The brand from Geneva is focusing on the diva. The manufacture has launched a limited edition trilogy of ladies’ watches in collaboration with Massaro.

Last year, Roger Dubuis proclaimed that 2016 would be the year of women, promising a renewed focus on ladies’ timepieces. The expectation for many of us in the industry was that the brand would focus on revamping its successful Lady Excalibur series.

Instead the brand turned its attention to the Velvet collection. Launched in 2012, the Velvet collection was a quiet success. Still, the watchmaker had enough faith in its potential to express a new vision of femininity in its new timepieces.

After adding a few more novelties over the last four years, 2016 brought us the Velvet Diva and a partnership with Massaro, a French shoe making and fashion icon that’s been around for over a century.

Timepieces in the Velvet collection are typically distinguished by split-level dials and trompe l’oeil cases that blend circular and tonneau shapes. Very feminine in a 36mm case, all of its watches beat to the accurate and reliable pace of an in-house mechanical movement.

The latest novelties in the Velvet collection are inspired by the potent femininity of the divas of Hollywood’s golden age in the 1950s. The new trilogy of watches pays tribute to three divas in particular.

The ‘Fiery glow’ is a tip of the hat to silver-screen legend Rita Hayworth. Reflecting the passion of the affectionately known “Love Goddess”, the watch is graced with a pleated leather motif and matched by a yellow gold barrel shaped Velvet dial center.

Dedicated to the Greta Garbo, the mysterious ‘Birds of a feather’ model features black feathers delicately crafted and cleverly interwoven into the dusky strap, paired with a black lacquered and charcoal markings that complement the warmth of the pink gold case.

The ‘Pearly iridescence’ pays homage to platinum blonde bombshell Lana Turner. This model encircles the wrist with a distinctive Massaro silver strap featuring a row of pearls running down the center, evoking the shimmering luster of those its namesake loved wear around her neck.

All three interpretations bear the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, are driven by a Roger Dubuis mechanical self-winding movement, and are paired with individual straps crafted from authentic Massaro leather.

The three Hollywood divas that the collection pays tribute to were recognized as the epitome of femininity during their heyday. Statuesque and taking on almost a mythological beauty, the new Velvet Diva collection captures their essence perfecting in these three new models, each limited to 88 pieces.