Boucheron Paris Diamond 'Eventail' Bracelet Watch

Boucheron Paris Diamond 'Eventail' Bracelet Watch

Boucheron has always occupied a unique position between watchmaking and high jewellery. Founded in Paris in 1858 and established at 26 Place Vendôme in 1893, the maison approached the wristwatch not simply as an instrument for telling time, but as another canvas for its jewellery designs. This philosophy became particularly expressive during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, when Boucheron created extraordinary bracelet watches in which the mechanical watch almost disappeared into the jewel itself.

This remarkable Boucheron Paris bracelet watch dates from this golden period of jewellery watchmaking. Often referred to as the “Eventail”, or fan, design, the watch is constructed around a diminutive square champagne dial framed by two dramatically flared sections of polished yellow gold. Each side is punctuated by two geometric rows of diamonds, creating a beautiful contrast between the warmth of the gold and the brilliance of the stones. The proportions are deliberately extravagant around the wrist while the actual time display remains remarkably discreet, a design that feels much more like a piece of important jewellery that happens to contain a watch than a conventional wristwatch.

The integrated articulated gold bracelet completes the composition, continuing the sculptural quality of the central case while allowing the watch to sit elegantly around the wrist. Details such as the tiny square dial, slender baton hour markers and discreet winding crown are almost secondary to the architecture of the piece. The reverse is signed “BOUCHERON PARIS”, an especially wonderful detail on a watch whose identity is otherwise expressed almost entirely through its design. Surviving examples of these elaborate mid-century Boucheron bracelet watches are increasingly difficult to find, particularly with their original integrated bracelets intact. It is a beautiful representation of an era when the great Parisian jewellery houses treated the wristwatch as one of the highest forms of wearable design. Interestingly the watch was serviced by Boucheron in the 80's and like many examples, instead of servicing the existing manually wound movement, they put in a quartz movement.