Dahlia C1

Beauregard

Geneva - June 2018, reinterpreting the traditional idea of a jewellery watch, Beauregard brings watchmaking and jewellery together in an entirely new way. Founded by Alexandre Beauregard and based in Geneva, the brand offers exceptional Swiss timepieces of highly original design, set with sublime stones that are hand-polished in its Montreal atelier and offer as pieces unique. These watches are the fruit of a passion project that goes beyond simply “making a watch”, in a process that is closer to the work of an artist. Distinctive, contemporary and unquestionably precious, Beauregard’s watches embody a beautiful paradox: gemstones from the ages giving expression to the fleeting nature of time

The birth of a brand

Creative concept

The genesis of Beauregard was a deep desire not to simply make watches or jewellery but to blur the traditionally accepted lines between the two, to find a new and original expression balanced by keen awareness of the past, something timeless and yet utterly contemporary, underpinned by a profound respect for craftsmanship. A beautiful object with a useful function, a reminder that time is truly precious.

From vision to reality

To develop his vision, Alexandre allowed himself the freedom to explore his innate design talent over the course of many years, while honing his creativity and harnessing it to technical expertise. Unconstrained by the urgency of fiscal pressures and driven by passion, not by feasibility studies and marketing concerns, he elaborated on his ideas, continually evolving them through sketches and trials, inventing and reinventing, working with craftsmen and technical experts, learning and refining, seeking new ways of mastering the arts of both the jewellery and watchmaking disciplines in order to make his vision tangible.

Guided by instinct, and a hunger to gain consummate knowledge of materials and processes, this intensely personal quest led to meetings and collaborations with world renowned practitioners in specialised areas of horology and handcraft. Just as their knowledge helped to shape Alexandre’s creative concepts, his vision encouraged the technicians and craftsmen to explore new means of expression. Thus, at its foundation, the project has a deeply human dimension – the joy of sharing passions. Among those who share Beauregard’s vision and values, many have become collaborators and friends, forming connections that go far deeper than a normal supplier-client relationship. These are relationships of complicity and mutual support, with each collaborator playing a complementary role.

Dahlia collection

A garden in high summer: a riot of colour, plants overflowing their borders, a sense of joy, nature in celebration. And amid the profusion, dahlias, strong and elegant, their flowers sophisticated, and sumptuous. For Alexandre, memories of such gardens close to his childhood home are woven into his abiding love of flowers.

This first collection of watches pays tribute to the dahlia, which, in the language of plants, symbolises dignity and elegance – qualities that are central to Beauregard’s ethos. The design of the watch carries a strong imprint of the flower: substantial yet delicate, its complex layers of petals creating strength and volume, the dahlia has a singular and timeless beauty that lends itself naturally to Beauregard’s fresh and contemporary styling. The dahlia’s wonderfully varied colour palette – from tender tones to vivid hues – suggests countless possibilities for the choice of polished gemstone ‘petals’ that surround the watches’ dials.

Ultimate feminity

Alexandre’s great love for the richness and colours of fine gemstones, as well as his training in fashion design, led him instinctively to create watches for women. To choose flowers – the ultimate symbol of femininity – as his design motif was equally natural. Enchanting, highly original and immediately recognisable, Beauregard’s watches are both timeless and utterly modern, a finely nuanced blend of New World flair and European refinement. Bold and assertive, yet utterly feminine, these are watches for a confident and free-spirited woman. A study in balance and proportion, the designs express an exquisite tension between softness and strength, restraint and extravagance. The glow of the polished stones, their three-dimensional sculptural quality, the play of volume and lightness and the clear colours lend them richness and harmony – and a unique vibrancy.

Beauty meets technical sophistication: dahlia collection C1

Given Alexandre’s lifelong fascination with the beautiful ballet performed by the moving parts of mechanical watch movements, it was imperative to balance such aesthetic refinement with technical sophistication – and to do so in a way that further enhances the femininity of the pieces. Thus, the mechanical movement with a central flying tourbillon was developed specifically for Beauregard and is entirely made and assembled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Offering 65 hours of power reserve, the self-winding movement is equipped with two barrels and a bi-directional, ball-bearing-mounted rotor. A highly refined arrangement of open-worked bridges and a hand-polished rotor segment echo the floral richness of the watch face. Under the domed sapphire crystal, the tourbillon cage is formed from hand-polished gold petals that echo the shape of the gemstone petals on the outer dial, as well as the open-worked hour and minute hands.

Every one of the 48 petals in mother of pearl on the dial is sculpted and polished by hand, each in a precise shape and size, to respect the tolerance of a mere .02 millimetres allowed by the setting technique. The invisible mounting, specially devised for the design, is underpinned by complex engineering – a real feat of technique and design that epitomises the values of traditional craftsmanship at the heart of Beauregard. Set in a circle beneath the polished-stone petals, 144 diamonds draw light into the dial, adding intensity to the coloured stones, while the 38mm case is set with 330 additional diamonds. The floral theme is carried through to the crown, which is sculpted in the form of a flower bud, with a cabochon stone at its centre. Elegantly curved lugs ensure that the watch is a comfortable fir for every wrists size and the hand-made strap is attached by a white gold folding clasp set with 124 diamonds. A Beauregard watch is a rare and precious object, designed with passion, crafted with patience and offered with love.

Alexandre Beauregard, CEO & Founder

Born in Montreal, Alexander showed a marked talent for design even as a child. Equally, he became fascinated by timepieces at an early age and, while studying graphic design and fashion design, worked on the creation of unusual and original timepieces. Possessing a rare blend of entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and tremendous focus, after completing his studies he founded two businesses in completely unrelated fields, which continue to flourish to this day. The success of those ventures enabled him to channel his energies back to his first love – timepieces and design – and in 2011, at the age of 35, he founded Beauregard SA and threw himself into his grand horological adventure.

Since founding the company, he has immersed himself in learning all that he could about watches and jewellery, meeting the leading practitioners in many specialised fields – some of whom were to become friends and collaborators. Thus, today, in the spirit of both architect and choreographer at the head of a team of passionate, slightly crazy and hugely talented people, he leads Beauregard as it prepares to unveil its first collection.Passionate, dedicated and totally hands-on, Alexander is at the heart of all aspects of the brand, from the sourcing of the stones to their cutting and polishing; from the aesthetic design of the watch to the conception of its movement.

Passion never sleeps.