Christie’s Geneva will auction off 101 unique Cartier clocks

I love table clocks, especially those who are made by French Maisons, like Cartier. Horology and art deco enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that Christie’s Geneva will be hosting an auction for 101 rare clocks from French Maison Cartier this summer. I wish I was rich, and not so pretty…..

Long before it created the Santos wristwatch in 1904 and became the jeweler of choice for the Duchess of Windsor, Nina Dyer, and many celebs, Cartier carved out a reputation as a master of decorative desk clocks. Christie’s upcoming sale of 101 Cartier clocks demonstrates the French Maison’s considerable skills in the arts of enameling, engraving, gem setting and marquetry—all on a canvas much larger than the watch dial.

 

Cartier Art Deco Onyx Enamel and Ruby Mignonettte Clock

 

Cartier Art Deco Enamel and Gold Altar Clock 

The collection highlights the French brand’s innovative and painstakingly intricate approach to clockmaking, featuring an immense amount of timekeepers designed in all fashions imaginable. Some of its most complex pieces – known as ‘mystery’ clocks, which carry hands that are suspended in a transparent rock crystal pane seemingly disconnected to any mechanism – also form part of the auction.

Other notable lots include a carved onyx model with a mother of pearl dial and diamond accents from 1925, an Oriental enamel clock intricately decorated through a technique called laque burgauté where insets of polished blue-green abalone shells are made, as well as an early 20th century deep blue opaline glass, silver and enamel urn clock.

 

Cartier Art Deco, Mother-Of-Pearl, Onyx, Jade, And Enamel Desk Clock

 

Cartier Art Deco Rock Crystal, Enamel and Diamond Clock

 

Cartier Art Deco Mother-of-Pearl, Enamel, Turquoise, Moonstone and Diamond Clock by Maurice Coüet

 

Cartier Belle Epoque Enamel, Agate, Moonstone and Diamond Minute Repeater Clock by Maurice Coüet

The auction itself will take place at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues on July 1, with viewings available from June 27 through to 30. For more information or to view the full collection, visit the official Christie’s website here.

Come into the beautiful woorld of Cartier.

 

 

 

Peace and freedom: Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps Parfum by Lalique

L’air du Temps  was created in 1949, when Nina Ricci’s son Robert sought to expand the house’s business into perfumery after their first succesful fragrance, Coeur Joie . Sinds then a true golden classic, L’air du Temps is a rare creation that transends the changes of time. Yes this is an old fragrance, but it is one that is truely ageless!! In its original production, the perfume was contained in a bottle designed by Rene Lalique.

Laliques famous crystal bottle, two doves, a symbol of love and peace

This fine fragrance has delicate topnote blends of jasmine and gardenias nestled in basenotes of sandalwood and iris. I find this romantic scent that is well blended and wears long. May not be for everyone, but do not pass up a chance to at least try it out

In the famous Lalique bottle it’s availble in several sizes: 7,5ml 15m and 29ml as perfume, and 1250ml as Eau de Toilette. Over the years, many (precious) limited editions appeared, designed by Lalique, and are now true collectors items.

Lancôme creates precious La Vie est Belle fragrance for their 80th Anniversary Celebration

Julia Roberts

Lancôme Paris is celebrating their 80th anniversary. For their celebration, Lancôme commissioned Mellerio dits Meller, the Parisian jewelry house, to create a perfume bottle that captures the essence of the brand’s spirit. Their La Vie Est Belle perfume line was selected as it was the perfect representation of what the brand stands for, a beauty that transcends time.

Lancome La vie est belle Perfume L’Extrait 80th Anniversary Edition

This exquisite bottle features rose-gold-gilded sterling silver clustered on the neck of the bottle. Each petal is hand crafted piece by piece, then carefully assembled using piercing, chiseling or mirroring techniques.

A beautiful fragrance that was created by Dominique Ropion en Anne Flipo.

