The

Meeting of Masters
TRAINING MANUAL
2015 EDITION

CONTENTS
I

THE COMPANY

II

OUR DIAMONDS

12

III

CRAFTSMANSHIP

14

IV

HOROLOGICAL PARTNERSHIP

19

OUR COLLECTIONS

27

VI

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

45

VII

COMMUNICATION & PR

50

THE COMPANY

THE FOUR CORNERSTONES

Backes & Strauss core values are defined by 4 fundamental
cornerstones
I. HERITAGE
Est. 1789, Backes & Strauss
is the worlds oldest
Diamond Company.

IV. LONDON
II. DIAMOND-CUTTING

III. WATCHMAKING

Masters of the art of diamond

cutting and polishing with over
200 years of experience.

All Backes & Strauss watches

are crafted at the Franck
Muller Watchland,
Switzerland.

B&S Collections celebrate

London landmarks and the
Regency style.

INTERNATIONAL POINTS OF SALE

Shop-in-shops:

Osaka (Japan)

Tokyo Ginza (Japan)

Mitsukoshi Nihon-bashi (Japan)

Riyadh (KSA)

Jeddah (KSA)

Pearl Island (Qatar)

Noblesse Kiev (Ukraine)

Hong-Kong (China)

50 Points of Sale worldwide

Presence in 26 Countries
5

Q1 2015: THE HOUSE OF BACKES & STRAUSS

The new House of Backes & Strauss at 21-22 Grosvenor St., Mayfair.
6

Q1 2014: MITSUKOSHI NIHONBASHI

New Backes & Strauss counter at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, the Harrods of Japan
7

Q1 2014: CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG

New Backes & Strauss shop-in-shop in Hong Kong

8

Q2 2014: BACKES & STRAUSS BOUTIQUE, TOKYO

New Backes & Strauss Boutique in Tokyo

9

Q2 2014: BACKES & STRAUSS BOUTIQUE, FUKUOKA

The New Backes & Strauss Fukuoka Boutique

10

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTRES

TOKYO

GENEVA
NEW YORK

HONG KONG
SINGAPORE

11

OUR DIAMONDS

B&S DIAMONDS MASTERS OF DIAMONDS

A rough diamond

A Backes & Strauss diamond

It takes Backes & Strauss up to a month to choose

how best to cut a rough diamond

and up to two months more to hand-polish the

diamond to absolute perfection.

13

B&S DIAMONDS THE 4 Cs: COLOUR

14

B&S DIAMONDS THE 4 Cs: CUT

Polishers at Backes & Strauss have perfected the ideal cut and are able to obtain the best cut for the
maximum beauty and brilliance of the diamond.

15

B&S DIAMONDS THE 4 Cs: CLARITY

16

B&S DIAMONDS THE 4 Cs: CARAT

Even the smallest diamond is cut by hand, respecting the 58 facets of the Ideal-Cut.

17

B&S DIAMONDS HEARTS & ARROWS

Hearts as viewed from the

base of the diamond

Arrows as viewed from the

top of the diamond

Hearts & Arrows

Ideal cut diamonds show the Hearts and Arrows pattern when viewed through a Hearts and Arrows
Viewer. This formation of hearts and arrows justifies the perfect symmetry and proportion of the diamond.

These diamonds are first cut to ideal proportions. Then they are cut with superior physical and
optical symmetry. Finally, they are cut to a very specific brillianteering scheme to produce the accepted
hearts and arrows pattern. The hearts and arrows pattern is the ideal cut diamond par excellence.

18

CRAFTSMANSHIP

OUR DISTINCTION: THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN

Each Backes & Strauss watch
has at least one diamond
hand-set into the crown,
which is known as the
brands signature Jewel in
the Crown.
The crown has been designed
to look like the pavilion of a
polished diamond. The
pavilion is the lower portion
of the diamond, sometimes
referred to as the base.

The Jewel in the Crown: a Backes & Strauss signature

20

OUR DISTINCTION: THE DIAMOND STAMPING DIAL

A special stamping has been

designed to mirror the diamond
theme. This diamond stamping is
unique to the brand.

Every numeral and index is polished

and set by hand, as are the diamonds
on each Backes & Strauss timepiece.
The pyramids marking the seconds on
the dial are also reminiscent of a
polished diamond.

Diamond stamping dial on a Berkeley timepiece.

