Tuesday LADIES’ DAY: The watch world is not only a man’s world. Every Tuesday we look at how brands are addressing the growing market for ladies’ watches. Today, we explore the fusion of fashion and watchmaking with the Dior VIII Collection.

With a new season come new trends. Among the trend-setters for Spring 2015 will be Dior, with its VIII Collection Montaigne timepiece. It is clearly a versitile and stylish peiece: a watch by day and a piece of jewellery by night. But instead of me trying to summarize the essence of this new watch, check out the video below, which captures the message quite well.

Source: Dior TV

Dior, of course, speaks the language of couture. The brand’s design studios on Avenue Montaigne are located at the heart of the fashion industry. (I bet now you guess where the inspiration for the name of its new timepiece came from!) Because of their fashion roots, ladies’ watch lines are often taken at face value, as simply aesthetic rather than mechanical accomplishments.

Yes, it’s true that some of the Montaigne watches have quartz movements. But that’s not the case for all watches under the VIII Collection. There is also the option of an automatic movement, which gives the line that added credibility that the critical watch world demands.

Dior’s designs are conceived in Paris, which is of course synonymous with high fashion. But it is 400 km away in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland – also known as the cradle of Swiss watchmaking – where its watches get their mechanical pedigree. It’s on Swiss soil where the brand’s technical and aesthetic aspects meet.

So for all those who think fashion watches are all flash and no substance, think again. To get a better idea of just how seriously Dior takes its watchmaking, don’t miss the video below. (VJ)

Source: Dior TV