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The number eight carries deep significance for Christian Dior. On the 8th of October, 1946, the legendary designer opened his couture house; he lived on Paris’s eighth arrondissement, and named his first collection, “En Huit,” which translates into In Eight. Certainly, it is easy to see why this number would stand as the designer’s lucky charm when we admire Dior’s VIII Montaigne Timepiece Collection, an homage to the designer’s favorite digit, featuring fun and graphic pieces that will charm today’s women. On the Dior’s VIII Montaigne dial, lucky number eight is the main attraction, as VIII stands alone on an, otherwise, numberless interface.
Dior VIII Montaigne
Considered by the designer as “the most elegant neutral color,” gray became linked to the firm’s chromatic vocabulary. It made its way from couture garments on to boutique walls, and the identifiable tone was, eventually, coined “Dior grey.” Steel is the modern iteration of such a classic hue in these pieces. Reminiscent of memories of Dior’s Granville home and the flowers he adored, a subtle, feminine soft pink carries through bezels, hands and dials. Pale blue, which Dior believed to be one of the prettiest colors, also adds a sweet, delicate touch to the timepieces. Together, these gentle shades, alongside shimmering luxury materials, diamonds and pearls, slender horns and soft angles pave the way for an ultra-feminine collection.
The pieces come in a variety of sizes –25mm, 32mm and 36mm– and sophisticated designs, with the 36mm as part of a limited edition. The steel bands inject a relaxed feel, while pink gold and soft, geometrically shaped alligator bracelet straps lend themselves to more formal environs. The pale blue model contains a single row of diamonds encrusting the bezel and another row at the center of the dial set in a pink gold ring. The firm also invites clients to go with, or without, a diamond inlay. These timepieces are equipped with Dior’s own automatic movement, the Inverse 11 ½ Calibre, and have a 42-hour power reserve.
A graphic, spiral swirl on the side of the gold, mother-of-pearl and diamond dial, found throughout the collection, pays tribute to Monsieur Dior’s status in the fashion world, as it recalls the sunray-pleated pattern of the label’s couture garments. The hypnotic design brings with it a graceful movement that expands from the watch’s inner workings to its exterior, all too fitting for this VIII Montaigne collection. ■
