Why did you choose Dubai and the Dubai Mall for your new boutique?
This boutique is an important step forward for de Grisogono, both in the Middle East and in terms of our global positioning. Today, Dubai is an internationally recognised luxury shopping destination. We were always going to have a presence here, we simply had to wait for the right time and the right location. The Dubai Mall is in the heart of the city, and it brings together the greatest names in the industry, particularly in its prestigious just replica watches and jewellery section.

What are we to read into the redesign of your de Grisogono flagship store interiors?
After 23 years I thought it was time to freshen things up, if only to draw people’s attention! We can’t have people getting too comfortable! A few changes can rekindle the spark in a surprising way.
Thanks to our partnership with the designers of David Collins Studio in London, our shop provides the perfect backdrop to our watch and jewellery creations. It places a focus on luxury craftsmanship and combines modern furnishings (and works of art from Dubai’s Opera Gallery) with some classic details.

 

L’intérieur de la boutique de la nouvelle boutique de Grisogono. © de Grisogono

Where do Swiss replica watches fit into this new space?
They have a very special place. Particularly since our local partners, Seddiqi and Sons, have 65 years’ experience in the Middle Eastern luxury watch scene.
The new de Grisogono boutique (175 square metres) includes one room entirely dedicated to watch creations: La Stanza Del Tiempo (room of time), which is darker and more theatrical than the other two. We chose contrasting materials to display our new watch creations: display cases made of aged copper against wood-panelled walls.

You also selected DMCC in Dubai to collaborate with you in celebrating the history of your jewellery designs. What is your vision?
Yes, we just announced at the DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodity Center – the global epicentre of the diamond trade) that we have acquired rights to a flawless rough diamond weighing more than 400 carats. It is one of the rarest and most impressive diamonds ever discovered, and will require around six months to cut. By going straight to the source we have access to the most exceptional gems without having to pass through intermediaries.
This strategic decision and the coming year will mark an important step forward for de Grisogono. We will be designing jewellery pieces around extremely rare stones, and using our company’s strong creative DNA to turn them into something truly outstanding.

 

The boutique interior. © de Grisogono fake watches

As an entrepreneur, how do you look back on your two decades of disruptive creation? Is there anything you would do differently?
My first eight years at de Grisogono were devoted to unbridled creation. The business grew very quickly. While I am scarcely less restrained today, I do have more responsibilities, and that makes a difference! But I have no regrets. It’s a wonderful thing, to be a victim of your own success.

Today Dubai, tomorrow Cannes… What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival? Who will be wearing de Grisogono on the red carpet?
This year we will be taking over one of the finest terraces in Cannes, the Suite des Oliviers at the Hotel Martinez. We will be welcoming guests there throughout the festival, and displaying de Grisogono’s creations. Another highlight is the exclusive party we host each year. More than 500 guests are invited to the Eden-Roc Hotel on the Cap d’Antibes.

The original spirit of the piece, redolent of the world of oil, remains intact. The watch’s entire movement represents the drilling process. A drive shaft sits on the right of the dial, between 2 and 4 o’clock. This powers a long articulated arm, known as the walking beam, between 10 and 2 o’clock. At its left-hand end is the oblong-shaped ‘head’, the most striking visual characteristic of a derrick.

The circuit naturally ends with a barrel at 9 o’clock, made from titanium and symbolising successful extraction. It too is in constant rotation: Louis Moinet has dedicated it to marking the seconds, read off at the bottom of the barrel, on a red engraved seconds track. The rotating barrel is also engraved with Louis Moinet’s name, atop its iconic fleur-de-lis motif.

Echoing the black gold depicted as running through the cheap copy watches, the bridges are made from black PVD. Created exclusively for the Black Gold Derrick, they are open-worked, so as to give pride of place to the visual effect of the going train. The plate is also completely new, as is the barrel cover. This now offers a view from above of the spring, whilst raised engraving on the minimalist-style cover proudly displays the 72-hour power reserve.

 

Black Gold Derrick. © Louis Moinet Replica Watches

The Black Gold Derrick is imbued with the spirit of fine watchmaking. The time is displayed by two central rhodium-plated hands, regulated by a tourbillon escapement at 6 o’clock. The bridges and their many acute angles are all hand-finished, featuring pearled decor on the plate and the derrick bridge, and fine lines on the other bridges. The assembly is housed in a new white gold case by Louis Moinet, dubbed NEO. Premiered worldwide at Baselworld, it embodies a noteworthy step by the Ateliers towards a more dynamic, contemporary style. The NEO case’s original, contemporary design includes open-work lugs; in a fine watchmaking flourish, these sport black zircon tips. In addition to open-work lugs, the sides have been sculpted, and the crown has also been modernised. This technical assembly, with over 45 parts, is topped by a six-screw bezel, now one of Louis Moinet’s stylistic hallmarks.

The Black Gold Derrick comes in a strictly limited edition of 28 pieces.