21

PERFECTION IN THE DETAIL

At Backes & Strauss we are passionate
about cutting and polishing exceptional
diamonds to perfection. Our bejewelled
watches,
all
hand
crafted
in
Switzerland, are inspired by the
architectural elegance of 19th century
London, where the story of Backes &
Strauss began.
For over two centuries, Backes &
Strauss has constantly looked forward,
pioneering new diamond cutting
techniques and enthralling connoisseurs
with its compelling designs.

The decorated movements of a Backes & Strauss timepiece.

22

HOROLOGICAL PARTNERSHIP

B&S WATCHES FRANCK MULLER PARTNERSHIP

Backes & Strauss, Masters of Diamonds is partnered with the Franck Muller Group, Masters of
Complications. All B&S timepieces are crafted at the Franck Muller Watchland in Switzerland.
Franck Muller recently made the most complicated watch in the world, the Aeternitas Mega 4
with 36 complications and 1483 components, priced at US $ 2.7 million.

Franck Muller Watchland, Geneva, Switzerland

24

B&S WATCHES FRANCK MULLER PARTNERSHIP

All our watches are manufactured at the
Franck Muller workshops in
Switzerland. Franck Muller is among
only a handful of watch makers that
produce every component in house to
ensure the best quality. These high
standards prevail in the production of
all Backes and Strauss watches.

There are many parallels between the

master diamond cutter and the master
watchmaker; both are supreme
craftsmen, both share the same
mathematical precision, the same
combinations of arts and science. One
works with time and the other with
light.
A Backes & Strauss master watchmaker
25

OUR COLLECTIONS

THE REGENT COLLECTION

The architect John Nash was

commissioned by The Prince
Regent in 1811 to develop a
huge swathe of London, then
known as Marylebone Park

Classical proportions

Bold symmetry

27

THE PICCADILLY COLLECTION

Shaped by John Nashs great

circular junction

Epicentre of London built in

1819

28

THE BERKELEY COLLECTION

The Berkeley collection is inspired by one of Londons great

squares, Berkeley Square.
A graceful garden in the heart of the elegant bustling Mayfair.
Berkeley Square has particular resonance for Backes & Strauss, for
its great plane of trees, among the oldest in London, were planted
in 1789, the year Backes & Strauss was founded.

29

THE PICCADILLY PRINCESS ROYAL BLUE

Backes & Strauss ultra-special masterpiece of 2015 is called
the Piccadilly Princess Royal Blue, a truly magnificent wrist
watch set with 245 diamonds weighing 27.60 carats and
presented in a variety of exquisite cuts to create a timepiece
that is not only unique, but truly spectacular from any
angle.
But why, you might ask, is it called 'the Royal Blue' when
every stone that adorns it is as clear as the water from the
highest mountain stream? The answer is that, in the history
of gemological expertise, diamonds of the purest colour were
traditionally called 'Bleu Blanc' in recognition of the fact that
their extreme clarity made them almost blue to the eye much like untainted Arctic ice.
Indeed, such diamonds actually do look blue when tested
with ultra-violet light - and those that adorn the bracelet, dial
and case of the Piccadilly Princess Royal Blue are as 'Bleu
Blanc' as you are ever likely to encounter. As with the 'Royal
Colours' of last year, just five examples of the Royal Blue will
be made and, by the very nature of the diamonds that are
used to make them, each will be entirely unique.
30

THE PICCADILLY PRINCESS ROYAL COLOURS

The master cutters, polishers and gem setters at Backes &
Strauss have reached new heights in the creation of the
Piccadilly Princess 'Royal Colours' which, as the name
suggests, is a lady's cocktail watch bedecked in a variety of
spectacular stones which reflect all the colours of the
rainbow - and more.
No two examples of the Piccadilly Princess Royal Colours
will be alike, nor can they be - because each watch is created
using a unique hand-picked selection of white and fancycoloured diamonds which are individually set to create an
unrepeatable, one-off pattern.
Starting with a simple, 18 carat white gold case, the watch is
created by hand-setting 'royal colours' diamonds of no fewer
than 66 different colour hues and 10 different cuts on the dial,
case and bracelet. Combining the various cuts (Baguette,
Cushion, Marquise, Oval, Pear, Princess, Ascher, Emerald,
Heart and Round Brilliant Cut) creates an impression of a
piece that has been formed by a happy coincidence of nature,
almost as if diamonds had been casually scattered across the
watch.
31

THE HARRODS PRINCESS

The Harrods Princess, made exclusively for the
famed luxury department store, is hand-set with
80 Gemfields Zambian emeralds and 241 natural
diamonds for a total of 23.5 carats and will be
unveiled at Harrods in the Fine Watch Room for
the Biennale des Antiquaires exhibition.

