All the World and Time

Unlikely to tire too easily of this advertising fare when it is delivered with such flair and shrewdness; setting one thinking, wondering, puzzling out. Sunday’s entire page 5 carried what the copywriters term in this market “horological art.” Time-pieces, measures of the hours, elegant accoutrements. Stupendous wrist adornment in this case that was turned horizontal on the broadsheet. (Not the usual presentation. Now why was that?...) Unusual too the jeweled encrustations here covering almost the entire visible surface, including the first links that showed in the band; speckled diamonds perhaps that left only the inner rim of gold and thinner steel outer. The arms may in fact have been wooden, and their anchor; tear drops for the hour markings. Unlike many of the highest end pieces, this article was close to pure jewel; ladies wear, though that was the category of an earlier era. The quandary here was the crimson form standing vertical immediately beneath the watch. A handsome lapel kerchief was an initial thought; wing tip of an exotic bird beating through time perhaps. Thin veins ran over the surface and most surprisingly of all was the distinct discoloration that extended from top to bottom. A unsightly dark smear had thoroughly penetrated the surface. It truly did require more than ten minutes to comprehend the subtlety, even once the petals had been understood. Oh Rose thou art sick…. Another high-end Swiss brand played on the same theme in these enticements: One did not own such-and-such an artefact; one merely acted as custodian for the pretty little floppy-haired innocent at Daddy’s elbow…. (Googling only turned up earlier models of Richard Mille featuring intricate exposed engineering, the premier example worn by a tennis player priced over $2m. A figure very soon to be exceeded.)