Lot Essay
Made entirely in Geneva, the MOSAÏQUE by Barbier-Mueller timepiece pays homage to fine Genevan watchmaking and to the decorative arts. The entire piece, from the dial to the rose gold case, features a subtle cloisonné motif that evokes the art of mosaics, which dates from the end of the fourth century B.C. In a reference to the pocket watch, the back has a cover that is similarly decorated. When opened, it reveals its heart - a mechanical gold movement designed and manufactured by F.P.Journe – Invenit&Fecit-, thus definitively confirming the horological legitimacy of this exclusive series.
The prototype of MOSAÏQUE by Barbier-Mueller, with its rose gold case, ideally showcases the play of light over the coloured jasper stones. Several hundreds of hours of work were necessary for the stone setting and the realisation of this aesthetically complex piece. The case sides, the dial, and the case back are very subtly adorned with a mosaic motif made up of brick-coloured, black, white, and green jasper. The watch counts as many as 196 elements : 96 pieces of jasper on the dial, 72 on the case back, and 28 on the case sides. Underneath the case back, the 18 ct. rose gold movement, based on the F.P.Journe 1304 calibre, displays the supreme elegance of mechanical horology.
The prototype of MOSAÏQUE by Barbier-Mueller, with its rose gold case, ideally showcases the play of light over the coloured jasper stones. Several hundreds of hours of work were necessary for the stone setting and the realisation of this aesthetically complex piece. The case sides, the dial, and the case back are very subtly adorned with a mosaic motif made up of brick-coloured, black, white, and green jasper. The watch counts as many as 196 elements : 96 pieces of jasper on the dial, 72 on the case back, and 28 on the case sides. Underneath the case back, the 18 ct. rose gold movement, based on the F.P.Journe 1304 calibre, displays the supreme elegance of mechanical horology.