Three new ladies’ models with the Plissé Soleil designation have been added to the Dior VIII Grand Bal lineage. Like all Dior VIII Grand Bal watches, novelties are characterized by the use of mechanical self-winding Dior Inverse 11 ½ caliber which features a rotor that can be seen on the dial of the watch. Three latest additions to the collection are presented with these golden rotors crafted to resemble the Maison’s famous Bal gowns with sunray pleated motifs. Each of the watches comes with the embellishments made of mother-and pearl and diamonds, and it is launched in a limited edition. As for the prices of the new Plissé Soleil watches, one can notice pretty big differences among them which depends on the materials and the decorations that were used. The cheapest version in steel costs around $16,775, whereas the price of the most luxurious model in pink gold goes all the way up to $80,500.
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Soleil CD153B10m001 0000 Watch
Number Eight, the Lucky Number of Christian Dior
The Dior VIII collection from which the newcomers stem is quite an extensive series of watches. Its name originates from several facts associated with the renowned French couture powerhouse. Dior was founded on October 8, 1946, the first boutique was set in the 8th arrondissement in Paris and the first ever collection by Christian Dior was named “En Huit” (French for “’eight”). As for the Grand Bal sub-series of the Dior VIII collection, including the novelties which are also a part of, it is distinguished by its use of Dior Inverse 11 ½ caliber. This inverted automatic mechanical caliber with the frequency of 4 Hz and a power reserve of 42 hours has its rotor on the dial side which allows the inclusion of decorations that make it look like the brand’s various haute couture dresses. In the instance of the new three models, they all possess rotors divided into 13 segments whose appearance evokes a classic Dior Bal gown with a sunray pleated motif. The name of the new bunch derives from the French term for this motif - Plissé Soleil.
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Soleil Pink Gold CD153b70A001 0000 Watch
Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry for the Rotor
Though somewhat different when it comes to the level of the decorations, all three novelties by Dior share a lot of common traits. The first one of those we have already mentioned is the inverted movement which only enables indications for hours and minutes. Moreover, each of the novelties is set inside a round and 36 mm wide housing which features sapphire crystals on both of its sides and possesses water resistance to 50 meters. Next, there are several common features visible on the faces of these watches. Each of them has a mother-of-pearl dial as the background which is then supplemented with faceted hands, a central segment encircled with diamonds, as well as with a swinging gold rotor embellished with mother-of-pearl marquetry.
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Soleil Steel CD153b11a001 0000 Watch Back
However, there are also some differences among the newcomers, depending on the material of the case and the embellishments on the bezel. Each of the models is likewise available with two different types of attachments. The first one is a strap made of alligator leather, whereas the other one is a bracelet constructed of metal in the brand’s typical design with three rows of segments in the form of pyramids. Now let us share a bit more details on each of the models, starting from the most numerous and the least embellished to the most exclusive.
Steel Housing
The first model is made with a steel case and has its bezel decorated with a ring set with white mother-of-pearl. The same material is used for the dial, while the rotor in white gold in encircled with blue hems on each of its segments. This basic version can be paired with a hand-sewn semi-matte navy blue strap (the reference number CD 153B11A001 0000) at the price of around $16,775, or with a polished steel bracelet (the reference number CD 153B11M001 0000) that costs about $75 more. This version is launched in two limited editions of 888 pieces (for each type of the wristlet).
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Soleil Steel CD153b11a001 0000 Watch
Steel Case with Diamond-Set Bezel
Next in line is a bit more lavish model which still has a steel housing, whereas the bezel and the ring are made of mother-of-pearl as the first one. However, its bezel is additionally embellished with diamonds. This model has a pink mother-of-pearl dial as the basis. On this background, a white gold rotor with yellow hems swings from side to side. This model also has the same options for bracelets as the first newcomer. While the reference CD153B10A001 0000 with a blue strap is valued around $23,500, the metal bracelet option (with the designation CD153B10M001 0000) costs around $250 more than that amount. This model is made in a limited edition of 188 copies for each of the wristlet options.
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Soleil Steel CD153b10a001 0000 Watch
Gold and Diamonds
The most lavish model in the trio of newcomers is encased in a pink gold housing. Its bezel with the ring made in the same material as the case also boasts a garland of diamonds. Its case-back is with lovely looking metalized sapphire. Another precious stone, a rose-cut gem, is used to decorate the crown of the watch. Moreover, this novelty is made with pink gold hands and several other accents made of the same metal, including the hems on the winding rotor. As it was the case with all previous models, the most luxurious one is paired with two types of attachments and released in two limited editions. This model is naturally the least numerous since it is launched in two restricted series of 88 pieces.
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plissé Soleil Pink Gold CD153b70m001 0000 Watch
The first type of wristlet available with the gold watch from the Plissé Soleil line-up is a black semi-matte alligator strap. It fastens with a prongue buckle which is encrusted with brilliant-cut diamonds. Because of the choice of 18 K gold for the case, the reference CD153B70A001 0000 is appreciably pricier than the rest of novelties and costs $51,000. For the same reason, its incarnation with the polished pink gold bracelet (which fastens with an unfolding clasp) costs even more. The watch with the designation CD153B70M001 0000 comes with the steep price tag of $80,525.
