Boucheron's Lost Reflet
Free the Reflet One
Boucheron won’t love me for saying this, but spare a thought for the Reflet, currently languishing in the collection as somewhat anodyne design that only hints at the panache and élan of the original.
When the Reflet first appeared just short of 75 years ago, it reflected what one Boucheron CEO referred to as “the profound Belle Époque sensuality of the Maison”, the perfectly elegant accessory for the exotic mix of voluptuaries, maharajahs, princesses, film stars and money that formed the maison's clientele. The combination of surfaces worked in clous-de-Paris or ‘gadroons’ (ridges), the slim form with its rolled over lugs (the strap is fixed to a bar that slides into the lug) and small dimensions delivered style at a perfectly judged volume. Chic enough in any event to be the gift Edith Piaf chose for discarded lovers (or the gift she gave to her one true love, depending on who you listen to).
The Reflet was never made in great numbers but was given a new lease of life after Boucheron was acquired by the Gucci group in 2000 (itself acquired by PPR, now Kering, a few years later). Enlarged, fitted with a Girard-Perregaux movement, the Reflet was given a makeover in pursuit of a broader, contemporary audience, which is sort of where the rot set in. Attention was shifted to the dial with indexes and other furniture invading what had been almost plain before and the cases lost their finesse (partly as a result of being less handmade). There were some nice touches – the hands modelled on the Place Vendome column, the date window at one o’clock (equivalent to where the Boucheron maison is located) and the slight curve in the case – and the watches still possessed some of the magic.
Then came various funky variations, including a dial made from wood taken from a Château Latour wine barrel and bracelets that were too heavy before everything was pulled in favour of small quartz versions with diamond-set cases and the like.
So, come back please the original Reflet with your snap and éclat, you might be too subtle for today, too expensive to make for such little show
