Fabergé Launches Compliquée Peacock Arte

This summer, Fabergé introduces a new variation of the Compliquée Peacock Watch. Made in partnership with Workmaster Jean-Marc Wiederrecht of Agenhor and Master Craftsman André Martinez – a specialist in miniaturist artistic painting on watch dials – this follows on from the great success at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2015, in which the Compliquée Peacock won the High Mechanical award.

Limited to ten numbered pieces of each design, each watch dial is totally unique and features an abstract design by André Martinez, inspired by beautiful peacock feathers. These masterpieces are wearable art for the wrist. Fabergé has always partnered with the finest craftspeople, in all areas of expertise, to deliver creations which capture the spirit of the brand’s past, present and future. Martinez has previously created unique hand-painted dials for the Fabergé x Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Altruist Limited Edition, as well as for the Fabergé Altruist Wilderness watches. He has also hand-painted every feather on each iteration of the award winning Compliquée Peacock Watch series.

Martinez says of this series: “I choose to express myself and my creative universe on the dials of these very high-end watches. It requires one to be confident and determined, to master your drawing skills and to understand the world of Fabergé. I am therefore able to offer to the person who acquires one of these watches the awareness of giving them the best of myself.”

Available in two different colourways, the new Compliquée Peacock Arte Hand-Etched White Gold Watches are limited to just ten numbered pieces per style, making them true collectors’ pieces. The dials are engraved by a technique known as ‘eau forte’, or ‘etching’, an ‘intaglio’ print-making process dating back to the 16th century, in which an image or design is incised onto a plate using acid. Traditionally, this would be a metal plate; however, Martinez has expertly applied this technique to mother-of-pearl to create a unique appearance. On the colourful dial, the bottom of the etched section is painted with Martinez’s lacquers in gradations of colour and then covered with a transparent lacquer to obtain a flat and taut rendering.

The bold feather pattern is entirely hand-painted, which makes each piece totally unique. The same technique is applied to the monochrome dial, but here the etchings are filled with a mixture developed by Martinez, which is mainly ‘encre de Chine’ ink mixed with another component to prevent cracking during the drying process. This special technique also renders the watch water-resistant by preventing the process by which the ink is dissolved by water. The watch’s award-winning mechanism was developed in partnership with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, and his team, at Agenhor.

Agenhor is based in Geneva and specialises in the creation of complex watch mechanisms. Over the years, the family company has gained international recognition, while always remaining true to the ancient spirit of horological craftsmanship. The workshop merges contemporary technology with a traditional understanding of watchmaking.

Fabergé and Agenhor have partnered on the launch of this limited-edition watch, which was exclusively developed for Fabergé and pays homage to the Maison’s story, with the spectacular Compliquée Peacock hand-winding movement unique in and of itself. Aurélie Picaud, Timepieces Director at Fabergé, says of the collection: “The new Compliquée Peacock Arte Hand-Etched Limited Editions embrace all the things that fascinate me: the link to the Peacock Egg of 1908; the technicity, yet apparent simplicity, of the mechanism; the level of skills required to achieve these delicate watches; and the beauty of the execution in every detail. More than anything, these pieces reflect the fantastic harmony between the master craftspeople working on every single component of these watches, which stays true to Fabergé’s values.”