Steinway & Sons' Timepieces Strike The Right Chord

Music aficionados Steinway & Sons understand the importance of the wristwatch. After all, the classic wardrobe accessory says as much about its wearer as it does about the time. Founded under the renowned moniker of New York's pristine piano maker, the 150-year-old company's latest venture into men's and women's watches will have you signing the praises of each high-end luxury timepiece.

Under the direction of Fabrizio Cavalca, each handcrafted piece is made with the same meticulous attention to detail as a Steinway & Sons piano—each domed sapphire crystal face even includes a dial meant to resemble a grand piano's sound board. The painstakingly bespoke hands tell the hours, minutes and seconds, while the Model M boasts miniature "tuning fork" and the Model C delivers a one-second metronome component—a mechanical movement previously thought impossible to mimic. Made from 18k white, yellow or rose gold, set with precious diamonds and rested upon a pure silk or alligator strap, the limited edition pieces harmoniously meld elegance and precision together.

A fervent lover of music, design and horology, Cavalca found the design process to be a natural transition. "As a designer and a pianist, I am convinced that music and design are both based on similar proportional rules," Cavalca stated. "Music is everywhere. It inspires in a very intimate way. Somewhere, you can see what you hear and hear what you see. It is a matter of resonance. By hearing and playing the music of Bach, Rachmaninoff, Debussy and Poulenc, I obtained the form [of the watches]. Somewhere, ideally, you should see this watch listening to this music! And as it is very elegant music, the result is just as elegant on a wrist."

Known for their high quality pianos and exquisite craftsmanship, the timepieces mark Steinway & Sons foray into watch design. Working for an assortment of high-end watch brands and fronting his own label, Prano Genève, Cavalca was an easy match for the New York based company. After studying music for ten years at the Conservatory for Music in Lyon, Cavalca moved to Milan where he also studied design. And yet, it was his talent as a pianist that literally sealed the deal—Cavalca's first meeting in the New York factory led to his playing one of the grand pianos and subsequently being offered the contract.

The unique pieces are found at high-end watch retailers Tourneau Time Machine and Stefan Paul (New York), Asprey (London), Horlogerie Jacot (Switzerland) and Luxmar (Dubai). Packaged in a sleek case, and individually numbered or engraved on the side to ensure authenticity, these timepieces are as much music to the ears as to the eyes.

For more information, visit www.steinwaywatches.com.

—Kyle Landman