Damas, leading retailer of stylish watches and jewellery in the Middle East unveils two exceptional luxury timepieces for women from Jaquet Droz – the Date Astrale and the L’Heure Céleste in its Hommage Paris 1785 series crafted in 18k white gold, diamonds and mother-of-pearl. While Date Astrale unites the celestial beauty of the heavens with the natural wonders of a Polynesian paradise, its exuberant, sleek, and ultra-feminine, L’Heure Céleste model is a stunning Haute Couture jewellery watch.
Tawhid Abdullah, Managing Director, Damas Jewellery, said: “A watch connoisseur and art lover’s dream, Jaquet Droz’s watches blend superior mechanical precision with minimalistic allure, based on the design principle of ‘less is more.’ Opting for understated classicism the brand proposes discreet, refined and timeless watchmaking for discerning women in its Date Astrale and L’Heure Céleste models.”
Combining a contemporary look with superior design and mechanical performance the Date Astrale is designed for a woman who is exceptionally strong yet gentle. It has an off-centered subdial at 2 o'clock and its watch face blends luminescent mother-of-pearl with the sparkle of diamonds, mounted on the horns and bezel. Its dial is traversed by a diamond indicating the date, which, once a month at midnight, returns to its original starting position, tracing a majestic path like a shooting star. It is presented in two versions each available in a Numerus Clausus of 8. One can opt for a black mother-of-pearl dial coordinated with a rolled-edge hand made black alligator leather strap, or for a white mother-of-pearl dial with a rolled-edge hand made white alligator leather strap.
Jaquet Droz’s other model the L’Heure Céleste allows one to strap the universe around one’s wrist! Its exceptional dial displays a virgin canvas lacquered in black against which a galaxy of planets in white gold or set with diamonds scintillates. It is endowed with a highly innovative sapphire crystal that liberates it from the graphic constraints imposed by a bezel that enables natural light to illuminate its dial from unusual angles, presenting an exciting interplay of volumes. Hand-crafted in three dimensions and issued in a Numerus Clausus of 8, this dream timepiece comes in a 41 mm white gold watchcase featuring a 68 hour power reserve.
Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1738, this eponymous brand’s legendary watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) is said to have astonished the royalty of Europe, China, India and Japan with highly animated dolls or automata, considered by some to be the oldest examples of the computer. Three of these are housed at the art and history museum in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, now known as the Jaquet-Droz automata. His heritage continues to inspire the Manufacture's ingenious craftsmen in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Critics rightly hail Jaquet Droz’s designs saying they ‘pay homage to a disappearing virtue: discretion’. The brand was purchased in 2004 by the Swatch Group.
Discover Jaquet Droz’s legendary mechanical magic in its Date Astrale and L’Heure Céleste watch collections which will soon be available at Damas Les Exclusives Boutiques located in Saks Fifth Avenue, BurJuman; Burj Al Arab; Emirates Towers, Mall of the Emirates; Dubai Mall Boutique and Wafi.
About Damas:
The journey of Damas began in 1907. It has grown from a UAE based company into a global fashion and jewellery network spanning the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and North Africa. The Damas Group has 467 stores in 18 countries around the world, as of 30 June 2008. Damas houses internationally acclaimed jewellery and watch brands such as Tiffany & Co., Mikimoto, Daniel K, Gucci, Faberge, Carrera y Carrera, Paspaley, Pasquale Bruni, Roberto Coin, Fope, Chronoswiss, Parmigiani, Perrelet, Quinting, Montega, Frederique Constant, among many others. The innovative in-house collections include the majestic Bridal jewellery, exclusive jewellery brands such as Damas Cut, Boudoor, Hayati, Riwaya, Jawaher, Farasha, Fairouz, Harmony, Farfasha, Al Manthourah; watch brands Varotti and Aquamarin; and a wide range of other classic and contemporary jewellery and watch collections. Quality consciousness, inspirational leadership and international reputation have led Damas to win prestigious awards including the exclusive De Beers Award 2000, 2004 and 2007 for jewellery design. Damas International Limited is listed on Dubai Nasdaq (former Dubai International Financial Exchange) and its shares are traded under the ticker ‘DAMAS’.
