Refined Elegance: French Art Deco Ladies Watch by Léon Hatot

Refined Elegance: French Art Deco Ladies Watch by Léon Hatot More than a timepiece, this platinum wristwatch by Léon Hatot is wearable art from an era of bold innovation. With 118 shimmering diamonds and 48 vibrant sapphires arranged in precise symmetry, it reflects both the glamour of the Roaring Twenties and Hatot’s distinctive approach to horology: elegant, modern and ahead of its time. His name may have faded from common memory, yet among connoisseurs, it still commands quiet reverence. As a trusted supplier to maisons such as Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels, Hatot created for those who recognised that a wristwatch could be far more than functional: a fusion of decorative brilliance and refined mechanics, still rare today. In very good condition, this piece remains a radiant echo of the moment when design, technology and personal taste aligned at the wrist.

Antique jewelry object group
Ladies' wristwatch

Condition
very good
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Country of origin
France

Style
An eclectic design style born in Paris in the early 20th century, Art Deco flourished from the 1920s and remained influential well into the post-war years. The name itself only gained popularity after a 1966 exhibition referencing the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, the high point of this luxurious modern style. Led by the most prominent designers in fashion, interior design and the decorative arts, Art Deco influenced nearly every creative domain: from architecture and industrial design to painting, graphic arts and cinema. At the time, it was considered the epitome of elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity.
See also: Art Deco
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Style specifics
Abstract motifs and geometric forms are hallmarks of the Art Deco period. The style departed from the pastel shades and flowing lines of its predecessor, Art Nouveau, and drew inspiration from early 20th-century movements such as Neoclassicism, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism and Futurism. Its popularity reached a peak in Europe during the Roaring Twenties and remained strong in the United States throughout the 1930s. While many design movements reflect deeper political or philosophical ideas, Art Deco was above all a celebration of decorative beauty.

Period
ca. 1920
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Material
platinum (touchstone tested)
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Extra information
Léon Hatot (1883–1953) was a French engraver and watchmaker known for uniting artistic finesse with technical innovation. After taking over Brédillard’s atelier in 1911, he became a valued supplier to leading Rue de la Paix jewellers such as Boucheron, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. His work stood at the intersection of modern design and mechanical refinement, anticipating the fusion of jewellery and timekeeping as wearable art.

Diamonds
Six old brilliant cut with an estimated weight of ± 0.48ct
112 single brilliant cut diamonds (also called 8/8) with an estimated weight of ± 2.00ct

Total diamond count
118 stones

Total diamond weight
approx. 2.48 crt with an average colour and clarity F/J, vs/i

All diamond weights, color grades and clarity are approximate since stones are not removed from their mounts to preserve the integrity of the setting.
All diamonds we offer are screened by the I.J.G.C. for whether they are natural or synthetic, and all diamonds in this jewel are 100% guaranteed to be natural.

Precious stones
48 sapphires
It is a very common practice to treat gemstones to intensify their clarity or colour. The item in question has not been tested in this regard.

Birthstones
Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April and sapphire for September.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
Mastermark LH for Leon Hatot and the French control mark for platinum representing a dog's head that was in use in France from about 1912.
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Dimensions
width case 2,30 cm (0,91 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
22,00 gram (14,15 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
22063-0070

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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