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Lot Essay
The present Frisons d'Or bracelet watch is a remarkable example of early 1960s jewellery design, perfectly capturing the era's fascination with sculptural forms and organic textures. Both stylised and naturalistic, it combines richly textured yellow gold with diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds arranged in an apparently spontaneous composition. The dial is discreetly concealed beneath a hinged panel, allowing the uninterrupted elegance of the bracelet to take centre stage while cleverly transforming the watch into a piece of jewelry.
This highly innovative creation embodies the visionary collaboration between Omega and the celebrated jewellery designer Gilbert Albert. Named Frisons d'Or ('Golden Fronds'), the model reflects Albert's fascination with organic forms found in nature. During this formative period, he served successively as chief designer for Patek Philippe and later Omega, where he created some of the manufacture's most daring and unconventional designs. The present timepiece bears all the hallmarks of his unmistakable artistic language, characterised by asymmetry, sculptural forms, and a masterful interplay between precious metals and gemstones.
The caseback and bracelet both bear French import hallmarks in the form of the double owl, confirming that the watch was destined for the French market, a fact further corroborated by the accompanying Extract from the Archives.
Gilbert Albert (1930–2019)
Born in Geneva in 1930, Gilbert Albert studied jewellery and design at the École des Arts Industriels before joining Patek Philippe as head designer. During his seven years with the manufacture, he created some of its most avant-garde wristwatches, most famously the asymmetrical Ricochet series, drawing inspiration from modern artists such as Constantin Brâncuși and Piet Mondrian. His revolutionary designs challenged the conventions of traditional watchmaking and remain as striking today as when they were first conceived.
Albert's extraordinary talent earned him the prestigious Diamonds International Award on no fewer than ten occasions, three times for Patek Philippe, twice for Omega, and five times under his own name. After establishing his independent atelier in Geneva in 1962, he devoted himself to creating unique jewels and objets d'art, blending precious metals, rare gemstones, meteorites, corals, and natural materials into highly original compositions. His work was exhibited internationally, from London and New York to Tokyo and Johannesburg, and in 1991 he became the first living artist since 1917 to be invited to exhibit at the Moscow Kremlin. Today, Gilbert Albert is rightly regarded as one of the twentieth century's most visionary jewelry designers, whose creations seamlessly unite artistic imagination with exceptional craftsmanship.
This highly innovative creation embodies the visionary collaboration between Omega and the celebrated jewellery designer Gilbert Albert. Named Frisons d'Or ('Golden Fronds'), the model reflects Albert's fascination with organic forms found in nature. During this formative period, he served successively as chief designer for Patek Philippe and later Omega, where he created some of the manufacture's most daring and unconventional designs. The present timepiece bears all the hallmarks of his unmistakable artistic language, characterised by asymmetry, sculptural forms, and a masterful interplay between precious metals and gemstones.
The caseback and bracelet both bear French import hallmarks in the form of the double owl, confirming that the watch was destined for the French market, a fact further corroborated by the accompanying Extract from the Archives.
Gilbert Albert (1930–2019)
Born in Geneva in 1930, Gilbert Albert studied jewellery and design at the École des Arts Industriels before joining Patek Philippe as head designer. During his seven years with the manufacture, he created some of its most avant-garde wristwatches, most famously the asymmetrical Ricochet series, drawing inspiration from modern artists such as Constantin Brâncuși and Piet Mondrian. His revolutionary designs challenged the conventions of traditional watchmaking and remain as striking today as when they were first conceived.
Albert's extraordinary talent earned him the prestigious Diamonds International Award on no fewer than ten occasions, three times for Patek Philippe, twice for Omega, and five times under his own name. After establishing his independent atelier in Geneva in 1962, he devoted himself to creating unique jewels and objets d'art, blending precious metals, rare gemstones, meteorites, corals, and natural materials into highly original compositions. His work was exhibited internationally, from London and New York to Tokyo and Johannesburg, and in 1991 he became the first living artist since 1917 to be invited to exhibit at the Moscow Kremlin. Today, Gilbert Albert is rightly regarded as one of the twentieth century's most visionary jewelry designers, whose creations seamlessly unite artistic imagination with exceptional craftsmanship.