Graff GyroGraff Drive

Based in London and distributing around the world, Graff Diamonds has been synonymous with the finest gemstones in the world since it was founded in 1960. Quickly becoming as well-known for its high-end watchmaking as it has always been for its quality diamonds and exquisite jewellery design, the house’s success at Baselworld keeps growing year-on-year.

Proving that even those involved in the highest of horology can have a sense of fun, Graff’s latest GyroGraff watches take motoring as a theme – a pastime close to the hearts of the Graff family. The three, new, hand-decorated and hand-painted dials put the wearer in the driving seat of a vintage sports car. Each watch has a domed dial, which allows the inside of the car and the cityscape outside to be built up in layers, drawing viewers into the story.

The first piece features a night scene depicted through marquetry, the car’s dashboard coming to life via the watch’s double-axis tourbillon, which acts as the steering wheel. The second dial is created through painted appliques that combine to form a car bearing the number “8” on its side. The final timepiece in the trilogy shows a car driving through a city at night, the dark sky represented by an adventurine backdrop, the tourbillon once again taking the place of the steering wheel.

The large 48mm dials provide plenty of room for the intricate stories to play out and the resulting works of art are a complete surprise coming from this most earnest of brands. Somehow, though, they just work, leaving everyone that gazes on them smiling. As well as being some of the finest examples of métiers d’art techniques of 2018, each watch also features an unusual globe moonphase indicator, a double-axis tourbillon at 7 o’clock and a 72-hour power reserve indicator at 1 o’clock.

Technical Specifications

Movement

Hand-wound calibre; hours and minutes; double-axis tourbillon, three-dimensional moonphase; 65-hour power reserve

Case

48mm white or rose gold; 30m water resistance

Strap

Alligator-leather strap with deployant buckle

return-to-top__image
Back to Top