Fabulous Fabrications: TAOS Presents a Trio of Watches Inspired by Couture Fashion

Occasionally, beautiful timepieces demonstrating exceptional Métiers d'Art will land on our virtual desks and result in a round-robin series of emails. In the hours after we received insights into the emerging Swiss brand TAOS, almost the entire team had seen the fabric-inspired dials of its latest creations, and we all agreed that an article was necessary! Let's take a closer look at the three timepieces that required more than 3,000 hours of craftsmanship to bring to life. The only difficulty will be in choosing your favourite…

TAOS was founded in 2024 by Olivier and Dominique Vaucher and Olivier Gaud. The former are the married couple behind Atelier Olivier Vaucher, which brings together 40 artisans across 15 disciplines to create works of art for leading watch brands. The atelier's specialisms include Grand Feu enamelling, engraving, miniature painting, mosaic, and gem-setting, to name a few. When the pair met Genevan watchmaker Olivier Gaud, the idea of TAOS – a brand that prioritises sophisticated, understated elegance, richly decorated mechanical movements, and unique dials – was born and began to take shape. 

Now, we are seeing the remarkable results of this collaboration in three unique timepieces: Savile Row, Dentelle and Sequins, which draw inspiration from haute couture fabrics. Part of the ethos of TAOS is taking plenty of time, enjoying the process of craftsmanship and engaging with every line, layer and detail of a watch so that it becomes more than just a device for pinpointing the hours and minutes. This is savoir-faire pushed to its limits but also enjoyed to its limits, which is lovely to see. 

The first creation – Savile Row – pays homage to the language of tartan and its important history in the Highlands of Scotland. As the brand explains: "Each shade, each intersection evokes Scotland's untamed landscapes, from windswept moors to winding rivers carving deep valleys. Both rigorous and fluid, this fabric has graced haute couture runways, embodying a perfect balance between tradition and modernity." Here, we see the Savile Row interpretation of tartan through the lens of formal tailoring, captured through engraving, multi-layered enamel, miniature painting, and graphic patterns in a palette of blue hues. 

Here, the artisans at Atelier Olivier Vaucher used a rare technique – fondant – to fuse approximately 20 layers of enamel to create a dimensional woven appearance. 

Next, there's the Dentelle timepiece, which recognises the precious Swiss laces of Saint Gall. Lacemaking is all about patience, dexterity and experience as an art form, which is incredibly similar to the universe of Métiers d'Art and watchmaking in general. This one-of-a-kind timepiece utilises hand-engraving, enamel, and an extremely fine silver paillon mesh to recreate the texture of lace on the dial, which is accentuated with matte and glossy finishes and translucent and opaque colouration for maximum believability. The addition of diamonds across the bezel and lugs and the soft grey leather strap really enhance the femininity in the piece, making this the most obvious candidate for female collectors. 

Finally, there's the Sequins watch that shimmers in the light. It starts with a palette of deep red, berry pinks and rose gold, as well as a smattering of diamonds on the lugs. The concept centres on the history of sequins as a method of adorning monarchs and dignitaries, ensuring their garments shine in candlelight and attract attention. Here, we can see a subtly floral pattern created through raised hand engraving, translucent enamelling, and sculpted reliefs in the shape of flowers in bloom decorated with diamonds. 

What unites all three timepieces is their 18k gold cases and the open case backs, which reveal a beautifully decorated self-winding VOP318 calibre movement inspired by weaving, quilting and draped fabrics (requiring more than 150 hours of hand engraving). This feat of mechanics, which has an impressive 72-hour power reserve, was developed by Swiss movement specialists Télôs under the direction of Olivier Gaud.

So, what do you make of these TAOS fabric-inspired masterpieces? Personally, I am drawn to the incredible textures of the Savile Row creation, which looks like it should have the slightly scratchy feel of wool despite being entirely painted. It will be exciting to see what TAOS does next, especially considering the depths of its experience and the limitless potential of unlimited time.