The pice unique was crafted in Switzerland, each

Gemfields emerald has been carefully selected,
and cut specifically for the Harrods Princess,
ensuring depth and consistency of colour,
combined with Backes & Strauss signature
diamonds. The white gold case is set with Ideal
Cut diamonds to match the dial, and a beautifully
engineered bracelet created from a series of handcrafted links adorned with a further 136 diamonds
and emeralds, alone weighing 18.6 carats.

32

THE ROYAL ASHOKA EMPRESS

Masters of Diamonds, Backes & Strauss unveils the

Royal ASHOKA Collection, a new line of one-of-akind diamond watches bringing William Goldbergs
exceptional ASHOKA diamonds to the world of
haute horlogerie.
The inaugural piece from the collection which will be
unveiled during the World Presentation of Haute
Horlogerie (taking place in Japan from October 28 31) is set with no fewer than 92 ASHOKA cut
diamonds, 131 Ideal Cut diamonds and two baguette
cut diamonds - making a total of 225 diamonds, one
for every year that Backes & Strauss, the world's
oldest diamond company, has been in existence. The
total weight of diamonds used in the watch amounts
to 26.21 carats.

33

THE REGENT BEAU BRUMMELL TOURBILLON POCKET WATCH

In the heyday of the magnificent dandy Beau
Brummell, telling the time involved more than
a mere glance at the wrist - it was almost a
ceremonial occasion when a gentleman gave a
gentle tug on his fob chain, slowly drawing a
timepiece from the depths of his waistcoat
pocket before cradling it in his palm and
perusing the hour at length.
That sense of tactile enjoyment which is an
intrinsic part of old-world timekeeping is now
revisited by Backes & Strauss in a the form of
the Regent Beau Brummell Tourbillon pocket
watch with a white gold case set with two rows
of Baguette diamonds, with further rows of
Baguette diamonds being set concentrically on
the dial. The hand wound tourbillon movement
features hours and minutes, as well as a date
display and moon phase indication. A mere five
examples will be made, each with a bespoke
chain set with Ideal Cut diamonds.

34

THE ROYAL JESTER

In days of old, the jester was no fool. A key member of a ruler's inner
circle, his role was considered vital to the smooth running of the
royal court, his humorous antics were often seen as the fruit of divine
inspiration and his position was one of privilege. He was even
required to criticise his master.
Calling the latest Backes & Strauss design the
'Royal Jester' seemed, therefore, entirely
appropriate: this perfectly round, 40mm
watch has a circular theme, in the centre of
which a sparkling routine is performed by
our very own version of the jester in the form
of a single, round, Brilliant diamond
weighing an impressive 1.01 carats.

35

THE ROYAL JESTER BESPOKE SERVICE

Choose from the aforementioned diamond, or indulge in courtly colours with a central stone of intense blue,
intense pink or fancy vivid yellow.

INTENSE BLUE DIAMOND

INTENSE PINK DIAMOND

FANCY VIVID YELLOW DIAMOND

36

THE VICTORIA COLLECTION

The Victoria Collection is inspired by Backes & Strauss 19th Century jewellery designs
from the companys archive collection, notably the Victorian era, given a fresh and
novel twist by the design team and brought to life by supreme craftsmen.
This quartet of stunning interlocking heart timepieces are crafted in
18kt white or rose gold and hand set with white and natural fancy
diamonds surrounding a mother-of-pearl dial.

VICTORIA
PRINCESS
VICTORIA
SUNFLOWER

VICTORIA
SNOWFALL

VICTORIA
ROSE

VICTORIA
JONQUIL

37

THE VICTORIA BRILLIANT

The Victoria Brilliant joins the delightfully

feminine Victoria Collection at the World
Presentation of Haute Horlogerie 2015,
giving the successful collection a new lease
of life. These new scintillating timepieces
builds on the elegant interlocking Hearts
design, without jeopardising the playful
charm of the classic collection.
Subtly reinterpreting the floral motif, the
Victoria Brilliant features the addition of 12
exquisite Ideal Cut diamonds, hand-set into
the loops of the interlocking Hearts by our
master craftsmen. The bespoke version of
Victoria Brilliant are accentuated with
luscious red rubies, glimmering blue
sapphires or enthralling green emeralds,
infusing the timeless design with a zesty
touch.