The luxurious edition La Vie Est Belle L’Extrait de Parfum by Mellerio dits Meller was created in only 80 pieces, one for each year. It is available as 10 ml priced at  $950. For all fans of perfume extracts, Lancôme presents La Vie Est Belle Extrait de Parfum in a flacon of the same design with a bow as a standard Eau De Parfum edition in the amount of 10 ml priced at $160.

Lalique Amethyst

Lalique Amethyst Eau de Parfum

Amethyst is a feminine perfume by Lalique. This beautiful exclusive scent was launched in 2007 and the fragrance was created by perfumer Nathalie Lorson.

Of course, Lalique itself is the designer of the bottle, and it was inspired by René Lalique’s objects for bathroom, Epines (‘Thorns’) designed in 1920. The bottle describes the scent very well, if i could give this smell a colour it would be ‘purple’ of course. The crystal bottle for the perfume extract carries crystal blackberries on the top and is clothed in seductive…. purple.

Lalique Amethyst Eau de Parfum

Honestly, I’m not a fan of modern floral and fruity fragrances (mostly they are too artificial). But Lalique Amethyst is one of the most surprising fruity perfumes, surprising in its longevity. I thought the top notes of fruit would disappear, but they stuck around and overshadowed the floral heart. It smells a little bit like grape bubblegum, but not in an off-putting way and isn’t saccharine like other perfumes with similar fruit notes. The blackberry and blackcurrant are prominent and eventually dissipate into a slightly soapy, clean musk drydown. Amethyst also seems versatile in that it can definitely be layered with other perfumes that have stronger drydowns and are woodier in nature

 

Lalique Crystal Amethyst Parfum Extract (Click photo to enlarge).

Lalique Crystal Amethyst Parfum Extract (Click photo to enlarge).

I love the smell of pure black current in the top notes. It’s so fresh and juicy,- simply wonderful! The heart beats with the accords of intoxicating rose spiced with pepper, peony, lily and sweet, floral ylang-ylang. The base is powdery and soft with Bourbon vanilla and sensual musk.

• Top: Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Rasberry
• Heart: Floral Notes
• Base: Musk, Vanilla

Amethyst has become my signature scent. I should confess that it’s a very sophisticated perfume, not provocative nor sexy, but concentrates on mind not body. This fragrance have much personality, and definitively confirm the very good taste of Nathalie Lorson. . Men and women alike are very attracted to this wonderful scent. Very nice everyday-scent.

It is available as 50 ml and 100 ml Eau de Parfum and 50 ml Perfume extract.

 

Lalique Crystal Architecture by Mario Botta

Mario Botta, the celebrated Swiss architect, was born in Mendrisio, Ticino in 1943. After serving an apprenticeship in Lugano, he attended art school in Milan, followed by studies at the University School of Architecture in Venice, obtaining his diploma in 1969 under the guidance of Carlo Scarpa and Giuseppe Mazzariol. During this period, he had the opportunity to meet and work with Le Corbusier and Louis I. Kahn.

Portrait of Mario Botta by © Beat Pfändler

At the very start of his career in 1970, the first buildings he constructed were already characterized by the intense research that his many later creations across the world would epitomize. Parallel to his architectural career, he pursued his educational interests, teaching and contributing to conferences, seminars and critical reviews at various schools of architecture in Europe, Asia, the USA and Latin America.

His work has earned him widespread international recognition and there have been numerous exhibitions devoted to his creative designs. He has received more than 50 awards and accolades.
His most notable works to date include: the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Evry Cathedral, the MART Museum in Rovereto, Italy, the Tinguely Museum in Basel, the Church of Santo Volto in Turin and the Tschuggen Bergoase Hotel in Arosa.

Géo, a masterful design characterized by its variable geometry and transparency

A perfect square, patterned with three-dimensional, pyramid-like shapes. A circle in the centre with a halo of pure crystal, drawing and pleasing the eye. The diffraction of the sun’s rays…

Sketch of the Geo vase by Mario Botta

A masterful design characterized by its variable geometry and transparency, Géo epitomizes what unites the crystalmaker Lalique and the Swiss architect Mario Botta, an artist working with volume.”This vase can be interpreted as the miniature of a large palace”, notes Mario Botta, many of whose architectural projects show a similar appreciation for crisp lines and sharp angles.

Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light

Mario Botta, quoting Le Corbusier

Visually, Géo refers to the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, a source of inspiration for the architect, who has never stopped experimenting with form in forty-five years of practice.

Lalique GEO vase, 32,5 x 32,5 x 15 cm, clear crystal, limited and numbered edition of 250 pieces

Fired by Lalique’s master glassmakers, Botta’s sketch ‘crystallized’ into a remarkable Limited Edition: 250 vases made of clear crystal, each one signed and numbered, with its own certificate of authenticity. Emerging from steel moulds at the crystal works, these receptacles of light reflect the excellence of Lalique craftsmanship in every facet, matte or shiny.

This vase can be interpreted as the miniature of a large palace

Mario Botta

Lalique GEO vase, art edition, 40 x 40 x 17 cm, limited and numbered edition of 8 pieces + 2 HC in midnight-blue crystal, lost wax technique

René Lalique refreshed the art of crystal-making by introducing new styles, first Art Nouveau then Art Deco. He knew that his real material, the one he actually had to ‘sculpt’, was light. This ambition has been perpetuated in the Géo art edition by eight master craftsmen (Meilleurs Ouvriers de France), in line with house tradition.

They chose the venerable ‘lost wax’ technique, which the master himself had revived and updated. The process, which originated in China 3,000 years ago, is used to cast bronze sculpture. Refractory plaster is moulded around a wax model that melts during firing in the kiln. The hollow left in the mould is three-dimensional, ready to receive the crystal. In the case of Géo, the crystal remains in the kiln for 20 days.

Before firing Géo, the artisans carefully craft the circle in the centre, conceived by the architect as the ‘core’ of the work. Here, Lalique’s expertise meshes perfectly with that of Botta. To describe his encounter with crystal, Botta quotes Le Corbusier: architecture is ‘the masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light’. The Lalique Géo vase confirms this, brilliantly

 

 

 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

Last year, crystal manufacturer Baccarat celebrated its 250th anniversary with the launch of the Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance as a high point of the festivities. Presented in a Baccarat crystal bottle, the scent was carefully created by the perfumer Francis Kurkdjian.

The Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance is the result of a partnership between the crystal manufacturer Baccarat and the perfume house Maison Francis Kurkdjian. This new celebratory fragrance will be available in mid-January 2016.

The name of this very special anniversary limited edition was inspired by the bottle manufacturing process. In Francois Truffaut’s film of Ray Bradbury sci-fi title Fahrenheit 451, this is the temperature of the auto-ignition point of paper — the heat at which it will catch fire without being exposed to an external flame. In the case of the Baccarat crystal, it is a heat of 540 degrees that once applied, with consummate skill, to the raw materials of sand, lead and 24-carat gold powder metamorphosing it into the beautiful red incandescent crystal for which the house is famous.

A few months later, Maison Francis Kurkdjian announced that the Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance will become part of its celebratory perfume collection, and will be packaged in the perfume house’s iconic bottle.

This woody amber floral fragrance has opening notes of jasmine and saffron, followed by ambergris and cedar.

Baccarat Rouge 540 in the iconic Maison Francis Kurkdjian bottle (70ml) will be available from mid-January in the brand’s Parisian stores. Price: €195. A limited numbered edition of 250 in a Baccarat crystal bottle will also be available. Price: €3,000 for 100 ml.

Lalique’s Colorfull Sea

People who know me a bit, they know I’m a huge, I mean Huge Lalique lover. Especially the Art Deco inspired item. In the years I have a nice collection of perfume bottles by Lalique, vases, lamps and many more. Not only in the traditional clear with satin finish, but also in black crystal. Normally I’m not a great lover of colors, but some years ago I started to collect their famous frog collection. Now I rediscoverd the fishes… And putting them together the Lalique magic begins….

