A Tribute to Fabergé’s Design Philosophy

The Lady Compliquée

The Lady Compliquée Peacock is a fascinating timepiece that brilliantly pays homage to the famous Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg, the “Peacock Egg” of 1908.

The Lady Compliquée watch is a stunning example of the house of Fabergé’s return to the design philosophy of its founder Peter Carl Fabergé. Since buying back its licenses, which had significantly diluted the brand’s prestige in recent years, the designers of Fabergé have looked to the maison’s past to inform its new designs and continue the Fabergé legacy with refreshingly imaginative and whimsical designs, built by master craftsmen.

The History of the “Peacock Egg”

The Lady Compliquée watch was largely inspired by the 1908 “Peacock Egg,” one of the maison’s famous Imperial Eggs.

First commissioned in 1885 by Tsar Alexander III, the Russian Imperial Eggs are Fabergé’s greatest legacy. For 32 years, Fabergé had an annual standing order to produce highly-ornate and delightfully surprising Easter Eggs to be presented to the royal family as Easter gifts.

L - Diamond Dial R - The Peacock Feathers

Faberge’s first egg was a comparatively simple design. The egg’s unassuming enameled outer shell twisted open to reveal a yellow gold yolk and, within that, a golden hen, and, within that, a replica of the Imperial Crown with a ruby pendant. With each succeeding year, the Imperial Eggs grew more lavish and opulent and were a true credit to Fabergé founder’s ingenuity.

To wit, the “Peacock Egg” of 1908 was a beautifully baroque design. Atop a gold tree that was housed inside of a rock crystal and gold elliptical ball sat an enameled mechanical peacock. The peacock could be removed from its gilded perch and wound up to move its head and spread its colorful enamel tail. This mechanical wonder took Fabergé craftsmen three years to perfect.

The Lady Compliquée Watch

The parallels between the Peacock Egg and the new The Lady Compliquée are clearly drawn. At the center of the Lady Compliquée watch display is an ornamented peacock with colorful precious stones encrusting its plumage. As the hour passes, the peacock’s feathers unfurl to tell the minutes. The glitter feathers close again when the lead feather reaches the 60-minute mark. The hours, meanwhile, are read at the winding crown.

At the heart of this whimsical design is an ingenious, specially made movement, designed by Jean-Marc Widerrecht from Agenhor. The Lady Compliquée Peacock won the High-Mechanical award at the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horologerie de Genève in 2015.

The Lady Compliquée Peacock is a fascinating timepiece that brilliantly pays homage to the famous Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg and falls in step with Fabergé’s return to its core brand values set by its founder over a century ago.