ART FOR ART
Outstanding know-how exalts the scenography of this one-off piece center staged exclusively during a philanthropic watch auction which will be held on December 7 next.
For the second edition of TimeForArt in support of contemporary art and artists, 25 brands will offer collectors the opportunity to acquire exceptional timepieces. For this biannual event, Chopard showcases a fascinating creation. Its Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt watch stands out with its straw marquetry-crafted dial. This technique, born back in the 17th century, highlights the dexterity of the manufacture’s craftspeople. Each piece of straw is cut using a scalpel. Each section is then glued to the dial to breathe life into a graphic composition that conjures up an aerial vista of New York skyscrapers, the city where the auction will take place.
Unlike the other references in the collection, here the hour and minute hands hover over an hour chapter that features markers alone so pride of place is given to the work of art in its entirety.
This creation nestles in a 41 mm-diameter, 8 mm-high Lucent SteelTM case. The manufacture’s steel alloy now comprises 80% of recycled materials. This superb slimline receptacle hosts the L.U.C 96.17-L caliber. This selfwinding movement, which is just 3.30 mm thick, is equipped with two stacked barrels. The energy accumulated delivers a comfortable power reserve of 65 hours to the watch. The sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire some of the device’s components, in particular its 22-karat gold micro-rotor. For information only, the Alpine Eagle 41 XP TimeForArt is estimated at between 40,000 and 80,000 dollars by Phillips, leading watch auction expert in charge of the bidding.
