The stunning designs on its dial tell a story of complex work and artistic finery. MEERA MURUGESAN writes of the Milus collection.

A WATCH or a unique accessory?

With a Milus timepiece, it’s hard to tell the difference. In fact, you get both. Precision and functionality aside, these luxury watches can certainly hold their own as stunning accessories.

With a history dating back to 1919, the brand, which made its debut in Kuala Lumpur recently, prides itself on combining the fine art of traditional Swiss watch-making with the luxury of owning something precious.

Milus’s history is rooted in a mission to create top quality Swiss watches for men and women which they can treasure, keep and pass on, said Milus International SA marketing director Barbara Sieber, who was in Malaysia for the launch.
“We also believe in being highly personal in our approach because luxury can mean different things to different people,” said Sieber.

The brand’s latest collection comes in three different lines — Tirion, Herios and Merea — each one boasting watches that stand out with their unique designs and painstaking attention to detail.

In the Tirion range, the timepieces come with cases in either stainless steel or 18K red gold and boast a unique dial made up of three layers.

The movement base is worked with fine circular graining while the second level is covered with Cotes de Geneve patterning. The uppermost level is enhanced with a faceted lattice work of numbers.

The Herios range presents models in stainless steel, 18K red gold, 18K white gold and an extravagant version in 18K white gold decorated with diamonds. Unique lacquered dials and stylised Arabic numerals stretching out gracefully add to its attraction.

This collection also stands out with its striking, limited edition pieces with cloisonné enamel dials that have been painstakingly and artistically created by hand.

These special edition watches come in four different themes — “Four Seasons”, “Kamasutra”, “Bird of Heaven” and “Theater” (or Kunqu, one of the world’s oldest stage art forms from China).

“What gives a watch its face is its dial and we felt that the traditional method of cloisonné enamelling, which is an ancient art, would give these watches added prestige,” said Sieber.

The process is very time-consuming and requires both a highly developed sense of aesthetics and an artistic hand. Only 18 pieces are available per theme.

To produce the unique designs on the dials, Milus commissioned enamel artist Magali Wielebski, who put in between 80 and 85 hours of painstaking work just to produce the designs for one dial.

“It’s a process that requires a tremendous degree of concentration and attention to detail and it’s not possible for an artist to work more than two hours a day on a dial given the degree of focus required,” said Wielebski.

In this technique, the contours of the figures or the patterns of the picture theme are girded with wafer thin gold threads known as cloisons. The resulting enclosed fields are then filled in with enamel of various colours. In comparison to conventional colours and paints, enamel keeps its brilliance for centuries.

Those wanting a more personalised look can opt for custom-made cloisonné enamel dials based on whatever image or pattern they want.

Merea, combines an enchanting design with supreme mechanical precision.

The strap attachments and the large dimension crown, powerfully accentuate the watches in this range. Models in 18K red gold, 18K white gold or stainless steel, can be obtained adorned with diamonds.

A Joaillerie version of the watch, combining striking jewelling artistry and Swiss watch-making, is also available in white gold with sparkling brilliant cut white and black diamonds and in red gold, with brilliant cut white diamonds and rubies.

These days, said Sieber, watches for women have become another piece of jewellery and just as they would select jewellery, women apply the same principles to choosing luxury timepieces.

“Many women want a watch that matches their outfit and they also look for something that’s unique and personalised. They don’t want a model that’s already a mass trend but something that’s precious and personal which they can hold on to for a long time,” she added.

Jewellery timepieces are multi-functional, she explained. They’re not just watches but also precious items which underline the wearer’s personality.

“And just as one would choose jewellery, sometimes, you take your time and at other times, it’s love at first sight and you just have to have it,” she said.

The trend for large watches, which has been around for some time, also highlights the fact that watches these days are meant to stand out and make a statement of their own, said Sieber.

But large shouldn’t mean bulky or clumsy. The watches in the Milus collections for example, are large, but when wrapped beautifully around the wrist, they embrace it because they are designed so.

Milus is available at the Cortina watch boutique in Starhill.