Delance Watches

Giselle Rufer, the founder and the president of Delance brand, in due course broke the so-called “glass roof” of the Swiss watchmaking industry and became the first female watchmaker in the world, who not just founded a successful business, but also elaborated a movement for her watches. She broadened her company's philosophy for much more, than just watches production: every Delance model can be individualized, choosing the precious stones, the tracery, the mnemonics, to mark some special period of life – love, changes, or a child's birth. This is a truly female approach to women's watches creation, if you consider the fact, that Giselle designs all watch models herself and for women only. “I wanted to create watches, made for women, by women”, – Giselle says, she doesn't like the modern women's watch models' production trend. “The minimized men's movement, besprent with sparkles”, – the women's pieces, most often offered to ladies by watchmaking companies, was unacceptable for Giselle. She decided to create a movement, that would become competitive with men's watches, becoming a helper in women's everyday responsibilities and the strive for being always beautiful and diverse.
 The main aim was creating a functional watch, that would combine a “serious movement” with original “feminine outlook”. The idea was embodied in the quartz ETA 976.001 and the mechanical Piguet 8.10 movements and the significant case in the form of a lozenge with interwoven spirals on its ends.
 Delance case's lozenge is a symbol of life and flourishing; the curl in the case's upper part (near the “12” position) symbolizes woman and the precious stones in the case's basement (near the “6” position) – men's energy and power.
“Men and women treat time in different ways. Men need to look at the tip-watch, do everything consecutively. Women live in another rhythm. They can do multiple tasks simultaneously. I wanted to create a women's watch, that would reflect all complexity of women's life”, – Giselle says.
 Giselle, an engineer by training, founded Delance company in 1994, after studying at the engineering faculty of Bienne and long years of work and gaining experience at largest watchmaking companies. After finishing the university she became the first degreed computer engineer in Switzerland. In 1987 Giselle was invited to the launch of the children's “Flik-Flak” watch line by SMH concern (the future Swatch Group). In 3 years Giselle was working at “Omega”, creating women's wrist watch collections.
 In 2005 Delance produced the “Bague” model with a blue sapphire. The same way, as all the other Delance models, the case, made of different separate parts, and the precious stones can be changed on customer's order. The same year Delance produced the “Isis Delance” model, resembling an old Egyptian jewelery piece with an emerald. You can also experiment with Isis Delance's design, choosing other precious stones and transforming your watch into a unique piece, with your hand in its design creation.
 In 2007 Delance produced the “Star of the Day Cascade” – an elegant model with a stainless steel case. The nickel-plated hands fabulously combine with the blue nacreous dial, covered with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, the case back is fixed with 5 screws. But the watch's femininity and tenderness doesn't stop it from being practical: the model is water resistant up to 30 metres deep.
 Delance case's original lozenge-shaped design is colourful, brilliant, not overwhelmed by symbols. Giselle called it “Luz”, having chosen the most bright and resonant word from the Spanish phrase “La luz de la vidà”, characterizing not only Delance products, but all women, who wear these watches. “La luz de la vidà” means “creative power of femininity”, but in Hebrew “luz” means “almond”, the shape of which Delance watches resemble.
 Delance company has 29 craftswomen, each of whom commensurately creates every model: at the average about 300 wrist watch pieces a year for the price from 1400 to 80000 plus Euro. The customers are also involved in the model creation process: you can design your watch yourself by clicking the brand's logo at Delance official website's main page – http://www.delance.com. – and choosing “create your own Delance”. After this, the case, the hands, the dial, the jewels and their placement in the case and in the dial are in your hands.
 Delance philosophy, “watches for women by women”, is reflected in the website's design. It is executed in warm colours and constructed in such a way, that every customer will feel like in a friendly and hearty company, where she can not only choose and create a great accessory for herself. You can feel support and gain confidence in yourself at Delance website, because Giselle Rufer addresses all women, who wish to create something beautiful and change everything around for the best, in her letter. Here you can find a detailed company's creation history, Giselle and her colleagues' appeal to the website visitors, wrist watch collections, latest news, related to the brand, including the successful presentation at “Geneva Time Exhibition”, that took part in January 2011 in the very heart of Geneva, at the “International Conference Center of Geneva”.
 Giselle Rufer administers her business from her home in the Swiss city of Macolin, not far from Biel/Bienne, with the population of 615 people and convinces everyone, that a wonam can reach whatever she wants, she just needs to believe in her power, because Delance watches are not a talisman, they are a talisWOman!