The original Fish in glass was designed in 1913 by René Lalique and since become an important and iconic piece in the Lalique collection. They are issued in a wide range of colors…

…..including this opaque black crystal

…..this smokey gray crystal

…..in the traditional clear crystal with satin finish

…..this rich amber crystal

…..this unusual complex pink crystal

…..this rosy pink crystal

…..this complex opalescent crystal

…..this sparkling yellow sun crystal

….this rich blue with a hint of lightness on the fins, Cap-Ferrat blue luster

…..this rosy fuchsia crystal

………and many, many more.

That make them beautiful pieces to collect, not only for Christmass but all year long. Each month one in the color of the month’s birthstone color?

by Jean Amr

 

 

 

Norell, an American classic

We hear of classic movies or albums getting remastered but what about fragrances? The classic Norell New York brand has remastered and reimagined their Norell fragrance into Norell New York.

Riley Keough photographed by Michael Avedon

Decades ago Norman Norell was known for creating an elegant and feminine look that is still emulated today. He dressed Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Priscilla Presley and other icons of his era. His style was feminine, glamorous and very 1950s New York. How do you update a fragrance for the modern era? Described as modern green floral the scent is grounded in flowers.

The modern green floral opens with a lush radiance that exudes a playful effervescence with an airy floral bouquet and a sensual finish. In fact, each bottle of Norell New York contains over 200 Jasmine petals and one of the most noble and expensive ingredients, Orris Butter.

It has top notes of galbanum, bergamot, pear and mandarin with a heart of jasmine, peony, orchid, and gardenia. The scent is anchored with orris butter, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, and must.

 

Norell New York Parfum ‘Baccarat’ Limited edition

Perfumer Celine Barel created the scent and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough serves as the face of the ad campaign and wears original Norman Norell designs in photos shot by Michael Avedon, grandson of legendary photographer Richard Avedon. The choice of model and photographer was meant to be an interplay of past and present.

Re-released by Parlux Fragrances as Norell New York in 2015, the original fragrance has been reimagined and modernized to celebrate the next generation of American style setters with the pure quality of its ingredients and an exquisite blend of notes.

Handmade by famous Baccarat in France….

……the exclusive edition renders refined elegance and sophistication in form of the crystal case as well as the pure ingredients of the scent.

Norell New York, has partnered with Baccarat to produce a limited edition Parfum. Baccarat only produced 500 bottles handmade at their factory in France. The Baccarat Parfum is priced at $1,500 available at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. The signature Eau de Parfum sells for $150.

 

 

 

 

 

L’Hommage à L’Homme

Hommage à L’Homme is a beautiful masculine fragrance by Lalique. The scent was launched in 2011 and the fragrance was created by perfumers Christine Nagel and Mathilde Bijaoui. A beautiful, virile, woody, spicy fragrance. A praise to masculinity and travel.

 

Lalique Hommage à L’Homme Eau de Toilette (Click photo to enlarge).

Lalique celebrated to be 20 years in the fragrant business… and many more in the business of providing precious crystals for perfumes. In order to mark this important anniversary, they launched a new masculine fragrance aboard the luxurious Orient Express. The chosen spot couldn’t be more laden with historical memory: Not only had René Lalique decorated several of the legendary train’s wagons with his ornate creations, but his grand-daughter Marie-Claude launched the first feminine scent by the house of Lalique, ‘Lalique de Lalique’, on the Orient Express herself in 1992. Nowadays Lalique counts 9 fragrances in their catalogs, 5 for women and 4 for men, distributed in a very selective circuit of doors.

Homage à L’Homme (Homage to Men), is a light spicy woody fragrance for men which reads as a ‘niche’ scent, developed by acclaimed perfumers Christine Nagel and Mathilde Bijaoui.

L’Hommage exists in a hazy netherworld where it’s basically a mainstream scent that’s much better than its brothers at the discount store, but it’s nowhere near as good as the artful scents it’s clearly inspired by.

