The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2024 - Issue 36

B efore Backes & Strauss partnered with Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller in 2006 to make exquisitely innovative and desirable time- pieces, they were renowned for diamond cutting and trading. Founded in 1789 in Hanau, Germany, by entrepreneurial partners Georg Carl Backes and Issac Strauss, the brand is considered the world’s oldest diamond company. Over the centuries, it has evolved from a small diamond business into a prestigious name synonymous with luxury, opulence and the art of fine craftsmanship. By the 19th century, Backes & Strauss had gained international recognition for its exceptional diamonds, establishing a significant presence in London, the epi- centre of the global jewellery market. The British capital became the brand’s headquarters and the heart of its operations. Its close connections with royalty and the elite allowed it to cultivate a reputation for creating bespoke jewellery meticulously designed and crafted for aristocratic patrons. The Franck Muller collaboration combined the Lon- don-based brand’s centuries-old diamond expertise with the watchmaker’s horological prowess. It allowed them to expand its offerings and merge the art of precision time- keeping with the brilliance of diamonds, resulting in their flagship collections of Regent, Berkeley and Piccadilly watches. The Regent 1609 AD celebrated John Nash’s sweeping Regent Street and Sir Thomas Harriot, the first British astronomer to map the moon. Unlike other watchmaking processes, which start with the watch design, Backes & Strauss begin with the raw material. “We look at diamonds, and then we think about how we can craft a watch, rather than take a given watch and think about where we should put the diamonds,” Vartkess Knadjian, Backes & Strauss CEO, explained. “Once the diamonds have been polished to perfect symmetry and proportions, with the highest colours and purity, we focus on the watch itself.” Their exquisite pieces include the Berkeley Renais- sance Duke Tourbillon Baguette, which joined the Royal Berkeley Renaissance Duke Tourbillon and Berkeley Renaissance Duke Tourbillon D2R in the Duke collec- tion. It features a 43 mm 18-karat rose gold case set with 100 baguette diamonds and a Jewel in the Crown mechanism. The double peripheral tourbillon movement has a power reserve of 46 hours. Through its winding system, the rotor visible via the open caseback turns the movement. Its elegant design presents a delightful white dial with Roman hand-polished numerals and indexes and an interior set with 100 white Ideal Cut diamonds. The sword-shaped hands are furnished with super white lumi- nova, and the dial displays hours, minutes, and seconds, with the second hand on the tourbillon cage. The watch is accompanied by an alligator leather bracelet with an 18-karat rose gold buckle set with 30 white Ideal Cut Diamonds. Another delectable piece is the 40 mm Piccadilly Lucky Mystery from the playful Mystery collection. It features a unique pavé setting that allows the discerning eye to perceive two different images in the dial depending on the angle of observance. The one-of-a-kind timepiece presents a dial fully set with the brand’s signature white Ideal Cut diamonds from one angle and the Chinese character for ‘Fu’ illustrated with red rubies from another. The character and colour symbolise ‘good fortune’ or ‘blessing’. The 33 mm Piccadilly Renaissance Ballerina Rainbow watch in an 18-karat white gold case has mechanical movement and a fully set dial with 1,301 gemstones, of which 233 are white diamonds, and 1,068 are multicolour sapphires. Queen of Hearts is a magnificent bejewelled timepiece with 36 identical heart-shaped diamonds set on the bezel, fitted into the slim Renaissance Case set with 188 Ideal Cut diamonds. Its white mother-of-pearl dial has 70 Ideal Cut diamonds and four heart-shaped rubies. In 2023, Backes & Strauss unveiled the Mayfair Golden Sands collection, a series of exquisite watches that elevate their reputation for luxurious design and impec- cable craftsmanship. Inspired by the timeless elegance of London’s Mayfair district, the collection draws on the beauty and glamour of golden hues, capturing the essence of a warm and radiant sunset over the city. The golden tone dials adorned with beautifully set diamonds that shimmer like grains of sand celebrate luxury and simplicity. Crafted with 18-karat rose gold cases, these watches feature bezels embellished with Backes & Strauss’ sig- nature Ideal Cut diamonds. The soft golden hue dials evoke the mesmerising warmth of golden sands. Its slim and elegantly designed watch hands glide effortlessly over the dial. The Swiss-made automatic movements are beautifully crafted and visible through sapphire crystal casebacks. It has water resistance up to 30 metres and a luxurious satin strap complementing the gold tones of the case and dial. In collaboration with Middle East-based watch retailer 10Ten Labs, Backes & Strauss introduced the new 40 mm Mayfair Golden Sands watch inspired by the breath- taking sands of Saudi Arabia. The timepiece features an 18-karat stainless steel case with an open back and decorated mechanical movement. The salmon dial with white Roman hand-polished numerals displaying hours and minutes captures the essence of the Arabian desert. It features the Jewel in the Crown mechanism and has an alligator leather strap. The Franck Muller-manufactured Mayfair Golden Sands watch in Geneva is limited to 10 timepieces and exclu- sively available at 10Ten Labs. www.backesandstrauss.com www.10tenlabs.com bitewatches