38

THE PRINCESS COLLECTION

A beautiful piece of jewellery, designed and crafted
by masters. The unique skills of the watch maker,
diamond polisher and jeweller have combined to
create a fluid, strong, flexible hand crafted
masterpiece.
The bracelet is a true masterpiece of engineering. Each
link is hand-made; each diamond is handset and then
joined together with the same exactitude and skill that
goes to produce a Backes and Strauss watch. This
elaborate but simple design, reminiscent of Backes &
Strauss jewellery from the Victorian age has been
restyled in a totally modern and practical way to
enhance the glamour, strength and beauty of this
Royal.
Backes & Strauss have perfected the Ideal-Cut
diamond where all the light that enters the diamond
refracts internally from 57 precisely placed facets,
dispersing through the top, producing maximum fire
and brilliance, perfect for a Princess.
39

THE DUCHESS COLLECTION

The Princess range of watches has long formed part of the core of
the Backes & Strauss collection, blurring the lines between
timekeeper and jewel with its beautifully engineered bracelets
which are so soft and supple that they almost challenge the wearer
to believe that they are made from diamonds - the hardest
substance known to man.
And now, as more petite, ultra-elegant cocktail watches make a long-awaited
return to the female wrist, the Princess is joined by the Duchess, an all-new
design in the Backes & Strauss line-up which features a smaller, slimmer case
and an equally tactile bracelet made from three rows of carefully selected
diamonds instead of four.
The Duchess will be available either as a fully diamond-set watch or in Red
Rose, Green Emerald and Blue Velvet variations, each name referring to
whether the central row of the bracelet is respectively set with rubies, emeralds
of sapphires to complement the 134 glittering diamonds on either side which
amount to more than 16 carats.

40

THE RENAISSANCE COLLECTION

In the world of haute horlogerie,
less is frequently seen to be more
- which is undeniably the case
with the exquisite 'Renaissance'
collection launched by Backes &
Strauss at the World Presentation
of Haute Horlogerie in 2014.
Now the success of these
beautifully elegant, deliciouslyslim timepieces, which combine
the signature look and
craftsmanship of the world's
oldest diamond company with the
understated codes of a bygone era,
has led to the creation of four new
'Renaissance' models unveiled at
WPHH 2015.

The Piccadilly Renaissance with diamond bracelets.

41

THE PICCADILLY RENAISSANCE BAGUETTE

The Piccadilly and Regent

Renaissance with gold
bracelets, available in
white or rose gold.

The Piccadilly
Renaissance Baguette,
a magnificent 'pice
unique' which is
entirely invisibly-set
with baguette
diamonds, further
enhanced by four Kite
Cut diamonds at 12,
three, six and nine as
hour markers.

42

THE ROYAL COLLECTION

The Royal Berkeley

The Royal Regent

Limited edition of 5 pieces

The Royal Prince Regent

Limited edition of 15 pieces

Limited edition of 5 pieces

43

THE ROYAL COLLECTION

The Berkeley Prince

Limited edition of 5 pieces

The Prince Regent

Limited edition of 50 pieces

The Piccadilly Prince

Limited edition of 5 pieces

44

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

READING OUR REFERENCES

RE.2833.QZ.D1R.RG.WRR
Collection:
RE: Regent

Dial:

BY: Berkeley

WRR: white dial / rose roman numerals

WRA: white dial / rose arabic numerals

PC: Piccadilly
VC: Victoria

Movement

BRR: black dial / rose roman numerals

QZ: Quartz

BRA: black dial / rose arabic numerals

Case Size

MA: Automatic

Material:

CHRR: chocolate dial / rose roman numerals

See case sizes on

page 37

CC:
Chronograph

RG: Rose Gold

CHRA: chocolate dial / rose arabic numerals

WG: White Gold

WWR: white dial / white roman numerals

ST: Steel

WWA: white dial / white arabic numerals

Diamonds:

BWR: black dial / white roman numerals

D1R: 1 row of diamonds

BWA: black dial / white arabic numerals

D2R: 2 rows

WBR: white dial / black roman numerals

D3R: 3 rows

WBA: white dial / black arabic numerlas

BAG: Baguette

Diamond Dial:

INV: Invisible

DEXT: diamond dial exterior

FD: Full Diamonds

DINT: diamond dial interior

DFULL R: diamond dial full with roman numerals
DFULL P: diamond dial full, pav

46

BACKES & STRAUSS DIALS

47

BACKES & STRAUSS WATCH STRAPS

All Backes & Strauss leather straps are made out of alligator skin.
To ensure the leather is of top quality, the skin must only be taken from a young alligator with both
strong and regular scales.
Similarly, to guarantee the leather is durable, Backes & Strauss will only use the skin from the
alligator's stomach and a small section of its head.