• Top Note: Violet Leaf, Bergamot, Saffron
• Middle Note: Chili Leaf, Violet, Black Pepper
• Dry-down Note: Cistus, Oud, Musks

It goes on with that incredibly common ‘grape drink’ violet smell that masculine scents use to lure in inexperienced noses, but instead of mixing it with the bleachy aquatic smells it’s usually paired with, L’Hommage pairs it with a very nice pine forest smell. The grape keeps it sweet and inoffensive enough to not scare away consumers who would never wear a real top-notch smoky wood perfume, while a pinch of leathery oud simmers in the background. There’s a moment a few hours in where the grape has largely faded and the whole thing smells like a smoky pine forest with a pinch of oud, but L’Hommage maintains an artificial ‘fakeness’ that’s probably intended to keep it safe for the wear-it-to-work crowd, but that unfortunately also smothers any hope of real perfume transcendence. The drydown is just more sweet fake woods, now paired with pie spices, again, really not bad, but it could have been so much better (for the pampered people among us). But despite that: it’s one of the best mass-market scents I’ve smelled the last years. Hommage à l’homme smells ‘dressy’ and suited to all seasons, it has good sillage and excellent lasting power.

Limited edition: Lalique Hommage à L’Homme Extrait de Parfum in Crystal (Click photo to enlarge).

It is available in two declinations: Lalique Hommage à L’Homme Extrait de Parfum, 100ml, in crystal for collectors (cost 1200 euros) which is inspired by Art Deco style with the sculpted Pan-pipe man (on both sides of the bottle) , referencing the original sculpture made by René Lalique for the Orient Express in 1929. The Eau de Toilette bottle in glass, designed by Thierry de Baschmakoff (Aesthete), which is also inspired by Art Deco style, was inspired by another René Lalique project, the ‘Duncan’ bathroom accessories collection of 1931.

Lalique was also reissuing the flacon ‘chèvrefeuille’, decorated in gold, in a limited edition of 50 numbered pieces for collectors, in celebration of its 20th anniversary

What a gem from Lalique! It’s an absolute pleasure to smell and could not possibly offend anybody. I can recommended it as a blind buy for anyone in search of subtle sophistication and class. Considering the price, you can’t go wrong with Hommage a L’Homme, as Lalique continues to wow me with the care they put into their product and packages

by Jean Amr

 

The Jean Patou experience

Create the perfect legacy with Jean Patou. From its historical home in Rue Saint-Florentin, Paris, the house of Jean Patou returns to creation of bespoke perfume, following an offering of the combined expertise of high-perfume and haute couture.

Just like designer Jean Patou, the approach of the house today discovers the secret tastes of the exceptional customer to embed his or her passions in an unique and personal fragrance.

Jean Patou ‘Bespoke Parfum’ (Click photo to enlarge).

The production of a haute couture fragrance is a work of art, an object of desire, a distincitve monogram, designed with the most precious natural essences, those whose names remind us of a beautiful poem. May Rose, Jasmine from Grasse, Mimosa, Champaca, Iris of Florence, Chinese Osmanthus, Sandalwood Mysore …. A painting of life whose palette carries the colors of ones passion giving the ultimate olfactory reflection of oneself.

When ordering the Bespoke Experience, the client will receive their fragrance in a 100ml Jean Patou octagonal bottle made by Baccarat, designed by Louis Sue and personalized with the name or initials of choice. The gift box will be beautifully presented made by one of three possible baggage specialists: Pinel & Pinel, Elie Bleu or Norline. Marcel Franck will accompany the fragrance with two magnificent purse atomizers.

Developed over an approximate period of one year and a minimum number of three consultations. The process starts with a meeting face to face with the in house perfumer Thomas Fontaine in which the client expresses their tastes and shares olfactive memories which merge with the imagination of the ‘nose’.   Always at the clients disposal, the perfumer then creates proposals by sending samples and adjusting with feedback until the client is happy with his or her formula. After six months of testing and maceration, 5 litres of perfume will be stored safely for refills. Creating a fragrance with Jean Patou is a unique opportunity to become part of the rich heritage of our private perfume archives dating back nearly 100 years, started by our founder Jean Patou. This also means that the record is protected for the client and their future generations to re-order.

To make an appointment for this truly unique experience exclusively at:

Jean Patou Laboratory

9, rue Saint Florentin, Paris.

by Jean Amr