Graff, for the first time, has set up a booth at Baselworld for 2014. The brand was located at the Hall 1.1, Stand D51. The exhibition stand took up a large 503 square meters where it showcased its watch and jewelry collection. Mostly the pieces on display are available at their boutique stores which occupy 45 locations all over the world. The stand drew on inspiration from the décor of the stores in the UK, Asia, and Madison Avenue in New York – the home of the diamond district.
It was at this exhibition that Graff released its masterpiece the Hallucination. At first glance, this timepiece appears to be a mass of colored gemstones shaped loosely into the general shape of a watch. Upon further inspection, the sheer man hours needed to create something as wondrous as this watch starts to become apparent.
To put this watch into perspective, Chopard once launched a ladies’ watch bedecked in colored gems, diamonds to be exact, and this watch held the title of the most expensive watch in the world. The Chopard piece contained 201 carats as opposed to the 110 carats offered by this Graff watch. The Chopard piece auctioned for $25 Million, while the Graff Hallucination will sell for $55 Million.
Where is the $30 Million in difference you might ask? The answer is quite simple: The Chopard watch was mainly set with many small white, and canary diamonds (yellow), with three large heart shaped diamonds around the dial in white, pink, and blue. The Graff Hallucination uses only colored natural diamonds, which are the rarest on planet earth. Also the Hallucination uses diamonds of all shapes putting them together in one very expensive and gorgeous jigsaw puzzle. At the center is a small, inconspicuous dial, which allows this piece of jewelry to also be legitimately called a watch.
The concept of the Hallucination comes directly from Laurence Graff, who commented that “The Graff Hallucination is a Sculptural Masterpiece; a celebration of the miracle of colored diamonds. For many years, I have thought about creating a truly remarkable watch that illustrates our all consuming passion for diamonds. The Hallucination has made my diamond dream a reality.”
TAGS: Diamonds, Graff, Hallucination, Haute Horlogerie, Haute Joaillerie, Pink Diamonds, Sapphire Crystal, Swiss Made, Women's Watches, Yellow Diamonds