Maseena LAB And Raúl Pagès Render Magic And Wonder With Its New Creation, Absinthe
2 min read
Green is definitely the colour of the season as seen at Watches And Wonders in Geneva earlier this year. A number of brands have launched their newest creations in this rich and verdant shade adding an earthy feel to these magnificent timepieces. Maseena LAB and independent watchmaker Raúl Pagès joined hands to create a new timepiece called Absinthe which is also known as la Fée Verte, or the Green Fairy in French with an aim to evoke a similar, magical feeling for its collector.
A hypnotic green dial finds inspiration in nature from the green hills of Scotland and Ireland to Lake Carezza in Italy. The art and literature of 19th century Paris, the Golden Age of the famous green drink depicted in the art of Edgar Degas and the writings of Ernest Hemingway also play a pivotal role. While it found notoriety in Belle Époque France, absinthe is actually a Swiss invention, much like the watch that borrows its name.
Brimming with rich texture and play of light, the dial is vertically brushed bringing attention to the many shades of green on its ombré dial, from dark forest green to a brilliant emerald. Its indices and feuille hands are rhodium-plated, shining brightly against a lush backdrop. The dial is signed simply “Massena”, with the curving words “Observatory Precision” written at three o’clock, creating a sense of symmetry with the small seconds subdial at the nine o’clock position.
Absinthe is housed in a stainless steel case measuring 38.5mm and is fitted with a Saffiano leather strap in midnight blue made in Italy. This limited edition watch features the caliber M690, which is an iteration of the M660, Massena LAB’s first proprietary movement. The M690, like its predecessor, is a manual-winding, Swiss-made movement with hand-finishing and a power reserve of 60 hours but moves its small seconds subdial from six o’clock to nine.
Visible through a transparent, sapphire caseback, the M690 features a broad plate with Côtes de Genève finishing with hand-chamfered plates and bridges. Raúl Pagès’ signature, the poinçon Pagès, is tucked subtly under the caliber’s balance wheel and takes the form of a tortoise. The finishing touch: overlapping decorative circles of perlage finishing surrounding this poinçon. Combined, this level of finishing demonstrates a high degree of artistry and skill, which is more commonly found in timepieces three times the price.
The Absinthe retails for US $8675
