Visit of Levon Knadjian to Japan in December 2022
Visit of Levon Knadjian to Japan in December 2022
WCC (World Commerce Corporation) the exclusive distributor of Backes & Strauss crafted products in Japan organised 2 special events to mark the visit to Japan of Levon Knadjian, the Brand Director.
Backes & Strauss at the Curation Hotel in ATAMI
The first event was held on December 4th, 2022, at the Curation Hotel in ATAMI.
A group of very selected guests were invited to stay at the Hotel and meet with Levon Knadjian and the WCC team to view the latest collection. The evening event was held in the Momoyama Gaen room – the watches and jewellery were elegantly presented to the guests with a very Japanese floral presentation. Levon Knadjian elaborated on the rich history and heritage of the company dating back to 1789, he paid special attention to the provenance of the Brand in London and the inspiration the architecture of Regency London has had on the collections. He also briefly touched on the ties with the British Royal Family citing the visit of HRH Prince Michael to Japan in 2019 as a guest of WCC.
Interestingly the Hotel was awarded a top prize in the International Hotel and Property awards of 2021 by Britain’s leading interior design magazine. The former Santorum was converted to a Japanese-style hotel using historic memorabilia and antiques collected by the owner over several years.
Vulcanize Event at The Playhouse, Tokyo
The second event was held on December 5th in Tokyo at The Playhouse, Vulcanize in Omotesando. Vulcanize specializes in bringing to discerning Japanese consumers the best British Luxury Brands have to offer.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation by Levon Knadjian of the Unique Backes & Strauss timepiece - The Empress - which was crafted to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the reign of the late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
This was followed by a fascinating talk by Mizuho Nishiguchi an expert on the British Royal Family, in conclusion, there was a Violin and Cello performance by Rina Matsuda and Tatsuki Sasanuma. It was an evening giving the guests a flavour of British Royalty, fashion, and music.
The Empress Unique Piece
The Empress is a unique piece celebrating the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne).
The 18-carat white gold dial features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, created by Backes & Strauss's master engraver. Royal purple, the colour of the British royal family, is beautifully reproduced in “grand feu” enamel. Grand feu is a decorative technique dating from the 18th century and is regarded as the pinnacle of decorative art, as seen in the pocket watches of historical royalty and aristocracy. The glossy, hard enamelled dials, produced by a technique of repeated firing at temperatures of over 800°C, are carefully inspected and fine-tuned by hand every time they are fired. The relief engraving around Queen Elizabeth II on the dial is raised, creating a subtle difference in depth and height to match the shading, and complex craftsmanship is applied during and after the firing stage to avoid cracks. Surrounding the dial are the finest diamonds from Backes & Strauss, the world's oldest diamond house. The oval case is dominated by pear-shaped diamonds of 2.03 carats each at 12 and 6 o'clock, while the dial is encircled by round brilliant and Asscher diamonds. The diamonds on the frame add extra sparkle. The bracelet features diamonds in three different cuts, combining unique brilliance at an elevated level through the expertise of the Master of Diamonds.
