RAPAPORT… TAG Heuer has launched a timepiece featuring lab-grown diamonds, describing the move as a “major milestone” for the company and the watch industry.
The Swiss watchmaker has placed the manmade stones in the case and the crown of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma, which the LVMH brand unveiled at last week’s Watches & Wonders fair in Geneva. It uses stones that Israeli producer Lusix created with the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, Lusix said in a statement last week.
The new product represents a “new way to master design and the play of light with material thanks to the versatility of lab-grown diamonds in unique shapes and textures,” LVMH said.
The crown of the watch is a 2.5-carat lab-grown diamond that Israeli startup Capsoul made using rough sourced from Lusix.
Lusix, founded by Israeli technology pioneer Benny Landa, synthesizes diamonds at its factory in Rehovot, Israel. Earlier this year, it received $45 million in funding toward launching a second, larger growing facility.
“We are proud that TAG Heuer chose to partner with Lusix for the creation of this groundbreaking product,” Lusix CEO Silviu Reinhorn said in a letter to customers. “We believe that Lusix’s reputation for superb quality lab-grown diamonds, as well as its unique technology for growing diamonds of exceptional color, clarity, and controlled three-dimensional shapes, were key considerations for TAG Heuer in choosing Lusix as its partner.”
Update, April 4, 2022: Information about the crown of the watch has been added to this article.
Image: The TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma watch. (LVMH)
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