Complication Ladies watch “Fleur de Sel” of the revived brand of the 18th century watchmaker Charles Girardier won one of the awards of the year.
Sea salt, which forms flower-like figures in a thin, fragile surface due to evaporation on the surface of sea water in very sunny summer seasons, is called “fleur de flood” in French meaning “salt flower”. Being the hero of an unusual natural event, this salty sea flower is on the dial of the two-year-old Charles Girardier’s Tourbillon Signature Mystérieuse “fleur de sel” watch, marking one of the biggest surprises of the year in the watchmaking world. It stood out among the competitors with very successful technical innovations and won the award as the most popular watch among Ladies’ Complication Watch.
Charles Antoine Girardier “Girardier L’Aine (Elder Girardier)” was a master who did not like to be at the forefront in his time (1759-1839) but wanted to do the best in his work, who did not compromise and produced a small number of watches due to his attitude that attaches importance to quality rather than quantity. One of the admirable watches of this Geneva master is on exhibit at the Geneva Art and History Museum, and other is in the Petit Palais in Paris.
Charles A. Girardier, an eminent craftsman, dials were important for him style and saw the visible face of the watch as a combination of painting and sculpture that should contain decorative arts.
Patrick Ulm, an entrepreneur who has implemented various projects to protect traditional crafts, decided to bring the romantic spirit of the master to life in the 21st century with the Charles Girardier brand in 2018. A team has worked about two years to produce first watches of this new brand. Charles Girardier watches are designed and produced inspired by the pocket watches of the master named after him at an independent Geneva-based manufactory.
