Having acquired an educational background in economics and literature, Caroline Sermier fell in love with watchmaking right from her arrival at Renaud & Papi.
Her current responsibilities as head of the communication department allows her to blend a taste for writing with her fascination for complicated watches, and particularly for the finishing and decorative details on top-of-the-range luxury watches.

5. Watch exteriors

5.1. General considerations
The case, dial, bezel, hands, pushbuttons, correctors, crown, crystal, bracelet, lugs: all these parts make up the exterior of a watch. Through their shape, appearance, degree of finish and choice of material, these parts will contribute, along with the movement, to creating the style of the watch.

5.2. Traditional watches
While a watch is still a device for measuring time and will remain so, even such a highly technical product is nonetheless an object whose aesthetic qualities are a determining factor in a purchase decision. Harmonious proportions, remarkable quality of craftsmanship: a watch must also be distinguished by the care devoted to finishing the smallest details, while nonetheless remaining free from any superfluous ornamentation. Thanks to the purity of its lines and its remarkable understated appearance, one rediscovers that a beautiful watch is sometimes a very simple watch – as simple as tradition itself.

5.3. A certain idea of a top-of-the-range watch
It is not enough for a jeweller to clothe a watch in brilliants for it to become a genuine high-end timekeeper. It also takes a creative approach that goes well beyond surface level, touching the very heart of the watch and incorporating extreme levels of technical skills. Some brands have fully grasped this and succeed in merging technical and jewellery performances : a real jewel and a real watch.

Even the finest watch is nothing if its case does not protect it ! The material used for crafting a case must meet the following requirements : it must not tarnish or deteriorate ; but the most crucial of these constraints is water-resistance, as a movement is a delicate product that is sensitive to the environment. Dust and damp may impede its smooth operation.
Nonetheless, it is important to specify that water-resistance must not be achieved to the detriment of certain technical functions (such as by impairing the sound quality of a chiming watch).