Brands often turn a men's watch into a ladies' watch by shrinking the case size, swapping a mechanical movement for a quartz one and adding diamonds to the bezel. What's more, few independent watchmakers even consider creating a ladies' watch because they don't believe there is a market for one. Of course, Romain Gauthier has never been one to follow the crowd. After creating his first automatic watch last year, the Insight Micro-Rotor, Gauthier placed the movement in a dedicated ladies' watch during his debut at this year's SIHH watch fair in Geneva. Sharing the same design codes, the Micro-Rotor Lady features a hypnotic white or black mother-of-pearl tiered dial, although the bi-directional 22K gold rotor is sprinkled with the watch's only diamonds, and provides 80 hours of power reserve. Each color is limited to 10 pieces; for a manufacture that creates fewer than 60 watches each year, that's a sizable percentage of its production and a sure indicator that Gauthier firmly believes in the potential of the women's watch market. Although designing a new movement is very expensive, we can only hope that a dedicated ladies' movement is one of the next steps for Romain Gauthier.
Details
Company | Romain Gauthier |
Price ($) | 83,000 |
Price range | < $100,000 |
Gender | Female |
Case | Round |
Complications | Small Seconds Hours Minutes |
Water Resistance | 50m |
Movement | Automatic |
Power Reserve Range (hours) | 73 - 96 |
Power Reserve | 80 hours |
Case Size | Large (>39mm) |
Case Diameter (mm) | 40 |
Case Colour | Rose Gold |
Case Material | Rose Gold |
Gemstones | Diamonds |
Limited Edition | Limited edition |
Caliber | Inisght Micro-Rotor |
Where to buy | Cellini Jewelers in New York |
Reference Number | MON00340 |
As an independent company, Romain Gauthier's self-reliance is how it is able to constantly remain inventive and retain autonomy over its creative vision. Marrying the steadfast Swiss traditions of Vallée de Joux with his own distinctive designs, the company's eponymous founder chartered an eye-catching and sophisticated pathway which has remained key to its success. Whether approaching a caseback winding crow, a constant-force mechanism or bidirectional micro-rotor, Romain Gauthier's attitude remains meticulous.Paying homage to the brand's hometown, the Heritage collection flaunts exceptionally finished and intricately engineered timepieces crafted from gold and platinum. The Freedom collection is similarly technical, with daring designs that reflect the unapologetically liberal attitude of Romain Gauthier and the wearer. The Exception line also boasts artistic prowess with designs that are diamond bedazzled, micro-engraved and have intricate micro-marquetry tiles in tribute to Gauthier's Rio de Janeiro-born wife.