CITES
When sourcing leather, Backes & Strauss and its suppliers
adhere to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
CITES is an international agreement between governments
which aims to ensure that international trade in selected species
of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
www.cites.org
48

BACKES & STRAUSS WATCH STRAPS: COLOUR SHADES

Black 2G/2M

Navy Blue -13G/13M

Leaf Green 24G/24M

Grey 3G/3M

Royal Blue 400G

Electric Green 22G/22M

(Not available in matt finish)

Dove Grey 5G/5M

Cobalt Blue 23G/23M

Yellow 25G/25M

Light Grey 19G/19M

Lavender 21G/21M

Tangerine 10G/10M

White 1G/1M

Sky Blue 7G/7M

Scarlet 12G/12M

Dark Blue - 4G/4M

Turquoise Blue 16G/16M

Burgundy 17G/17M

49

COMMUNICATIONS & PR

ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET PARTNERSHIP

Partnership with English National Ballet

English National Ballet is a world-class ballet company,
renowned for creative excellence, innovative collaborations
and engaging ways of honouring and enhancing
traditional and contemporary ballet. English National
Ballet aims to bring ballet to the widest possible audience,
touring across the UK and internationally. In 2013/2014
English National Ballet gave over 190 performances to just
under 250,000 people.
Under the Artistic Directorship of Tamara Rojo, English
National Ballet has increased the amount of new works it has
commissioned; working on new productions with
contemporary choreographers including Russell Maliphant
and Akram Khan performed alongside traditional productions
including Derek Deanes critically acclaimed Swan Lake and
Wayne Eaglings Nutcracker.

TAMARA ROJO
Artistic Director and Prima Ballerina of English National Ballet & Brand
Ambassador of Backes & Strauss

51

BACKES & STRAUSS AT HARRODS 2014

A Backes & Strauss pop-up exhibition featuring the Harrods Princess pice unique and
a stunning floral clock was set up in the Fine Watch Room of Harrods for the month of
October 2014.
The centrepiece on display is the Harrods Princess, a one-of-a-kind timepiece crafted
exclusively for the Harrods Biennale des Antiquaires Jewellery Exhibition. Hand-set with
80 Gemfields Zambian emeralds and 241 natural diamonds, the bejewelled timepiece is a
demonstration of the brands exceptional craftsmanship, capitalising on many decades of
experience.

Featured at the back of the pop-up exhibition is an

impressive flower clock, designed after the floral
Victoria Collection. The clock takes its inspiration
from "L'horloge fleurie" in Geneva, Switzerland,
where every single Backes & Strauss timepiece is
handcrafted. The composition of red and white roses
are a tribute to the brands English heritage as
Backes & Strauss marks its 200th years of presence in
London, the architecture of which continues to
inspire the design and style of the diamond-set
wristwatches.

Backes & Strauss Floral Clock & Pop-up Stand

52

BACKES & STRAUSS AT SALONQP 2014

In 2014 SalonQP hosted its first dedicated jewellery exhibition one
which places high-jewellery watches in a historical context, as well as
displaying the enormous wealth of craftsmanship required to create
these exquisite pieces.
Gems of Time will gave visitors to SalonQP an unprecedented chance to
explore the world of the high-jewellery watch up close.
According to Caragh McKay, curator of the
exhibition, it was the wealth of avant-garde designs
produced this year that has been the inspiration for
the exhibition.
People think the techniques of the past are always
better. But in this field, the realm of the jewelled
watch, brands are producing unbelievably
expressive pieces with fantastic designs and
wonderful gem-setting. I firmly believe that the
current techniques are better than ever.
Backes & Strauss brought its master creations, the
Harrods Princess and the Piccadilly Princess Royal
Colours to the exhibition.

Backes & Strauss at SalonQP Gems of Time Exhibition

53

OFFICIAL WEBSITE & iOS APPS

Our regularly-updated website www.backesanstrauss.com provides information on all our collections,
history, heritage, press coverage and PR campaign information.
The new iPhone and iPad apps are available on the iOS App Store. Users are able to create their own
timepieces thanks to a revolutionary Watch Creator developed exclusively for this application.

54

NEW WEBSITE IN DEVELOPMENT

Backes & Strauss official website will continue to evolve
in 2015. The new revamped website will feature an
enhanced social media integration, advanced watch
browser, detailed product features, nearest retailers via
geolocation, and more.
The new website is expected to launch officially in Q2
2015.

55

SOCIAL MEDIA
Our social media pages are constantly updated on:

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