Despite all of the horological firepower that Boss Hunting are accustomed to seeing at Watches & Wonders, during our annual pilgrimage to Geneva the Gucci High Watchmaking presentation has become something of a highlight.
The reasons for this are, in truth, fairly self-explanatory. While the majority of the world’s luxury watch brands huddle together in the cavernous halls of Palexpo for one week straight, Gucci invite select members of the press (and the spearpoint of its high-net-worth clientele) out to the sunlit shores of Lake Geneva — to canvass its latest innovations in the world of high-end watchmaking, glass of Brut in hand.
From the confines of a 16th century Château (surrounded by multiple gardens and its very own promenade of chestnut trees), the Italian luxury house presents an array of timepieces showcasing its twinned commitment to mechanical ingenuity and traditional jewellery crafts.
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Rumour has it that the halls of this imposing home once played host to two little-known statesmen by the names of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. So clearly, even before the building was used to display lavish, cleverly integrated complications — such as the new Gucci Interlocking minute repeater — there was a palpable “halls of power” atmosphere in the air.
Once inside, guests were transported to a universe of velvet-draped windows, priceless objets d’art, and intricate handcrafted details that set the perfect scene for the Gucci High Watchmaking collection.
Set upon glass-free showcases (all the better for photos!) throughout the home, the first sub-collection you see consists of several versions of the glimmering Gucci G-Timeless Planetarium — adorned with carats worth of gemstones of every conceivable kind, ticking away in perfect harmony.
Meandering pleasantly into an adjacent room, we were met with numerous highlights from the ever-expanding Gucci 25H collection; before finding ourselves in a final chamber, where a master watchmaker was on hand to demonstrate Gucci’s first wrist-worn Minute Repeater.
The final stop on our tour is the terrace overlooking the Château’s many manicured gardens below. With several (very enjoyable) glasses of Laurent-Perrier already behind us, this proved to be a wonderful capstone to a week-long extravaganza of watches: gazing over Lake Geneva while processing the remarkable horological creations of a luxury house that has always been the quintessence of La Dolce Vita.
For the Gucci High Watchmaking collection clientele, this is where tough decisions are made.
What will they add to their collection? And how long do they have to ponder their decision, knowing every piece on display is limited to a single production?
Of course, if a client needs a leg in First Class to ruminate more deeply about exactly what their heart desires, appointments can be made at Gucci boutiques around the globe — Sydney and Melbourne included — in order to cement their decision.
There’s a good reason for such a decision-making journey (since almost all High Watchmaking pieces can be tailored to each individual client). This includes everything from engraving, finishing, and gem selection; to the even more bespoke option of specific celestial watches — made to reflect each owner’s time and place of birth.
While April in Geneva is chockful of the most luxurious mechanical watches anywhere in the world, there are unlikely to more than a small handful of watchmakers who can rival the level of bespoke personalisation offered at Gucci. In an industry where more and more brands are pulling up the drawbridge to special requests and pièces uniques, Gucci is doing the exact opposite for valued clients.
Some prefer the watches in their collection to stand on their own, unadorned by personal choice, impressing instead with technical and aesthetic virtuosity; and, in a word, a certain magical ‘presence’ on the wrist. For these collectors, Gucci has something too: with the 25H, Gucci Interlocking, and G Timeless sub-collections offering an intoxicating vision of difference, complexity, and sophistication.
For our two cents, the annual Gucci High Watchmaking presentation is always memorable; and should prove sufficiently convincing if you were even a little curious about making your next acquisition one with a “Gucci” signed dial.
The full collection can be showcased from many Gucci boutiques globally, so if you’re considering a purchase that is off the well-trodden Swiss watchmaking path, enquire at your local boutique.
This article is presented in partnership with Gucci. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
