take on the mundane daylight saving activity. Make no mistake, this is not a dual timezone watch, the one hour difference is fixed, when you adjust one set of hands, the other also adjusts making it impossible to set them separately.
The large declined dial is partly openworked, the bridges take the form of trees and the wheels are decorated with flowers for summer and snowflakes for winter the sapphire crystal is laser engraved and coloured by hand. Inside is the SmB selfwinding mechanical movement with 40 hours power reserve.
The 45mm watchcase features a plain classically rounded rim, the perfect frame for the exquisite artwork on the dial. Termed by the lady herself as a collection "from a woman for women" 88 pieces will be available in stainless steel and 8 in the white gold with diamonds edition. Each will be presented on a colour co-ordinated hand stitched leather strap with contrasting lining and customising to individual requirements is a possibility given the artistic nature of both the piece and its creator.
