Girard Perregaux

dxboon
[Elite User]
12450

• Show profile
• Show other posts

GP 1966 Madi: Two Unique Watches At The Intersection Of Art & Horology

Recently, Girard-Perregaux commissioned renowned Lebanese artist Hussein Madi to collaborate on two miniature masterpieces of art to be housed within watches from their 1966 collection.  Each watch, one in white gold and the other in rose gold, are unique and elaborate pieces of marquetry and painting on mother-of-pearl.

Below is the white gold variant of the watch.




The pink gold version is subtly more feminine with its bright colors and gem-set bezel and hour markers.




The artistic inspiration for these two watches is the ancient Greek myth about the abduction of Europa.  As Girard-Perregaux tells it, in Greek mythology, Europa is the Princess of the Phoenician city of Tyre (in what is now present-day Lebanon).  As legend goes, Europa met Zeus -- having taken the form of a white bull, on a beach in Sidon.  Europa is lured into approaching the bull by the sweet scent of crocuses on his breath.  The princess caresses the bull's flanks, and unwisely mounts the animal, who then carries her off on his back to the island of Crete.  There, under an evergreen plane tree, Zeus regained human form and seduced Europa.  

Madi's painting of the Europa myth has been selected by Manufacture Girard-Perregaux to decorate two 1966 collection watches.  The watches were presented exclusively at the Beirut Contemporary Art Fair, known as MENASART Fair, in collaboration with Girard-Perregaux's partner in Lebanon, CHRONORA.

About The Artist




Hussein Madi was born in 1938 in the Lebanese village of Chebaa. Drawing, painting, sculpture, engraving, graphics, illustration, ceramics, mosaics, caricature – Madi has always sought to expand his artistic creativity. At 20, he enrolled in the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts and from 1963 continued his training in Italy, at the Fine Arts Academies of Rome and San Giacomo.

Civil war broke out in Lebanon in 1975 and Madi pursued his career in both Rome and Beirut, teaching art at the Fine Arts Institute of the University of Lebanon and the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. He made Beirut his permanent home in 1986.

Madi has exhibited around the world, with more than 50 exhibitions devoted to him, and his work can be found today in important public institutions such as the British Museum in London, as well as in private collections.

His artistic style is all about shapes and colors, with echoes of his predecessors, Matisse and Picasso, as well as the principles of divine harmony that underpin the abstract designs of Islamic art.  In either two or three dimensions, his lines display a spontaneous freedom behind which can be observed the precision that he brings to each of his works. Meticulousness and sensuality are the hallmarks of everything he creates, inspired by a deep belief in a divine universal order in which every single thing is different but composed of the same cosmic elements.

Our friends at Girard-Perregaux were kind enough to supply many photos showcasing the elaborate making-of process for the dials on the 1966 Madi watches.

Steps in the creation of the mother-of-pearl marquetry below.

- Inspecting the mauve-colored mother-of-pearl.





- Checking the extra-white mother-of-pearl.  It's so white, it's practically invisible in the picture!





- In this step the GP craftsman checks the thickness of the mother-of-pearl discs.





- Preparing the mother-of-pearl discs for polishing.  The discs are so thin they must be temporarily glued to a base so as not to move during the polishing process.





- Polishing the mother-of-pearl discs.





- Removing the mother-of-pearl discs from the polishing base.




- Cleaning impurities from the mother-of-pearl discs with a blade and eraser.





- Bringing the bull to life, using an engraving technique called "chasing."





- Here you can see Madi's rendering of the bull and Europa, as compared to the carved mother-of-pearl.




- Cutting the white mother-of-pearl and finishing all the details by hand.








- Varnishing the mauve mother-of-pearl, while maintaining close attention to the colors Madi has used in his original work.









- Cleaning the varnished mother-of-pearl.




- Tints are mixed for the white mother-of-pearl dial on plates of glass in order to achieve the proper hue.





- Each element of Madi's design is outlined in white to increase luminosity on the dial.  The white is transferred to the design using a pad-printing technique.







- The Girard-Perregaux logo is similarly transferred to the mother-of-pearl dial using a pad-printing technique.










- Final assembly of the three marquetry pieces by hand using adhesive.











I really enjoyed what Hussein Madi had to say about his collaboration with Girard-Perregaux: "We are all born at a certain time and we must leave this world at a certain time (which we do not know). The period between our birth and our death is Time. Our approach to this ending, I believe, explains the social and cultural developments in the world. If we do not respect it we cannot succeed. Wristwatches count down the seconds, minutes and hours that constitute our Time. Those who do not accept this are, as a result, unreliable people. Our daily life is organised around time. My time, or anyone else's time, must not be wasted…It has been a pleasure for me to create something for Girard-Perregaux. Elegance and advanced technology come together and a pure design was appropriate to add artistic value to the piece. Time is precious and so are the watches."

Well said, Mr. Madi. 

Thanks to Girard-Perregaux for all the photos detailing the creation of these beautiful pieces of miniature art.  Specifications for both watches follow.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Girard-Perregaux 1966, unique piece in white gold

Case in white gold
Diameter: 40.00 mm
Height: 10.13 mm
Case-back: non-reflective sapphire
Water resistance: 30 metres

Girard-Perregaux GP03000-0060
Mechanical movement with automatic winding
Calibre: 11½’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 32
Power reserve: minimum of 46 hours
Functions: hours, minutes

Dial of marquetry and painting on mother-of-pearl, after "The abduction of Europa" by Hussein Madi.

Strap in black alligator
Pin buckle: white gold



~

Girard-Perregaux 1966, unique piece in pink gold

Case in pink gold set with 68 diamonds (~1.50 ct)
Diameter: 40.00 mm
Height: 10.13 mm
Case-back: non-reflective sapphire
Water resistance: 30 metres

Girard-Perregaux GP03000-0060
Mechanical movement with automatic winding
Calibre: 11½’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 32
Power reserve: minimum of 46 hours
Functions: Hour, minute

Dial of marquetry and painting on mother-of-pearl, after "The abduction of Europa" by Hussein Madi.

Strap in white alligator
Pin buckle: pink gold



Thanks for reading!

Cheers,
Daos









 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site Info.