March 19, 2019

MOTHER’S DAY

by AHMED SEDDIQI & SONS

Celebrate the most important women in your life with a gift from Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons

‘It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?’ Mahatma Gandhi definitely had a point. This Mother’s Day, which falls on March 21 in the United Arab Emirates, show your mother, or the mother of your children, how beautiful you think her with one of these enchanting gifts

FP. Journe Élégante

The first thing you notice about the Élégante is the exquisite look created by the diamonds and rubies set into its case and dial, and indeed the synergy between them and the ruby colour of the powdered satin strap. It’s only on closer inspection that the beauty of the watch’s movement, which F. P. Journe spent eight years developing, also becomes apparent. When the watch is taken off and set to one side for half an hour, a mechanical motion detector (visible at half past four) detects the inactivity and switches the watch into standby mode. The hands stop, but inside a microprocessor continues to track the passing of time. When the watch is picked up, the hands are reactivated and spin to the correct time. An ingenious creation that means the watch will run for up to 18 years on a single battery.

Concord Mariner Lady

The sporty Concord Mariner Lady arrives at the point where practicality and elegance meet. Practical because its 30mm stainless steel case and bracelet are reassuringly utilitarian; elegant because of its diamond-set bezel and pink dial with diamond hour markers. That gives it timeless crossover appeal and ensures it will shift as effortlessly from day to night as its wearer.

Chopard Happy Shoulder Bag

Chopard’s playful, spirited Happy collection of watches, necklaces and accessories continues to charm. The secret is in Chopard’s signature ‘dancing’ or ‘floating’ suspended precious stones that feature throughout the collection. Here, five green cabochons spin under the sapphire crystal glass that forms part of the rose gold-finished clasp on this quilted green leather handbag.

Baume et Mercier Petite Promesse

The Geneva watch brand Baume et Mercier has a rich collection of women’s watches, each designed to capture the essence of free-spirited femininity. This ellipse-shaped Promesse is a case in point. Its dial is made of mother-of-pearl and the petite 22mm stainless steel case and twin hour markers are set with 0.18 carats of diamonds. The indulgent finishing touch is the blue wraparound calfskin strap.

Messika Skinny Théa

This dazzling bracelet and ring pairing from the Parisian house of Messika features rare trilliant-cut diamonds – trilliant meaning triangular. The slender 18-carat pink gold bracelet tapers around the wrist, made more ergonomic by the invisible gold nano-springs that give it its flexibility. Like the bracelet, the ring’s circle never meets, leaving the two largest diamonds to face off against one another in a delicate but perfectly poised balance of power. Théa, the inspiration behind these pieces, was the Greek goddess of sight and the bright blue sky, and it was she, so goes the mythology, who gave gold and precious stones their lustre and value.

Dior La D de Dior Mini Satine

Dior’s dainty, detailed La D de Dior Mini is of course a chic companion, but it’s also a piece of exquisite hand craftsmanship. The case and bezel of each of these three 19mm watches are decorated with brilliant-cut diamonds, set by skilled gem-setters. Each is also on a supple Milanese bracelet made of hundreds of tiny parts that shimmer when they come together, like a satin ribbon. The dials of this model trio, pictured from left, are in green malachite, white mother-of-pearl and blue opal.