Made of 18-carat gold, these creations feature a technique never before seen on Fabergé watches: the ancient Japanese art of Kaga-Maki-e.
The limited edition collection features three hand-decorated watch dials, depicting a tiger, a lion and an eagle. These mighty animals have been imprinted on each dial by a Maki-e craftswoman in Japan. It took her two to three months for each to meticulously hand-paint them.
Maki-e is an ancient, but sophisticated lacquer technique. Its origin is from Japan and the literal translation is “sprinkled image”.
The images they create are hand-painted with impressive designs on lacquer with a fine brush. They then sprinkle layers of gold or silver powder on the lacquer while it is still wet. Only a small number of artisans in Japan know this rare technique.
The varnishes they use are made of natural resin from the “Japanese lacquer tree”, Rhus verniciflua. Environmentally friendly, they are the same varnishes used as glue 13,000 years ago. Maki-e over the years has evolved in technique with evidence found in Shosohin, an 8th century imperial treasury.
Fabergé has collaborated with a young artisan Maki-e on this limited edition project. Mitsuki Tsuji, who is 26 years old, works at the Thounsai atelier in Japan.
Mitsuki admired her father's artwork. After high school she decided to train with Mr. Isshu Tamura, an architect and Maki-e artist. Mr. Tamura is a pioneer in the art of Maki-e. With over 20 years of experience, he has passed on his wisdom and knowledge to Mitsuki.
Mitsuki is part of the next generation that has taken on the task of keeping the ancient art of Maki-e alive. She has proven to be a natural talent with these magnificent clock dials, which are her first works.
Fabergé has always honoured young female talent, such as Alma Pihl, a self-taught designer who began working with Fabergé in 1909. She was only 21 at the time and designed the famous Winter Egg of 1913 and the Mosaic Egg of 1914. Continuing this tradition, Fabergé's current head designer is Liisa Tallgren. She is behind many of the house's most iconic contemporary creations, including the Fabergé x Game of Thrones egg.
Each watch dial in the Altruist Maki-e collection has several stages of creation. First they have engraved a design on the back with a slow-drying varnish. Then they transfer this design to the dial and sprinkle it with silver powder.
They have then applied varnish to the appropriate parts of the design to create high relief effects. Then they sprinkle silver powder over the areas of the design that they have highlighted with varnish. Then they cover it with another coat of varnish to set the powder in place.
The silver covered and raised parts are smoothed with a sharpener. The eyes are also coated with mother-of-pearl using lacquer as an adhesive. On the surface they have created hairline carvings to prepare it for other inlays. Then they have placed pieces of mother of pearl on the surface.
First they draw the black pattern on the tiger's face with lacquer and sprinkle platinum dust over it. Then they glue pieces of platinum one by one onto the surface they have covered with lacquer. On top of these pieces they apply white lacquer ready for more platinum powder to be sprinkled on top.
This creation represents the perfect marriage of art and watchmaking and features a Vaucher Manufacture movement with automatic rotation.
Designed, manufactured and assembled in a traditional manner, the curves use an oscillating weight decorated in the Fabergé style. To emphasise the precious and rare character of this movement, it is made of 22-carat gold. This also gives the movement greater precision due to its weight.
Through its carefully considered design, from the intricate, traditional pattern on the dial, to the pleasure of winding its unique crown. The Fabergé Altruist is an elegant, three-hand 41mm watch with a thoroughly modern construction.
The winding and setting is done by a Fabergé crown with a rotating finger grip, which has a swivel outwards to provide a winding experience and offers a playful, mobile element.
“We are delighted to be working with young Japanese artist, Mitsuki, on the new limited edition Altruist Maki-e limited edition watches. Fabergé has always promoted talented female artists. Such as the young Alma Pihl, who designed the Winter Egg in 1913, and I am particularly proud of this.
While still very new, Mitsuki has mastered this traditional Japanese Maki-e technique. I am fascinated by the level of knowledge and precision to work on these unique artistic dials, which bring the tiger, lion and eagle to life.” These are the words of Aurélie Picaud, Fabergé's Timekeeping Manager.
Altruist Maki-e Limited-Edition watches are available at selected Fabergé boutiques and on Faberge.com.
