A truly exceptional example of contemporary independent haute horlogerie, the Lady Anywhere wristwatch by independent watch company Krayon is a piece whose technical complexity is equalled only by its beauty and the superb hand finished execution, which is evident throughout.

Featuring a unique form of personalisation which is made possible via an ingenious method of mechanical coding, implemented during the manufacturing process, the sunrises and sunsets, as well as the varying lengths of daylight and darkness in a single pre-selected location, which can be anywhere on the planet, are depicted in an enchanting, ever-changing visual display.

The 18ct rose gold case is decorated with hand engraved rose blossoms which run around its waist. Measuring 39mm across and only 9.5mm in height the Lady Anywhere is a beautifully proportioned piece, featuring a squat, fluted crown and concave bezel which accentuate its elegant and sophisticated profile.

Beneath the sapphire crystal the hours and minutes are displayed on a central dial whose creamy off-white surface is decorated with a guilloché of longitudinal lines and concentric circles, which radiate outwards from the date and month subdial at the six o’clock position. The rose gold hour indices complement the hands, and are individually created by hand and applied onto the dial.

Each and every Lady Anywhere piece is manufactured and set up to the owner’s specifications, and the unique mechanical complication which has been conceived and developed by Krayon’s founder and master watchmaker Remi Maillot, can be calibrated to replicate with incredible accuracy the seasonal spread of daylight and darkness hours at a specific ‘home’ location throughout the year.

This unique form of personalisation is made possible via an ingenious display around the periphery of the dial, where sliding panels extend and retract to lengthen and shorten the light and dark sections, the leading edges of each which define the changing time of sunrise and sunset as winter gives way to summer and back again. A little gold sun also passes around the dial in a twenty four hour cycle, moving across the pink daytime ‘sky’, and then, as darkness falls, passing above a panel of dark blue sapphire with hand painted Super-LumiNova stars, in yet another little detail which adds even more beauty and charisma to this extraordinary horological complication.

A look through the sapphire caseback reveals the breathtaking hand finishing and pristine anglage which adorns every surface and every angle of the remarkable C030 manual winding movement within. Entirely designed and developed in-house, it stands at only 5mm tall. And beats at a leisurely 21,600 vib/h (3Hz), boasting an impressive power reserve of 86 hours.

The wavy stripes on the movement plates actually represent the length of the days across the year, while the polished edges also have a hidden secret as they depict the outline of a section of the shoreline of Lake Neuchâtel, where Krayon watches are manufactured. The mechanism features a complex cam setup which rotates once a year, and through which the day/night, sunrise/sunset function is controlled.

As complex as this technical tour de force is, the Lady Anywhere is intuitively easy to live with. All of its functions are adjustable via the crown, and include quick date and month, as well as the day/night settings. Furthermore the original atelier settings on the watch can be recalibrated to a new ‘home’ location by a straightforward adjustment by the watchmaker.

A magnificent and unusual piece, each Lady Anywhere by Krayon is manufactured to order and is presented on a pink alligator leather strap with 18ct rose gold pin buckle.