Dior VIII 38 mm Automatique

Dior VIII  

“Luxury is above all simplicity” Christian Dior used to say. Classic “couture” in style and allure, like the Bar suit created In 1947, the Lady Dior bag In 1995 and the fragrance J’adore Dior In 1999, Dior VIII, the new timepiece imbued with the heritage of the couture house, reveals itself to be feminine, timeless and graphic-looking.  

The ultrathin case with its subtle attachments Is spare and uncluttered. It is the epitome of elegance and refinement extending Into a bracelet composed of little pyramids fashioned in ceramic. As the hours slip by, the light plays with its facets, revealing their dainty design, like the cannage patterned topstitching on the Lady Dior bag. Their pyramidal shape is not without recalling the silhouette of the Bar suit, so emblematic of the House, which revealed monsieur Dior’s passion for structured lines as early as his first 1947 collection. “I dreamt of being an architect. As a couturier, I have to respect the principles of architecture”, explained at the time Christian Dior who aroused general excitement with his new look silhouette and its Impeccably structured jacket: soft, narrow shoulders, cinched waist and full hips.    

Today, Dior timepieces pays tribute to the couturier with the creation of the Dior VIII wristwatch. Its name, consisting of eight characters, is also a nod at the lucky number of Dior’s superstitious founder: the date of his couture House’s creation, the 8th of october 1946, the name of his first collection, baptised “En Huit”, the VIIIth arrondissement of Paris and its avenue Montaigne and 8 place Vendôme, showcase of the high jewellery and timepiece collections. 

Moreover, the number 8 Is the only one to appear In roman numerals at 8 ‘o’ clock on this ultra-feminine and classic-shaped wristwatch.   This timekeeper, destined to tick away the seconds and transcend fashions, is rather like the wadrobe of an Haute Couture House. “Haute couture is always ahead of its times”, monsieur Dior liked to remind us. ts colour - a simultaneously chic and captivating black only ceramic can achieve - enhances this timelessness. “I could write a book about black. You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. A “little black frock” is essential to a woman’s wardrobe”, wrote Christian Dior in his little dictionary of fashion published in 1954.  

Nonetheless, the couturier never ceased to create evening dresses or ball gowns each one more sumptuous and richly embellished than the other. Indeed, he did add: “Black and white could suffice. But why deprive ourselves of colour”. And so, from the very moment of its launch, the Dior VIII Is adorned with diamonds and precious stones, sometimes for the range, sometimes for the limited editions. A combination of watchmaking know-how and high jewellery, these timepieces evoke the work of the seamstresses in the Haute Couture ateliers who pleat, embroider and snip the fabrics with the greatest skill and meticulousness. Thus, the centre of the Dior VIII’s dial is sometimes highlighted  with a trickle of diamonds like satin stitching. The bezel may also be paved, either partially with white diamonds inserted between ceramic pyramids, or all-over with baguette-cut diamonds, citrines, tsavorites or pink sapphires.    

“Elegance is an ensemble where the invisible Is as Important as the visible.” from the technical viewpoint, the Dior VIII timepiece is a jewel of precision and refinement. developed in the ateliers Dior Horlogerie at La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, it is equipped with faceted luminescent hands, diamond point appliqué indexes and a unidirectional rotating bezel. On the back of the dial, engraved with “VIII place Vendôme”, the movement on the automatic versions is revealed through a transparent case-back giving a glimpse of the black or colourfully lacquered oscillating weight. Like haute couture styles, intricate and elegant right to the heart of their linings, this attention to detail reaches a climax in the Dior VIII Grand Bal versions, in limited editions of 88 timepieces and equipped with an automatic “Calibre Dior Inversé” movement. Like the twirl of a waltz, the movements of the oscillating weight placed on the dial recall an embroidered petticoat, a lace corolla or a plissé studded with diamonds, beautifully bringing together swiss technology and parisian creation.

If the Dior VIII was  

… A date
The 8th of october 1946, the day the Christian Dior Haute Couture House was created.  

… A place
The VIIIth arrondissement of Paris and its famous avenue Montaigne, headquarters of the Christian Dior Mouse since 1947.  

… An address
8, place Vendôme in paris, the new showcase for the high jewellery creations as well as the timepieces made by Dior in its swiss ateliers.  

… A collection
The House’s very first haute couture collection entitled “En Huit” (in eight), a name recollecting monsieur Dior’s lucky number.  

… A silhouette
The Dior suit, a shapely bust moulded by an impeccable structure and an almost architectural jacket: narrow-fitting shoulders, very cinched at the waist and then skimming over the hips.  

… A shape
The pyramid, recalling an origami or a “Cannage” pattern with invisible stitching.  

… A movement
The swirl of a ball gown. 

 … A person
The Dior woman, radiant, sensual and feminine, embodied by Charlize Theron.