Expertly shaped by the artisan’s nimble fingers, the stones reveal various subtle and unique nuances. They are framed by a precious 15.5 mm-diameter case in white gold, rose gold, or rose gold set with 48 diamonds for the lapis lazuli version; in white gold or rose gold gem- set versions for the onyx model; or in non-set rose gold to accentuate the subtle shades of the malachite dial.

Well before the stones become dials, the artisan selects them with infinite care while keeping only the most beautiful. He then cuts out the material to the desired diameter and gets an initial idea of the volume before profile-turning to fine-tune the result and then setting the final touch with a hand-crafted polishing operation.

In moving from the rough stone to the dial with its countless subtle features, the artisan implements a variety of time-honoured skills often handed down in the workshops from generation to generation. In working with malachite, he pays particularly close attention to the cutting direction in order to avoid any splintering of this particularly brittle stone. Conversely, the hardness of onyx implies other challenges, such as polishing that might make the stone look grey or reveal certain undesirably little white ‘clouds’. Lapis lazuli is easier to work with but requires a very discerning eye to pinpoint the rare stones of absolutely perfect colour midway between azure and sea-blue.