Delaneau Open Magic

There are brands that love to take the road less traveled. A good example of this is DeLaneau. They are Swiss, use high-end mechanical movements in precious metal cases, often adorned with diamonds and colored gemstones. Could be a great many of Swiss manufacturers, only DeLaneau’s watches are exclusively for women!

Women are not so much forgotten in modern day watch making, but the general consensus is that a smaller watch with a quartz movement and some gemstones makes a great watch for women. To some extent there is a lot of truth in this, but a growing number of women actually does care about what goes around inside the watch, and is not satisfied by a smaller men’s model with a quartz movement.

For those women DeLaneau has recently introduced a new model; the Open Magic. This watch is the second chapter of the famed Magic watch that DeLaneau introduced in 2010. However, where the Magic hides it’s dial by a gemstone encrusted sphere, is the Open Magic straightforward in showing the time.

That is about the only thing straightforward about this watch by the way. Just as the Magic (see photo left), has also the Open Magic a uniquely designed case that seemed to be more related to architecture then watch design. Yes, the case is round, but from the top two small straps go towards the buckle, where they are united again. Here a single strap flows up the other way until it meets a gold bar from which emerge two elegantly shaped gold wires that hold the case.

Besides this exceptional design does DeLaneau also have an eye for detail. The dial of the watch is made of Mother of Pearl with inlaid Onyx triangles, or the mirror image of this where Mother of Pearl and Onyx change places. 12 diamonds indicate the hours. These are not the only diamonds that adorn this precious watch. DeLaneau offers several versions with a total diamond weight that varies between the 1.56 and 5 carats.

The diamonds that DeLaneau use are all of exceptional high quality. The brilliant-cut diamonds are all from the colorless range (D to E grade) and have very very small inclusions (VVS1 grade). In addition, the used movement is a gem in its own right. A Frederic Piguet caliber 6.15 automatic movement is the timekeeper in this watch. The cal. 6.15 is basically the cal. 6.10 manual wind movement, but then with a winding mechanism mounted on it. Although this almost doubles the thickness of the movement (2.1 mm for the cal. 6.10 compared to 3.9 mm for the 6.15), it is still a perfect movement for a watch of this sort. A 40 hour power reserve makes it that a lady can easily switch from her Open Magic to her Magic for an evening out and still find the Open Magic running when she wants to put it on the next morning.

All together offers DeLaneau with the Open Magic again an exceptional watch in the tradition of their brand. High end, well made, mechanical, luxurious and unique; all together a perfect choice for a modern day woman who wants to get more out of her watch then just a pretty face.

More information about Delaneau watches can be found on the Delaneau website.